WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:04.500 what's it like to go to one of the most prestigious universities in the world 2 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:07.000 and how can you study here? 3 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:12.000 I'm here at the University of Cambridge, my alma, to tell you more about costs, accommodation, and student life. 4 00:00:12.500 --> 00:00:14.000 [Music] 5 00:00:14.500 --> 00:00:19.000 And of course, you'll hear directly from some current international students about their experiences studying here. 6 00:00:19.500 --> 00:00:21.000 [Music] 7 00:00:21.500 --> 00:00:25.500 The United Kingdom is the most popular country in Europe for international students. 8 00:00:25.800 --> 00:00:31.500 In 2022, it had over 600,000 international students enrolled in higher education. And at Cambridge, 9 00:00:31.700 --> 00:00:35.000 33% of undergraduates and postgraduates are from outside of the UK. 10 00:00:35.500 --> 00:00:37.500 Firstly, getting into Cambridge isn't easy. 11 00:00:37.800 --> 00:00:42.500 You're expected to have top grades and go through a rigorous application process, including interviews and tests. 12 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:46.000 Secondly, Cambridge doesn't have a traditional campus structure. 13 00:00:46.200 --> 00:00:52.000 The university is made up of 31 individual colleges, which means that when you apply to study at Cambridge, you apply to a college. 14 00:00:52.500 --> 00:00:54.800 Today I'm here at Christ's College, Cambridge. 15 00:00:55.000 --> 00:01:00.500 It's where Charles Darwin studied, and it's one of the many colleges where students live, eat, study, and meet with their academic advisers. 16 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:05.500 Each college has its own library, accommodation, dining halls, and social events. 17 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:07.500 [Music] 18 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:12.500 The UK is generally ranked as one of the most expensive destinations for international students. 19 00:01:12.800 --> 00:01:17.000 And at Cambridge, fees for non-UK students generally fall between £25,000 and £40,000 per year. 20 00:01:17.300 --> 00:01:22.500 That's around $30,000 to $48,000 per year, and with medicine costing just north of £67,000 per year. 21 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:27.000 Tuition fees for a one-year master's program are between £30,000 and £40,000. 22 00:01:27.500 --> 00:01:31.000 The university recommends around £14,000 per year for living expenses too. 23 00:01:31.500 --> 00:01:35.500 Today I'm meeting Dora, a first-year mathematics student, to talk about money. 24 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:40.000 I guess the fees kind of differ per subject. Um, for math specifically, I think it's around £25,000 a year. 25 00:01:40.500 --> 00:01:46.500 We also have to pay College a fee to study as international students, and that comes down to approximately £10,000 a year as well. 26 00:01:46.800 --> 00:01:49.000 Together, that would come down to £40,000 a year, roughly. 27 00:01:49.500 --> 00:01:54.000 I do have a scholarship from Christ's College, uh, specifically for international students, which gives me £10,000 per year. 28 00:01:54.500 --> 00:01:58.500 So in Cambridge, it's actually not allowed for you to do a part-time job, um, during term time, 29 00:01:58.800 --> 00:02:02.000 because the university thinks that it might impede your learning process in the University. 30 00:02:02.300 --> 00:02:05.500 But you are allowed to do jobs during the vacations, definitely, yes. 31 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:10.000 Um, just because of the excellence that, like, the learning environment they have here and excellent teaching. 32 00:02:10.300 --> 00:02:14.000 You also just get to see so much of the world, meet so many cool people from different countries. 33 00:02:14.300 --> 00:02:16.500 I would say that is perhaps even more valuable. 34 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:18.000 And what about housing? 35 00:02:18.500 --> 00:02:20.000 [Music] 36 00:02:20.500 --> 00:02:25.000 So one great thing about Cambridge is that colleges can generally house all undergraduates and many postgraduates, at least in term time. 37 00:02:25.500 --> 00:02:30.000 So this means that you'll theoretically spend less time looking for accommodation than in other cities. 38 00:02:30.500 --> 00:02:32.000 [Music] 39 00:02:32.500 --> 00:02:37.000 Andreas, a first-year geography student, gives us the lowdown on what it's like to live here. 40 00:02:37.500 --> 00:02:42.500 So we're really lucky because the colleges here, at least my experience with Christ's was that you're guaranteed accommodation for 3 years while you're here. 41 00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:47.000 Um, you get sent out a form to state your preferences, and then basically the college will allocate you a room. 42 00:02:47.500 --> 00:02:50.000 What was your experience of finding accommodation at Cambridge? 43 00:02:50.300 --> 00:02:52.500 It certainly gives you some peace of mind that you have somewhere to stay. 44 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:58.500 Um, but I think one problem with a lot of rooms allocated to international students is that during every break, at least I had to move out of my room because that room is being used during the break. 45 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:01.500 All of us see each other every day. I really like that personally. 46 00:03:01.800 --> 00:03:04.000 I know for some people it can get quite claustrophobic, 47 00:03:04.300 --> 00:03:09.000 um, but I think in terms of adapting and integrating to university life, I think it's one of the best things that can happen. 48 00:03:09.500 --> 00:03:11.500 The workload at Cambridge is notoriously high. 49 00:03:11.800 --> 00:03:15.000 So do Cambridge students actually have time for extracurriculars and socializing? 50 00:03:15.500 --> 00:03:17.500 Welcome, Niv, who's going to tell me some. 51 00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:19.500 So my name is Niv, I'm from Australia. 52 00:03:19.800 --> 00:03:23.500 I think at Christ's, a lot of fun is just hanging out with your friends, but aside from that, there's so many societies that you can join. 53 00:03:23.800 --> 00:03:28.000 A lot of people are also new to a lot of the different things in a lot of different societies, and everyone makes a really concerted effort. 54 00:03:28.500 --> 00:03:32.800 You know, you have your sports, so you have this like hockey. One of my friends is really involved in the University hockey teams. 55 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:37.000 And the May Ball is probably best described as an all-night party that is probably more like a festival fair. 56 00:03:37.300 --> 00:03:41.000 The beauty of it is you just get to walk around and try different food and try different drinks. 57 00:03:41.300 --> 00:03:44.500 And you get to see people, and everyone thinks a lot about what they're going to wear. 58 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:46.500 And people say that Cambridge is all about work. 59 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:53.000 I think that's a misconception because you're at Cambridge, you have so many opportunities to do things and meet people from, you know, academics from world-class backgrounds who are top of their field. 60 00:03:53.300 --> 00:03:59.000 But you also have the opportunity to meet people, like peers in their fields as well, through things organized by the university, things organized by student societies. 61 00:03:59.300 --> 00:04:02.500 I think the fact that we live together also really helps with managing the study and the social life. 62 04:03.000 --> 04:07.500 Okay, so we've got to talk about culture shocks, because coming to the UK and to Cambridge as an international is probably quite special. 63 04:08.000 --> 04:11.000 Next, Tim, an economics student, tells us about what surprised him. 64 04:11.500 --> 04:14.500 I want to avoid being reductionist about, you know, specific cultural adjustments here. 65 04:14.800 --> 04:17.500 I think everyone's going to have their specific, unique experiences here. 66 04:18.000 --> 04:20.500 One big thing was food, and this sounds stereotypical, but it's true. 67 04:20.800 --> 04:24.000 Um, you have potatoes, you have chicken, you have fish and chips, which is very exciting for a while. 68 04:24.300 --> 04:28.000 But when you're tired and it's getting dark at 4, you really just want comfort food from home. 69 04:28.300 --> 04:30.500 I brought a rice cooker from home. I think that's helped me. 70 04:31.000 --> 04:32.500 I think the second thing is making new friends. 71 04:32.800 --> 04:38.500 It can sometimes prove difficult for some students to make friends of new and unfamiliar cultures because you lack that, you know, convenient factor to draw upon when relating to common, shared experiences. 72 04:39.000 --> 04:47.000 I really recommend trying to meet as many friends from different backgrounds as possible because it's that diversity of experience and that diversity of thought that, aside from academics, you really benefit from within the university experience. 73 04:47.500 --> 04:49.000 And here's my pro tip: if you're going to get a bike, 74 04:49.300 --> 04:52.500 make sure you get a good lock, because two of my bikes were stolen when I lived here. 75 04:53.000 --> 04:54.000 Sorry, Mom and Dad. 76 04:54.500 --> 04:56.500 So how does studying in Cambridge sound to you? 77 04:56.800 --> 04:58.500 Are you drafting your application as we speak? 78 04:59.000 --> 05:03.000 Anyway, let us know in the comments which other university cities you'd like us to visit next. Bye!