30,863 discussions, 145 guides
Cambridge University
30,863 discussions, 145 guides
Cambridge University
University of Cambridge Admissions Office
Fitzwilliam House
32 Trumpington Street
Cambridge
CB2 1QY
Tel: +44 (0)1223 333308
Email: E-mail Admissions
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Cambridge University Radio
Cambridge University Radio broadcasts from Churchill College to a small area of Cambridge. Student involvement is actively encouraged.
Varsity
Varsity is the award winning university magazine, which was also the first student publication to go 'full colour'. The standard is, as expected, high, and in decades to come many of Varsity's contributors will be popular columnists in many of world's best newspapers.
Other smaller publications rise and fall, but 'Spark' (arts), 'Quorum' (politics), and Corridor (feminist) are quite good. College magazines and newspapers are usually nothing more than crude gossipy rags of who did what to whom and when.
The list is almost endless! There is a famous alumni list under each college, but some of the most famous old Cambridge students are listed below.
Charles Darwin - Evolutionist (Christ's)
Sir David Attenborough - TV naturalist (Clare)
James Watson - Discovered DNA (Clare)
John Cleese - Monty Python (Downing)
Graham Chapman - Monty Python (Emmanuel)
Eric Idle - Monty Python (Pembroke)
Dr. Venn - As in Venn Diagram (Gonville & Caius)
John Maynard Keynes - Economist (King's)
CS Lewis - Author (Magdalene)
Jeremy Paxman - Broadcaster (St Catharine's)
Clive Anderson TV host, lawyer (Selwyn)
Oliver Cromwell - Lord Protector (Sidney Sussex)
Francis Bacon - Artist (Trinity)
Prince Charles - father of William (Trinity)
Each college has at least one bar, and often two or more. The opening hours and quality of these bars vary, but on the whole Cambridge University does very well socially, with a large range of watering holes from the 'traditional pub' to the boozy wine bar. Some bars are restricted to college members and guests only, but it is generally quite easy to gate crash.
Both King's College and Magdalene College have popular bars, but it takes a few years of thorough analysis and a destroyed liver to work out exactly which college bar is the best. We recommend you go for it.
The main regular club night of the week is the Big Holy Noise held at Fifth Avenue, but run by CUSU. However, students can usually find some sort of rave five or six nights of the week by doing the college rounds.
The Cambridge Footlights Renue has given birth to some of the world's best comedy acts including the Monty Python team, Smith and Jones, Fry and Laurie, and Clive Anderson. Its popularity among students shows that Cambridge Comedy is alive and well.
The University Concert Hall hosts mainly classical concerts including the University's many orchestras and choirs. For a more up to date sound head for Queen's Fitzpatrick Hall.
Cambridge is famous for its balls [Ed: not those balls!!], and most colleges have one or more a year. Some of the smaller colleges share their balls, while others (like Trinity's) are huge! Most balls, however, will require another installment of your student loan, with a double ticket in excess of £140.
They really are quite spectacular and many top names in music and cabaret perform. Despite the average IQ of a Cambridge student, the balls are called 'May Balls', but are almost all held in June. 'May Week' also includes 'Suicide Sunday', where students drink from 9am until the following week.
More civilised events include a plethora of garden parties, cocktail parties and cheese and wine do's. They really are the place to seen, dahrling!
Any persuasion, any preference, anything goes. In essence, there are just too many to list!
Switch on the news...you're bound to hear of a few!
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Students live in college accommodation, and most colleges can accommodate all first and final years. Second years who can't be squeezed into college rooms, are usually offered some type of university accommodation nearby.
The rooms vary enormously, from quality suites to little more than a cupboard without central heating, but on the whole the accommodation is good. While older rooms around the college courts look spectacular from the outside, the more modern rooms offer a better standard of living. For more details, see the college guides or contact the colleges directly.
It is hard to imagine Cambridge without the university. It would be a small village, with no tourists and a quiet river, which is vastly different from what it is now. We came to the conclusion quite early, that there are two types of people in Cambridge: students and tourists; and it seems that the indigenous population has been pushed to the brink of extinction.
The University really is the focal point of the city, with its light golden stone buildings spanning eight centuries of English architecture. These buildings form the 31 or so colleges (it depends what you count as a college) in what is a pretty compact area. This means that if you do find time for a drink, then you havent got far to walk. Bonus.
Cambridge, the city, has many many good pubs and arguably some of the country's best during the summer. We recommend that you crawl from pub to pub along the river, local advice suggests The Mill, The Eagle and the King's Run. Words of warning, though, beware of a few bars in the city centre. Some of the locals like to attempt to prove that brawn is superior to brains. Maybe wear that sweater around your waist rather than shoulders.
As for advice on local clubs, we thought we would leave that to one of our readers. Here is his basic guide:
Life - very popular - student night on a wednesday night, but also sunday nights are very good. Cost: £3.00 before 9. Fosters £2.00 a pint, but on Sunday most of the drinks are expensive.
Fifth Avenue - 'filth' or 'cindy's' - schoolgirl night on mondays, student night on tuesday, 'rumboogie' on wednesdays - the sporty people's night. Good drinks offers.
Coco - Thursday night, rnb student night. 4 floors, exceptionally cheap entry and drinks, and free cloakroom.
Fez - student night monday - play a mix of music from 70s funk to muse, white stripes etc. Cheap cocktails before 10.30pm.
We don't advise that you take a car to Cambridge. For a start the colleges (with the exception of the more remote colleges) ban students from parking cars at college. The city is largely pedestrian and being so small a car really isn't worth it. Rail and bus links to the rest of the country are good.
All the major national chains have a branch or two in Cambridge.
Cambridge wasn't really built for wheelchair access, and as many of the buildings are listed, access remains a problem. However, the University have tried to make the newer buildings as accessible as possible. Bridget's Hostel on Tennis Court Road, has special facilities for disabled people with ground floor accommodation and a care attendant. Professor Steven Hawking is a regular sight around university in his electric chair.
There is a shop in the Cambridge University Student Union (CUSU), which sells stationery, newspapers and other basics. As for CUSU's other facilities, these include a photocopier, fax, condoms and minibus hire! CUSU really only exists to provide for the Junior Common Room's (JCRs) which provide amenities for students.
Cambridge is full of bookshops with everything from 'just published', to 'published before records began'. Secondhand bookstores are popular and the University bookstore has a large range of academic resources.
Cambridge certainly has more than its fair share of sporting heros, including rugby and cricket captains, and world famous rowers. Every college has its own facilities to a varying degree, and besides acres of sports fields the university has little to call its own. All sports and societies are catered for (even some we hadn't heard of) and there is plenty of funding to redress any deficiencies.
Cambridge is too small to bring a car and buses run regularly. Taxis are quite cheap (because you don't have to travel far) and some colleges have free taxi arrangements at night.
The Cambridge student on a bike, college scarf flapping in the wind is a cheesy stereotype, but the police have tried to put a stop to this by imposing a bike ban in the city centre. We are pleased to say that students largely ignore this, but beware of police citations for having no lights.
There are some lovely walks along the River Cam. Also, within each college there are plenty of grassy courts which are popular during the summer for studying...and unlike many other universities, they do study!
The University library is one of five copyright libraries in the country and as a result has the right to claim a copy of every new book published in the UK. Its collection is in excess of 6 million books and every year the number of new additions, if laid end to end, would stretch over a mile. Furthermore, every college has its own library and there are over 30 specialist libraries. Having said that, we couldn't find a copy of 'Calvin and Hobbes', so either it has been checked out, or the library is crap!
Computing facilities are generally pretty good, but this varies between colleges. The best bet is to try to bring your own.
CUSU does not have full time welfare staff, prefering to leave this job to the colleges. Each student has a tutor, who can refer students to the university welfare service. Most colleges have their own doctors and nurses, and the university operates a dental service.
The university does not have a creche, but it supports a local one, which is used by students. But beware, places are limited. Cambridge also has the largest Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Society in the UK.
