Peter Hunt – 1st Year – History

 

There is no ‘normal day’ for a historian at Cambridge, with Wednesday being a particularly peculiar day. Weeks start here not on a Monday, but a Thursday, so the day is typically spent preparing for the following seven, while the pleasant absence of lectures enables one to enjoy a brief period of well-earned rest.

7:45 – Wake up; get up and be grateful that I don’t row (most rowers have to get up at 6am to row).

8:30 – Cycle across town down to a cottage by Jesus Green, where I have a leisurely breakfast with a friend from church.

10:30 – Pop along to Queen’s or Pembroke College for tea with a friend before our seminar.

11:00 – Themes & Sources seminar: a small group of History students overseen by two Fellows – one from the History faculty, the other from Divinity – where we go through various primary documents in ‘eager’ anticipation of writing a ‘Long Essay’ over the summer vacation.

12:45 – Lunch with some seminar friends either in Trinity Hall, if I’m hosting, or elsewhere; exploring other college’s cuisine makes you grateful for applying here.

14:00 – Take the following week’s books out from the College Library (the ‘Jerwood’), the Faculty Library (the ‘Seeley’) and the University Library (enigmatically referred to as the ‘UL’).

16:00 – Contemplate reading the books, but invite someone over for tea and cake instead.

18:15 – A hearty dinner in hall.

19:30 – Christian Union in college (which normally takes place on a Saturday evening).

21:30 – Potter back to my room and relax, perhaps read a decent book with a good record on and a mug of cocoa or join a party in someone’s room or the bar.

23:00 – Turn in for the night.