A Few Colleges

Cambridge University is made up of thirty-one individual, autonomous colleges. To get a degree from Cambridge University, a student must be accepted by one of the 31 colleges, take the appropriate courses, and pass the Examinations. Here are a few rules of the University:
1) all undergraduates must live on campus, in campus housing.
2) no cars (or pets) are allowed by the undergraduates, hence the 17,000 bicycles in the city.
3) students are not permitted to hold jobs during their stay at Cambridge University. Actually, there is not much time for jobs since many colleges have lectures 6 days a week.
4) Examinations are graded in the following manner: 2-1 is the highest grade (Prince Andrew's score), 2-2 is average (what Prince Charles received), 2-3 is below average but still passing. At the Senate House, there is no privacy act. Student's names are listed, their major and their exam scores. Everyone knows everyone else's score. If your name does not appear on the list, then you failed your examination.

After the Tuesday Coffee Mornings, Deb is given a tour of several of the colleges in town. Below are some of the pictures of the schools.

The Chapel at Emmanuel College, pictured here, was Christopher Wren's second building in Cambridge (after Pembroke College Chapel).




Emmanuel College, founded in 1584, was a Dominican friary that King Henry VIII dissolved. It was the first college whose students had to be Protestant. All were trained for the priesthood, left the college in three years and were required to go preach for a congregation. The most famous Emmanuel fellow was John Harvard (of Harvard Univ.). When Harvard died, he gave his complete library (and half his estate) to 'The New School' in Boston. The school renamed itself Harvard, after it's most generous benefactor.




At one time this fish pond was the source of food for Emmanuel students during winter months.

















This is the front gate to Corpus Christi College. It was founded in 1352 by two of the Cambridge guilds.














Here is a picture of Corpus Christi College's courtyard. The Parker Library is housed in this college. It is home to the OLDEST manuscripts in all of England, including St. Augustine's Bible. It was amazing for us to see these 1000+ year old manuscripts and be able to turn the pages (without gloves!) as if they were normal library books. We were shocked!







This is the medieval courtyard of Corpus Christi College. It is situated inside of the main courtyard, pictured above.









Here is the gate to Gonville and Caius (pronounced Keys) College. It is situated behind the Senate House where all students take their Examinations to get a degree. Gonville and Caius (usually just called 'Caius') was founded the year the Black Death broke out in England, 1348.











These are the walls surrounding Clare College. The college's gardens are suppose to be the prettiest in the spring. We'll have to wait and see. Clare College is the second oldest of Cambridge's 31 colleges. It was founded in 1326.









Peterhouse College is the oldest of Cambridge University's 31 colleges. It was founded in 1284 or thereabouts. This is a picture of the inner courtyard.









This is a view of the gardens at Peterhouse. See how green it is, even in the middle of winter!









This is the gate to St. John's College. It was founded by King Henry VII's mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, around the year 1508.













This beautiful building is the Chapel for St. John's College.














Here is the main gate to Trinity College. Trinity is both the largest and wealthiest of the 31 colleges that make up Cambridge University. It was founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII.









Here is one descendent (of only 3) of Newton's famous apple tree. It stands right outside of Trinity's main gate. Of course, Newton was a Trinity man.












This is an outside view of the beautiful stained glass windows adorning Trinity College Chapel.













Pictured here is the courtyard of Trinity College. Trinity is best known for: 1)the Wren Library, which houses, among other things, Newton's original notes, as well as writings (in original script) by Byron, Tennyson and A.A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh), and 2) Prince Charles and Prince Andrew's school. Both were good students, it is said, although Andrew scored higher on his exams.







King's College Chapel, pictured here, is probably the most recognizable building in all of Cambridge. Evensong is sung every night at 5:30 pm by the college choir. King's College was founded in 1441 by King Henry VI.












This is the gate to King's College.