Homerton College

Mib

Hello,

I'm new so please excuse me if I seem a little ignorant! Basically, I'm applying to Cambridge this year for History, and I quite like the look of Homerton College. My teachers have tried to tell me not to apply there, as it's a new ex-teacher training college, and have encouraged me to go for a bigger, more traditional college.

Could anyone offer any thoughts on this? If I told people I went to Homerton, would they laugh at me?

Thanks!

It's far away. I know they do a bus service into town (I think it's about 2 mile walk) but this stops early evening. I wouldn't want to be trying to get back there after a pub crawl. I think it's supposed to have very nice grounds. Is there any specific reason that you've chosen it? Apart from that, all I know is that there are some lovely old communists there in the education department who run a great little journal on education called forum.

MB

Reply 2

OP

musicboy

It's far away. I know they do a bus service into town (I think it's about 2 mile walk) but this stops early evening. I wouldn't want to be trying to get back there after a pub crawl. I think it's supposed to have very nice grounds. Is there any specific reason that you've chosen it? Apart from that, all I know is that there are some lovely old communists there in the education department who run a great little journal on education called forum.

MB

Well, the DoS is interested in the same period as me, which would be useful for tutorials. I also liked the fact that it was somewhat isolated. And, perhaps, it isn't as "popular" as those more "traditional" colleges...

Reply 3

Mib

Well, the DoS is interested in the same period as me, which would be useful for tutorials. I also liked the fact that it was somewhat isolated. And, perhaps, it isn't as "popular" as those more "traditional" colleges...

I guess it's a good reason but you (probably) won't just have supervisions with your DoS and in fact are likely to have at least some with people outside your college.

MB

Reply 4

OP

musicboy

I guess it's a good reason but you (probably) won't just have supervisions with your DoS and in fact are likely to have at least some with people outside your college.

MB

That's the beauty of it. Being the world renowned historian that he is I'm sure he could find other tutors at other colleges who are interested in his (and my) period.

Thanks for the help..!

Reply 5

Acaila

You sound like you like Homerton so I say go for it. People shouldn't make fun of you because of Homerton's teacher training reputation. You get a little bit of friendly teasing because it's not central, but most colleges have something to get teased about.
Only apply for somewhere big and traditional if that's what you want. It's more important to find a college you'd be happy to work and live in for 3 years :smile:

.

Reply 6

OP

Acaila

You sound like you like Homerton so I say go for it. People shouldn't make fun of you because of Homerton's teacher training reputation. You get a little bit of friendly teasing because it's not central, but most colleges have something to get teased about.
Only apply for somewhere big and traditional if that's what you want. It's more important to find a college you'd be happy to work and live in for 3 years :smile:

.

Thanks, I guess you're right. Homerton, here I come. 90% girls, wooohooo!

I can live out for the second and third years I think so that would solve the locality problem. It might be a pain in the first year, but the cycling would keep me fit. (if I get in that is).

Reply 7

Mib

90% girls, wooohooo!

how come nobody told me about that :frown:

MB

Reply 8

Acaila

Living out may mean you're further away (and it'll probably be more expensive).
Well done on picking your college :biggrin:

Reply 9

Acaila

Living out may mean you're further away (and it'll probably be more expensive).
Well done on picking your college :biggrin:

no, living out will mean being nearer the town centre cos you have to be within three miles of great st mary's church. Given that Homerton is only just inside that radius I can't see the houses being further away.

MB

Reply 10

Acaila

Three miles? I thought it was ten miles :confused:

Reply 11

MadNatSci

12

Acaila

You sound like you like Homerton so I say go for it. People shouldn't make fun of you because of Homerton's teacher training reputation. You get a little bit of friendly teasing because it's not central, but most colleges have something to get teased about.
Only apply for somewhere big and traditional if that's what you want. It's more important to find a college you'd be happy to work and live in for 3 years :smile:

.

Hear hear

Yeah, I think it is about 3 miles, although nobody seems to agree on the exact figure. One day I'll trawl through the statutes and look it up. One day when I'm very, very bored.

Reply 12

Acaila

Three miles? I thought it was ten miles :confused:

definitely three.

MB

Reply 13

just thought, could we sue them for using imperial rather than metric.

MB

Reply 14

Helenia

20

Acaila

Three miles? I thought it was ten miles :confused:

No, it's three. That's why Girton is three miles out - so it just comes under the university statutes, but it's as far away as possible to keep the girls safe from those nasty male students! :biggrin:

Clearly Newnham had a more enlightened approach :wink:

Reply 15

MadNatSci

12

Not til 2009 I think...

Reply 16

OP

Helenia

No, it's three. That's why Girton is three miles out - so it just comes under the university statutes, but it's as far away as possible to keep the girls safe from those nasty male students! :biggrin:

Clearly Newnham had a more enlightened approach :wink:

I thought Girton was built far out because, in the (what they thought was likely) event that the female students didn't meet the grade, they could turn it into a lunatic asylum. That's why the rooms are along corridors. Or so I was told, anyway. :confused:

Reply 17

MadNatSci

12

Mib

I thought Girton was built far out because, in the (what they thought was likely) event that the female students didn't meet the grade, they could turn it into a lunatic asylum. That's why the rooms are along corridors. Or so I was told, anyway. :confused:

Ooh, I never heard that one... It seems a bit unlikely that the female students wouldn't make the grades though, since they didn't even get them :mad:

They just got silly diploma things... I think the first time a woman was awarded a degree from Cambridge was around 1947!

Mind you, putting it three miles out wouldn't actually have deterred the male students - it was more wishful thinking I expect :smile:

Incidentally my above post was in reply to musicboy's - I hadn't spotted Helenia had posted :redface:

Reply 18

amateurish

4

Helenia

No, it's three. That's why Girton is three miles out - so it just comes under the university statutes, but it's as far away as possible to keep the girls safe from those nasty male students! :biggrin:

Clearly Newnham had a more enlightened approach :wink:

i think it was the university that stopped girton from building in the town centre, not the college itself - newnham was built around an existing house in what was, at the time, the edge of cambridge. i think newnham just got lucky, lol!

Reply 19