3. Colleges
Thirty-three in one (College, University of Cambridge). Not so easy to understand at a glance that Cambridge - is not only a university but a great city. Even harder to realize that thirty-one college, located in Cambridge and its surroundings - it is the university itself. History of the creation of colleges rather bizarre - sometimes the reason to base the new college was just a whim of those in power, sometimes - a vow or other honor their commitments, sometimes - the imperative of our time, or even "social order" ... The first College Cambridge - Peterhouse - was founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balshamom, Bishop Or. The oldest of the university's buildings badly rebuilt in the XIX century, but still bears the traits of those distant days. He has a fun feature - from the window of one of the student bedrooms are constantly hanging rope. This tradition stems from the fact that the poet Thomas Gray, a former student of this college, so afraid of fire, which is always kept at the ready, this escape route. Current students belong to a quirk with sympathetic humor and contemporaries so mercilessly teased poor guy that he had to flee - to transfer to Pembroke College. Trinity Hall College was founded in 1350 by the Bishop of Norwich Beytmanom specifically to grow within the walls of canon law experts - to replace the seven hundred priests who had died during the Great Plague. College continued to specialize in the jurisdiction, and is still known as "lawyer". College of St.. Catherine opened a couple of him in 1473, when Trinity Hall no longer cope with growing up the flow of students - especially for already ordained priests, who could study there theology, philosophy and ancient languages. In 1441 at age 19, King Henry VI laid the foundation stone of King's College. For its construction was destroyed by a big chunk of the medieval city. College and "town" with its built nearly three hundred years, the game is worth it - here was created by one of the architectural masterpieces of world fame - the Chapel of the Holy Virgin. Sir Christopher Wren, famous architect, saw the vaulted ceiling of the chapel, said that he could create the same - but only if someone told him where to lay the first stone ... Trinity College merged from Miklehouse and Kingsholla at the behest of Henry VIII just six weeks before his death. The royal family of Great Britain is the official patron of the college. At the main gate of his coat of arms placed by Edward III, in a niche above it stands a statue of Henry VIII. With all due deference to the royal family, as a result of student pranks the statue disappeared one day and a scepter in his stead was inserted into a chair leg ... The great Trinity House, built in 1604, are portraits of the most famous teachers and college students - and of its walls came a lot of intellectuals scientists, politicians, writers and poets ... It is in the walls of this institution, Lord Byron "chip" their eccentric jokes with manual bear and a dip in the fountain, Milne wrote, "Children's folly" in the form of fairy tales about beast (later the protagonist of his books have become a teddy bear his son). And the apple tree near the main gate, the college, as is known, is a descendant of that very tree that dropped the apple that inspired Isaac Newton to formulate the law of attraction ... Two of the youngest college spirit born of the changing times. First Women's College was founded in 1873 in the nearby village of Cambridge, Girton. Students were taught there only in the presence of companions older age (usually relatives). Lecturers have been specially come to Girton in Cambridge. In 1875 was opened Nyunam Women's College, students who (also accompanied by a mentor) have visited a total of male students lecture. In 1881, women were allowed to pass the final examinations, but only in 1948 have made the assignment of degrees. Between 1972 and 1988, one after the other colleges became mixed, and women now occupy about a third of student places at Cambridge. The last men-only college at Cambridge was a College of St.. Magdalena. In connection with this event, students and professors, so long persist in our liberated age, the month wore on their sleeves black crape, and the flag of the college was half-mast in half. We have to think, however, that they move not misogyny, but the desire of originality ... Colleges difficult to "rank" - and how they compare on what grounds? According to the glory of graduates? According to legend? According to the treasures of libraries? The architectural monuments? Pembroke has a chapel - the first work of Christopher Wren, later shook the world with their cathedrals. Queens College stores the solar-lunar clock XVII century wooden bridge - a copy of "Mathematical Bridge, built in 1749 without any kind of Railways parts. One of the balls lovely Clare College bridge missing segment - think it's personal signature enraged architect Thomas Grambolda, which paid for the work ... all three shillings! Plaque in the chapel of Sidney Sussex College notes the burial place of the head of his most famous student - Oliver Cromwell. Gonville And Keyes College he is known for three gates symbolizing the academic stage in the life of a student: he enters the Gates of Humility, passes through the Gate of Virtue and goes through the Gate of Honor ... There is no reason to believe one college over another. And it is not so easy to believe that the university itself is not "above" all of them. Indeed, in some sense, a separate University of Cambridge does not exist. University - is thirty-one his college ...
4. Opposition
In March this year resulted in 147-e traditional boat races on the rowing eights between teams of universities of Cambridge and Oxford. Won the team Cambridge. First similar race was held in 1829 at the initiative of two friends - Charles Merivela (Cambridge) and Charles Wordsworth (Oxford) and ended with victory for the team at Oxford. In the second match, held in 1836, won the Cambridge. With the 1845 race were held now already on the existing route, and from 1856 became an annual event. The exception were the only years of the First and Second World wars. Boat competitions are held on the River Thames, near London. Distance in 6.778 km team overcome in less than 20 minutes, making thus about 600 strokes with oars. The boats have a length of 19.9 m and a weight of 96 kg. Record time (16 min. 19 sec.) Established a team of Cambridge in 1998. Three times the boat overturned one of the teams (in Cambridge - in the 1859 m and 1978's, Oxford - in 1925), bringing victory to the enemy, and in 1912 it happened with the boats of both teams, resulting in a race has been decided to postpone the next day. Now counts 69 victories Oxford and Cambridge - 77. The only tie was recorded in 1877 year. Already first match was attended by, according to newspaper reports at that time, more than 20 thousand spectators. Now on the banks of the Thames each year has 250 thousand, and another 6 million as spectators watching the races because of the mandatory direct translation. Interesting that 90% of the graduates who participated in the earliest contests, became priests, and 90% of current participants - bankers.
5. Education system
Almost 700 years of teaching at Cambridge University was the privilege of men, and only in the XX century in university women appeared. Now at 28 colleges have a system of mixed education, and in the other three - the knowledge obtained exclusively women. Who enroll in the school must first select a specific college, and only then to declare the discipline which he intends to explore, even if at this college selected by discipline is not currently teach. Pass exams in Cambridge not, but that does not indicate that there is easy to do. This requires several conditions. First: the applicant must have a certificate of completion is an English school, the second - the highest possible number of high points earned in the process of schooling, and - the presence of a letter of recommendation from the class teacher and the third - the need to pass through a series of three 20-minute interviews. Usually, this test overcomes the only one in second. If all documents provided are adequate, and all three interviews designed to find out how the applicant erudite, and what is the level of his education, as well as what his understanding of his chosen profession, completed successfully, the applicant may consider himself a student Cambridge University Press. On the one hand, received - this is a great joy, and with another - a huge responsibility and hard work, because the main principle of Cambridge is a postulate, which asserts that "life can not teach, but you learn." Its meaning is that in Cambridge the walls there is nothing binding, which means that the student must demonstrate the wonders of self-discipline in order to master the art of self-education. And for this the University has created all conditions: a modern laboratory, superbly-equipped library, the best teachers, and of course the system of individual training - more than two students, teacher training is not conducted, as well as lectures, mandatory only for students of engineering at the University of Specialty. Teach lasts 3 - 4 years (except that certain of future physicians and veterinarians who are on the full development of these specialties require at least 7 years). The academic year begins in October and ends in June. At the local student holidays three times a year - at Christmas, Easter and summer. Need to say that not all students maintain a rhythm of life and such loads. Screenings in the learning process (either voluntary or forced, the latter - a phenomenon quite rare), a small, but существует.Экзаменационные session students shall be in writing, without attribution. Such thing as a "ticket" is not here. Upon completion of a university course the student receives a bachelor's degree and his PhD - a doctorate. Degrees from Cambridge University are assigned to 25 spetsialnostyam.Za 100 years of existence of the most prestigious award in the world - Nobel laureates began its 60 graduates of the University. The price level for training is dependent on the nationality of the student. For the citizens of the UK provides for a system of incentives, including grants and bank loans. The average cost of tuition is 13 000 pounds, but foreigners pay in 3 - 4 times. And these amounts very few people stopped by the global prestige of Cambridge is so high that the university authorities could afford such a price policy. At the moment in Cambridge enrolled 15,500 students, 15% of them - foreigners from more than 100 countries. Annual turnover of the University (excluding colleges and publishers University Cambridge Press) is 250 million dollars.
6. What to do in Cambridge
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