Picking a college is often one of the things prospective students find hardest to do.  Once you’ve chosen a course (easily the most important decision), you will probably want to consider which college offers the most suitable environment for you to live, socialise and study in whilst you’re in Cambridge. Although there are probably more similarities than differences between colleges, each one forms a unique academic community, and some may be more suited to your interests and tastes than others.

What’s so great about Corpus, then?

• Location, location, location. Corpus occupies one of the best locations in Cambridge, with our main site located on Trumpington Street near the heart of the University.  We are in the city centre but slightly away from the busiest part of the tourist trail, which makes Corpus a surprisingly quiet place to work and live.  All our students are accommodated within a five-minute walk of the main site, and are thus within easy distance of many of the University’s largest facilities, including the New Museum Site (for Natural Scientists), the Engineering Department, the University Library and the Sidgwick Site, where most of the arts & humanities departments are based. The Mill Lane lecture theatres, where many first-year lectures are held, are no more than a two-minute walk from the main site, which many students find extremely convenient.

• Spectacular surroundings. Founded in 1352, we are the sixth oldest college in Cambridge.  Uniquely amongst the Oxbridge colleges, we weren’t founded by a wealthy individual patron but by the townspeople of Cambridge themselves, and we have maintained that egalitarian spirit ever since. Our Old Court dates back to the earliest days of the college and is the oldest complete court in either Oxford or Cambridge.  Its rooms, fortunately much modernised, still house our students as they have done for over six centuries.  Reassuringly, alongside the ancient, Corpus embraces the new, with modern accommodation and the Taylor Library, opened in 2008 and home to the famous (or infamous) Corpus Clock, one of the most striking and popular examples of modern public art in the world. Have a look at our Instagram gallery for photos of Corpus and Cambridge life.

• Guaranteed accommodation. We guarantee accommodation in College rooms for the duration of your degree, whether three years or four. All our accommodation is within a 5 minute walk from the main College site in the centre of town.

• Generous student facilities. Studying at Corpus offers you access to some of the best student facilities in the University. We have an excellent set of student common rooms and an undergraduate library with 24-hour access. Our stunning Gothic revival dining hall is the setting for numerous dinners, concerts and student events. Our graduate campus at Leckhampton is a ten-minute walk away, with squash courts, cricket and football pitches, two tennis courts, an outdoor swimming pool and a gym for students to use. We are also the only Cambridge college with its own separate theatre space, the Corpus Playroom, which is located just off King’s Parade. You can find out much more about these and other facilities on our accommodation and facilities page.

• A strong sense of community. One of our greatest assets results from the fact that we are one of the smaller Cambridge colleges, so it’s easy to get to know people quickly. Our students often comment that studying at Corpus helped them to feel comfortable in Cambridge quickly, and that our size helps to maintain a strong and supportive community throughout their time here.  You won’t just be a face in the crowd at Corpus, either socially or academically, and the close pastoral and academic attention that Corpus students receive from the Fellowship (the academics) is one of the reasons why our students do so well.

 

“I am very glad that I chose to study Japanese at Corpus Christi. Corpus is a smaller college with a really welcoming atmosphere; this is great for anyone who wants to be really involved with their college community, but especially ideal for students who take a year out during their degree. Upon returning to Cambridge in my fourth year, it was easy to fit back into the rhythm of college life and get to know everyone living and working there.”

Jess Peet – Japanese graduate, 2014