Saturday, 10 December 2011
College Profile: Pembroke College
This is an article in my series on Oxford's colleges and PPHs. These 'profiles' are based entirely on my own personal perspective and opinions; prospective students are advised to look rather to the prospectus and alternative prospectus of any college they are considering applying to, rather than place too much stock in my descriptions. Previous articles describe what colleges are, then discuss Nuffield College, the PPHs, All Souls' College, University College, and St. Antony's College, Christ Church, and Oriel College.
Typically the first building a visitor to Oxford lays eyes on, if arriving by train, is "my own"—the Saïd Business School. It is a large, imposing building that greets you immediately as you step out of the train station—very handy for our visiting speakers and recruiters coming from London!
When I first visited Oxford, though, we were visiting by car and arrived via the Park & Ride bus, a short distance away from the University. Approaching from the angle we did, Pembroke College was the first Oxford University building I laid eyes on, and so in spite of its small size and tucked-away location, it has never been a college to get lost in the crowd for me.
Like Corpus Christi, Pembroke's primary advantages are in being ancient (it was founded in 1625), and yet small and relatively unknown: it is a hidden treasure. While students at the neighbouring Christ Church are constantly annoyed by the throngs of tourists blocking their way and making them late for tutorials, Pembroke students enjoy the splendour of a traditional Oxford college life in relative tranquility, and can look back to such distinguished alumni as Samuel Johnson, William Blackstone, and King Abdullah of Jordan.
During my year at Oxford, the dining hall was being restored, which is something that has to happen at every historical college from time to time, but for those of us on a one year course it can be quite a shame. The upside, for this year's batch of Pembroke students, though, is that their dining hall is now beautifully restored!
The main downside, as far as I can tell, is that their sporting colour is pink.
