Alistair Fletcher                                                              

Affiliated

Theology Student

Having completed a law degree at Oxford , I came to Clare to read for a second BA in Theology.   From my Oxford experience I knew that choosing the right college is important, but can be difficult given the fact that every college seems to claim that they are the best. In reality, they are probably equally good, and so whichever choice you make will no doubt lead to a happy existence in Cambridge . However, whilst the colleges may be equal I would have to say that Clare is clearly the first among equals!

Not only does Clare occupy one of the most beautiful locations on the river, but (rather selfishly you might say) it can also boast to having a wonderfully diverse and friendly student body. As an Affiliated Student I am fortunate to be able to experience both the graduate and undergraduate communities at close hand, both of which are very rewarding and full of interesting people. The main graduate social event is Friday Formal Hall, which never fails to be entertaining, and having attended MCR formal halls at other colleges I think it is safe to say that nowhere else has an atmosphere quite like Clare's. The JCR is similarly vibrant and it is always fun to take part in their events and realise that graduates aren't as mature as they like to think!

The second BA entails completing the Tripos in two years rather than three, with the first year of the course bypassed. After spending three years happily trawling through legal texts, I spent the first few weeks here struggling to adapt my way of thinking to Theology, but both the faculty and my Director of Studies understood that I would have this initial difficulty and were on hand to help out. Studying for a second BA may seem like madness to most people, but I have found that it has opened me up to new ways of analysing problems and let me fully explore a subject that I have a genuine interest in. It is all too easy to rush into a career in the City after completing a first degree, but the second BA has let me take a step back and think about what I really want to do with myself.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here thus far and have made good friends, both undergraduate and graduate. It would probably be quite easy to feel out of place as an Affiliated Student in Cambridge, being neither truly an undergraduate nor a graduate, but I can assure you that this could never be the case at Clare.

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