New vs. old colleges – who has more fun?

The age-old debate of new vs. old colleges is rife in Cambridge: which have better buildings, which do better academically, which are more prestigious?

But the most important question is this – who has more fun?

If you want a good place to take tourist photos, feel free to visit an older college. But if you’re looking for a good time, come down to a college which has turned up since indoor plumbing was invented.

Formals or bore-mals?

When you think of the quintessential Cambridge college formal, you likely think of long ornate tables decked out with millions of candles. Whilst this may seem like a fun past-time, the reality is not being able to see your dinner, knocking over your wine, and stumbling over your chair when you try and get to the toilet.

Isn’t it much better to have decent-sized windows, post-industrial revolution kitchens, and – gasp – LED lighting?

Look at the pretty lights! Image credit: Leah Whiting

Aesthetics over outings

I will admit that the older colleges do have somewhat fancier buildings. But what’s the point of a nice facade if you can’t see it past the swathes of tourists posing outside?

At the end of the day, the positives of easy access to nice Instagram backgrounds are quickly offset by the number of people you have to dodge to get to spoons from college.

Isn‘t the King‘s chapel getting a bit old? Image credit: Keira Quirk

Appearance over function

Furthermore, the pleasing aesthetics of the older colleges often come at the cost of functional accommodation – some would argue a human right.

As old college students stare out their windows with chattering teeth this winter term, they should ask themselves if the view of other 16th-century buildings was a good trade-off for underfloor heating?

As well as this, the kitchens in newer colleges – decked out with hobs and everything – can be important social spaces for cooking with your friends and, more importantly, pre-drinking.

Go wild or go home

Whilst Cambridge isn’t exactly known for its nightlife, many a student enjoys the occasional night out – which of course ends at a respectable 1:30am on the dot in time for that 9:00am lecture.

You’d think the old colleges in town would be going out every night, what with being so close to the clubs and all. However, this would not appear to be the case.

It would seem that out partying you’ll find a mix of those who live in and out of town, and often times the old colleges are trumped by the new.

And after all, nothing says dedication like a 30-minute walk back to Homerton after a night out.

Would an old college come up with lemon pool? Image credit: Leah Whiting

Feature image credits: Keira Quirk (left) and Leah Whiting (right)

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