The most important thing about Gonville & Caius is to pronounce its name correctly. Gonville’s okay, apart from sounding like a Muppet character and most people drop that bit anyway, but Caius is pronounced ‘keys’. Caius is based on two sites, eight mins walk apart. The main building’s at one end of King’s Parade and is centred on the fine old Renaissance Caius Court, next to French-Chateau-style Tree Court, the only college court in Cambridge with, er, trees. Sitting on the Backs (meadow banks) across the river is 60s building Harvey Court, the first year accommodation, which bears more than a passing resemblance to a multi-storey car park. (Although pretty views provide some compensation). There’s a friendly enough atmosphere and a good social mix.
| Sex ratio (M:F): 60:40 |
Founded: 1965 |
| Full-time u’grads: 475 |
Part-time: 0 |
| Postgrads: 230 |
Mature: n/a |
State:private school: 57:43
|
Disabled: n/a |
| Academic ranking: 4 |
International: 12% |
Bar hosts karaoke, quizzes and cross-dressing extravaganza, ‘Miss Caius’ competition; Bateman concert room; annual ball. Caiustone newsletter; many drinking/dining clubs; active music soc. Working library and old library (90,000 books); 52 PCs, some 24-hr. Chapel; CofE chaplain. Good sports facilities in College and 400m away (three acres and a bar); successful rowers. All first and third years live in halls, second years in crummier College hostels; almost all rooms have internet points; recent addition of an accommodation block next to Harvey Court. Was worst food in Cambridge, getting better; occasional formal meals; some accommodation for married students. Swipe cards; nurse, pregnancy tests, free condoms; Ethnic Students', Women’s and Access Officers; bursaries; scholarships; grants and book grants. Ground floor accommodation and ramps for disabled students; lift access to Cockerell Library.
FAMOUS ALUMNI
Harold Abrahams (Olympic runner, featured in Chariots of Fire); Alistair Campbell (former Labour Spin-King); Kenneth Clark MP (cigar-sucking Tory); David Frost (broadcaster); William Harvey (discovered circulation of blood); Titus Oates (of Popish plot fame); Dr Venn (of Venn diagram, um, fame).