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Studying in halls, University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
Cambridge

Christ's College (Cambridge) Students and Applicants

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Reply 260
even if you want a room in the top price category in the first year, would you be unlikely to get ensuite?

i found out the refurbishment means the whole of new court will be ensuited, but apparently it may not be ready for 2008 entry. however, i heard that the rest of christs had also been renovated recently which meant that a sizeable proportion of it had ensuite. is this not tue then?
Studying in halls, University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
Cambridge
Reply 261
The problem at Christ's, unless it's changed, is that you don't get any choice as to whether you want an expensive room or a cheap room in the first year - you just get any random room. Mostly in New Court, but not exclusively. If New Court is refurbished in time then your chance to get an en suite would therefore increase significantly.

I don't think that most of the college has had a refurbishment.. they refurbished Second Court to be en-suite and currently the nicest rooms in college, but that's only a small number of rooms. Excluding New Court, the current en-suite rooms are in Staircase 4, Z annexe and Second Court, with a few others. It might be worth looking at the JCR room information:
http://www.christsjcr.com/rooms/
Reply 262
Mithent
The problem at Christ's, unless it's changed, is that you don't get any choice as to whether you want an expensive room or a cheap room in the first year - you just get any random room.


that's a bit strange - what if people simply can't afford an expensive room?

also, on average, if you don't get an ensuite room, how many people share a bathroom? and is there no way at all to specify that you would be willing to pay for the highest rent band?
Last year (my 1st) six of us shared two showers and a bath - this is the standard New Court arrangement, although as suggested above this may change. There were never any problems - I didn't once have to wait when I wanted a shower. The bath of course never got used.

However in Y staircase, it is possible to have up to twelve sharing a single shower (on the top floor anyway), and this can cause problems.

First years tend to be allocated rooms primarily in New Court and Y, with a few lucky ones getting to go in Z or 4. These rooms are more expensive, and yes it seems a bit strange not to give people any choice about it, but you can swap rooms with other people either prior to the start of the year or even during the year by emailing the accommodation office. This isn't too problematic. In practice though most people love having the chance to have one of the nicer rooms in college.
Reply 264
drive
that's a bit strange - what if people simply can't afford an expensive room?

and is there no way at all to specify that you would be willing to pay for the highest rent band?


That's bad luck if you get a Staircase 4 room, I guess! Though I'm sure if you really had difficulty then the college would listen to your problems. I'm not aware of a way to specify bands - I would have done it if I could.
Reply 265
Dystopia
Does this mean there might be fewer places for those applying for 2008 entry?


this is a good question actually. does anyone know?
Reply 266
drive
this is a good question actually. does anyone know?


I know for my year (I'm starting tomorrow) we had a restricted intake. I think (don't quote me on this) all building work should be finished in time for next year.

About rooms...

Freshers are randomly given rooms. Highly unlikely it will be ensuite - there's not like a quiz you can fill in indicating you are willing to pay more. Most freshers rooms I've seen so far seem to be class 3 and below, I've heard of 1 person in a class 6. I certainly haven't heard of a fresher getting class 2 or above. Ensuite rooms are found in class 1A, 1 and a few of class 2. The top classes of rooms will be filled with people who got firsts in their previous year and people who came high on the ballot...

At the end of your first year there is a ballot taken where every 1st year is ranked in a list. Then you are allowed to pick your room, in the order of that list. So if you're picked early on you will probably get to choose a good room. Then the order is reversed for the 3rd year, so those who got lumped with an awful room in the 2nd year will get their chance to pick a nice one for the third year.

2nd years can live out in college owned houses on Jesus Lane. I don't know what proportion do but I imagine it might be most.
few questions about Christs

I've applied for Geography 2008

1. How big is squash at Christ's?

2. What kind of questions do you get asked in a geography interview there?
just wondering if anyone has been invited to interview yet?

i've not heard a thing since i sent off my saq about 3 weeks ago.
Reply 269
I haven't. I know a Natsci who is being interviewed next week.
Reply 270
wiio
I haven't. I know a Natsci who is being interviewed next week.


i''m already at Christ's and a few people are being interviewed already, mostly natscis I think... though don't worry if you haven't heard yet - I didn't hear until around this time anyway and some I know heard later. No news is definitely not bad news :smile:
Reply 271
hey, I'm scheduled to have a general interview with a dr. bowkett. I was able to find out that hes the admissions tutor for the college, but does anyone have a link to his webpage or something? what subject does he specialise in? Because I was thinking that although its a "general" interview, if he's a physicist or something (as im applying for engineering), he could maybe throw in some technical questions?

on a similar note, does anyone know anything about professor fitzgerald and dr. punskaya? (my other "technical" interviewers)
Reply 272
Yes Dr bowkett is the admissions tutor but the interview with him will be general. I don't know what subject field he was in - poss. sciences, but he's the senior tutor here and i don't think he has done any teaching for years. I don't think he has a 'webpage' or myspace for that matter...

I applied for music, and although we did talk about music, it was general conversationly stuff coming from my Personal Statement, and nothing technical. Your interview with him will be similar and not techincal.

As for your othre interviewers, I don't have a clue, a quick google search might show you something, but it won't really matter. As has been said countless times on here, they ain't gonna quiz you just on their research areas, nor should you go and buy their books and quote pages at them in an attempt to brown-nose your way in. Just reading through some more general basic undergrad engineering type books (?!) would be more useful, I would imagine
Reply 273
Rich_b
i''m already at Christ's and a few people are being interviewed already, mostly natscis I think... though don't worry if you haven't heard yet - I didn't hear until around this time anyway and some I know heard later. No news is definitely not bad news :smile:


AAGHH Had interview on Mon last week.... now the long wait till Jan 3rd I believe

Is it the 3rd well get our letters does anyone know?
Reply 274
3rd or 4th I believe.
Reply 275
Just some questions about the offers. While browsing through this thread I noticed that some of you got offers of AAAA. Is it common at Christ's? I mean in most places they require only three a-levels. I imagine that when a person applies for physical natsci for example the a-levels required are chem, maths, physics, but what's the fourth? biology?
I also read that Christ's gives out EE offers. Does this mean that people who are really smart and have done really great apply to Christ's to try to get EE offer, I mean just choose Christ's only for that reason?
melcarac
I imagine that when a person applies for physical natsci for example the a-levels required are chem, maths, physics, but what's the fourth? biology?


Not necessarily. Provided it's not on the 'blacklist' i.e. anything with "studies" in the title then it should be ok.

I also read that Christ's gives out EE offers. Does this mean that people who are really smart and have done really great apply to Christ's to try to get EE offer, I mean just choose Christ's only for that reason?


I'm not sure about really smart (is 5 As at A-level still considered good, or has dumbing down progressed to such a stage that 7 or 8 are needed to truly shine?), but certainly the high proportion of EE offers was one of the main reasons I applied there, the others being that it was medium sized (not too big, not too small, but just right), pretty much central and also had very beautiful grounds. I did think about applying to Queen's, but their party reputation put me off.

The thing about an EE offer is that it probably doesn't take the pressure off getting decent A-levels because if you're the kind of person who's applied here, then you probably want to do as well as possible, whether it's necessary or not. However, it is good for three other things:

-being smug at your old school when you tell people camb want you so badly that they'll let you in even with an EE.
-getting the nicer rooms to live in (the college assumes all matric offers will be taken up and hence the first years with matric offers get all the snazzy rooms).
-giving you a support net, just in case you do happen to *******s up that one module, or there's a mix up in exam papers or... etc. etc.



Umm... not sure if that's answered your question.
Reply 277
Childermass


I'm not sure about really smart (is 5 As at A-level still considered good, or has dumbing down progressed to such a stage that 7 or 8 are needed to truly shine?)



Seems a bit of an odd comment - I wasn't under the impression that Cambridge ever consider 5As or indeed 8 to be much more impressive than four. Once you've achieved 3 or 4 As with good UMS at AS I would expect they would rather see you spend the rest of your time doing something constructive relating either to your chosen subject or perhaps a particularly worthwhile extra-curric pursuit rather than simply trying to take as many A-levels as possible...after all, given the limits of a clearly-defined curriculum, all that is needed to succeed in eight A-levels is a rather sad disposition towards the use of all spare time for exam practice.
wiio
Seems a bit of an odd comment - I wasn't under the impression that Cambridge ever consider 5As or indeed 8 to be much more impressive than four.


....quite possibly because it wasn't entirely serious.

Once you've achieved 3 or 4 As with good UMS at AS I would expect they would rather see you spend the rest of your time doing something constructive relating either to your chosen subject or perhaps a particularly worthwhile extra-curric pursuit rather than simply trying to take as many A-levels as possible...after all, given the limits of a clearly-defined curriculum, all that is needed to succeed in eight A-levels is a rather sad disposition towards the use of all spare time for exam practice.


Hence the matric offers. They take people who they believe are going to do well and encourage them to read around the subject rather than cramming.
jimmeh1989
few questions about Christs

I've applied for Geography 2008

1. How big is squash at Christ's?

2. What kind of questions do you get asked in a geography interview there?


Last year we had two (of the best in the university) courts. Now they are inaccessible. When you arrive (if you get in) there will be only one, with the consolation of a small gym next to it.

I am a geographer and I play squash (when I can) so you'll be in good company. I didn't get interviewed at Christ's though; besides you've probably had your interview by now?

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