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1/10 When I was choosing a college I thought about size, I wanted a medium sized college, somewhere small enough that you could recognise everyone in your year, but not small enough that if you didn’t like someone you’d always have to see them... 
https://twitter.com/cambtweetbio/status/1278255166299484160
https://twitter.com/cambtweetbio/status/1278255166299484160
2/10 Room allocation system. I didn’t want a college with a ‘scholar’s ballot’, where you get a better room if you get a better result, or a system that gives better rooms to people with more college extracurriculars etc.
3/10 Location. Newnham is just far enough out of town that you don’t get tourists and it’s really quiet, but it’s only a 10 min walk (max!) into the city centre. I also didn’t want to be too close to my lecture sites, because I felt I would never leave my bubble!
4/10 The actual college site itself! I wanted somewhere with really pretty gardens (makes me feel relaxed) and I loved the rooms at Newnham, and thought I would be happy living in any of them.
5/10 College community. I think I put myself under enough pressure as it is, I don’t need anyone else pressuring me! Some colleges are seen as more ‘academic’ than others, I honestly think it depends on the staff you end up with but I’ve been happy with Newnham on this front
6/10 Accommodation in different years. Some colleges have 1st years on one site, 2nd years may live in college owned houses, 3rd years might live somewhere else etc. Newnham has one site so you mix with lots of other years, but you might want a college that has 2nd year houses
7/10 History, this was a lesser one for me, but I love Sylvia Plath (I know I’m a NatSci but I have other interests ) and Dorothy Hodgkin is probably my favourite scientist of all time, so the fact they both went to Newnham was a selling point...
) and Dorothy Hodgkin is probably my favourite scientist of all time, so the fact they both went to Newnham was a selling point...
8/10 Facilities. All of the Cambridge colleges have great facilities, but if you want something specific it’s worth checking that out. Newnham has an incredibly well stocked library (100,000 books!) a great cafe, a gym that’s free for undergrads (not that I’ve ever used it...)
9/10 Money. I thought about this, but ignored it. Some colleges are ‘richer’ than others or allocate resources in different ways, so have different pots of money available for students. I could have got a huge bursary had I gone to Johns, but I don’t like to think about that
10/10 My final decision was based purely on emotion. Had I not gone to the open day, I probably would have applied to Catz, and would have likely been very happy there... but I went to Newnham and fell in love, I couldn’t imagine applying anywhere else. It can be heart over head!
