"Roland Perry" wrote in message
.uk...
In message , at 17:55:43 on Mon, 3
Jan 2005, Jon Crowcroft remarked:

London University has 3 taught terms of 12 weeks with a reading week, and
5 day terms - Cambridge taught term is 8 weeks of 5.5 days max - in
practice
UCL and Imperial students attend more lectures in sciences (at least
where I
know) though whether this constites working "harder" I couldn't possibly
comment....

In my time the average Cambridge science/maths/engineering student
worked a 6-6.5 day week, while friends at London used to regularly skip
Friday afternoons and Monday mornings to facilitate weekends away (and
clearly had no intention of ever working Sat/Sun).

The word "taught" is superfluous, the correct expression being "Full Term".
Back in my day in Oxford, and I doubt that Cambridge was different, there
were lectures at 9 and 10 on most days Monday-Saturday, but attendance was
not compulsory (although desirable, as questions in finals were mostly based
on the lecture course over three years. A certain amount of attendance at
the laboratories was also required, but could usually be fitted in between
11 and 1 before lunch. Afternoons would often be devoted to sport, games or
the pleasures of punting, and in some cases to flying with the Air Squadron.
One hour per week for a tutorial, and some hours (often after midnight) on
doing the reading and essay-writing for the next tutorial. Organic
preparations tended to require more than a day, and were regarded as only
for the dedicated.

In theory one was required to get permission to reside and to travel more
than 3 miles from Carfax, and to be absent overnight. One was also required
to come up a few days early for college Collections and to delay one's
departure until after an interview with the tutors. For the final year in
Chemistry, one was expected to spend at least 10 weeks in Oxford for each
term, essentially working 9 to 5 Monday to Friday and possibly Saturday
morning as well. Depending on the subject being studied, time could be much
longer, especially if working towards a deadline for the thesis submission.
--
Terry Harper, Web Co-ordinator, The Omnibus Society
75th Anniversary 2004, see http://www.omnibussoc.org/75th.htm
E-mail:
URL: http://www.terry.harper.btinternet.co.uk/