<p>Does anyone know if there is a website I can view the course reviews or ratings from students who had attended the Pembroke college summer program at Cambridge?</p>
<p>This program seems worth it’s price, as being one of the few summer programs actually organized by the university and it’s colleges - 99% are organized by various companies, who make a deal with colleges, as college accommodation are pretty empty during summertime, and those barely ever offer teaching by Cambridge University faculty. But this one seems impressive, have to admit. Anyway, Pembroke is a very nice college, even if it’s a lesser known one, but it’s ancient, and have great courts. Also, it’s in the town centre. </p>
<p>But because this program is administered by the university, I’m sure the competition is fierce, in contrast by the programmes organized by companies (of course, countless university have summer programs in Oxbridge, and sometimes they have serious requirements, but that’s an other thing).</p>
<p>Re: GeraldM: Thanks a lot for the information, also do you know any rating or comments site regarding of their courses, like which courses are popular or well-taught by a great faculty there?</p>
<p>Worth the cost, GeraldM? It absolutely isn’t - it’s nothing more than a glorified vacation that only serves to make Cambridge money. Noodlesli, you won’t be taught by Cambridge’s great faculty because they will all be off for the summer. Instead you will be taught by PhD students who will effectively babysit you for money.</p>
<p>You’re right, there is very little chance that faculty members will teach them; maybe one or two prof will say “hi”, but the teaching itself most likely relies on the PhD students. Can’t blame them. All of us need some money. Still, I’m quite impressed by the fact that this is an “official” program, not like the many others, that just use college buildings. (As a matter of fact I can’t say I love summer school students, especially those coming from…emm…Mediterranean countries, who loud as hell. They are swarming on the streets, (what is hardly a problem, as Oxbridge is filled with tourist all year, but especially summertime), and on college grounds too. But they raise some money, after all…). So, if someone is willing to pay several thousand dollars to go to Oxford or Cambridge to a summer program, it’s the best way to do it, via an “official” one. It is a vacation, after all; those universities who send students to Oxbridge, and create their own summer programs, also pay a visit to London, Paris, etc. Sounds fun, see good old Europe. And tell everyone, that you was a student at Oxbridge…;)</p>
<p>Actually Gerald you have got it wrong entirely, from what I know of this course (a fair bit since I have applied to work on it this year…) the teaching is done by various Cambridge people. The point of this course is effectively to give foreign students the experience of a Cambridge term. Dionysus perhaps you should have done some research before you opened your mouth. This is an official course, as has been said, and it is run by people who are at Pembroke.</p>
<p>It being ‘official’ has absolutely nothing to do with it. It’s the programme makeup itself that is the problem in my view, and why I don’t think it is worth the money. Very little of the programme seems to be academic in nature, indeed most of it seems to be centred around social and cultural activities and trips to other cities.</p>
<p>If its purpose is to give people a real Cambridge experience then it certainly isn’t going about it the right way. What student, let alone one at Cambridge has time to waste with fieldtrips to Scotland or weekends in Prague when they would normally spend most of their time outside lectures reading and writing essays.</p>