Retell it.

The story of the University begins in 1209 when several hundred students and scholars arrived in the little town of Cambridge after having walked 60 miles from Oxford. As it was the custom then, they had joined themselves into a ‘University’ or Society-the word ‘university’ like the word’ college’ originally meant a society of people with a common employment; it was only later it came to be associated with scholarship. These students were all churchmen and had studied in Oxford until one day a student accidentally killed a man of the town. The Mayor arrested three other students who were innocent and they were put to death by hanging. In protest all the students moved elsewhere, some arriving on Cambridge, so, the new University came into being. Of course there were no colleges in those early days and student’s life was different from what it is now. The students were armed’ some even banded together to rob people of the countryside. Gradually the idea of the College developed and in 1284 Peterhouse, the oldest college in Cambridge was founded.

Life in the college was strict; students were not allowed to play games, to sing, to hunt or fish or even to dance. The classes were in Latin which students had to speak even among themselves. They studied Grammar, Logic and rhetoric; and when the student went for his degree examination it took some time for him to show his knowledge of the subject. So he was allowed to bring a small stool or “tripos” to sit on. So to this day the degree exam at Cambridge is called “Tripos” exam. If any student proposed to be a teacher, he also had to show that he could use a rod which he would do by beating a small boy who was afterwards paid for his pains. In 1440 King Henry VI founded King’s college and other colleges followed.

There are more than 6000 students at Cambridge so naturally the Colleges are overcrowded. Since the space is so scared, undergraduates share rooms when possible and the authorities try their best to ensure that these living together are suited to one another. The students are mainly English, but there are plenty of others.there is a variety of faces, religions and points of view. The discipline nowadays is not very strict, of course. There are rules, but the undergraduate is treated as a sensible person able to discipline himself and no longer a schoolboy who must be told everything. The students can stay out as late as they wish.

The Tutor in Cambridge is a man who acts as a parent to the student away from home. He gives advice, helps in time of need and is an understanding friend to his pupils Then is the Dean who is in charge of the discipline among the 300 students inside College last there are the Directors of Studies and their assistants, The Supervisors. At the start of the term the Director of Studies arranges times for classes and suggests books to read and lessons or lectures to attend.