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Which Cambridge College

Hi! It has been my dream for a long time to study at Cambridge University, (or oxford), and I would love to read Law. I have been trying to find which college is the best for it, but I can't seem to find anything of that sort. I know Trinity pretty much rules the Tompkins table, but it might not be the best for my course. I just wondered if anyone could help, I'd appreciate it so much! Thank you! Xxx
Reply 1
Original post by Mickie_Mouse
Hi! It has been my dream for a long time to study at Cambridge University, (or oxford), and I would love to read Law. I have been trying to find which college is the best for it, but I can't seem to find anything of that sort. I know Trinity pretty much rules the Tompkins table, but it might not be the best for my course. I just wondered if anyone could help, I'd appreciate it so much! Thank you! Xxx


Tompkins is rather skewed in Trinity's favour because of the high number of mathematicians there.

Also all colleges are good for Law, with Downing being the most popular college, but base your research in finding a college you like due to location*, size, etc.

Have a look at
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/colleges/choosing-a-college

And https://www.applytocambridge.com

* Location is one reason why Downing is popular, it's close to the department. But actually nearly all colleges are relatively close. Cambridge is a small city (it's really a town).

Edit: and keep in mind you have a 25% chance of being pooled to a different college anyway - so don't get *too* emotionally attached to a specific college :smile:
(edited 6 years ago)
There is no measurable difference between them, and the Tompkins table gets heavily skewed by specific course sizes at different colleges as noted above.

The only difference your college makes is: where you live, how expensive it is to live there, what it looks like, how many people are on your course. Supervisions are arranged BY your college but not necessarily WITHIN your college and it's entirely possible if you went to Girton (because you love cycling or something, idk) you would end up with several supervisions at Downing. Thus, trying to pick a college based on some notion of academic ranking is pointless.

You should look at the map of Cambridge with the campuses and colleges highlighted (there are several versions available on the Cambridge wbesite in various places) to get an idea where they are, and visit them to see which you like best. For reference, the main Law Faculty is located on the Sidgwick Site, which is in the middle of the campus areas broadly (slightly west of the town centre). Most of the law lectures seem to be based on the Sidgwick site as well, so any of the Sidgwick cluster colleges would naturally be convenient for gettint to lectures. Additionally, these are near the main university library which is above the Sidgwick site.

The central colleges are also quite close however, with Jesus being the furthest out, and Churchill and Fitzwilliam are only slightly further. Homerton is quite a ways out, as it's in town but sort of on the wrong side, although there are plenty of bus routes and cycling is fairly common/easy in Cambridge (although get a good bike lock because as the apparent cycling capital of the UK it's also the cycle theft capital...). Similarly Girton is farther north Huntingdon way, but people who go there don't seem to have any issues cycling/bussing around.

Basically, just find one you like the "feel" of and pick that one :tongue:
Reply 3
Original post by artful_lounger
Basically, just find one you like the "feel" of and pick that one :tongue:


And with a roughly 25% chance of being pooled elsewhere anyway :smile:
Reply 4
Original post by Doonesbury
Tompkins is rather skewed in Trinity's favour because of the high number of mathematicians there.

Also all colleges are good for Law, with Downing being the most popular college, but base your research in finding a college you like due to location*, size, etc.

Have a look at
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/colleges/choosing-a-college

And https://www.applytocambridge.com

* Location is one reason why Downing is popular, it's close to the department. But actually nearly all colleges are relatively close. Cambridge is a small city (it's really a town).

Edit: and keep in mind you have a 25% chance of being pooled to a different college anyway - so don't get *too* emotionally attached to a specific college :smile:



Thanks! That's really helpful!
Reply 5
Original post by artful_lounger
There is no measurable difference between them, and the Tompkins table gets heavily skewed by specific course sizes at different colleges as noted above.

The only difference your college makes is: where you live, how expensive it is to live there, what it looks like, how many people are on your course. Supervisions are arranged BY your college but not necessarily WITHIN your college and it's entirely possible if you went to Girton (because you love cycling or something, idk) you would end up with several supervisions at Downing. Thus, trying to pick a college based on some notion of academic ranking is pointless.

You should look at the map of Cambridge with the campuses and colleges highlighted (there are several versions available on the Cambridge wbesite in various places) to get an idea where they are, and visit them to see which you like best. For reference, the main Law Faculty is located on the Sidgwick Site, which is in the middle of the campus areas broadly (slightly west of the town centre). Most of the law lectures seem to be based on the Sidgwick site as well, so any of the Sidgwick cluster colleges would naturally be convenient for gettint to lectures. Additionally, these are near the main university library which is above the Sidgwick site.

The central colleges are also quite close however, with Jesus being the furthest out, and Churchill and Fitzwilliam are only slightly further. Homerton is quite a ways out, as it's in town but sort of on the wrong side, although there are plenty of bus routes and cycling is fairly common/easy in Cambridge (although get a good bike lock because as the apparent cycling capital of the UK it's also the cycle theft capital...). Similarly Girton is farther north Huntingdon way, but people who go there don't seem to have any issues cycling/bussing around.

Basically, just find one you like the "feel" of and pick that one :tongue:



Wow, that's really informative. And it has made the task much less daunting.
Original post by Mickie_Mouse
Wow, that's really informative. And it has made the task much less daunting.


Glad to help ^^ the whole collegiate system is weird and confusing until you realise it's basically glorified halls of residence...although I'm sure some resident Catanbrigians may take umbrage at that slightly asinine description :tongue:

Also to note, some colleges have multiple "sites", for example I've been informed Caius also has accomodation on/by the Sidgwick site, so this gives you the option to be in convenient distance of lectures one year and still have the chance to live in the centre for a year as well (and whatever for another one )
Reply 8
Original post by artful_lounger
Also to note, some colleges have multiple "sites", for example I've been informed Caius also has accomodation on/by the Sidgwick site, so this gives you the option to be in convenient distance of lectures one year and still have the chance to live in the centre for a year as well (and whatever for another one )


Except you are usually allocated a room by ballot and can't specify location. Especially in first year.

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Reply 9
Original post by Mickie_Mouse
Hi! It has been my dream for a long time to study at Cambridge University, (or oxford), and I would love to read Law. I have been trying to find which college is the best for it, but I can't seem to find anything of that sort. I know Trinity pretty much rules the Tompkins table, but it might not be the best for my course. I just wondered if anyone could help, I'd appreciate it so much! Thank you! Xxx


Magdalene.
The quality of the course should not differ between different colleges since the lectures don't depend on what college you're in and you will invariably have supervisions outside of your college. Choose a college that you personally like, and if you can't choose, just do an open application - there's a high chance of being pooled anyways, either in the Winter Pool or the Summer Pool.
Reply 11


Fixed :smile:
I've heard Downing is the 'law college' because there are so many law students there xD and it has the largest student run college law society in uni. During my interviews all my interviewers were super encouraging and helpful if that's something you'd consider as well x

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