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Join The Student Room TodayBe part of the UK's largest and fastest growing student community. It's free to join and a lot of fun - Get inspired, express your ideas, interact and share Peterhouse, CambridgeFrom The Student RoomTSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > Cambridge > Peterhouse, Cambridge
Peterhouse generally has a reputation for History, though it also performs well in Maths and Economics. Peterhouse has one of the longest lists of famous alumni most famous probably being Henry Cavendish, Lord Kelvin, Charles Babbage, Colin Greenwood (from Radiohead), Frank Whittle and Micheal Portillo.
Student Statistics
Source: The Reporter Special Issue: Student Numbers 07-08 Peterhouse Application Statistics See College applications and admissions statistics Peterhouse Application Statistics per subject See Appplication Statistics 54% of Peterhouse acceptances in 2007 and 54% in 2006 were from state school students (source). LocationPeterhouse is located centrally on Trumpington Street, less than 10 minutes walk away from most of the major university faculties. It's also only a couple of minutes walk away from town yet far enough away not to be bothered by hordes of tourists. It is also right next door to the Engineering Department. The record for an Engineer to get from "in bed" to "in lectures" is under a minute. AccommodationPeterhouse has some of the best accommodation in Cambridge. In addition Varsity recently reported that Peterhouse has the cheapest average rents in Cambridge, thanks to rent subsidisation by the college. Peterhouse can also claim the honour of being able to house all its students (post- and under- grad) during all their years of study. On top of good pricing, almost all of Peterhouse's facilities are very well maintained with fresh fittings, paint and prompt repair. It stands out in comparison to accommodation elsewhere which can be quite shabby in appearance. 1st YearMost first years live in St Peter's Terrace, a row of Georgian town houses situated 2 minutes walk from the college. The kitchen facilities are minimalist but recent renovation has meant the rooms are some of the best quality in Cambridge (especially so for first year accommodation). The terrace also acts as a hub for first years where everyone gets to know each other really quickly. The rooms are not en-suite, but there are bathrooms on most floors. Kitchens will normally have a fridge, kettle, microwave and toaster. Rent was around £700 for 10 weeks in 2005/06 but varies depending on the size of the room. There are a few "split sets" - a pair of rooms, with a study downstairs and a bedroom on the floor above. Most rooms have a hand-basin, but not all. In previous years, a few unlucky students got rooms in the nearby William Stone Building (one of Peterhouse's two ugly buildings) which had slightly lower quality rooms alongside benefits such as washing machines and hobs in the kitchens as well as hand-basins in all the bedrooms. Additionally, the rooms at the top have a good view over the fens. Last year WSB was closed for renovation which included a conversion of all the rooms to en-suite. Freshers who did not fit into St Peter's Terrace last year were allocated a house in Fitzwilliam street (specifically one which Charles Darwin once inhabited). Now WSB is one of the more expensive places to live, having a rent of over £1k. The rooms are however in very good condition and all have en-suites. 2nd YearSecond year rooms are decided by a room-points system (based on a combination of academic achievement and participation in college activities), with most second years usually left with the choice of College-owned houses on Parkside (next to Parker's Piece) and nearby Fitzwilliam Street, or the William Stone Building. All rooms are within a minute's walk from the main college except for Parkside, which is usually occupied by Rowers who want to leave nearer the river. Parkside rooms tend to be cheaper and the kitchens have much better facilities, including ovens and freezers. Warkworth Terrace is near Parkside and similar in terms of facilities. Tennis Court Terrace and Fitz Street are similar to St Peter's Terrace in terms of facilities, though less recently renovated. A few second years will be lucky and get rooms in College. Prices for the 10-week term range from £380 to £1200 in 2006/07. The system is designed so that no-one is forced to stay in a room they can't afford. 3rd/4th YearThird and Fourth year rooms are also chosen through the room-points system, but ballot before and take preference over the second years. Third years get first pick of all rooms in room point order, with fourth years following suit. 3rd/4th years usually get rooms in Old Court and Gisborne Court in College itself, or in one of the houses on Trumpington Street. There are also a number of double set rooms available in the two courts. Fen Court, The Hostel and Little St Mary's also tend to house 3rd years. Post-GradsPost-grads mostly live in separate accommodation in the new-ish Cosin Court. These are flats with a shared living room and proper kitchen between several students. There is also a car park if you have permission to keep your car in Cambridge. There are also a couple of basement flats in St Peter's Terrace for married couples, and some live in Parkside or Warkworth street. Social SpacesGardensPeterhouse has two gardens; the Scholars Garden and the Deer Park. The latter lays claim to the title of Britain's smallest Deer Park. Both are spacious and in Spring they really come into their own; brimming with daffodils. They are a fantastic place to relax, eat your dinner, or host a garden party. In times past, the Deer Park played host to the Peterhouse May Ball every other year. Following a poor year of disappointing academic performance, the Fellows chose to alter the Ball from a bi-annual to tri-annual cycle. The implications of this decision are that Peterhouse no longer alternates with Magdalene to provide Cambridge with one white-tie May Ball a year (only these two colleges hold white rather than black tie balls), and that Petrean finalists of 2007 were no longer able to attend their own May Ball. However the Peterhouse May Ball will return to the college and it's Deer Park in 2009, with the full backing of the college. Dining/HallPeterhouse's Dining Hall is the one of the oldest buildings in Cambridge at over 700 years old (built in 1284). All meals are eaten here by candlelight which gives the Hall a unique atmosphere (think Hogwarts). Over the summer of 2007, the Hall was refurbished, receiving new wallpaper and replaced gold leafing. The hall is in great condition with wonderful wood panelling and intricately carved beams in the roof. We eat on long tables with benches rather than chairs, which adds to the old feeling, and the hall is candlelit rather than electric. We eat all our normal meals in the same hall, and get to use candles for lunch and supper too. In summer we sometimes take our meals and sit in the Deer Park instead. A select few like to take their meals to the JCR or bar and watch tv while eating, but most go to the hall. Generally laughter and conversation is so loud at normal hall that you have to shout to be heard (by the way 'hall' is just any regular meal, 'formal' is the special meal in the evenings) All students are charged Kitchen Fixed Charge (£118 in 2005/06). to subsidise the college food. The food itself is charged onto your cambridge card and paid by bill at the end of each term. Breakfast and Lunch are served Mon-Sat and Dinner is served daily. Quality is....variable. Some days the quality can be quite good, and on other days, dubious. There are usually two main options and a further vegetarian option with sandwiches and a salad bar serving as an alternative.
We have to eat half of all the evenings of full term, anything above £2.50. If not we pay a fine to make up the gap between what we paid and what the minimum was. The reason for this is that Peterhouse is a small college (so probably practically more vulnerable to people randomly eating or not eating). By setting a minimum number they can afford to keep the kitchen open and predict how many people are likely to eat. FormalThere is also the option to go to formal hall every day for £5.35 as long as you've signed up by 1:30pm that day (it get's busy so book in advance!). It consists of a 3 course waiter served meal of (slightly) better quality than the normal meals and the option to bring in wine. Starters are usually fairly insignificant but nice, and mains and desserts are usually good. Formals only cost £5.35 which is a big bargain for formals in my opinion. We have to wear gowns but can wear what we like underneath. Members of the choir who get free formals on nights when practice takes place (currently Tuesday, Friday and Sunday) sometimes come in with jeans and a gown thrown on top. Also every couple of weeks, a Superhall is put on. This is basically a normal formal hall with Black Tie, MUCH better food and a higher ticket price (about £14). For normal formal, you have to wear a gown, but can get away with jeans under the gown if you want. You can buy wine from the bar or pay £1.50 corkage to bring your own. In cold months they build a massive fire in the hall fireplace. BarThe bar is small-ish but cheap and usaully serves as a starting point for a night out elsewhere. It is also the location for bops which are generally hit-or-miss. Peterhouse bar was refurbished in 2007, and is quite good looking with several very comfortable leather couches, nice tables and fresh paint. The bar is often deadly quiet in the early evening before formal hall ends and attendants stumble in. It tends to be either totally empty or fairly packed. JCRThe JCR is generally a place to chill out and relax anytime of the day. It boasts one of the University's three free pool tables (the others are at Selwyn and Magdalene) a darts board and a wide screen TV. It also has a GameCube, and a Quiet Room with sofas. Library and ComputingLibraryWe actually have two libraries in Peterhouse; The original Perne Library and the newer Ward Library. The Ward Library is the main library and one of the best college libraries in Cambridge. This is mostly thanks to a multi-million pound grant from a Peterhouse alumnus. The library is massive, being able to fit at least half the college in it, and usually has most of the books anyone needs for their course. In addition the college is open to suggestions for new books which are usually bought in within a week. The Perne library is smaller and much less used, partly because you need special permission to get access! It's full of orignal sources, manuscripts, books and such and I guess it can be handy if you're doing a subject like History or ASNAC. Computer SuiteThe computer room hasn't been amazing as we only have 6 PCs and 2 Macs. However the Ward Library has 6 more PCs and there's another in the JCR. Room ConnectionAll rooms have a broadband connection. It's pretty fast and only rarely goes down! Academic PerformancePeterhouse's ranking in the Tompkins Table (which ranks colleges by their Tripos exam results):18th (2008), 25th (2007), 21st (2006), 22nd (2005), 21st (2004), 22nd (2003), 23rd (2002), 19th (2001), 14th (2000). SportsPeterhouse was declared the 27th sportiest Cambridge College in Michealmas 2009 by The Tab. See The Tab article: The College Cup revealed WelfareTutors are generally friendly and approachable, and being a small college, they can be very flexible if you're having trouble with anything. The JCR has a welfare officer as well as minorities reps. AtmosphereBeing a small college, you quickly get to know everyone in college, which means that you meet a wide range of people, not just those doing your subject or on your staircase. It also means that gossip travels faster than light, but you get used to that. It's a small and close-knit community. FacilitiesSports-wise we have a (not that great) gym and Squash court onsite. We share our main sports ground, Bentley Road, with Clare and its about 10 min walk away from the main college. The Boathouse has rowing machines as well as all the usual boats. The Music Room can be hired for society meetings or parties, and can be used for private practice on the piano the rest of the time. The theatre is fairly newly-refurbished, and the Heywood Society put on plays and films each term. We also have regular recitals in the Lubbock Room. See above for details of library and computing facilities.
Student-eye viewPeterhouse is small, old (the oldest, actually) and friendly. It gets mocked for being Tory and gay, but that's mainly the Fellows rather than the students; primarily rising from the nature of the college historically rather than recently. It's lovely to get to know everyone in college, and we have a good range of facilities and so-on. Links
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