Competition - post a photo you've taken of nature >>

Cambridge Vacations

Good day

I have an offer to study at Cambridge and I am aware that one gets kicked out during vacations. Do most people go home? I'm from the norf so it will be a trek and I'm wondering if many people stay in Cambridge, or if it is possible? I don't think my parents would be happy with me coming back (I don't like them either...). So is it financially possible for most students? Also how many people work (job wise) during vacations and what kind of work do most students do? And are students expected to do a lot of work on the tripos(reading/revision etc) during vacations?

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 1

Origami Bullets

Original post by Glider Gun

I've moved this to the Cambridge forum for you :smile:

Reply 2

Colmans

Original post by Origami Bullets

I've moved this to the Cambridge forum for you :smile:

Cambridge really is quite empty more than a week outside of exam terms. Your accommodation will often be let out for conferences etc and if not you may be able to stay but at a price.

There is the same kind of casual work at everywhere-bars, cafes, shops and then depending on your degree you may be able to pick up internships for 6-12 weeks in your second summer especially. These are usually in London. Computer & Engineering students can often get summer work too.
Some degrees involves a lot of holiday work, I never did much except for the Easter holidays before exams.

Reply 3

Theflyingbarney

Original post by Glider Gun

The vast majority of people do go home for most of the vacation, however most colleges will let you stay for a price (you might have to move rooms or something though). Staying over the holidays is going to be another 5-6 weeks of rent though, so depending on what your accomodation's like that's anywhere between £450 and £750 on top of your termtime bill just for the accomodation.

Also how many people work (job wise) during vacations and what kind of work do most students do? And are students expected to do a lot of work on the tripos(reading/revision etc) during vacations?

Job-wise some people do a bit in the vacations but I've not come across anyone that does anything more than the odd part-time thing. Over the summer people might do more work, or internships etc. Amount of (Tripos) work over the vacations depends on your course, although most people do a lot at Easter and relatively little over the summer unless they have coursework. Most courses will make you do at least a couple of essays or whatever over Christmas; I got told to do 12 in my first year (in actual fact I only got 4 done).

Reply 4

Origami Bullets

Original post by Theflyingbarney

I got told to do 12 in my first year (in actual fact I only got 4 done).

How many words was each of them meant to be?

Reply 5

Theflyingbarney

Original post by Origami Bullets

How many words was each of them meant to be?

Only sort of 1200-1800, I say 'essays' but they were really just past exam questions. Still a lot though, I've been recommended to do sort of 15-16 over the 5 weeks of Easter (though I'll be pleased to manage 8 :wink:

)

Reply 6

Origami Bullets

Original post by Theflyingbarney

)

Ah, not quite as bad as I envisaged! I had 3 essays that were all 3000 or 3500 words (give or take 10% - I wrote just over 10,000 in the end) this xmas, and I was envisaging 12 of those!

Reply 7

Theflyingbarney

Original post by Origami Bullets

Ah, not quite as bad as I envisaged! I had 3 essays that were all 3000 or 3500 words (give or take 10% - I wrote just over 10,000 in the end) this xmas, and I was envisaging 12 of those!

Yeah that sort of thing would be truly horrific! Still takes a lot of time though - naturally our supervisor asks for nothing less than 'perfect' essays, so the amount of argument you have to compress into ~1500 words is surprising. Before I came to Cambridge I could knock out a piece of that length in maybe an hour, including planning time, but now I can find myself taking hours and hours fretting over the composition of something for which the actual writing probably takes half an hour.

Reply 8

x__justmyluck

Original post by Glider Gun

Most international students will go home so going back up north isn't much of a trek. Email your college to find out how much vacation residence will be. Do you want to stay all year? This may not be possible but will depend on your college, I'd imagine it would cost around double to stay all year.

Reply 9

parentlurker

colleges vary quite a bit so no-one can really answer for every college. Also if your college provides accommodation for more than one year the answers may be different for each year. You'd need to specify the college that made you an offer and hope someone knew it.

Most Cambridge students do go home, you can see the queues of cars and the number heading for the station. The amount of work needed in the holidays varies with the course and also how much you keep up in term. It's less in summer. Some students have paid work in the holidays, more in summer than for other holidays. A very small number work a little in term, usually in bars.

Your parents will probably have you back, especially if you make some contribution to the household. However you could try to get live in work, perhaps in a hotel. Colleges may help if you really have nowhere else to go.