Undergraduate College Prospectus
Cambridge is a collegiate university. Each college is an independent institution with its own buildings and its own income which is run by its senior academic members (the Fellows). Every student who studies at Cambridge must be a member of one of the 29 colleges and will have been admitted by that college. Your college plays a more significant role in your life than a hall of residence. It will become your home whilst you are at Cambridge, it will be the place where you do most of your work and it will, almost certainly, be the centre of your social life. It plays a vital role in your education at Cambridge, providing you not only with academic support through your Director of Studies and supervisors but also with a welcoming and supportive community.
The character of any college is determined primarily by its members, its location and its history. Girton’s main buildings lie in beautiful spacious grounds two miles to the north-west of Cambridge city centre. The woods, orchards, gardens, lawns and sports fields that surround the College emphasise the open and informal atmosphere at Girton. Our students can participate fully in all that the University and city has to offer whilst at the same time having the freedom to escape from these pressures to Girton’s countryside surroundings.
When you are at Girton, in addition to the undergraduate and postgraduate students and the Fellows, you will meet a number of the administrative staff and the librarians, computer officers, porters, gardeners, housekeepers, cleaners (known as ‘gyps’ in Girton), kitchen staff and maintenance staff, who are all part of our diverse community of over 700. The relationship between Fellows, students and staff is friendly, lively and supportive and our out of town location results in a community spirit unique to Girton.
In addition to this prospectus we provide a supplement which gives details of our admissions procedures and information about each subject including the teaching Fellows, student numbers and interview arrangements. To find out more about Girton, it is worth trying to come to an open day to meet the students and Fellows in your subject, or arranging an individual visit at another time. We are also happy to answer your questions at any time over the phone or by email.