OXBRIDGE

OXBRIDGE

Oxford and Cambridge are the two oldest and most prestigious universities in Britain. They are often called collectively Oxbridge to denote an elitarian education. Many Oxbridge students come from public schools, and Oxbridge graduates often go on to become influential and powerful in British society.

The tutorial system is one of the ways in which Oxford and Cambridge differ from all the other English universities. Every student has a tutor and as soon as you come to Oxford one of the first things you do is to go and see your tutor. He, more or less, plans your work, suggests the books you should read and sets work for you to do. Each week you go to him in his rooms, perhaps with two or three other students, and he discusses with you the work that you have done, criticises in detail your essay and sets you the next week's work.

Oxford and Cambridge universities consist of a number of colleges. Each college has its own character and individuality. The universities have over a hundred societies and clubs: dramatic societies, language clubs, philosophy societies, debating clubs, political clubs of all colours — in fact, clubs for almost every activity under the sun.

Both universities are independent.

HISTORY OF CAMPING

In the United States the modem idea of camping comes from the American Indians. Their food, clothing, and shelter came directly from nature. When the white man arrived in America, he found that he also had to use these methods in order to live in the wilderness. Gradually most of the earliest settlers built permanent homes, and camping was not necessary. Many of them, however, decided to move farther west. These pioneers remained campers. They lived under the open skies and gathered their own food. They learnt from the Indians many of the skills they used to survive in the open country. ^They hunted animals for food and for skins.

During the l9th century the United States gradually changed from an agricultural to an industrial nation. People began to leave the rural areas and move to the cities. More and more people found themselves crowded into cities, where there were few signs of nature. Many of them longed to get way and enjoy the out-of-doors.

With the invention of an automobile, people found they could leave the cities occasionaliy. Many of them flocked to the country for weekends and holidays. Special camp sites and parks were set aside. Today there are many such camps, and each year millions of people leave their houses to spend some time in the country;