Hey, I’m Avesta and I’m a first year classicist at Magdalene College, Cambridge. When applying to Cambridge, I applied directly to Magdalene College, having not put too much thought in choosing a college. This was the loose checklist in my mind, I wanted a college that was central, relatively small, visually ‘old’ and that had inexpensive accommodation. Magdalene ticked all these boxes, and it also happened to be the only college I had ever visited, which was during a year 10 school trip. It was a case called between Magdalene and Sidney Sussex college though, as Sidney also ticks the other boxes; if I remember correctly, I believe I put Sidney in my UCAS form but switched to Magdalene last minute. I had a better feeling about Magdalene however- looks as though I was right!
Magdalene is a wonderful college, and should definitely be a college of consideration for all students. Its location is pretty much perfect. For one, it’s a central college but there are few tourists distracting you, which is important for day-to-day life. We also have the longest river front out of all the colleges in Cambridge, meaning we have great river views by our accommodation (and we have free punts that you can take out whenever you want). Our accommodation is varied in size, appearance and location (though all are a 5 minute walk from the main building), and is on the cheaper side in comparison to other colleges. We have beautiful gardens on our main site, candle-lit formals most days and extravagant May Ball events. Including the cosy feeling and lovely people, Magdalene is an all-rounder college.
We also have great facilities here too for both academic and extracurricular ventures. In the early months of 2021, our new library opened which featured in the Times top 10 new buildings of the year (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ten-of-the-coolest-new-buildings-to-gawp-at-this-year-tq66b66gj). We also have great seminar and study rooms across college, and lovely areas such as the ‘beach’ in the Village to go study outside by the river. Regarding sporting facilities, we share grounds with St. John’s college, which are conveniently close to college grounds.
Though I wouldn’t say I hate anything in particular about Magdalene, it is annoying for me personally that the Classics faculty is not closer to me! It’s around a half an hour walk door to door, which is fine but it means I need to wake up a little earlier for morning classes! Another thing I find slightly irritating is what people first think about when I bring up Magdalene, which is that it was the last Oxbridge college to admit women in, which as a student is annoying to hear that this is what people immediately think of!
Some unique aspects about my college are probably to do with its traditions and events, firstly with formal hall. Magdalene is one of the only colleges left in Cambridge that do formals completely candle-lit, which is a mesmerising experience. It creates such a lovely atmosphere instead, especially during winter when it is already dark outside; it adds to the environment. Magdalene College (alongside Peterhouse) are also the only colleges in Cambridge that host white-tie May Ball events. White-tie is the most formal attire in Western culture, which helps make our May Ball events feel that much more classy.
The accommodation at Magdalene is eclectic in all different manners. For one, there are around 6 different accommodation sites that are all about a five minute walk to the main site. These sites are called the Village, Thompsons Lane, Cripps Court, Basing, First Court and Bridge Street. The Village is our largest site, which is the area opposite our porters lodge that is made up of a dozen smaller blocks. Regarding the rooms, they are all incredibly varied in style and size so I could not generalise, but essentially they are all great living and working spaces for that band in which they are in.
Overall, Magdalene is a warm, cosy college that is underrated in Cambridge in my opinion. Not only is it visually and physically stunning, but so are its students. Since the college is small, you will always see a friendly, familiar face you know around college grounds; the college will quickly feel like your second home!
Visit the Magdalene college website for more details!