Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-11-20
WOMEN At AN ENGLISH COLLEGE.
What n Girl ~ Supposed to Do in Cam
bridge University to Stand Well.

bridge University to Stand Wei.
1t appears difficult for an outsider to
realize the conditions of student life at
Newman or Girton college; some seem to
imagine that the student has absolute free
dom; others, on the contrary, that college
life is a second edition of school life-that
a student must not go out without leave;
that she has certain tasks to prepare, and
that there is some one TO see that she pre-
pares them. The reality is neither the one
thing nor the other. Certainly the students
are allowed a great deal of liberty, but
there are rules which have to be observed.
The following are the few restrictions
imposed upon them: In the summer terms
the doors are closed at p. M; in the win
ter terms at p. M; if students wish to 90
out after this hour they have to give in their
names, and they are then expected to be in
by II p. m, unless under very special cir
cumstances, when they may perhaps re-
ceive permission to stay till later. Students
are expected not to absent themselves from
lecture.
Out of lecture hours the students are
free to go where they WILL but if they boat
or ride they must provide themselves with
chaperon. In the spring and summer
terms the students enjoy good deal of
boating. 1t Is not unusual for them to
make up party and row down the river
to some little inn or cottage where they
have tea before returning.
At first women students used to work
for the Cambridge higher local examina-
tions, and sometimes to enter informally
for the final examinations of the univeri-
| ty; but in 1881 the senate of the University
| of Cambridge agreed to admit women for
mally to their honor examinations, so that
| now the majority read for an honor or
trir, hot = l,.s
examination as the men. They attend the
| same lectures, and work under exactly the
same conditions, the only difference being
| that whereas the men have a degree con-
ferred on them, which entities them to use
| the letters b. A, the women have to con-
tent themselves with a certificate which
states the class obtained, but does not con-
| fer any title on the owner The woman
| graduate has no hood, nor does she wear
| any distinctive dress As an undergraduate.
| 1t is not compulsory to work for the tripos
| examinations. Some still work for the
| higher local examinations, though they
are then expected to stay at college for
couple of years only. Students are per
mitted to work with no examinations in
view, but in this case they are only allowed
! to be in residence so long as the authorities
are satisfied that they are doing good work
Three years is the usual time allotted for
! preparing fora tripos examination, though
| some may be taken after a residence of two
| years. If a student fails to keep the stated
| number of terms the examination cannot
! be taken.
That women are able to make good use
of these privileges is amply proved by the
results of the examinations. Even in
| classics and mathematics, subjects in
which they are usually handicapped by
not having enjoyed the same training as
the men before going up to college, they
| have taken extremely good places from
time to time; and in those subjects in
| which they start fair they have always
come well TO the fore.
Among the women who have done re
markably well are Miss Scott, of Girton,
who was eighth wrangler, and who is now
professor OF mathematics at Bryn-Mawr
| college, near Philadelphia; Miss Chamber
| lain (Newnham), who was senior of the
| modern languages tripos, 1886, and is now
also teaching at Bryn-Mawr college; Miss
| Moberly and Miss Hughes (Newnham),
who4were seniors of the moral sciences
tripos in the years 1881 and 1884, respective
| "; Miss Rolleston (Newnham), history
| tripos, bracketed senior, 1856; Miss Ramsay
(Girton), senior of the classical tripos, 1887,
and lately Miss Philippa Fawcett (Newn-
ham), who in 1890 held the anomalous po-
sition of being above the senior wrangler."
Each student has her own room or rooms
The college supplies these with all neces-
sary furniture; the decorations are left to
the taste and ingenuity of the student, and
in most cases they are made to look very
charming. If the student has only one
room, her bed is made in the daytime to
resemble an ordinary couch.-Eieanor
| Field in Century.