Cambridge vs Imperial - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: FluxMOSFET
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 14, 2017, 04:06:21 pm
content: Hi,I'm comparing Cambridge and Imperial as universities to study undergrad electronics engineering at. I'm not quite sure yet which area of electronics engineering I want to go into, but I'm sure I want to do electronics engineering in some form or another. Since neither offer a straight EE course, I'm comparing MEng Engineering(H100) at cam, and MEng Electronics and information engineering(GH56) as Imperial.Based on course content, which course do you think make make someone a better electronics engineer? Do you agree with the first 2 years being general engineering, or do you think those first 2 years are better spent on EIE content?A lot of people hear the name Cambridge, and think that it will give you better access to the Jobs market. I'm sceptical about this. How much does the Cambridge name really matter? If it does matter, how does it compare to Imperial?If anyone has been to either university, how was your experience? Would you recommend it?Thanks in advance

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2017, 04:30:11 pm
content: I haven't been to either, but at a guess I would say Cambridge will give you a broader and more fundamental, theoretical education, whereas Imperial may be more industry-centric and vocational.However, you get out of an education what you put into it and I am sure you would get a fine education at either place. Personally I would make the decision more on external factors, the broader picture of the institution and its facilities, how much will you enjoy studying there, living in that location, and so on. Really the precise details of a degree course will not make that much difference to your subsequent career as long as it is at a good institution. You will learn more than enough as long as you have the right level of enthusiasm and commitment.Always keep in mind that a degree is merely a springboard to lifelong learning. By no means will you ever learn everything you need to know in four years of undergraduate study. You will be lucky if you learn 10% of it.If it were me, I would think hard before passing up on Cambridge if I could get there. Maybe go to Imperial later for postgraduate study if that becomes of interest to you?

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2017, 05:52:27 pm
content: Both are good. Both will give you a good start in the jobs market.Don't forget that you can't go to "Cambridge University", you go to one of the colleges - and the colleges have different biasses and strengths.Be wary of specialising too soon - much knowledge and many techniques are common to all forms of engineering. Often it is the individuals that can relate deep understanding in one domain to something analogous in another domain - e.g. the causes and cures for resonance in mechanical structures and in electronic circuits.Be wary of concentratingtoomuch on practical aspects of whatever interests you. Why?Because you can usually pick up the practical knowledge and experience quickly and on your own and later in your career; it isfarmore difficult to do that with the theoretical knowledge.Because the theoretical knowledge will last a lifetime, whereas much practical knowledge has a half-life of a few years. I still, occasionally, refer to my university textbooks from 1975; I don't refer to datasheets from that time!Beware people that (in one disguised form or another) denigrate either the theoretical or the practical - becausebothare necessary. Such people typically haven't succeeded (for whatever reason) at the theoretical, and therefore believe it is unnecessary; such "chips on the shoulder" are destructive to everybody. (Typical example statement: "I came across a graduate that didn't know what a dry solder joint looks like; they are useless".)Get hold of a detailed syllabus for each course, and see if you think the topics are what you think will be useful in 10 years time. If you are capable of going to Cambridge, you ought to be capable of making a good stab at that!

author: SingedFingers
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2017, 06:36:46 pm
content: If it's any use, recent Cambridge grads who we've interviewed for entry into the financial services software sector seem to turn up with a sense of entitlement far beyond their immediate value. It's our job to give them vocational training after university and we know that but you don't go cruising into an interview with three engineering graduates with an additional 15-20 years' experience each in real world software engineering and start waving your wang around like a helicopter.Imperial, better attitude. University of West London, best attitude, value and direction. Times are changing.If I'm honest, now I would plan ten years ahead where you want to be and pick a university that will get you there by manifesto and course content, not a name. Think of all the roadkill on the way. I did EE and no less than 1 of the 15 people I still contact still do EE. Thanks China

author: mrpackethead
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2017, 07:06:51 pm
content: cambridge is such a nice place to live though. And theres some wonderful coffee shops, great town, you will have to own a push bike and learn to punt ( from the cambridge end of course ).. Its a fantastic place and you can even get an education there.REality is, the university will not make a good engineer if the person is not going to be a good engineer. Its almost irelevent which you go to.

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2017, 07:26:54 pm
content: Both places will give you the opportunity to learn sufficient to become a good engineer, but do you want to mess about in punts with girlies with posh accents or spend a few years living in one of the worlds greatest cities?There are plenty of decent unis in the UK, I chose Bangor so I could go rock climbing whenever I wasn't stoned. Chose one that suits you.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2017, 07:32:04 pm
content: Probably also a significant difference in what it costs to live within a sensible distance of either.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2017, 07:49:30 pm
content: Quote from: mrpackethead on January 14, 2017, 07:06:51 pmI like to think that Imperial is a nice place to be: I live right by the main campus ;-)Despite living there, I have only had dealings a couple of times directly with Imperial at an educational level in recent years, and I have the impression more and more that nowadays it's run both for and by accountants. Of course the big pull for Imperial is that you're in London, if that floats your boat. It will not be cheap to live nearby. It is however reasonably safe, if a bit overrun by tourists going to the museums next door.The big pull of Cambridge is that many people (including me) consider itthetop UK university. Again I've had little direct educational exposure to Cambridge other than working with some of the high altitude balloon guys who made the news a few years ago. These were clever guys, they wrote a GPS receiver from scratch to overcome the built in altitude/speed/acceleration limitations of off-the-shelf GPS devices. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1091896/Out-world-British-teddy-bears-strapped-helium-weather-balloon-reach-edge-space.html)Either university will look seriously good on your CV.

author: jc101
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2017, 08:17:07 pm
content: Depending on the areas you are interested in, there are some amazing tech companies in and around Cambridge you could try and network with when studying. Cambridge Uni is huge, you are offered a place by a College and the University does the teaching. Some Colleges are more tech oriented than others. It all gets complicated, I've do work for various bits of it and still don't understand exactly who does what!I'm biased as I live in Cambridge, but it would be worth trying to work out how much a degree in either would cost in total, that difference alone could make a difference in the longer term.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2017, 08:31:07 pm
content: But one is Cambridge...As an outsider I don't know anything about either University. OTOH, Cambridge is recognized world wide as one of the very best universities. Along the lines of MIT and Stanford. I suspect there are as many differences as similarities but, it's Cambridge!I have a couple of EE degrees (electronics) that I really got as a hobby; I like computers at the hardware level. They were fascinating back in the late '60s and '70s. I made a good living as an electrical (not electronics) engineer and project manager. I never worked a day in electronics. Well, maybe a few days for pay but that's about it. I started grad school in '75, right at the beginning of the microcomputer era. Heady days!Here's the thing: I don't see a future for electronics engineers in the US and if we don't need them, nobody else does either. Computer science, sure! Software engineering, absolutely! Electronics, not so much.So, if you are going to school because of a deep interest in the subject, great! Just don't expect a huge job market.Note the Employment Change number (-100) for 2014-2024. It's pretty grim. We have all we need and we only need to cover the retirements.https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineers.htmIf you want to make money, consider Software Developer:https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htmComputer Hardware Engineer (my major) has something of a future but not as good as Software Developer:https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/computer-hardware-engineers.htmAll of this applies to the US. I assume you have similar data available for the UK.I would go to Cambridge even if they would only let me sweep the floors! It's Cambridge!

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2017, 08:34:58 pm
content: Quote from: KJDS on January 14, 2017, 07:26:54 pmCan we get a show of hands on that? Maybe run a poll? I'm in for girls... I can go touristing anytime.

author: mrpackethead
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2017, 11:07:29 pm
content: Quote from: Howardlong on January 14, 2017, 07:49:30 pmCambridge ( and arguably Oxford ) would look better for Numskull HR departs that do CV Filtering.NB. Cambridge is far superior to Oxford, just because.

author: MK14
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2017, 11:23:17 pm
content: I say Cambridge.Because it is a treasured degree for potentially getting (potentially the best) jobs (of your choice), meeting the right/good people, and arguably a significantly nicer place to live than London.Disclaimer:I don't want to go into details. But there are significant reasons why I may be biased to say that.This link discusses it, and overall seems to go for Cambridge.https://www.quora.com/Is-Imperial-College-London-better-than-Cambridge-for-engineering

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 12:48:43 am
content: Quote from: MK14 on January 14, 2017, 11:23:17 pmAmusing that it says "Another great school is University of Southampton which has been rated the best in the UK in Electronics." Southampton had thefirstUK electronics degree.

author: MK14
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 01:37:34 am
content: Quote from: tggzzz on January 15, 2017, 12:48:43 am"Best" can mean different things to different people. E.g. Cheapest, biggest, quickest, easiest, quality of degree, etcAnyway, here is a source to back that up (the sourcecanbe disputed, of course):https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_of_Electronics_and_Computer_Science,_University_of_SouthamptonQuoteQuote

author: SingedFingers
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 11:01:39 am
content: Quote from: tggzzz on January 15, 2017, 12:48:43 amThat'll be the defence and heavy engineering influence down there.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 11:07:42 am
content: Quote from: mrpackethead on January 14, 2017, 11:07:29 pmThe evidence I've encountered of these bottom feeders strongly suggests you're probably right!I've always wondered what posesses people to go into HR in the first place, it's Millwall* of vocations.*https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_one_likes_us,_we_don't_care

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 11:26:42 am
content: Quote from: Howardlong on January 15, 2017, 11:07:42 amGood HR people are very valuable to an organisation and its employees.Too often people end up in HR because it is their least-bad option and they "like people". Both of those are poor reasons, of course.

author: SingedFingers
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 11:31:52 am
content: This is why we don't have an HR department

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 11:48:27 am
content: I went to Cambridge. (Disclaimer: I graduated about 20 years ago, some things may have changed!)Both universities are highly regarded. If you're just concerned about how they'll look on your CV, both will get you through the door to an interview, and the rest is up to you.The focus of your academic life in Cambridge would be the Engineering department itself, not your college. From that point of view, it really doesn't matter much which college you apply to, though do check where your choices are on a map, as some are more conveniently located than others.Cambridge is a fantastic place to live, work, and relax. Imperial is in London.I was initially very sceptical about the format of the course, which was 2 years' worth of general engineering (mechanical, electrical/electronic, civil engineering, thermodynamics) followed by a further two years EIST (Electrical and Information Sciences Tripos). I knew I wanted to do electronics, so sitting through lectures on materials science, fluid flow and structural mechanics was a painful trial. It also means I'm now much, much better equipped to designsystemsin which those things are important, along with the electronics. (I believe they now do offer Electrical and Electronic Engineering specifically, which would have been my choice had it been available at the time).Make no mistake, the Cambridge course is (or at least, was)intenselytheoretical. Ineveryarea, you'll spend the first half a lecture being introduced to a subject, and the rest of the course analysing it mathematically. I really hope you're fond of calculus.When you graduate, you'll still have to put up with idiots who say "I knew a graduate from <wherever> who couldn't even do <insert practical task that takes 5 minutes to learn here>", and you'll still have to work your way up the chain from the bottom. The real benefit of the degree is that you're climbing the right chain, not the short one that starts and ends on the workshop floor.

author: Jay_Diddy_B
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 12:30:22 pm
content: Hi,I was fortunate enough to graduate from Imperial College in the early 80's, so I can speak about my own experience.At the time 'thick sandwich' course were popular. I worked a whole year before attending the university and also worked during the summer vacations. The company I worked for gave me a scholarship of a 1000 pounds a year (probably 3-5k today). Most of the students were on similar schemes. The education that I got during these work terms has been very valuable.My degree is Electrical Engineering, which is very different than Electronics. The subjects were things like, 'Motors and Drives', 'Heavy Electrical' (Power Distribution), 'Machines', "Power Electronics' and 'Control Theory'. At the time it was not possible to study 'Electronics' at Imperial. Southampton was the place to go for Electronics.I had some very good lecturers, Eric Laithwaite (famous for making the linear induction motor practical and MagLev) taught me 'Machines'. Eric was a great lecturer.Barry Williams taught me 'Power Electronics' and Hugh Bolton taught me small machines. The others have faded awayAt the time we learned Motorola MC6800 and TMS9914 assembly languages. We were taught Fortran 77.I think the most important thing we were taught, was how solve problems that we hadn't seen before.It was a three year degree. The first year was in a hall of residence in Princes Gate. The second year I lived in Parsons Green in a terrace house. The third year was spent in Hamlet Gardens, Ravenscourt Park.Eight of shared the accommodation in Hamlet Gardens. The statistics are:2 Chemical Eng. One become a consultant oncologist, the other is practising chemical engineering.5 Mechanical Eng. - One joined an Accounting firm (immigrated to the Far East)One got his MBA from London Business School and is the MD of a large company in the middle east.One also got his MBA from the LBS and was engaged in merges and acquisitions in the city of London.One has been practising production engineering and managing assembly lines in the USA.The other one is working as a mechanical engineer in Germany (sound and vibration automobiles)I immigrated to Canada. I worked as design engineer and system architect, for 25 years, before switching to a technical sales role.This small sample is very typical.I haven't experienced any difficulty with Imperial not being recognized by HR departments. I will sometimes put a link to the University rankingsYou have to some research. You have to decide what you want to do when you graduate and what you want to be doing 5 years after that. You then want to talk to people in those positions.You also want to research the people who are going to teach you. The buildings have very little knowledge, you are going to learn from a few individuals. You need to know what they are interested in.There is one thing I can remember very clearly. In the first year I got average marks, and I went to meet my second year tutor, he said "If you keep going at the same pace, you will graduate and you can get a job. If you want to do a postgraduate degree you will have to do better. Do you want to talk about your marks or do you want to talk about what you did during your last work term?". That was my kind of professor.Regards,Jay_Diddy_B

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 01:55:21 pm
content: Quote from: Jay_Diddy_B on January 15, 2017, 12:30:22 pmI wonder what number? I lived at 72 Princes Gate for 12 years from 1999 to 2011, directly opposite the Science Museum. I am aware that in the early 80s the block (a big white stucco townhouse originally built about 1850) was student residences for a time before being turned into flats when I lived there.

author: Jay_Diddy_B
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 02:38:47 pm
content: Quote from: Howardlong on January 15, 2017, 01:55:21 pmSorry, small mistake, it should be Princes Gardens. Until recently 10,11 and 12 Princes Gardens was Garden Hall.Here is the map:And here is a photograph of the building. I stayed in the room marked in red. The room was very large, shared by three students. It could not be subdivided because it had a 'listed ceiling'.I think I paid between 9 and 11 pounds a week.Regards,Jay_Diddy_B

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 02:43:25 pm
content: Quote from: AndyC_772 on January 15, 2017, 11:48:27 amYes indeed.It is a mildly interesting question as towhypeople have that "I knew a graduate..." misapprehension.I've found a useful way of "explaining" their misapprehensions is the "both doctors and nurses are necessary, vive la difference" argument. If they persist, I note that when I need a needle inserted into a vein, a nurse is probably better at it than a doctor - but when I want an internal pain diagnosed and treatment chosen, I want a doctor to do it. Some continue to persist and/or cannot see the point, sigh.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 02:48:00 pm
content: Quote from: Jay_Diddy_B on January 15, 2017, 12:30:22 pmI never knew Laithwaite, other than from TV, but I still really like one of his tactics...In his exams he would givea question that everybody ought to be able to answer, and they would get a pass marka question that able students could answer, and get a firsta question that couldnotbe well answered in the available time. He expected hisengineersto be able to spotand avoidanswering that questionThat appears to challenge the "I'm entitled to X..." snowflakes. Good thing too.

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 03:07:21 pm
content: Quote from: mrpackethead on January 14, 2017, 11:07:29 pmThere's not a HR department in the country that would filter between any of the Russel group universities.

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 03:18:35 pm
content: Quote from: tggzzz on January 15, 2017, 02:43:25 pmAgreed. The example I tend to use is rebuilding an engine vs redesigning that engine to not need rebuilding so often in the first place, and to be 10% more powerful and 20% more efficient at the same time.

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 05:03:30 pm
content: Quote from: FluxMOSFET on January 14, 2017, 04:06:21 pmEither. Or possibly either if they made you an offer. These places are fiercely competitive so you're not going to find it easy obtaining a place. If you did get an offer at both then the choice would remain either, since either of these would be a good start.As has been mentioned by others there are lots of other great EE courses in the UK too.(I notice that this is FluxMOSFET's first post)

author: mrpackethead
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 05:20:24 pm
content: Quote from: AndyC_772 on January 15, 2017, 11:48:27 amIf that is the case, then you should seriously consider if you want to work for the said employer. If they think their university, is a ticket to having good staff, then chances are your teams will be filled with people you wont' want to work with as well as good ones.QuoteAnd those 'idiots' are probably right. Graduates lack real world practical experience, which is worth more than your flash degree. And saying its the 'right chain' just shows the arrogance that reinforces those perceptions. Those so called 'workshop floor' workers are the ones who will actually implement your projects. And my bit of advice to you is, that if they get it wrong, its because you failed. You failed to give them the right information to get it done right.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 06:27:11 pm
content: Quote from: mrpackethead on January 15, 2017, 05:20:24 pmFor one counter example, take AndyC_772's example of the engine, and research Stanley Hooker and the supercharger for the Merlin engine. You will see that if your belief was correct, WW2 would have been shorter and the outcome different.I've seen too many examples where people lacking relevant theoretical knowledge have wasted years of companies' time, and in one case sunk the company trying to do the impossible!

author: mrpackethead
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 06:39:22 pm
content: Quote from: tggzzz on January 15, 2017, 06:27:11 pmIn deed. What you need is a balance of experience, and knowldege. That makes you formiddable. And to be sucessful, you need to appreciate the 'shop floor'.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 06:53:46 pm
content: Quote from: mrpackethead on January 15, 2017, 06:39:22 pmJust so. Of course you are unlikely to find both attributes in a single person; that and personality differences, are the reason for team building theory (e.g. Belbin).That balance was missing from your statement that provoked my response.Good engineers and technicians - wherever educated and trained - appreciate and understand what each party brings to the game. And in my experience that is specifically true with Cambridge and Imperial graduates.

author: FluxMOSFET
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 07:26:44 pm
content: Thank you to everyone for your replies.Quote from: NivagSwerdna on January 15, 2017, 05:03:30 pmJust to add some background, I have already received offers from the 2 universities, and I'm trying to choose between the 2. Both offers require the same grades, so I will likely not be selecting either as my insurance (for those of you familiar with the UCAS process).I didn't like the general atmosphere of Cambridge when I went for the open day and the interview. I'd also hate to be living in an environment where I'm surrounded by historic architecture. The purpose of my original question is to ascertain whether Cambridge is better than Imperial, and if so, whether the difference is big enough to justify studying at Cambridge despite my feelings about it.Thanks once again

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 08:14:15 pm
content: Quote from: FluxMOSFET on January 15, 2017, 07:26:44 pmWhat was it about the atmosphere you didn't like? Was it "stuffy"? Cambridge does of course have a high percentage of public school entrants, and the "Hooray Henry" element may be greater than you would like. On the other hand I have met and worked with people who studied engineering at Cambridge and they enjoyed their time there.I worked in Cambridge for ten years and I found it a very attractive city. I regret not moving to live in Cambridge at the time. I still like to visit when I get the chance. Remember all those old buildings are full of living people, and it's the people who make a place what it is.Also the atmosphere might depend a bit on which college you choose?

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 08:43:50 pm
content: Quote from: FluxMOSFET on January 15, 2017, 07:26:44 pmCongratulations.QuoteI suspect there's not much of a "campus atmosphere" in central London. Do take the time to research what it is like from the non-course aspects; they are important too. I believe "The Student Room" has much information, but I suspect it will require you to quickly develop the skill of working outwhyX said Y, whether it is true and whether it is valid for you.QuoteYes it is. To repeat, no it isn't. Both statements are simultaneously trueQuoteProbably not, provided you are making a choice for "the right reasons". It is, of course, up to you to choose the right reasons. (I must admit to being a little concerned that the architecture isn't a sufficient reason.)FWIW, much to my headmaster's annoyance, I chose not to go to Cambridge, and chose Southampton instead. I'll never know whether that was the better decision, and I wouldn't presume that my reasons then apply to you now.I later worked in Cambridge and thoroughly enjoyed it, but eventually the lack of trees and contours became oppressive!Good luck with your choice and career.

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 09:16:00 pm
content: Quote from: FluxMOSFET on January 15, 2017, 07:26:44 pmI don't think you'll find anyone who is able to compare experiences of the two first hand to determine which is "better" in some sense. You can always ask about the course content in both cases, but ultimately the decision as to where you'd rather be for the next four years is one you'll have to make - and probably with incomplete information.I was always conscious that I was being taught by people who were very, very clever indeed... often, so much so that they didn't really appreciate the extent to which their own understanding of a subject exceeded mine. It often felt like the first few lectures' worth of material had been condensed into the first one, and by the last few, I was lost.(I wasn't alone by any means, but I was grateful that my final year project counted for half the course marks, and was relatively light on maths).

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 10:47:02 pm
content: Quote from: AndyC_772 on January 15, 2017, 09:16:00 pmI think that won't only happen at Cambridge. I had the same experience where I went. After cruising through A Levels, I suddenly felt like someone had turned on a fire hose and it was a real struggle to digest everything and keep up. Ironically, the modern A1/A2 system may leave students better prepared for this than the old system.

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 12:46:37 pm
content: Quote from: FluxMOSFET on January 15, 2017, 07:26:44 pmSounds like you would be happier at Imperial.

author: Jay_Diddy_B
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 01:36:14 pm
content: Hi,I think the obvious solution is a undergraduate program at Imperial and postgraduate degree in Cambridge, or vice versa?Regards,Jay_Diddy_B

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 01:41:37 pm
content: Quote from: NivagSwerdna on January 16, 2017, 12:46:37 pmThe main South Kensington campus is nestled bang in the middle of Albertopolis, a nod to Queen Victoria's hubby, an area that was first developed directly after the Great Exhibition of 1851. The campus is directly sandwiched between three major museums to the south (Natural History, V&A and Science Museums) and the Royal Albert Hall to the North, and is dominated by the Queen's Tower built at the end of the 19th C. Much of today's campus includes 1960s style buildings, with the main entrance having a new modern façade added only about five years or so ago, but the building itself is 1960s. In about 2008 the brutalist student residences in Princes Gardens were rebuilt into rather more pleasant (and I am sure more expensive) student lodgings. Predominantly though the buildings are from about the 1960s.