Cambridge colleges for specific subjects - what sets them apart?

Looking to go into a law degree, and with Cambridge the entry requirement is A*AA. EXCEPT for Downing, where it's an A*A*A since it's renowned for law. But what really is the difference? By being accepted to Downing instead of another college, would I really get a significant boost in my learning/career, or is it just a name and nothing more?

Reply 1

Stiffy Byng

19

The learning experience will depend on the individual tutors, and they change from time to time. For career purposes, the fact that your degree is a Cambridge degree is sufficient. Nobody is going to say say "hire X but don't hire Y" because X went to Posh College and Y went to Trendy College.

Reply 2

Asvin0409

OP

8

Original post by Stiffy Byng

The learning experience will depend on the individual tutors, and they change from time to time. For career purposes, the fact that your degree is a Cambridge degree is sufficient. Nobody is going to say say "hire X but don't hire Y" because X went to Posh College and Y went to Trendy College.

Oh I see, so they're more or less on the same level then?

Reply 3

Stiffy Byng

19

Original post by Asvin0409

Oh I see, so they're more or less on the same level then?

Each college is academically excellent. People can debate whether one is better than another, but such debates are rather meaningless.

Original post by Asvin0409

Oh I see, so they're more or less on the same level then?

Education and exams are centralised, your College doesn't matter academically. The contact you can be sure of getting from any particular Fellow isn't worth risking more practical concerns or preferences you might have over where you live.

Reply 5

Stiffy Byng

19

Original post by threeportdrift

Education and exams are centralised, your College doesn't matter academically. The contact you can be sure of getting from any particular Fellow isn't worth risking more practical concerns or preferences you might have over where you live.

Supervisions are provided by colleges. The college is the academic focus of an undergraduate's student experience, especially in humanities subjects.

Reply 6

Topdog0073

1

Original post by Asvin0409

Looking to go into a law degree, and with Cambridge the entry requirement is A*AA. EXCEPT for Downing, where it's an A*A*A since it's renowned for law. But what really is the difference? By being accepted to Downing instead of another college, would I really get a significant boost in my learning/career, or is it just a name and nothing more?

Faculty and directors of study are really it for academic differences. As you would study directly with those people. Beyond that not really.
Also the impact of the colleges fellows varies with courses, like I applied for music which is tutorial heavy, so very much impacted by who the colleges fellows are.

Original post by Stiffy Byng

Supervisions are provided by colleges. The college is the academic focus of an undergraduate's student experience, especially in humanities subjects.

Supervisions are provided by College, but lectures and exams aren't. The academic connection in College is relationship-based, and there's no real way to tell if you are going to 'like' your Supervisor, whether in College or not, so it's not really a factor to consider as you can rarely find the 'data'.

And the reality is that the College/Subject combination usually works out, regardless of that combo, it doesn't work for absolutely everybody. But as there is no way to pre-determine the factors, those of us that know the system ought perhaps not to perpetuate these methods as valid ways of choosing a College?

Cambridge colleges for specific subjects - what sets them apart?

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