University of Cambridge Freshers Megathread 2016

If you want to row 'casually' , you can just row for second or third (if they have) boat. Lower boats usually train less than first boat. But they'd still expect you to commit yourself to their regular training, though. It's usually 3 mornings a week for lower boats, but as you said, it can vary from college to college.
Which college are you going? I think the best thing is just go to their introductory session during the freshers week and try out & ask the question.

The course of Bumps is a bit longer, about 2.5 km or so, I think.
I have 3 ex-Cambridge college rowers in the family but never rowed myself, so not sure about how their training is different from that of 2km regatta, but my guess is probably not much for rowers.........I think. Perhaps it'd depend on their coach's training style, rather than because it's for bumps.
Because of the style of race and the course features (narrow and winding, and 16 other boats chasing each other), the role of Cox is quite different and more significant for bumps, though. .
Oh btw, they do race other races, too, not just bumps. Some of them are regatta.

Thanks a lot for the information. I'm going to Jesus, which I've heard is a fairly sporty college. I'd probably be fine with three mornings a week - five/six though I might give it a miss.

Thank you! I think they could haha they're out of the first division in bumps now lol but as vincrows said I won't be rowing with the college (although I think that is an option after the Boat Race, depending what else is happening)


Yep near to London so rowing on the Thames. Ah cool I did SHORR and HORR this year (in a quad and eight respectively) so I've got some experience, just all in the wrong direction! And I don't really have a seat it normally depends on the physique of everyone else in the boat I'm also open to rowing either side, I just have a lot more experience on bow side, but I have been sculling for about 95% of my water time I'd say, maybe more haha.

And yes Rio was amazing! So many good races, the men's eight was brilliant (unfortunately Steve Trapmore's medal isn't so unique any more :P ). I also loved seeing the Kiwi pair, Croatia double, quads final (shame about GB!) and Drysdale (although arguably Henley was more interesting ) haha.

Nah, it's not unusual for the other place to struggle to string enough words together to sustain a decent TSR thread.

We even get them joining Cambridge threads because they are more interesting (cf. @BioOx in the 2017 Applicants Thread)

#TabBantz

Anyone got in for Engineering and got the prep work sheet?

Yes, but it's more of a booklet than a single sheet! I've started working my way through it but it seems like it's never-ending haha

I'm doing more A Level maths now than I should've done during A Level Maths

That's how I'm feeling about the maths booklet Engineers have been given...

And when you start at Cambridge, you'll realize in a few months how easy A-level had been.

I'm doing more A Level maths now than I should've done during A Level Maths

Are you here just to try to scare everyone away? 😂

First thought on getting the NatSci/CompSci maths booklet - I'm basically half a mathmo, I don't need to do this!

After looking at it - wait, how do I factorise x^3 - 1? What's the factor theorem help

I'm doing Law but not at St Catharines. Really excited to start!

Omg I spend a good while wondering how to do the x^3 one too XD Been too long since doing C1 smh

I got stuck on that too :/
did you get your head around that last partial fractions? I just left it

Are there any rules on what should be worn with the gown and what kind of formal clothes we might need in the first few day/weeks after arriving for things like matriculation, etc?