Cambridge. Things we don't know we don't know.

[Sorenlorrenson]

My son is set on studying maths at Cambridge. We are working class and don't know anyone who went to Cambridge.
I have recently found out that Magdalene and Caius are not pronounced how they are spelt. There must be loads of stuff like this, stuff we don't know because we are poor and common.
If you know something you think we don't, please share.

If your sons sixth form isn't used to getting children into Oxbridge, try yo get as much advice as possible from elsewhere.

For Maths, STEP is crucial. One of my friends had a son who had a place to read Maths at Cambridge but he didn't get what he needed on the STEP paper. He took a year out and applied to Oxford who took him. Maths at Cambridge is really difficult to get into.

Look up the guide to the mathematical tripos. I wasn't a maths student but for most subjects, the end of first year exam is a key one, and determines whether you stay on (same as everywhere, but the exam will have a particular name and the first year programme and curriculum is geared towards taking it, which may or may not be closely related to the rest of the degree). Some colleges can handle it with more formality than you would expect, for example, requiring you to attend to do the yr 1 exam in the dress code required for Finals.

You often have a "gyp room" rather than a kitchen and you often live on a staircase instead of in a flat.

Most colleges will house you for all three years. Some colleges let you choose between renting for 30 weeks a year (take your stuff home each holiday), 35 weeks a year (take your stuff home at Christmas) and 40 weeks (only take things home for the summer holiday).

They call the holidays "vacations". In my college staff said this was because you don't stop working you just "vacate" the university.

Colleges have very varied approaches to formal dinners - in price, in dress code and in frequency. My college (a bit north of a decade ago now) used to do a formal dinner for £10 for 3 courses (excluding wine, you could bring your own) and required the wearing of gowns and a suit. It ran twice a week. Others were either more or less expensive and more or less formal. It was a great option for people's birthdays because it was so cheap. No one has to attend a formal dinner and there are probably only 2 where it is "expected" you'll attend (matriculation [when you join the university] and graduation).

Matriculation happens when you arrive and is often the best option if you decide you want a formal photo of your year group - because people may graduate at different times if they do 3 or 4 years courses.

Colleges on the river often have punts you can use as a student which can be a fun way to spend a sunny day and is either free or much much cheaper than hiring them from the "main" companies.

@LaundryIsNotmyFriend - that’s not everyone’s opinion. My dcs and their friends are not posh or rich and they’ve embraced formal dinners, balls (you only go to one or two in the three years) and the whole caboodle (which rather sadly is mostly work!).

Just because you are a state-schooler why should you be palmed off with a reduced experience? My dcs had seen enough 70s concrete buildings and prison-style canteens - they wanted something more aesthetically pleasing!

And everyone soon finds their tribe. The Brideshead/Saltburn thing is very minor.

I did sciences there but knew loads of the mathematicians. They were some of the most down to earth non-public schooly groups of everyone there- to be fair, I never found any problem or felt like the whole place was private schools wealthy people, or that I was an outsider for being northern or state school (saltburn film is total bollocks btw!). And I knew a good mix of people from all backgrounds there and all was good. But the mathematicians really just cared about maths. That’s all you need to do maths there!

I’d really recommend going there for a weekend, having a look around a few colleges. The fancier older more central colleges ask for payment for visitors, but lots don’t - you can just walk through the front gates and look around. Each college has quite a different feel - some are big and imposing, some are v modern, some are small and cosy. They all have student rooms full of normal books and pot noodles and photos and clutter.

I’m sure people here can advise which you can go and look round - I am pretty sure Emmanuel and Pembroke (both of which are quite close to maths dept) are ok with people just walking through to look. You get the same teaching in lectures whichever college you go to, though the small group supervisions are generally with someone from your college maths dept at least to start with.

If you behave extremely badly you can be rusticated, aka sent home for a term, the university equivalent of the naughty step. One of my ex boyfriend's housemates was for a string of excessive parties, a Jesus owned shared house, and the neighbours complained.

Yeah, the “formal balls” (wear gowns, candlelit dinners, 3 courses) were good fun for special occasions - a group of us would sign up for formal hall dinner if it was someone’s birthday or something like that, as it’s vastly cheaper than going out for dinner and easy and good fun. I felt so happy I could live somewhere so beautiful for a few years.

I'm no use to you as didn't go there but the conversation put me in mind of a BBC comedy drama from the late 90s called "Eskimo Day". It was a one off episode with Maureen Lipman in it and was quite good IIRC- with a twist near the end.

Perhaps another thing, which is not what I expected until I found out about other cities: that the student rooms in hall, in the main, can be reasonable financially, generally with good amounts of space for what they are, and well-equipped. In comparison to (say) London, or to external landlords that run very large blocks of student rooms that might serve 2 or 3 HE institutions in a town, the accommodation compares very favourably on the cost side.

I do know how to spell Caius, really.

Cambridge is a city but it’s relatively small, so unless you’re at one of the further-out colleges like Homerton or Girton it doesn’t matter which one you’re at in terms of getting to the Maths department for lectures. Most students cycle everywhere.

Compared with many universities the undergraduate accommodation is relatively cheap because it’s provided by the college, rather their students being in competition with all the other people who live in Cambridge.

Both Oxford and Cambridge can be a lot cheaper than other RG universities if you attend a wealthy college. I strongly recommend choosing one which guarantees accommodation for the full three or four years.

Most colleges expressly forbid students from undertaking paid employment during term time because the eight-week terms are so short and intense. Undergraduates who need to earn money work in the vacations instead.

My nephew is aiming for Trinity. He’s a total maths genius. Passed his gcse in year 7 and since year 7 did maths lessons with the sixth formers. He’s currently in sixth form and teaching himself further maths and will actually sit his FM exam but school couldn’t facilitate it. Has done the maths olympics. Got straight 9s in year 11, predicted A* for A levels. But even he says he may not get in, guess it depends on the other applicants that year.

"Christ's Pieces" is a park, not an oath from the 1600s. (Or perhaps both?)

There are some helpful recordings linked here which you might like to watch.

Porter's Lodge is a 'plodge'

Not working class, but my son went to a crap comp. He was lucky in that his dad went to Oxford so kind of knew what it takes to get into Oxbridge. School were zero help in the process. See if your son can seek out through the teachers anyone who went through the process. A mentor would be very helpful. Bear in mind private school candidates may be getting weekly sessions to brush up on applications and interviews as well as coaching on the specific entrance papers. Additionally many go on Oxbridge entrance courses which cost thousands!

Good luck to your son

DS also said the 'mathmos' were the hardest working students.

Many admissions tutors will happily give you a quick chat if you want to talk through admissions process. Their email addresses are on college websites.
In Cambridge college fellows makes decisons the admissions process and in Oxford it's more focused on the department.

There are lots of online and in person events listed here.
Here’s a Maths-specific clinic.

If you watch some of them you might discover a few things you didn’t know you didn’t know.

I think we might know the same person - mid nineties?? The Dean of Jesus College was terrifying and (allegedly) had a stuffed crocodile in his room.

Slim to no chance unless he's at a feeder school.

Haha , 97 I think, I met him over the summer while we all stayed up and had shitty jobs. And I too heard the Dean was terrifying!

I wouldn’t worry about not knowing the lingo or pronunciations, I don’t think many students do when they arrive, whatever their background. I went to the “dark side” (Oxford, because Oxford blue is dark blue, Cambridge blue is light blue) so Cambridge quirks were a revelation to my DC too 😂 Also, there are some college specific quirks.

Tutorials are supervisions at Cambridge, the JCR (both the undergraduate student body and the actual student “common room”) are the Junior Common Room at Oxford but Junior Combination Room at Cambridge, scouts are bedders… I like the fact that pastoral tutors at Oxford are moral tutors 😂 The river Thames is the Isis. The fools in Cambridge punt from the wrong end of the boat 😂

Many science degrees at both universities are BAs (Bachelor of Arts) rather than BSc. After 6 years, they magically transform into an MA.

You have to live within a 3 mile radius of Great St Mary’s church.
It is possible to get an exemption for this, but it would be very unusual for an undergrad.

Cambridge is weird. And I don't just mean the university. The whole city is a little odd.

The maths dept is off Madigley Road now so Emma and Pembroke are two of the furthest away. All easily bikeable though except maybe Homerton. I think if you say that you are a prospective student then most colleges will let you look round if you can't attend the open day. STEPs are tough exams and around half get rejected in August with a significant number who don't get their offer still being admitted.

I wouldn't say you're poor and common because people you know haven't been to Cambridge or Oxford! There will be lots of people there who are in the same boat and he deserve to be as much as anyone else, working class background or not.