Downing College (Cambridge) Students and Applicants

Just looked in the colleges section and I noticed the lack of a Downing thread! :eek:

Shock horror :eek:

So, I thought creating one would be a useful first post. :p:

I've just received an offer from Downing to study Physical NatSci of AAA starting 2007, would be great to hear from any other applicants to the college!
Also anyone that came to the first of the Physical Natsci interview days (11th December)?

A bit of Downing links and info to make this a bit more official:

From the Prospectus:
"Downing was founded in 1800: it is both the newest of the ‘old’ Colleges and the oldest of the ‘new’. Our architectural heritage consists of buildings in Classical style set in a spacious landscape of lawns and gardens that form a harmonious setting for intense academic work and participation in the extensive range of activities that comprise the life of the College. Although close to the city centre and many University faculties and departments, Downing preserves a sense of tranquillity."
Oh and also, Pizza Hut is just across the Street, which on its own is a good enough reason to want to go there!

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Official Website

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JCR Website

James

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Reply 1

--at--

Hey

I know - how could downing be missing a thread!
I got an offer for Economics - 3 As - for 2007.

Reply 2

Kyle_S-C

Hey guys,

Well done on the offers, just thought you should know there are a few of us lurking who were applicants last year (and three of us are phys natscis). I don't think Duke Flipside comes on here any more, but I know that Robob does and he might even poke his head this way at some point.

More importantly, there's also a Pizza Express two doors down from college and Zizzi's do £5.30 takeaway pizzas (cheaper than Pizza Hut and Pizza Express)...not of course that some of us eat far too much pizza...

Kyle

Reply 3

Duke Flipside

*gasp* Slander! There is so a Downing thread!
*points* >> http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=172284
But it's a new year, so I figure I'll let y'all off :wink:

You'll love it at Downing, and it's especially fantastic for first year NatScis. We've rolled out of bed at five to nine and made it to our nine o'clock lectures :biggrin:

(Can't say what it's like for economics, but Downing's awesome anyway)

Rob's been banned btw :p:

And I don't really come here often anymore

Reply 4

thund734

Downing natscis are rubbish, medics is where its at

and whitby>>>danby

Reply 5

Duke Flipside

thund734

Downing natscis are rubbish, medics is where its at

and whitby<<<danby

Slight typo there Crazy Chicken, fixed it for you now though :p:

Reply 6

--at--

More importantly, there's also a Pizza Express two doors down from college and Zizzi's do £5.30 takeaway pizzas (cheaper than Pizza Hut and Pizza Express)...not of course that some of us eat far too much pizza...

yeah....both times when I went to see Downing, i've ended up at pizza express!

Reply 7

jason_88

hey everyone!!!

i've been accepted this year for medicine (AAA), yes... get in. the great location was one of the reasons that i applied for downing, but the only time i've vistited downing was for my intetview. i didn't really get the chance to look around so i don't realy know what it's like.

can anyone tell me what the facilities (bar/JCR/sports) are like at downing cos it'd be really helpful. cheers

jason

Reply 8

--at--

've been accepted this year for medicine (AAA),

Hey!
Congrats on your offer! I know, I went up on the general cambridge open days so I could look around a lot of different colleges but I didn't really see Downing properly - I think I went at the wrong time!

Reply 9

Duke Flipside

Facilities, facilities, yeah...we have facilities...^o)

Bar: Well, we do have a bar...Prices aren't exactly cheap*, but they're not expensive. Open from 9.30-11.30 most nights, but opens at 8.30 on Wed/Fri/Sun (nights when there're Formals on) Located in the Butterfield Bar/Café building. Party room downstairs is where ents are located, and there's a small secondary bar down there when there's an ent on. Upstairs in the main area there's a pool table (50p), foozball table (20p, I think? I've boycotted it, it used to be free...), security camera, and Time Crisis 2 machine.

JCR: Well, it's called the Junior Combination Room...but there isn't actually a room...it's more of an organisation without an actual room, per se...(But there is a tv room with super-comfy sofas...but no official JCR business happens there, that I'm aware of. Mostly happens in the bar)

Sports: I'm not really qualified to comment on all aspects, given all I do is row. However, I do know this; We're awesome for rowing. (Well, we have awesome facilities, the quality of our rowers *cough*me*cough* leaves something to be desired in some cases :redface:

) We have our own massive boathouse; the only similarly-sized boathouses are shared between multiple colleges, but this is all ours :biggrin:

Lots of ergs, and a gym, and largest fleet on the river I've heard. And Ian Watson, former Olympic rower, as Boatman. Also, the boathouse isn't too far from the college. I've made it from bed to boathouse in 13 minutes. Admittedly, that was with a bike, you'll want one if you're rowing and don't fancy a 20-ish minute walk. Oh, and rowing's awesome fun, plus Boaties have the best parties. Now that I've finished selling rowing...
At college we have a couple of tennis courts/basketball courts. We had squash courts, but I think they're gone, maybe Kyle/Rich can elaborate. We also have a gym on site, but I haven't been to it...
We also have sports fields to the south of Cambridge (well, somewhere, I think that's where they are...) Quite far, but some students are allowed cars for the purposes of transporting sports teams, so I know the 3rd football team captain (Ed Bolton of Beauty and the Geek, apparently) has one...Again, Rich can elaborate.
So yeah, lots of sport at college level, and even lessly-participated-in sports (e.g. archery) are done by uni-wide groups, so whatever you're interested in you can probably do.

*Lousy Glasgow Uni Union, with their 70p vodka and cokes... :frown:

Reply 10

thund734

ok me being richard first of all congrats for getting into downing medicine as you well know it is the best college in the best university for medicine in the world :smile:

the bar is OK (its just a room which serves alcohol with a few sofa seats and pool and table football which is 50p) if you just wanna get pissed but emma bar is about 100 yards down regent street, and en route to town where the clubs are so youd usually stop in there (its much better, drinks are cheaper etc) for a night out

the paddock is where football, lacrosse and rugby training takes place. when there are no teams practising you can always go out for a kickabout (movable 5 a side goals, always entertaining in a spot of midnight football) the downing football pitches are quite a way out but not too far, perfectly walkable. most college pitches are quite a way out except some lucky colleges like jesus, so you'll be going quite a way for most games but you can usually get a taxi, lots of people bike it. no idea about rowing except that its for fools who like waking up early and lots of pain. there is a small fenced sports thing also outside; on it are 2 tennis courts and basketball & netball nets etc on top of the tennis courts, kinda like the inside of a gymnasium where multiple sports pitches lie on top of each other, you probably catch my drift. we dont have squash courts but if you go across parkers piece to the leisure centre the college pays for you to play various sports there anyway. the gym is OK for the cheap membership; there are no free weights for safety reasons and it closes ridiculously early (youre supposed to hand the key in by 10:30) but has 4 cardio machines and 4 weight. dont expect to blast your biceps here though, youre better off bringing your own weights or signing up for the fenners gym, about 300 yards from downing, i think costs about £30 a year or something and there are trainers there... id go but i really cant be arsed to leave campus

as gow said dont be expecting much of a "JCR" cos we dont have one and the TV room is a bit shoddy but comfy. we dont have sky which sucks.

hmmm what other "facilities" do we have... i guess the library is a facility but its a bit crap esp for medicine as 17 people going for the same book doesnt usually work unless youre in the first supervision.

there isnt much else i dont think except that its pure awesome

Reply 11

rach9

I've got an offer from downing for economics too (AAA).
I've heard it's the "rugby college", is that true?

Reply 12

--at--

Hey fellow economist! :biggrin:

First one I've heard from! What day was your interview?

Reply 13

rach9

I think it was the 30th of November, how about yours?

Reply 14

klave

Hi everyone! I have an offer for English - see you all in October!

Reply 15

7589200

thund734

as you well know it is the best college in the best university for medicine in the world

Ive read this line somewhere before, can't quite remember where :confused:

Dont think it was on the Downing website though... :p:

Reply 16

--at--

I think it was the 30th of November, how about yours?

Mine was on the 4th December

Reply 17

larry2242

=]

Hello! I got an offer from Downing too for Veterinary Medicine. Thanks for all the info, I didn't really have a chance to have a real look around on my interview day even though I got to stay overnight, which was ace. The people were so friendly!

Hopefully I get AAA and if so I'll see you all there in October hehe.

Reply 18

khaixiang

Thought I should say hi too. I've only been to UK once, and that was only in London for a day lol. Hope to see Downing for the first time in October. *Forces myself back to physics revision.*