OVERALL UNIVERSITY RATING
Tell us about your overall university experience so far.
Don't listen to the haters, you're going to have an amazing time. I was worried about applying here due to the bad rep of the people,...
University rating
Tell us about your overall university experience so far.
Don't listen to the haters, you're going to have an amazing time. I was worried about applying here due to the bad rep of the people, the work etc. But I am halfway through my first year and I think there's no better university. Some of my friends in London or elsewhere in the UK aren't enjoying their courses, made amazing friends or have the same amount of student support I have. If you're thinking of applying, my advice is DO IT. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Facilities
How good are your university's facilities?
Everything seems good. The Cambridge Sports Park is too far to go too and the college gym is OK. However, I doubt you'd be using these that much anyway. Rowing is really annoyingly far and if you plan on having lots of hobbies, I strongly suggest a bike as you'll find you don't have time to walk everywhere. The buttery has relatively cheap food and I guess its OK. Personally, I prefer cooking but the buttery is good for when you're lazy or feel sociable.
Student support
How good is the support offered by the uni? Think both academic (tutors/feedback) and personal (counselling, etc).
This is honestly what Cambridge is all about. In every other uni (except Oxford), you are a number. Here, you're a person. Your supervisors and the college cares about you as an individual and you have such a great support system including a Reverend, the nurse, the JCR, your Director of Studies, your tutor and of course, you friends. The college system means that you're part of a tight-knit community and that is honestly so great. I have made such amazing friends here and am honestly missing them tons of Christmas break.
Students' union
What do you think of your Students' Union in terms of student representation and facilities?
Since we're in colleges, the student union isn't as active as in other universities. I have joined the Cambridge Union Society but I honestly don't think it was worth it as I have barely been to any of the events! The college JCRs are very active however and act as a sort of quasi-student union. They re very involved in student life and bops and events are very frequent which is great!
Local life
Is your university in a good location in terms of distance to accommodation and local amenities?
I heard lots of bad things about Cambridge night life but it really isn't so bad. Cambirdge has four clubs - Life, Cindies (real name is Ballare), Fez and Lola Los. I have never been to Life but I heard its the most questionable of the four. However, Life is very busy on Sundays if you want to give it a shot. Cindies is very big on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and is generally considered to be the most popular club. It's quite good but its' possible you may have to wait in line for up to an hour - definitely not worth that. Fez is big on Fridays and is my favorite club - best music, cheap drinks and great atmosphere. Lolas is the biggest club and great on Thursdays. It's also really fun and it has three floors: the top one is a balcony which is good for some fresh air or a cigarette. The bars in Cambridge are also pretty OK: Wheterspoons is definitely a place to visit on Fridays or Saturdays! In general, if you have amazing friends and are relatively boozy, then you'll enjoy the nightlife!
Societies and Sports
How would you rate the variety of societies/sports?
There are so many! I am part of the Cambridge Union Society and the Kickboxing Society and that is more than enough. I have also tried mooting (which takes up so much time) and zumba, and those were really fun as well. There will definitely be anything you want to try and I advise that you try as many as possible! However, you'll find that you really don't have time for more than three max unless you don't sleep/go out. Trust me, sometimes you'll just wanna sit in your room and watch Netflix with your friends.
Lecturers and teaching quality
What do you like most and least about the way your course(s) are taught?
Lecturers are usually really good and it's very strange and awesome to be taught by the people who wrote the books. Only downside: sometimes the lecturers are such academics that they suck at conveying the material and they can be really hard to follow/understand. But only one or two lecturers are like that. I am at Queens' College and the supervisors are also great. They are interested and try to help people as individuals. They also try to get to know you which I think is great. However, once again, they are so immersed in their work that sometimes the feedback isn't as thorough as you'd like it to be.
Career prospects
How does your uni make efforts to increase your employability (careers department, work placements, transferable skills)?
I haven't applied yet but all the second and third years have amazing job offers. And also, let's be honest, this is Cambridge. Law firms are desperate to take you out to dinner and convince you to come to them from the first year. You can start your first year working by making about 70,000 pounds as a solicitor. Doesn't sound too bad now does it?
University halls
What do you think about the safety, condition, location and cost of your accommodation?
The accommodation in Cripps Court is relatively good. We all have en-suites and share a kitchen (gyp) with 7 or 8 people. My room is a medium size and still bigger than all of my friends rooms in other universities. They get cleaned once a week which is great as it saves us a lot of time. Since there's no carpet and the windows have single glazing, heating is required for the first and second term. College provides pillows and duvets and sometimes even sheets if you're lucky (but they won't wash them for you). Only annoying thing is you need to clear out for room at the end of every term and the storage is quite small. If you're an international student, you will definitely need extra storage (although this is not hard to get).