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What do you want to know about Cambridge?

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Original post by nuodai
Cantabrigian :wink:


Thanks! That's what I meant.:colondollar:
Reply 141
Original post by Arialaxe
Which colleges have cats?

Which colleges have the most cats?

Of the colleges that have cats, which are the cutest?

Of the colleges that have cats, which are the friendliest?

How prominent a role do the college cats play in the lives of Cambridge undergraduates?

To what extent would you argue that the college cats are the single most important influence in the personal support of the Cambridge undergraduates?

(Edit: I should add this disclaimer, for any miserable TSR cat-haters, that I do not expect these questions to be answered...)


Trinity by a long way wins the contest here. :yep:
Reply 142
Original post by maths134

Original post by maths134
what societies are you guys part of? any suggestions =]


I was on the committee for CamFM University Radio. There's also the Assassin's Guild... *shifty look*.
Reply 143
Original post by maths134
what societies are you guys part of? any suggestions =]


Most of my societies are engineering based, because it's a good way to get practical experience. SO Eco-house and CAUV mainly, I'm also on Christ's Films which shows 35mm (cinema grade) films during term.

With those I don't really have time for any others.
(edited 12 years ago)
Ok a few serious questions. I much appreciate people doing this btw. I'm still in shock that John's made me an offer.

1) Is it possible/ realistic to go to formal dinner most nights?
2) How available are pianos to practice on?
3) Is there a vast amount of holiday work, particularly over Christmas as I was planning on doing ski coaching to earn some cash.
4) How many ECAs is it realistic to pursue?
5) If you are a nocturnal worker is this a negative?
6) Can you attend lectures that are nothing to do with your subject?
7) Is it socially acceptable to be a football fanatic?
8) Is there a ski team?
9) The language courses linked earlier looks amazing - how many is it realistic to study, and do they do ab initio?
10) How easy is it to get internships etc. in the city?

Thanks :smile:
(edited 12 years ago)
Got an offer to study Biological Natural Sciences - huzzah.
But now I can start to think of what life will really be like if I manage to meet my grades..
Wherever I go, I really want to get stuck into my sport, and play lots of competitive sport regularly. In short: will I have the time?
Reply 146
Original post by Banishingboredom
Ok a few serious questions. I much appreciate people doing this btw. I'm still in shock that John's made me an offer.

1) Is it possible/ realistic to go to formal dinner most nights?
2) How available are pianos to practice on?
3) Is there a vast amount of holiday work, particularly over Christmas as I was planning on doing ski coaching to earn some cash.
4) How many ECAs is it realistic to pursue?
5) If you are a nocturnal worker is this a negative?
6) Can you attend lectures that are nothing to do with your subject?
7) Is it socially acceptable to be a football fanatic?
8) Is there a ski team?
9) The language courses linked earlier looks amazing - how many is it realistic to study, and do they do ab initio?
10) How easy is it to get internships etc. in the city?

Thanks :smile:


Will answer as many as I can
1) I'd say so, however at least one night a week is probably set aside for grad students, so there will be less places.
20 Don't know, but very likely.
3) Depends on your subject. I think Sciences seem to have more because they are not so dependant on libraries.
4) Most people do about 2-3. Depends on personal preferences and how well you can time manage.
5) As long as you get some sleep, there shouldn't be any problems.
6)I have a friend who is a Mathmo, he goes to 9am lectures with some of his friends from other subjects.
7)Match of the Day is normally on in the TV room on Saturday Night.
8)http://www.cussc.org.uk/ there's also the Varsity trip which is a joint ski trip with the other place at the start of december
9)No clue
10) There's a careers service in the university, but I haven't dealt with it because my department has it's own careers service.

Hope that helps
I never hear much about Corpus, where grades permitting I will end up, could you tell me what cantabs generally think about it (if anything)?

Also, do individual colleges 'own' punts as I understand they lend them out free/dirt cheap to students?

And what is the system by which rooms are given out, I've often heard that it is based on how well you do in the year = better facilities and room.

Lastly, bit cliche, but I would really like to try out for the University Challenge team at corpus. Could Doughnuts, or indeed anyone here, tell me a little bit about how that all works?

Thanks! :smile:
Original post by Banishingboredom
Ok a few serious questions. I much appreciate people doing this btw. I'm still in shock that John's made me an offer.

1) Is it possible/ realistic to go to formal dinner most nights?
2) How available are pianos to practice on?
3) Is there a vast amount of holiday work, particularly over Christmas as I was planning on doing ski coaching to earn some cash.
4) How many ECAs is it realistic to pursue?
5) If you are a nocturnal worker is this a negative?
6) Can you attend lectures that are nothing to do with your subject?
7) Is it socially acceptable to be a football fanatic?
8) Is there a ski team?
9) The language courses linked earlier looks amazing - how many is it realistic to study, and do they do ab initio?
10) How easy is it to get internships etc. in the city?

Thanks :smile:


1) Possible yes, realistic no. It becomes too much of a hassle/expensive to go most nights (do you really want to go and put on a gown and *wait* for dinner after a long day of lectures and supervisions?) So almost everyone only go on special occasions.

2) I think John's have quite a few music practice rooms that you can book. Not sure about pianos in rooms - you'd have to be doing music or very lucky on the ballot I imagine.

3) Normally there isn't a vast amount of *proscribed* holiday work. But everyone knows that they ought to revise what they've been trying to learn in the previous term, which is substantial. Not many people get very productive over the holidays though.

4) Entirely depends on how well you manage your time and how much you value academics. Two or three seems to be common.

5) Not really. A lot of people do it (myself included). Again you know that you really shouldn't, but sometimes it's the only strategy that works.

6) Yes, but people realise that they don't have enough time for their own subject let alone other people's so in reality this doesn't happen very often.

7) Yes.

8) Yes.

9) They do do ab initio. Again depends on how well you manage your time if the course is during term.

10) The way does seem to be quite easy for Cambridge students. For tech in IBs none of my friends in CompSci failed to get an internship in a big city firm last year. For front office I know plenty that got them as well.
Reply 149
Original post by Banishingboredom
Ok a few serious questions. I much appreciate people doing this btw. I'm still in shock that John's made me an offer.
Some of your questions are quite Oxford John's-specific, so I'll try and answer the ones that aren't:

Original post by Banishingboredom
3) Is there a vast amount of holiday work, particularly over Christmas as I was planning on doing ski coaching to earn some cash.
This varies from college to college, but lots of people have jobs in the vacations, so you'll probably be fine.

Original post by Banishingboredom
4) How many ECAs is it realistic to pursue?
As many or as few as you like, as long as you leave enough time to do your work. Inevitably people pick up too many things in their first year and end up dropping a couple, but you'll get a feel for how much extra stuff you can do when you get here.

Original post by Banishingboredom
5) If you are a nocturnal worker is this a negative?
This really depends on the subject. For Maths, NatSci, Engineering, Medicine, etc... it's a negative because lectures for these subjects tend to be in the morning. For some subjects you can get away without going to lectures at all, provided you read all the relevant material and do all the supervision work you need to do.

Original post by Banishingboredom
6) Can you attend lectures that are nothing to do with your subject?
Yes. All lectures are open to all Cambridge students.

Original post by Banishingboredom
7) Is it socially acceptable to be a football fanatic?
Yes, more's the pity.

Original post by Banishingboredom
9) The language courses linked earlier looks amazing - how many is it realistic to study, and do they do ab initio?
Realistically you could probably do 3 in a year, maybe 4 at a push (2 Summer CULP courses, 1 or 2 during Mich/Lent), but you'd never want to do that many. Each language is offered ab initio, and the levels they go up to vary. French and Spanish go all the way up to 'Advanced', which are post-A-level courses that get you a CertHE qualification at the end of them. The other languages go up to varying levels of Intermediate (so somewhere in the region of AS or A-level standard).

Original post by Banishingboredom
10) How easy is it to get internships etc. in the city?
That depends on you really.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Jessikat
The picture I saw of the library made it look stuffy! But it really looks so much better than I imagined. It's practical - I like it.

And the dining hall more than makes up for it! <3


Yeah it's actually a really pleasant environment to work in. Trust me, I'd know.

The dining hall really is special, but it does feel a bit weird eating a burger in there.

Original post by Kobie

i sincerely hope this does not pertain to whom i think it may possibly pertain.


also, revisions to this

trinity- agreed. bit cliquey and don't seem to mix outside their college much
john's- like to play up to the 'posh' stereotype but everyone i've ever met from there has actually been very nice and they're quite welcoming to guests from other colleges!
king's- agreed. also very chilled out and super friendly. get the impression it's so large that it's impossible to know a large fraction of your classmates
peterhouse- agreed. 'poofterhouse'! though nobody i've met from there seems to conform, there are quite a few very individual types as well.
sidney- agreed
magd- agreed, plus the guys are supposed to be quality prey.
downing- same as magd
newn- better than mudwards
mudwards- worse than newn
lucy cav- cougars
catz- agreed. sometimes aggressively friendly! lots of fun but i get the impression it's a little intense at times
girton- what on earth i don't even
homerton- <3. lovely and friendly, nice place to live, good social side!
tit hall- see homerton
clare- see tit hall ad homerton
selwyn- agreed but it shares that honour with newn. it's effectively newnham, but traditionally 'cambridge', and with boys.
wolfson- got wolves (male version of cougars fyi)
emma- s'cool. it's a great college and very popular but those at other colleges often feel it's a tad overrated
queens- see emma. also a bit homo (and mostly famous just for stephen fry)
churchill- possibly the only remaining boys' college. most people will never meet a churchill female. exceedingly right wing.
christs- academic, though people i've met have mostly disproved the stereotype. pretentious at worst, wild fun at best.
pembroke- always high.
corpus- occasionally protesty yet otherwise nondescript. i get the impression it's highly underrated tho...
caius- their formal is ghastly.
jesus- keen.

i'll update when i think of more!


Now that's more ****ing like it. Take notes on this 'Doughnuts!!'

Original post by Arialaxe
That has got to be the tiniest picture of anything I have ever seen in my life.


I don't think that hyperbole serves any purpose here.
Reply 151
Original post by poetryiscode
I never hear much about Corpus, where grades permitting I will end up, could you tell me what cantabs generally think about it (if anything)?

Also, do individual colleges 'own' punts as I understand they lend them out free/dirt cheap to students?

And what is the system by which rooms are given out, I've often heard that it is based on how well you do in the year = better facilities and room.

Lastly, bit cliche, but I would really like to try out for the University Challenge team at corpus. Could Doughnuts, or indeed anyone here, tell me a little bit about how that all works?


I don't go to Corpus, but I've been there like it a lot. Some colleges own punts, some colleges have subscriptions to Scudamores which gets half-price punting or whatever, it really depends on the college; I'm not sure about Corpus. And I'm not sure how Corpus's room ballot works -- some colleges give special rooms to people who get 1sts, some don't. (Robinson doesn't, it's completely randomised.)

As for University Challenge, you'll find out about that kind of thing when you get there -- someone will be in charge of setting up a team, then there'll be some sort of competition to get onto the college team, then a within-Cambridge competition to decide which 5 colleges enter the main competition, and so on. There are a couple of people on TSR who've been on UC, so they'll know more than I do!
Original post by Xristina
oh really? Well..at least Oxford people show some originality in their thinking. But I guess copying Oxford is a tradition at Cambridge, so it's not really your fault :tongue:


Madam, I would just like to take this moment in time to inform you that there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that:

a) your every utterance is like the slithering hiss of a fat maggot feasting upon the putrid guts of a decomposing rat

and

b) your face is as foul as the unwiped inner ring of Satan's rectum.
Original post by nuodai
This really depends on the subject. For Maths, NatSci, Engineering, Medicine, etc... it's a negative because lectures for these subjects tend to be in the morning. For some subjects you can get away without going to lectures at all, provided you read all the relevant material and do all the supervision work you need to do.


Oh but if you reverse your clock so that morning is really your "afternoon" then you can work nocturnally and arguably you'll be more awake for the lectures :p:

Or you can split your 24 hour day into two 12 hours days and sleep for 4 hours at the end of each "day".
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Xristina
oh really? Well..at least Oxford people show some originality in their thinking. But I guess copying Oxford is a tradition at Cambridge, so it's not really your fault :tongue:


Actually we always improve what we take from Oxford. Same goes for this thread.
Original post by Aesc
Is it true that, instead of a cat, King's have a pet cathedral? :p:


This is really awkward, but King's College Chapel isn't a cathedral.
Reply 156
Original post by ukdragon37
Oh but if you reverse your clock so that morning is really your "afternoon" then you can work nocturnally and arguably you'll be more awake for the lectures :p:

Or you can split your 24 hour days into two 12 hours days and sleep for 4 hours at the end of each "day".


Indeed, I've pondered those possibilities myself. Unfortunately, in my situation, there'd be no real way that I could get enough sleep, go to lectures, do enough work, eat healthily and have a social life, unless my sleeping pattern was fairly conventional. My days seem to be structured approximately according to: sleep midnight-8am, work 8am-8pm, socialise 8pm-midnight, repeat. (The exception is Sunday, the only day when I have no lectures, when I wake up at midday, slob around all afternoon, do some panic last-minute imminent-deadline work in the evening and then prepare for another six days of mathematical glory.)

I hold to my assertion that days should last for 27 hours. Everything would be much easier if they did.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by nuodai
Indeed, I've pondered those possibilities myself. Unfortunately, in my situation, there'd be no real way that I could get enough sleep, go to lectures, do enough work, eat healthily and have a social life, unless my sleeping pattern was fairly conventional. My days seem to be structured approximately according to: sleep midnight-8am, work 8am-8pm, socialise 8pm-midnight, repeat. (The exception is Sunday, the only day when I have no lectures, when I wake up at midday, slob around all afternoon, do some panic last-minute imminent-deadline work in the evening and then prepare for another six days of mathematical glory.)

I hold to my assertion that days should last for 27 hours. Everything would be much easier if they did.


For a month last year I tried:
Sleep: 2 - 6 am/pm
Work: 6am - 2pm, 10pm - 2am
Socialise: 6pm - 10pm

Wouldn't want to go back to that again as it made time feel like moving twice as fast :s-smilie:
I was looking for this thread :biggrin: A lot of my questions stem from looking at the Oxford thread, thank you very much in advance!!

1) What colleges are noted for their high/low % state school students and % private school students?
2) How common are bicycles round Cambridge?
3) Do many take a weekend to go home?
4) What's the rule on having a friend stay for a night?
5) Do you generally get close to course mates or college mates?
6) What has the local (walkable) area got to offer, e.g. cinema, shops?

Medicine-related questions:

1) Do the majority make it to clinical years after pre-clinical, and how hard is it to get into?
2) If you only do pre-clinical at Cambridge, is there anywhere that you are particularly likely to go, e.g. London?

I'll probably have more but it's late and I'm too sleep to think :smile:
Reply 159
Original post by ukdragon37
For a month last year I tried:
Sleep: 2 - 6 am/pm
Work: 6am - 2pm, 10pm - 2am
Socialise: 6pm - 10pm

Wouldn't want to go back to that again as it made time feel like moving twice as fast :s-smilie:


I'd be tempted to try that, but 'socialise' often entails 'alcohol', and maths after alcohol never goes well.

Original post by AspiringDoctor
1) What colleges are noted for their high/low % state school students and % private school students?
Even within each college it varies from year to year. King's is renowned for its high state school intake, and John's is stereotypically private schooly, but I'm not sure if the statistics back up this assumption.

Original post by AspiringDoctor
2) How common are bicycles round Cambridge?
Hahahahaha. Haha. Ha.


Original post by AspiringDoctor
3) Do many take a weekend to go home?
Sometimes, but rarely. Parents/siblings/friends visiting Cambridge is much more common. (Not least because some people, e.g. me, have lectures on weekends!)

Original post by AspiringDoctor
4) What's the rule on having a friend stay for a night?
It's fine.

Original post by AspiringDoctor
5) Do you generally get close to course mates or college mates?
Either and both, but I think you're more likely to be closer friends with people in your college.

Original post by AspiringDoctor
6) What has the local (walkable) area got to offer, e.g. cinema, shops?

Basically the whole town centre is walkable from most places (except Girton and Homerton), so really... everything you'd expect from a small city.

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