Downing
Welcome to Downing College!
Downing is in a central, but out of the way, location, and is often described as the oldest of the new colleges, and the newest of the old colleges.
We’re your College Reps, Farhan (mfa54) and Aleena (ri288). We’ll be the first contact for Muslims at Downing, and we’re here to chat if you have any questions or worries!
Pros
We are the 2nd closest or the closest college to Cambridge Central Mosque
We are pretty close to everything: Mill Road (where all the halal places are at), city centre, market square, King’s parade, Parker’s piece
Because we are closest to Mill Road, everyone will stop over at yours to eat
We have a fish pond :D
People say our cafe is cute, and it has the best mochas (people who disagree have no taste)
It is very open and if you don’t like the old architecture, Downing looks very fresh with its fairer-coloured bricks and pillars. Definitely a unique style.
It’s got a paddock - grass you’re allowed to walk and play sports on
Accommodation is purportedly one of the best accommodation in cambridge (some of it looks like hotel accommodation), and majority of rooms being en suite, with options of choosing accommodation which you can stay in during the holidays from 2nd year onwards
Cons
If you like sport, it’s quite far from the University sports centre (only being outdone by Homerton)
Because we are closest to Mill Road, everyone will stop over at yours to eat
Food is slightly expensive, but I think they are planning on subsiding it. A main and two sides is now £3.50, but it used to be more back in the day
We have outdoor bike racks. Granted there is a a canopy and most colleges have outdoor bike racks, but it is worth knowing if you have a decent bike
We’re unfortunately not like Trinity or St John’s where you will get paid to go on holiday. Our college tends to be more uptight with money, but they will still give you money to buy books, go to talks, pay for travel etc. Anything you can spin to be academically related they will pay for (so this is really a pro in some sense)
The gym is £30 for the year, but it doesn’t have a bench or any bars, just some machines and a treadmill
JCR lacks a table tennis table which is a crime in my honest opinion. It’s in the gym so you have to book it. (But we do have a foosball and pool table!)
Washing Facilities
Two laundry rooms on each side of the college, which are both free.
Muslim Provisions
Prayer Space
No prayer room and likely won’t be in the foreseeable future as the issue has already been raised. However, the librarians were happy with me praying downstairs which saved me having to go back to my room every time when studying.
Halal Food
They have told us, “If you let us know early in the morning then we will cook some halal chicken for you” but I doubt they have any. However I know the EMC officers are planning to challenge the college on this point to make the chicken halal in general.
Fridge/freezer Provision
All they said was that we are allowed to bring our own.
Ensuite
You are allowed to be guaranteed an ensuite on religious grounds, and either way, most of the rooms are en-suite to begin with.
Other Relevant Points
We share a border with Downing site and are super close to the Bryer Miggs Lecture theatre and New Museum site, so if you want to wake up 5 minutes before a lecture, you are definitely able to do that here.
But bear in mind, other colleges share this same positive like Pembroke and Peterhouse, so don’t let the stuff we have said about location sway you too much.
I know some people applying to Downing tend to be Medics because of location, so this paragraph is dedicated to them. Email me (mfa54) if you want specific details about our Director of Studies and supervisors, but in general, I would say half of our supervisors tend to regurgitate lecture content and they don’t really stretch you; they are lax with essays and even attending supervisions (you probably won’t get caught if you missed a few), so if you want the intense Cambridge experience I recommend applying to a different college, but if you don’t want somebody on your back and you want to chill slightly, this college may be good for you.
My main advice for anyone, not just Medics, is to ask about supervisors when choosing a college, as it is also super important if you care about the college teaching and want to be challenged every day.
Concluding Remark
If you are a Muslim student coming to Downing, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with either of us!
Signed,
Farhan Ali (mfa54)
Aleena Islam (ri288)