St John's College and St John's College School are two different things and I can't tell if the…read moreGerman review is about the private primary school or the Cambridge University college. My review is of the latter which is actually located on trinity St, not Grange Road. St John's, known as John's, is a really beautiful college. It straddles the river Cam with one of the more famous bridges - the Bridge of Sighs. It's really quite magical. It's the 2nd largest college and was founded in 1511 by Lady Margaret Beaufort (mum of Henry VII). I could go on for quite some time about the gorgeous architecture, the picturesque gardens, the beautiful chapel, the magnificent library, the majestic great hall and the great cheap food in the buttery, but I won't. I was stuck in Cambridge overnight on the weekend as I missed the last train to London (which is at 11pm?! Come on GNER!) but I found solace in my old college as the porters were welcoming and helpful. The May balls here are also especially brilliant, I would even say better than the more expensive and exclusive Trinity College balls. John's is a really beautiful college, and really worth the £2.50 tourist admission charge. If you're with a current student (of any of the colleges of Cambridge) you can get in free. And if you're thinking of applying to Cambridge then I'd say that John's is firmly wedged in the top 3.

I love love love this college! For three months, I woke up to this beautiful school. Needless to…read moresay, the architecture here took my breath away. King's College Chapel is built in a Gothic fashion and has one of the most elaborate interiors I've ever seen. One of the perks for being a student there is our private rooftop tour. It was a little scary climbing up the narrow spiral staircase, but once you got to the top, it was simply amazing. Funny quirk: - You cannot step on the grass! It is actually quite a serious offense if you do - only the Fellows (the professors or deans) are allowed to walk on the grass This is definitely a must-see if you are ever in Cambridge! I may be biased, but this is the most beautiful college in Cambridge : )

One of the top destinations of Cambridge. A place where people work, study and pray, a college and…read morereligious chapel on the same grounds. Makes me think about the differences between genies and academics. One grants wishes, the other wishes for grants. Tickets purchased for 9 pounds in the shop across the road. 25 if you want a guide, which seems more than a bit excessive. Even 9 is a bit too much given that you can only enter one building, which is the chapel. The courtyard is quite impressive though and the buildings are full of so much academic history. The chapel is quite impressive and basically what you are paying for. The ceiling has a very elaborate design. So much stained glass, I learnt that one of the ingredients for the coloured glass is dry urine. How did they come up with this? Some guy went, You know what would make this colour more vibrant, a 5 day old pee puddle off the floor from the bathroom! There are smaller rooms to the side of the main chapel where you can learn the history of the building, the construction and Kings behind it. Some of it is very detailed and technical, I need like a 5th grader synopsis version, sadly I think my take away from the informational signs was that part about dry urine being used to make coloured glass. I also learnt that students back in the day were not allowed to watch plays or keep pets or basically do anything fun, if they did they were beaten and not given any food.

When you grow up somewhere like Oxford or Cambridge, you become immune to the beautiful buildings…read morearound you. Jesus College is one of those; well situated near the city centre but, at the same time, hidden away from public view, it's a great place for a party. Obviously I haven't attended here at a student, just a lowly wedding-goer. You have to enter past the porter's lodge - none of whom wanted to give us any help, despite alot of tight voices and mewing to our parents - and it's poorly mapped without someone who knows. Once we found our way to the reception we were greeted by a bar area with dance floor above; not great for a wedding reception as the two 'sides' of the party can become disengaged, but for a university bar I can imagine it being a hit, with plenty of seating and standing room downstairs and what I assume is usually an empty function room just above. Very pretty grounds allowed for some lovely photos of the wedding day. Great location for the bus route and city centre but I can never imagine going to university here - it's almost too pretty and lacking the feel of grotty student halls, something which one must survive in order to graduate.

Founded in 1496, Jesus college is well worth a visit. It is a little of the tourist track, which…read moremeans it wont be heaving with tourists when you visit, and so you will get an experience about what a Cambridge College is really like. What will strike you at first is the vast grounds within which Jesus College is set. Wondering around, the courts and quads will seem never ending. You almost forget you are in the centre of town, and feel as if you are in the middle of the country. The Porters are very friendly and helpful. However, if you want to look round during the summer term you should plan ahead, as College's often close themselves to the public during the student's exam term Be sure to get a photo of the famous 'bronze horse' in first court. However, be sure not to attempt to ride on it, as if you do you will most certainly be chased off by angry Porter's, and banned from the College.

Home to the friendlist Porters in Cambridge, you should definitely pay a visit to the College when…read moreyou are in Cambridge. The College doesn't require an entrance fee for looking around, and it is truly a beautiful little College. It is also home to the Pepys Library, where Samuel Pepys' diaries are kept. Additionally, Magdalene has the longest river frontage out of any College in Cambridge, making it an excellent spot from which to enjoy the river. If you are thinking of hosting a formal meal in a Cambridge College, Magdalene has to be one of the best - its 16th Century Candlelit hall makes an impressive setting for a formal dinner, and the food served is delicious.

Hmmm.... its certainly a pretty college, that's true. But the main attraction is not particularly…read morefamily friendly. I headed here with my 7 and 3 year olds to track down Pepys' diaries in the library. Signposting was poor, and the library itself was... well, very much a library in the old fashioned sense, and neither welcoming to younger children or particularly engaging. The books are certainly impressive, but little thought seems to have been put into engaging younger learners with the context or content - particularly of the diaries themselves. Come on Magdalene - do something to help us parents who are trying to teach our our kids about our heritage at first hand and without a keyboard!

One of the two remaining all-women's undergraduate colleges in Cambridge, Newnham is one of the…read moreprettier buildings in the university despite being off the beaten tourist trail. Its famous alumnae include Sylvia Plath, Emma Thompson, Joan Bakewell, Diane Abbot, and Germaine Greer. Built in 1871 in the Queen Anne style, the college is an ornate collection of Dutch Gables, red brickwork and pretty white woodwork, built around one vast corridor (allegedly the second-longest in Europe; I believe the first is somewhere in Belgium). This makes navigating the college a bit of a challenge for students who live in its furthest reaches; the entire trip can take as long as 20 minutes. The college also has beautiful gardens, with a sunken garden and immaculate lawns. As a place to study, Newnham offers students the opportunity to live directly opposite the arts faculty, giving a little credence to the popular assertion that arts students are lazy (here, it's quite possible to be you're 1 minute away from the lecture theatre!). Many of its all-female denizens also find it beneficial that their living quarters are separate from the men in their lives though (as nocturnal fire drills prove) the college is rarely completely free of them. For many students the all-female element is a mixed blessing: as someone who prefers a mixed environment I found the elusively female element a bit stifling at times, and this meant I socialised a lot out of college.

Tucked away in the serene suburbs of Cambridge, near the University Library and the Sidgwick site,…read moreWolfson is a part of the Cambridge college system, and the school caters to mature graduate students. The College officially became Wolfson College in 1966, when it was renamed to honor Sir Isaac Wolfson, who contributed toward the College's foundation, but disappointingly, was NOT the son of an actual wolf. Go to Rome if you're looking for that one. Wolfson's has a reputation as being the most cosmopolitan college in Cambridge, but I am not sure it is well deserved. As another reviewer noted, the architecture pales in comparison to other campus buildings. I attended only briefly as a visiting scholar, but I did enjoy my stay. The college is not so close to town, so I recommend investing in a bike if you intended to be there for a lengthy stay.

Ahh...Pembroke will always hold a special place in my heart! So what if it's no King's…read morecollege...King's doesn't hold as many personal memories for me. Who could forget the weekly Harry Potter-style dinners on Fridays, wine receptions (how can you possibly complain when your uni. encourages wine consumption and even provides it for you!), ice cream bars from the dining hall, dinner parties on the lawn, and the Pembroke Blues! Oh and the locals staying in Pembroke that complained all the time about the "loud American students" (not me, I swear)...even they were great. Unlike Tom E. who may have found his college (Christ's College) "as dull as watching the shopping channel on 'screws and bolts' day", I can say I have nothing but love for Pembroke!

Pembroke College, founded in 1347 by Marie de St Pol, Countess of Pembroke, is the third oldest of…read morethe Cambridge colleges and the first to have its own Chapel. Despite being located in the middle of the city, Pembroke presents a tranquil environment with varied architectural styles framing open courts and beautiful gardens. Also home to perhaps one of the greater achievements of the last few years, where I managed to deliver a speech on being 'out' in the workplace, still reeling from the buzz! Great college, interesting bar culture ;-)

best college around despite what some think dubious architecture. check out the chapel vitral and…read morethe gardens. canteen food is also excellent.