Massively overhyped (University of Cambridge in general)

Member Name: Kaféolé

Product:	University of Cambridge in general
Date:	15/05/09 (180 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Department good

Disadvantages: Numerous

I have to say I entirely agree with the talk about students having to take everything that comes to them.

As students we're supposed to be extremely grateful and happy for the astounding opportunity to study here, and also supposed to think that it's extremely hard. This means college stuff - academic and administrative - get away with being rude and restrictive. They'll tell you it's for your own good - we're just looking after your own best interests. When one gets a little distance from the place one comes to realize that there is NO need to be horrible to look after anyone's best interests. Equally, the idea that we're lucky to be there is idiotic - perhaps, compared to some of the godforsaken towns of England, Cambridge is paradise, but in global terms there are some equally lovely places with just as good teaching. But if you're not entirely enamoured of it ..hm, well both staff and fellow students will think you're strange! Why wouldn't you be happy with a bedder checking up on what you do in your room, and porter watching your every move, a college secretary sending impertinent emails and a director of studies not only failing to direct you studies but also insulting and demeaning you?

Oh, and that's the other thing - they make such a tremendous fuss in the literature and promotion about directors of studies looking after you and personal tutors for your non-academic problems, but in my experience at least the former was half way across the world most of the time and the latter just said things I had thought of myself. Brilliant.

I remember after my first year I went off travelling and expected that, when talking to people from other countries I would come to realize Cambridge was very pleasant compared to other universities - the horror stories of France and hundreds in lectures for example. Instead it turned out that, surprise surprise, they got just as much academic support, more freedom, lived in just as beautiful towns, had civilized (as opposed to no sink, size of a matchbox) accommodation, and didn't have to go through hell on Earth to get there. Yes, France is probably not too great in terms of sheer numbers, but most other places are fine!

Oh, and guess what, the best science - which is what I studied - isn't necessarily done at Cambridge. Yes, they have accomplished researchers, no doubt, but surprisingly the best place to study the sea is ..by the sea.. the best place to study the rainforest is ..in the rainforest. And the reason they had some many Nobel prize winners? They have lots of money, or rather Trinity College has lots of money, so they bought them it. Much like Harvard. One can't produce genius - it crops up all over the place.

But I should say the departement and the staff therein was in fact very civilized and pleasant to the most part - they actually treated you as an adult, and are pleasant and professional. Thank goodness that teaching moves away from colleges and towards departments by the end of the course - I would have left by now otherwise. But in other universities one can have the lovely department, without the hideoudly restrictive college side of things.

Other students - there are of course some very nice ones, and I did make plenty of friends. There are also some people who were more unpleasant than anyone I had met in my life. As someone from a non-grammar and non-public school, the culture shock was rather extreme. I think this depends an awful lot on the college though, as again I got on with people on my course fine, but only really got to know international students at college - maybe because they felt equally out of water ..or because they too came from the real world! How much the college system is a continuation of what many know from school was something I completely missed - some people just automatically knew how things worked as soon as they arrived: I, having not lived in an educational prison camp myself, did not.

Rant over.

Summary: Avoid it