Emmanuel College (Cambridge) Students and Applicants

Original post by Canned Door

Relatedly, 5 terms in and I still haven't knowingly met someone from Eton. I'm kind of disappointed about this. :frown:

For some reason, I had it in my head that every other person would be from Eton. What school you went to isn't really made an issue, and it only generally comes up in the first few weeks anyway. So now I'll probably never find out if anyone I know went to Eton. :tongue:

I know two people from Eton in my year, but I think I only know that they did because one of them was on my staircase and we used to chat. I've actually met more Eton people who didn't get in and went to Bristol instead out here in Moscow on my year abroad than I've met at Cambridge :lol:

Reply 1301

I know of two people from Eton in my year, one from Westminster and two from St Pauls. I haven't counted the Harrow people, but I think 2 or 3 again. However all of those are FAR from the stereotype public schoolboy! VERY FAR!
There are well over 20 people from what I, as a Southerner, term 'The North'. Our most Northern person comes from Carlisle, which is only a few miles from being Scotland, and we do also have some Scotts.

Your Northern accent will be noted, perhaps lovingly mocked (if you're popular enough) but will in no way set you back. In fact, its generally only mentioned if they joke about it themselves. Zoedotdot is right though, if there's a stigma it's because you bring it. Similarly, comprehensive school students will only uneasy if they make a point of doing so, no one will recognise what school you went to beyond the famous ones, and no one will care much.

The year is split about 60-40 state to independent school, and the public schools only make up a small fraction of the private schools. The main reason is that the public schools encourage only one applicant per subject per college for oxbridge, so while a lot do go to oxbridge, they're very thinly spread out.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 1302

Original post by The Mr Z

Note to outsiders reading this: the thread has become 'college banter', give us a minute to get over our ego-arguments about which staircase is better. As I've mentioned, they're actually all pretty much identical, and you will consider yours the best regardless!

Well the staircases vary from year to year, I guess. This year M is definitely the better staircase in terms of people on it, second only to V :P She moved because being on a ground floor room meant that she missed out on much of the staircase social interaction: most people go straight up the stairs, and so all the socialising happened above her.

I expect it must have changed, or been purely by chance! that's no reason a girl cannot have a ground floor/terrace room, you can draw the curtains and lock the windows. Most people have the manners to knock on the glass, or even warn you in advance they're coming over.

How does/did U have the best bedder? Rosie on V is unanimously considered the best bedder.

The view from V1/2 was, until very recently, still a charming one of a skip! the library work has only just finished!

I think you'll find that it was Sheila on U who was the best bedder, but she sadly left at the end of my first year, signalling the end of the U bedder golden age. She was amazing. Blind to all manner of sins, including the six bar chairs that found their way to my friend's room and his illicit wok and hot plate. She cornered me one day and told me never to tidy my room again because walking into it had almost given her a heart attack and she was too old for these shocks. I helped her pick a birthday present for her grandson. She knew about my boyfriend and where in South Court he lived practically before my friends did. She never came into our rooms when we were in them without an explicit invitation, and if she opened the door herself she would hover and call out 'ANY RUBBISH DEAR?' before stepping inside. In short, the perfect bedder.

I can see what you mean about the ground floor, I was in U15, so right at the top and directly opposite the stairs and mine was one of the most frequented rooms in South Court (biscuit and alcohol stash probably helped too). V wasn't even a little bit sociable in my year. U or L2 were the places to be.

I saw the new library when I was back a couple of weeks ago :love:

Reply 1303

U and L2 the places to be?!! oh my, how times have changed!! This year it is certainly V and M! L2 is the epitome of anti-sociable! V1, V3 and M15 and 16 are the most frequented SC rooms this year. (enough takeaways go to V1 to keep dominoes afloat, and V3 hosts a weekly cake sesh. M15/16 host joint pre-lash)

As I said, it's entirely the people! Though I reckon the college work out in advance whether people are particularly sociable or not and lump us together based on that!

Rosie is just like that in every way, and will even do people's dishes (they tend to take advantage of that) and make people's beds! She's absolutely lovely, and always knocks, pauses, then calls out before coming in to empty your bin. Good thing too, half the staircase have significant others (not all @cam, but they visit) She was the first to know about the hook-ups, although she did spill the beans! We get her a present at the end of every term! Oh, and best of all she's still around! The new U bedder is horrid.

You say you came back, am I to presume you've graduated then?

Reply 1304

Original post by The Mr Z

U and L2 the places to be?!! oh my, how times have changed!! This year it is certainly V and M! L2 is the epitome of anti-sociable! V1, V3 and M15 and 16 are the most frequented SC rooms this year. (enough takeaways go to V1 to keep dominoes afloat, and V3 hosts a weekly cake sesh. M15/16 host joint pre-lash)

As I said, it's entirely the people! Though I reckon the college work out in advance whether people are particularly sociable or not and lump us together based on that!

Rosie is just like that in every way, and will even do people's dishes (they tend to take advantage of that) and make people's beds! She's absolutely lovely, and always knocks, pauses, then calls out before coming in to empty your bin. Good thing too, half the staircase have significant others (not all @cam, but they visit) She was the first to know about the hook-ups, although she did spill the beans! We get her a present at the end of every term! Oh, and best of all she's still around! The new U bedder is horrid.

You say you came back, am I to presume you've graduated then?

Yeah, U staircase the year before mine was amazing as well apparently, but I fear our reputation went down the drain afterwards. Rosie sounds awesome, I'd heard the new U bedder was nothing compared to Sheila, but then no one is... I think the thing with L2 in my year is that it only had boys in it, and they were all particularly sociable boys who got on well, so it was quite a famous staircase. Small though. And U was how it was because none of us on the top floor liked sleeping or working very much, and we are all the kind of people who hate missing out on things so there was always some new way to procrastinate that would involve all of us, plus about half the people from the rest of the staircase, one from V and a whole bunch from North Court, and frequently any random who was still awake at 3am and thought they'd head to U staircase because we were the only ones up :p:

Nahh, year abroading in Moscow. Not that old yet, thank god. Will be floating round college (New Court actually :biggrin:

) next year talking about how warm it is and complaining about having to do all my cooking in a microwave no doubt. Thinking about it, if you're a first year I'm likely to be friends with your college parents, which makes me feel practically decrepit :p:

Reply 1305

If L2 and all the ground floor and terrace rooms were boys, where were all the girls in your year? Yeah, same thing as you describe going on with V and M this year. V1 is standard post-lash destination because even after cindies closing time, we'll still be up!

Do you know Johnny and Yvonne? they're my lovely mummy and daddy (note to all prospective applicants: college parents are great! mostly)

Year off in Moscow? is that MML then, and doing Russian? or just for the hell of it?

I thought new court had decent cooking facilities? compared to fresher rooms anyway!

Reply 1306

Original post by The Mr Z

If L2 and all the ground floor and terrace rooms were boys, where were all the girls in your year? Yeah, same thing as you describe going on with V and M this year. V1 is standard post-lash destination because even after cindies closing time, we'll still be up!

Do you know Johnny and Yvonne? they're my lovely mummy and daddy (note to all prospective applicants: college parents are great! mostly)

Year off in Moscow? is that MML then, and doing Russian? or just for the hell of it?

I thought new court had decent cooking facilities? compared to fresher rooms anyway!

I think a lot of them were in North Court :smile:

And I think the upper floors of South Court staircases almost always had a female majority.

I do know Johnny and Yvonne, I was access officer the year before Yvonne so I had to work with her a bit last year :smile:

They are lovely!!

Yes, I study Spanish and Russian. Not sure years off happen that frequently just for the hell of it - it either needs to be course or health related!

New Court cooking facilities are pretty dire actually. Other places have gyp rooms with hobs in - Hostel definitely does, and Park Terrace obviously has kitchens. In New Court each room has a kitchenette with microwave, toaster and kettle all wired into the wall (no gyp rooms). You're not allowed to bring your own appliances and obviously can't unplug the ones that are there so you are literally stuck with what they give you. A small, small price to pay for the luxury of what is essentially a small flat in the centre of Cambridge. Plus you can see Savino's and Subway from my bedroom window next year (my boyfriend's living there this year, in a quirk of fate...) and it's two seconds from hall so I don't think I'll starve, and I have friends in Park Terrace and Hostel anyway so I can just go and use their hobs. Where are you living next year?

Reply 1307

missmourk

1

Original post by pinkpencilcase

Hi

Has anyone else got an offer from Emmanuel history? xxxx

Hi there. I'm a first year historian at Emma, so if you've got any questions let me know! Just so you know...it's absolutely incredible. Lots of freedom to explore areas that interest you, lots of time to read (which you will do a lot of) and very nice/understanding/inspiring lecturers and supervisors. Plus, historians are lovely people and you don't have real exams in the summer (everyone will be very jealous when you are swimming in the pool and they are stuck in exam halls). Advice - definitely do Paper 6 and Paper 11, everyone wishes they did.

xx

Reply 1308

Original post by missmourk

Hi there. I'm a first year historian at Emma, so if you've got any questions let me know! Just so you know...it's absolutely incredible. Lots of freedom to explore areas that interest you, lots of time to read (which you will do a lot of) and very nice/understanding/inspiring lecturers and supervisors. Plus, historians are lovely people and you don't have real exams in the summer (everyone will be very jealous when you are swimming in the pool and they are stuck in exam halls). Advice - definitely do Paper 6 and Paper 11, everyone wishes they did.

xx

Hi Ceci!

Just to correct, most historians don't bother going to many lectures at all, seeing as they're pretty much all optional. This one is the exception :tongue:

Historians just boast about the free time in summer to cover up the fact that they're bricking it about the pre-limbs. And they get taught a normal term all summer, so other subjects will get just as much time off!

xx

Reply 1309

Original post by The Mr Z

Hi Ceci!

Just to correct, most historians don't bother going to many lectures at all, seeing as they're pretty much all optional. This one is the exception :tongue:

Historians just boast about the free time in summer to cover up the fact that they're bricking it about the pre-limbs. And they get taught a normal term all summer, so other subjects will get just as much time off!

xx

I'm trying to work out if I know you... are you a historian? [an historian?]

Reply 1310

Original post by Melz0r

I'm trying to work out if I know you... are you a historian? [an historian?]

Potentially, Mel Bee is it? No, not a historian, phys natsci fresher. Know all the fresher historians though.

Reply 1311

Original post by The Mr Z

Potentially, Mel Bee is it? No, not a historian, phys natsci fresher. Know all the fresher historians though.

'Tis. Are you... let's see... JC?

Reply 1312

Original post by Melz0r

'Tis. Are you... let's see... JC?

'Tis indeed! First time, well done!

Reply 1313

Original post by The Mr Z

'Tis indeed! First time, well done!

BOOM. I mean, er, hello.

Reply 1314

Original post by The Mr Z

'Tis indeed! First time, well done!

Totally just found you on Facebook :ninja:

Bow to the power of the stalker! :p:

I do have a widely acknowledged gift for fb stalking though, so don't worry about being too traceable from on here.

Maaaan, I so miss Emma. But then again, I so don't, as I'm currently chatting to my boyfriend online and he has loads of work and seems to be living in the library already :frown:

But then again again, the new library extension is so pretty that I am actually really excited to work in it :o:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 1315

Original post by The Mr Z

'Tis indeed! First time, well done!

It's not that impressive when I think that actually you're the only male physnatsci fresher I know, and especially with the big clue of 'hangs around with historians...' :wink:

Reply 1316

cambio wechsel

20

Original post by Chumbaniya

Why do they ask us that anyway? I don't think there's any subject where the major reason for anyone applying is anything other than that Cambridge is an extremely good university with world class academics and exciting courses.

This last is a problem at (and for) Oxford and Cambridge: that people apply for phenomenal reasons having more to do with perceptions of the institution than with specific course content. And of course these are the people who grow disillusioned and drop out.

It doesn't happen at, say, Bradford. An applicant there will be able to explain exactly why s/he has chosen this course. But at Cambridge the answer is too often "b..b..because it's Cambridge".

I have a friend who used to interview for Cambridge philosophy and would ask applicants about their interests in the subject to have them explain their love of modern continental philosophy and other stuff that is barely touched on that very traditional course. And he said "I'd feel that I'd be doing them a disservice by taking them, we just don't offer what they want..."

Reply 1317

Original post by Zoedotdot

Totally just found you on Facebook :ninja:

Bow to the power of the stalker! :p:

I do have a widely acknowledged gift for fb stalking though, so don't worry about being too traceable from on here.

Maaaan, I so miss Emma. But then again, I so don't, as I'm currently chatting to my boyfriend online and he has loads of work and seems to be living in the library already :frown:

But then again again, the new library extension is so pretty that I am actually really excited to work in it :o:

Well, I opened up my privacy settings a fair bit when I realised I had them so tight I couldn't find myself! Plus I totally have my name on my account info here, I'm hoping the CIA aren't after me. Feel free to add me. Otherwise that'd be pretty creepy!

So erm, I know a fresher who pretty much lives in the library already! She got distressed when she saw loads of people who had been working harder than her, even when we pointed out they were 3rd years with finals and dissertations imminent and all she had was count-for-nothing part IA exams still 6 weeks away!

Original post by Melz0r

It's not that impressive when I think that actually you're the only male physnatsci fresher I know, and especially with the big clue of 'hangs around with historians...'

Raza as well surely?

Original post by cambio wechsel

This last is a problem at (and for) Oxford and Cambridge: that people apply for phenomenal reasons having more to do with perceptions of the institution than with specific course content. And of course these are the people who grow disillusioned and drop out.

It doesn't happen at, say, Bradford. An applicant there will be able to explain exactly why s/he has chosen this course. But at Cambridge the answer is too often "b..b..because it's Cambridge".

I have a friend who used to interview for Cambridge philosophy and would ask applicants about their interests in the subject to have them explain their love of modern continental philosophy and other stuff that is barely touched on that very traditional course. And he said "I'd feel that I'd be doing them a disservice by taking them, we just don't offer what they want..."

Okay so, important stuff: this is true!

When asked why you applied, they're looking for two things: 1. that you are passionate about your subject, and 2. that you've checked the course is the right match for what you're passionate about.

"Duh, Cambridge" is not what they're looking for. They know they're awesome, they're looking to see your reasons beyond that.

Hint: If you want to study Modern British Politics, apply for history rather than PPS. PPS is all old-school political theory, history covers modern politics, as far as I can tell almost up to the turn of the century.

Hint2: If you want to become a career politician, gaining a place as a SPAD for an MP the day you graduate, go to Oxford and do PPE. Cambridge is far too well rounded for your chosen path. Alternatively, have your moral compass checked.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 1318

Original post by The Mr Z

Raza as well surely?

Oh, I didn't actually know he was a physnatsci, and I haven't ever really spoken to him. My knowledge of your year is essentially limited to visiting V1 once a week - although, to be honest, it does feel like half the year's in there most of the time!

Reply 1319