St John's College, Cambridge

Exactly one month after I started here, at Dundee University, my twin sister, Louise, began her 4 years at St John’s College, Cambridge.  Before her acceptance into the College, I accompanied her on her visit for the open day in March.

I don’t know what I was expecting when I visited St John’s, as I had never been to Cambridge before, but when I arrived the sheer amount of notable architecture was extraordinary.  As I walked through the main gate of the College, I was taken aback at how grand the whole place was, and the range in different styles of architecture, and materials used throughout the College. The downside of studying in a place like Cambridge is that there are so many rules I am not used to: I was told off for walking across the grass, but I imagine the aesthetics of the college are one of the main attractions for applicants.

The columns and stairways are all different, and ancient, with the main building of St John’s, the Main Gate, being built in 1516. The total presentation of St John’s College is immaculate with every blade of grass neatly trimmed, every flower alive and upright, and every tree weirdly symmetrical.

With a Michelin starred chef at Louise’s beck and call, she is bound to be shocked by a typical student life when she comes to visit me, surviving on pasta, beans and toast and take-away pizza. Her accommodation is similar to Dundee’s, situated at the far end of the College, about half a miles walk from the main entrance gate in the centre of Cambridge. The Cripps Building was built in 1966, and is considered an exemplar of late 20th-century architectural style. Although I think it is perhaps the least beautiful of all the St John’s buildings, I understand why it was believed to be a successful design. There is a definite 1960s theme to the building with its  large rectangular windows over looking the courtyard and river, its paneled wooden walls and its concrete cantilevered stairs.

The Bridge of Sighs, a bridge allowing crossing over the Cam River, is a key feature in the make-up of St John’s College, as it allows direct crossing from one building, the Third Court building, to another, the New Court building.  A past time of the ‘Johnians’ (I still can’t believe there is an actual name for someone that goes here…) is to go punting along the Cam, and from what I hear it is a lot more difficult than it looks, and Louise gained a few more bruises than before she left the safety of dry land.

Although Cambridge, and the College itself, are beautiful places, I do feel that you would be somewhat looked down upon by fellow students as many of them have come from Eton and the likes, and I wouldn’t enjoy that. What I enjoy about Dundee is that everyone is treated the same by both staff and students, and there is no demand to be someone you are not.  I have also been hearing that it’s been raining a lot more in Cambridge than Dundee, there’s a change!!