Ross and I are quickly crossing bucket list items off our must-visit list {the quicker they're crossed off the faster we come home ;)}. Cambridge was on that list as we wanted to see what a proper English university was like and because we heard great things about its campus.
After an hour and a half train ride to the University of Cambridge, we stepped into a town of full of historic, Harry Potter-like brick buildings, charming streets, and tourists galore {I'm pretty sure we encountered more tourists than actual students}. One thing was for sure: the campus is unlike Dayton, Duquesne, or any other college campus I've been to in the United States.
After an hour and a half train ride to the University of Cambridge, we stepped into a town of full of historic, Harry Potter-like brick buildings, charming streets, and tourists galore {I'm pretty sure we encountered more tourists than actual students}. One thing was for sure: the campus is unlike Dayton, Duquesne, or any other college campus I've been to in the United States.
Train ride from the King's Cross St. Pancras, London, station took us straight into Cambridge.
Taking a quick walk around the town before punting
The university is made up of 31 colleges, the most popular ones being Trinity College and King's College. While we asked many questions about this structure, I still don't quite understand. The 31 colleges are either similar to schools within a college {i.e. School of Law, School of Business and Admin, etc.} at home OR its synonymous with dorms and social life. Regardless, each of the 31 colleges share classroom space and professors and the tuition remains the same for each college.
The best way to view the campus is to go punting {boating} along the canal. Much like any other college campus in the United States, there isn't much else to do besides this activity. However, unlike the United States, or unlike Dayton {I should only speak for the school I am familiar with}, this tour just shows you the outskirts of the campus {while also enjoying a drink of your choice!}, since you cannot go into the buildings and gardens around the buildings since they are closed to visitors.
The best way to view the campus is to go punting {boating} along the canal. Much like any other college campus in the United States, there isn't much else to do besides this activity. However, unlike the United States, or unlike Dayton {I should only speak for the school I am familiar with}, this tour just shows you the outskirts of the campus {while also enjoying a drink of your choice!}, since you cannot go into the buildings and gardens around the buildings since they are closed to visitors.
Our experienced punter above who got us through the tour safely, unlike the poor guy below who lost his stick and couldn't punt his tour group around...
One major difference I realized on the tour is that we did not see any notable stadiums or sporting facilities. We didn't hear of a mascot or discuss any events related to the school community. In fact, I didn't get any sense of school spirit. Maybe that can be chalked up to the fact that everyone around us seemed to be tourists or because the English don't have the same college experience as Americans. However, one thing is for sure, despite being a beautiful campus, despite boasting numerous Nobel Prizes, and despite being praised as a prestigious school, it's got nothing on Dayton {go Flyers ;)}.
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