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LET’S HAVE A CLOSER LOOK AT

CAMBRIDGE AND ITS UNIVERSITY

Foreign students from different countries enjoy their stay in Cambridge not only because of its beautiful sights, but because they have a chance to meet many English people of their own age.

Let's have a closer look at Cambridge and its university.

My name is Ann Berlins. I am a student at Moscow State Linguistic Uni­versity.

Last winter I spent ten days in the university city of Cambridge. It is built on a river called the Cam. Cambridge University, founded in 1209, is still one of the two best places to study in England; Oxford is the other. Students work very hard to obtain a place at "Oxbridge" – either at Oxford or at Cambrid­ge. There is great rivalry between these two ancient universities: each wants to be better than the other, but in reality both are equally good.

Today, Cambridge is famous not only for its university but also because it is a very picturesque and ancient city. Many of its buildings are very old: some were built about 700 years ago. Some of the older buildings are covered with beautiful plants such as ivy. Many are surrounded by green lawns and multicolored flower-beds. Although all the colleges belong to the same universi­ty, each has its own character and style. In 1440 King Henry VI founded King's College, hoping that this would make people remember him. It is still the most famous college in Cambridge because its chapel is one of the finest churc­hes in Western Europe. There are also many beautiful bridges across the Cam including the Mathematical Bridge and the Bridge of Sighs.

In my view! Cambridge is a very pleasant city to live and study in. Since there are so many colleges, a large number of the city's inhabitants are young students. In the day-time the students work in the many libraries or attend lectures, while in evenings they go back to their college rooms or university lodgings.

Sport plays a large part in university life. As Cambridge is on the river Cam, rowing seems to be the most popular sport. There are "boathouses" all along the river bank and early in the mornings you'll see many students rowing, whatever the weather. The best of them are preparing for the famous annual boat race against their rivals from Oxford. This race attracts much attention: thousands of people line the banks of the Thames in London to cheer both teams on, and the race is broadcast on television in many different parts of the world.

When visiting Cambridge, one should certainly take the time to have a look around the shops. There are many bookshops for students and tailors’ shops where long traditional gowns are sold. At weekends shops are often crow­ded with tourists looking for souvenirs such as mugs, T-shirts and scarves, all with college crests on them. Students wear scarves of various colours in the winter when the weather is cold – at least by English standards! They often complain of the wind and rain, as most of them travel around by bicycle.

ancient [ ] – древний

annual [ ] – ежегодный

attract [ ] – привлекать

bank [ ] – берег реки

be crowded – здесь быть заполненным

boat house [ ] – здесь лодочная станция

broadcast [ ] – передавать по радио или телевидению;

chapel [ ] – часовня

cheer [ ] – подбадривать

found [ ] – основывать

gown [ ] – мантия

inhabitant [ ] – житель

ivy [ ] – плющ

lawn [ ] – лужайка

line [ ] – стоять вдоль, выстраиваться

obtain [ ] – получать

picturesque [ ] – живописный

race [ ] – соревнование

rivalry [ ] – соперничество

row [ ] – грести

scarf [ ] (scarves) – шарф

sigh [ ] – вздох

surround [ ] – окружать

tailor [ ] – портной

whatever [ ] – какая бы ни была

STUDYING IN OXFORD

Student comments

Read what Oxford University students think about the collegiate system:

I very much like the collegiate system, it really does help you to make friends in the other year groups and to feel like you belong.

3rd year undergraduate, Physics

"The collegiate system is exactly what I expected, lots of students all living together, with the JCR (Junior Common Room) acting to support students and organise parties and social events." 2nd year undergraduate, Archaeology and Anthropology.

"Most of all, I liked the collegiate structure, which appealed to me as it is less of an imposing 'body' to get involved with. This allows you to play sport and do other things similarly at any level that you like. I play football and cricket for my college and also play recreational rugby and tennis where I can fit it in." 2nd year undergraduate, Biochemistry.

"I chose to study at Oxford firstly because I wanted to study at the highest level and stretch my mind; I felt that the Oxford tutorial system was the best environment to achieve this. Secondly because the collegiate system seemed to offer a friendlier atmosphere than a large campus..."2nd year undergraduate, Mathematics

"Not only is Oxford one of the top universities in the world... students here have the benefit of the social support of a small college community." 3rd year undergraduate, Medicine.

"The aspect of Oxford that I appreciate the most is the sense of belonging that the collegiate system offers. If you choose to accept it, your college will provide you with the social scaffolding to ensure that both your weeks and weekends are fun." DPhil student, Inorganic Chemistry.

"The college system and the amazing sports opportunities make the experience [of Oxford] even better because there is so much more to do once you leave the lab..."

D. Phil student, Physiology 

There are four academic divisions within Oxford University. All have a full-time divisional head and an elected divisional board.

Humanities  

Read more about the Humanities Division's world-class teaching and research across an unparalleled range of subjects.

Medical Sciences  

Learn more about Oxford's aim to be the best university biomedical institution in Europe and among the top five in the world.

Mathematical, Physical & Life Sciences  

Oxford's MPLS Departments have an international reputation for excellence. Find out more.

Social Sciences  

Take a look at the largest grouping of social sciences in the UK, including the internationally ranked Law Faculty.

Humanities

American Institute, Rothermere

Classics, Faculty of

Drawing and Fine Art, Ruskin School of

English Language and Literature, Faculty of

History of Art Department

History, Faculty of

Linguistics, Philology & Phonetics, Faculty of

Medieval and Modern Languages, Faculty of

Music, Faculty of

Oriental Studies, Faculty of

Philosophy, Faculty of

Theology, Faculty of

Voltaire Foundation

WORLD FAMOUS

The most famous American higher educational institutions that were already in operation during the early period came into being through the religious zeal and philanthropy of their founders.

Higher education began in the United States long time ago, when the Puritan leaders of the settlement called the Massachusetts Bay Colony founded in 1636 Harvard College (Massachusetts). Established by John Harvard, English clergyman, this college was to turn into the most famous of the American Universities.

The College of William and Mary (Virginia, 1693) was the second institution of higher education founded in the Colonies. In 1701 Connecticut Puritans established Yale College (Connecticut).

All these Colonial colleges which were gradually turned into Universities with classical education established a balance between r the Humanities and Science. Their aim was to train men for service in church and civil state.

By the 1770s several more colleges had been opened: University of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania, 1740), Princeton University (New Jersey, 1746), Washington and Lee University (Virginia, 1749), Columbia University (New York, 1754), Brown University (Rhode Island, 1764), Rutgers College (New Jersey, 1766), Dartmouth College (New Hampshire, 1769).

Though the colleges in the first half of the 19^lh century were numerous and widely scattered over the settled area, their enrollments were comparatively small. Since 1870s the colleges have developed enormously. Their resources have multiplied, the number of their students has increased by leaps and bounds, the program of studies has broadened and deepened, the standards have been raised, and the efficiency of the instruction has greatly increased. Rigidly prescribed courses of study have given way to elective courses.

In the course of time, when research centers and experiment stations were attached to the Universities, these institutions turned into the strongholds of science and higher education. They developed a unique, typically American structure unlike any other existing University system in the world.

Notes and Commentary

Harvard University (Massachusetts, 1636), College of William and Mary (Virginia, 1693), Yale University (Connecticut, 1701), University of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania, 1740), Princeton University (New Jersey, 1746), Washington and Lee University (Virginia, 1749), Columbia University (New York, 1754), Brown University (Rhode Island, 1764), Rutgers College (New Jersey, 1766), Dartmouth College (New Hampshire, 1769) – Гарвард, Колледж Ульяма и Мэри, Йельский университет, университет Пенсильвании, Принстон, университет Вашингтона и Ли, Колумбийский университет, университет Брауна, Рутгерский колледж, Дартмутский колледж (все перечисленные университеты – частные).