University of Cambridge
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Queens' College (Cambridge) Students and Applicants
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An old friend of mine got into Queens' and I also found out that my best friend's sister goes there! wowzers.
btw: is the college 'main entrance' at the main gate? because apparently most people go in through the back, which I personally find a bit of a waste, considering you have a big, beautiful main gate/tower to make use of.
btw: is the college 'main entrance' at the main gate? because apparently most people go in through the back, which I personally find a bit of a waste, considering you have a big, beautiful main gate/tower to make use of.
University of Cambridge
Cambridge
Nah, most of the time the gatehouse isn't used. It's all very well having a beautiful main gate, but if that's not the quickest way to your room then there's no point walking through it. Coming from the direction of Sidgwick site, it's quicker to use the Silver Street entrance no matter where your room is. Coming from the direction of town, it's sometimes quicker for Walnut Tree Court people and always quicker for people in Old Court. There's no reason for anybody else to use it (unless they fancy taking the scenic route)
Just a quick question, if you don't mind.
Assuming I get my, admittedly quite unfriendly, offer, I'll be studying maths at Queens' this October. And, to be honest, few things would make me happier.
However, one thing that I am faintly concerned about is practice facilities for music. I saw them when I went to an open day, and as far as I could tell there were only two practice rooms. This doesn't seem many in such a large college. So, my questions are:
Do music students get priority for practice rooms over other students who just happen to also be musicians? How long can they be booked out for, bearing in mind I try and practice for at least two hours a day? If they're all occupied when you want to practice, can you practice in your room assuming the hour is civilized and there aren't many people about?
Thanks in advance, and be assured I'll be working silly hard to try and make sure I get in.
Assuming I get my, admittedly quite unfriendly, offer, I'll be studying maths at Queens' this October. And, to be honest, few things would make me happier.
However, one thing that I am faintly concerned about is practice facilities for music. I saw them when I went to an open day, and as far as I could tell there were only two practice rooms. This doesn't seem many in such a large college. So, my questions are:
Do music students get priority for practice rooms over other students who just happen to also be musicians? How long can they be booked out for, bearing in mind I try and practice for at least two hours a day? If they're all occupied when you want to practice, can you practice in your room assuming the hour is civilized and there aren't many people about?
Thanks in advance, and be assured I'll be working silly hard to try and make sure I get in.
We only have two official "practise rooms", but there are plenty of other spaces for practice. Obviously pianists have greater problems than other instruments, since they can't bring their own instrument with them to practise in their rooms. If you're a non-pianist, then you definitely can practise in your room. There are rules regarding noise that apply late at night, and obviously it would be preferable to practise at times which you agree to with your neighbours (when they're in lectures, for example). This might be more difficult in exam term. I do know plenty of people that practise in their rooms, however. Much easier if you're a flautist than if you're a trombonist though, I imagine.
There are the two music rooms under the Fitzpatrick: the pianos are a little dodgy, but good enough. You book these out using folders in the porters lodge. Music students get no priority (they get pianos in their rooms), and you can book out for as long as you want. If you have a regular time in which you always practise it would be very easy to just block book out that time every day each time a new booking sheet appears, it's less easy to decide on a whim "I fancy practising for two hours now!", but even then you'd often be able to.
There's a Boston grand in the old hall, which is not only a gorgeous piano but the acoustics in that hall are amazing. It's meant to only be used for serious rehearsal for a recital/concert, though, rather than everyday practise. To use this you must be put on a list by the president of Magsoc (the music society), but that's easily done.
There's an upright yamaha in the chapel, which can be used without booking by anybody so long as there's nothing going on in the chapel at the time. If there's nobody in the chapel you could always go in there to practise -- nobody would complain.
There's another upright (a Boston, I think) in an older music room at the back of the chapel, which isn't booked but can be used by anybody if they get the key off the porters, I think.
Hope this answers a few of your questions! I'll answer more if you have any.
Edit: I've never been able to differentiate "practice" and "practise" very well. Please excuse my poor grammar.
There are the two music rooms under the Fitzpatrick: the pianos are a little dodgy, but good enough. You book these out using folders in the porters lodge. Music students get no priority (they get pianos in their rooms), and you can book out for as long as you want. If you have a regular time in which you always practise it would be very easy to just block book out that time every day each time a new booking sheet appears, it's less easy to decide on a whim "I fancy practising for two hours now!", but even then you'd often be able to.
There's a Boston grand in the old hall, which is not only a gorgeous piano but the acoustics in that hall are amazing. It's meant to only be used for serious rehearsal for a recital/concert, though, rather than everyday practise. To use this you must be put on a list by the president of Magsoc (the music society), but that's easily done.
There's an upright yamaha in the chapel, which can be used without booking by anybody so long as there's nothing going on in the chapel at the time. If there's nobody in the chapel you could always go in there to practise -- nobody would complain.
There's another upright (a Boston, I think) in an older music room at the back of the chapel, which isn't booked but can be used by anybody if they get the key off the porters, I think.
Hope this answers a few of your questions! I'll answer more if you have any.
Edit: I've never been able to differentiate "practice" and "practise" very well. Please excuse my poor grammar.
Thanks a lot. I mostly play saxophone, so it's fairly noisy, but I also dedicate a fair bit of time to clarinet and would hope to be able to join a variety of groups.
Is there a chamber orchestra? If so, are there entry requirements? Will only the two or three best clarinetists get to play in it? I'm grade 8 with distinction, so I'd certainly be up to most music you can put in front of me, and also come handily packaged with a bass clarinet should it be required. My local chamber orchestra didn't want me, though. ****s.
Also, are there college run jazz bands? Not so interested in big bands and the like, more quintets and sextets with lots of room for soloists. If you said that there were bars where people could go at two in the morning and jam for a few hours with other knowledgeable jazzers, I would actually lock myself in my room from now and not come out till I'd finished my exams.
Is there a chamber orchestra? If so, are there entry requirements? Will only the two or three best clarinetists get to play in it? I'm grade 8 with distinction, so I'd certainly be up to most music you can put in front of me, and also come handily packaged with a bass clarinet should it be required. My local chamber orchestra didn't want me, though. ****s.
Also, are there college run jazz bands? Not so interested in big bands and the like, more quintets and sextets with lots of room for soloists. If you said that there were bars where people could go at two in the morning and jam for a few hours with other knowledgeable jazzers, I would actually lock myself in my room from now and not come out till I'd finished my exams.
There's certainly -plenty- of music on a university-wide level that you'd probably be interested in joining in with, you seem to be of a good enough standard. Obviously opportunities within college are more limited:
Magsoc is the music society in Queens'. It puts on a big choral concert in Michaelmas and Lent term, with concerti in the first halves. It also facilitates people/groups to perform recitals.
We have a director of music in Queens' who is quite keen on set up chamber ensembles, but I'm not really involved in it so I'm not sure how far he's got. I know that there's a string quartet that was active last year. Ultimately, though, a chamber orchestra or group will be set up if people want to be involved in one. There's no "official" chamber orchestra atm though.
A couple of first years have set up a jazz band this year, which I'm sure would have plenty of room for smaller ensembles drawn from it. Not promising that it'll still be active next year, of course.
You've got to remember that this isn't school, with imposed societies and orchestras. Ensembles, orchestras, societies etc. will form between those people who -want- to be involved in such a thing. There is absolutely no shortage of music that one could be involved in whilst you were at Queens', though, even if much of it were on a university level rather than collegiate.
Magsoc is the music society in Queens'. It puts on a big choral concert in Michaelmas and Lent term, with concerti in the first halves. It also facilitates people/groups to perform recitals.
We have a director of music in Queens' who is quite keen on set up chamber ensembles, but I'm not really involved in it so I'm not sure how far he's got. I know that there's a string quartet that was active last year. Ultimately, though, a chamber orchestra or group will be set up if people want to be involved in one. There's no "official" chamber orchestra atm though.
A couple of first years have set up a jazz band this year, which I'm sure would have plenty of room for smaller ensembles drawn from it. Not promising that it'll still be active next year, of course.
You've got to remember that this isn't school, with imposed societies and orchestras. Ensembles, orchestras, societies etc. will form between those people who -want- to be involved in such a thing. There is absolutely no shortage of music that one could be involved in whilst you were at Queens', though, even if much of it were on a university level rather than collegiate.
Thanks again. Those are pretty much all the questions I've got at the moment. I'll be back if any more come to me, of course.
Its official!
I was going to do that today too.
I think I've decide as Durham being my insurance over Warwick but I've also thought for whatever reason should I just miss my offer, I don't think I'd be too happy accepting my place somewhere else. Seeing as I'm deferring entry already I think I'd attempt to reapply and then if not, accept a place elsewhere.
Should I put the insurance down? If I'm still in this frame of mind then and I decide to reapply its not impossible to just turn the place down, right? :\
Saying all this, there really shouldn't be any reason for me to screw up my a levels... I hope.
I think I've decide as Durham being my insurance over Warwick but I've also thought for whatever reason should I just miss my offer, I don't think I'd be too happy accepting my place somewhere else. Seeing as I'm deferring entry already I think I'd attempt to reapply and then if not, accept a place elsewhere.
Should I put the insurance down? If I'm still in this frame of mind then and I decide to reapply its not impossible to just turn the place down, right? :\
Saying all this, there really shouldn't be any reason for me to screw up my a levels... I hope.
Fointy
I was going to do that today too.
I think I've decide as Durham being my insurance over Warwick but I've also thought for whatever reason should I just miss my offer, I don't think I'd be too happy accepting my place somewhere else. Seeing as I'm deferring entry already I think I'd attempt to reapply and then if not, accept a place elsewhere.
Should I put the insurance down? If I'm still in this frame of mind then and I decide to reapply its not impossible to just turn the place down, right? :\
Saying all this, there really shouldn't be any reason for me to screw up my a levels... I hope.
I think I've decide as Durham being my insurance over Warwick but I've also thought for whatever reason should I just miss my offer, I don't think I'd be too happy accepting my place somewhere else. Seeing as I'm deferring entry already I think I'd attempt to reapply and then if not, accept a place elsewhere.
Should I put the insurance down? If I'm still in this frame of mind then and I decide to reapply its not impossible to just turn the place down, right? :\
Saying all this, there really shouldn't be any reason for me to screw up my a levels... I hope.
Ooo they're big decision and I wouldn't wanna make you decide either way
I woudl say go for an insurance because then atleast you have an 'insurance'. If you don't make your offer you have a plan B which you can always turn down if you want to reapply to cambs again
there's no harm in having an insurance but something to lose if you dont i.e. you might decide to take up that offer
and anyways - just make sure you ace your a2s
gl
I could use advice from this elite forum team. i can't decide whether to make my insurance durham, which is beautiful, prestigious and you get your post delivered to "The Castle, Durham" but the condition is AA, or Queens Belfast which is also good, would save me money, the condition is BB and also would mean either way the results went i could get printed some sort of "Queens" t-shirt...not that thats something i am likely to do but its nice to know i could have the option...
Hehe, "elite forum team".
Tbh we can't really give you much advice about this. We can only work from the information you give us, and we're in no better position than you are even once we have this information.
It seems to me that what you -want- to do is go to Durham, but you're worried about
(a) Cost
(b) Missing your offer.
I can't tell you much about cost, because I don't know the details about NI universities' funding. Obviously I'm not in a position to tell you to take a gamble by taking the Durham offer, but think of it in this way: If you're aiming at getting AAA for Cambridge, what are the chances that you miss -two- of these?
This is obviously a tricky decision to make. I was lucky in that my second choice (Edinburgh) gave me a very low offer (BBB) so I was never in any danger of missing my insurance. Just so you know, if I were in your position I think I'd pick Durham. However, I don't know about your UMS marks so far, how confident you are at getting A's in June, etc etc.
Good luck with your decision and with making those grades. Hopefully your choice of insurance offer will be academic.
Tbh we can't really give you much advice about this. We can only work from the information you give us, and we're in no better position than you are even once we have this information.
It seems to me that what you -want- to do is go to Durham, but you're worried about
(a) Cost
(b) Missing your offer.
I can't tell you much about cost, because I don't know the details about NI universities' funding. Obviously I'm not in a position to tell you to take a gamble by taking the Durham offer, but think of it in this way: If you're aiming at getting AAA for Cambridge, what are the chances that you miss -two- of these?
This is obviously a tricky decision to make. I was lucky in that my second choice (Edinburgh) gave me a very low offer (BBB) so I was never in any danger of missing my insurance. Just so you know, if I were in your position I think I'd pick Durham. However, I don't know about your UMS marks so far, how confident you are at getting A's in June, etc etc.
Good luck with your decision and with making those grades. Hopefully your choice of insurance offer will be academic.
coldfish
Hehe, "elite forum team"
It seems to me that what you -want- to do is go to Durham, but you're worried about
(a) Cost
(b) Missing your offer
Good luck with your decision and with making those grades. Hopefully your choice of insurance offer will be academic.
It seems to me that what you -want- to do is go to Durham, but you're worried about
(a) Cost
(b) Missing your offer
Good luck with your decision and with making those grades. Hopefully your choice of insurance offer will be academic.
one rep in the post. cheers. and just fyi the funding is the same it just means i could live at home. grrr i hate decisions my choice is generally wrong. all things considered my insurance offer should probably offer some kind of insurance so i guess i will end up picking Queen's. but no complaints here it is a nice uni.
if i'm honest the chance to print the t-shirts was just too tempting
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