Chapter5

Brando's statement that he was going to Cambridge to study was not empty words, and he had already made some preliminary preparations.

The first step was to completely clear her knowledge of Cambridge University in the future, which would not help anything.

The universities of Oxford and Cambridge in 1829 were not at all what they were in later generations.

It is not about the school building, nor the college system that has been maintained, but about the core teaching philosophy and curriculum content of the university.

For more than 600 years since the 13th century, there were only two universities in England, the Ox and the Sword.

Classical humanism has been at the heart of both schools for a long time, with religious theology, Latin, classical philosophy and literature as the core curriculum.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Oxbridge introduced some natural sciences, such as mathematics, astronomy, and plant mineralogy, but they could not shake the dominance of classical subjects.

The well-known unspoken rule is that a class that doesn't take an exam can be considered a main subject, and that is hobbies.

At Cambridge University, the only way to get an honours degree is to take classics and mathematics. Other natural sciences are not included in the assessment at all.

Times have changed.

In the 19th century, Britain developed rapidly in industrialization, and the demand for natural science research and knowledge application soared.

The two schools of Oxbridge still focus on cultivating people's perfect minds and pay attention to teaching students to become gentlemen.

This sentence sounds abstract, but it is much more intuitive to observe the whereabouts of graduates, and you can immediately understand the mainstream idea advocated by the school - inseparable from religion.

Two-thirds of Oxford graduates, and one-half of Cambridge graduates, went on to work in the church.

This is a far cry from the talent that the UK needs most right now.

At this time, the scale of industry and commerce expanded rapidly. There is a huge need for scientists, technologists, financiers, business managers, lawyers, doctors, and so on.

When Brando collected the admissions, courses, graduation assessments and other relevant materials of the two schools, it was as if he had witnessed the ancient ghosts of the Middle Ages lingering over Oxbridge for a long time.

In contrast, last year, in 1828, the University of London was established, breaking the pattern of Oxbridge's dominance of England for more than 600 years.

The University of London was the first of its kind to allow candidates to enter without having to pass a religious exam, and no longer set restrictions on students' beliefs.

The curriculum is contrary to the classical discipline of Oxbridge, which excludes religious teaching and then focuses on practical natural sciences.

This is a great challenge to the traditional thinking of university education in England.

The University of London was founded without the power to award degrees to students. Even if the justices applied for the charter several times, they were opposed by Oxbridge to the Privy Council.

This shows the fierceness of the confrontation between the old and new forces.

On the one hand, the conservatives have made concessions on the right to vote for parliament, and on the other hand, the influence of the old school in the academic field of universities is still difficult to shake.

Reform is not easy.

Brando refers to the process of university reform in the nineteenth century in Britain as he knew it in his previous life, and Oxbridge still has a long way to go before it can transform from a classical school into a modern university.

Until the middle of the 19th century, more than 20 years of self-reform within the two schools failed. Eventually, outside forces stepped in strongly, and the arrival of the Royal Commission of Inquiry led to a seismic change in both universities.

In this era of great chaos, she did not choose the University of London, which she admired, but planned to go to Cambridge University.

Mr. Bennet's casual mention of the school's proximity to home is a negligible reason.

The real reason is that I have experienced modern university education in my previous life, and I want to experience the classical university life in this life.

What will the atmosphere of college life be like?

Is it the old ways? Is it an undercurrent? Is it a clash between old and new?

In either case, it's a lot of fun to think about, whether you're fishing in troubled waters, or the bigger the wind and waves, the more expensive the fish is.

So, an interesting scene appeared on her desk.

On the left is a collection of educational utilitarians such as Bentham and Mill on opposing the church's control of education and calling for practical teaching.

On the right are heavy books of Latin theology stacked on top of each other.

If you want to get into Cambridge, you need to find out its admission criteria.

The most step-by-step way is to enter a public school in England at school age. After graduating from public school, some students can be admitted to Oxbridge.

Obviously, Brando can't go the regular route.

During the two years that I came here, I was not suitable to study in a public school, so I could only rely on self-directed learning. Aiming for entry into Cambridge requires targeted preparation.

According to the survey, although both schools are dominated by classical subjects, there are also differences in tendencies.

Oxford leaned towards classical literature, Aristotelian philosophy, and the stale medieval logic.

Cambridge gave importance to mathematics, but it was to the outdated mathematical theories of more than a hundred years ago, and the other natural sciences were not even included in the examination curriculum.

In addition, the college system makes it impossible for Oxbridge to have a unified entrance exam. Each college has different criteria for which students to admit.

Brando has circled several colleges for exam preparation.

King's College, for example, at the University of Cambridge, was initially excluded from her list of options because it had a cut-off threshold for non-Eton College graduates.

There is a layer of separation between telling others what you know about the current situation through paper materials.

It is necessary to observe the field and even if the interior of the college is not open to outsiders, it is necessary to go to Cambridge Town to experience it up close.

For centuries, the town of Cambridge has hosted the Stuart Bridge Annual Market every September and autumn solstice.

It was so large that it was once the best free market of its kind in the UK, and it attracted vendors from the European continent.

They sell everything from ingredients, cloth, wine, horses, and so on. Later, it became more and more lively, attracting all kinds of performance groups to perform here.

Rumor has it that Newton bought his prism at Stull Bridge.

In John Bunyan's "Heaven/Road/Calendar/Journey", the prototype of Vanity Fair is the annual market of Cambridge Town.

Some of Cambridge's students and teachers will be involved in the annual market, whether it is to sell candles or books and other goods.

Brando had never seen Stull Bridge in his previous life.

It fell in the wave of industrialization, and in 1934 it was completely outlawed, leaving the name "Garlic Street" as a trace of its former existence. ①

Knowing that the world has the same Cambridge market, she decided to wait and see it later.

During the New Year's market, it is not difficult to get in touch with the Cambridge teachers and students who come out to set up stalls, so as to understand some of the inside story of the college.

It is not enough to have a thorough plan for your studies, but more importantly, to be able to act on a daily basis.

Compared to the end of the dinner tonight, she did not rest immediately.

After taking a bath, he took out Newton's original Principia Mathematica of Natural Philosophy, written in Latin, and read it aloud.

Latin is rarely used in everyday life in the UK, but Cambridge requires frequent use of Latin, so you have to practice it well.

Recite it in a timely manner, so as to achieve the realm of mastery. After an hour of reading, the clock moved towards 22:45 and the book was put back on the shelf.

Before going to bed, Brando glanced at the newspapers such as La Culture, Prussian Square, and other newspapers on the shelves.

These are all newspapers with a large circulation and have professional advertising pages. She wrote a job advertisement herself, which was published in several issues of the newspaper. Deliberately threw himself at France across the English Channel, and Prussia, which was far away.

Looking for a tutor who is fluent in Latin, but also proficient in French or German.

There is no restriction on gender, age, or educational background, and it is especially required to have a good pronunciation, literary background, and must have a good understanding of theology.

Brando, who had studied basic Latin with Hume, was now looking for a professional one-on-one sparring partner.

The reason why I went to France and Prussia instead of England was simple: I wanted to master the various dialects of my native Chinese language through the new tutor, and also to understand the local social customs.

Who said that it is impossible for a tutor to hide the dragon and crouch the tiger.

In my last life, I read biographies and mentioned that Einstein took the initiative to publish in the newspaper for his livelihood and recommended himself to become a tutor. His tutoring work was not smooth enough, and he was unable to retain students, and he went to publish the special theory of relativity within a few years.

Now, Brando didn't have a delusional hope of finding a similar giant, he simply hoped to recruit a sparring partner he wanted.

The job is for one year, including food and lodging, and the annual salary is three hundred pounds.

With a salary three times higher than the market price, it should attract high-level talent.

Her job may not only be a sparring partner for her, but also for the Bennet sisters to learn from if they need it.

The advertisement was published for a month and a half, and 12 people were interviewed, but the results were not very satisfactory. Hopefully, the next candidate will impress her.

*

*

Sun, sand, and waves, Scarborough is a comfortable place to live.

Had it not been for Hume's decaying body at a rate visible to the naked eye, Mr. Bennet felt that this was the most reassuring week he had had in sixteen years.

In the past, the illness of his fourth daughter was the deepest concern in his heart.

Two years ago, when Brando recovered from her illness, she was worried about whether she would be taught well.

The meeting was a complete reassurance to Mr. Bennet.

Although it was always himself who was hurt during the conversation, it was determined that Brando could be on his own, and the boulder that he had been hanging over for sixteen years finally landed.

During this time, Hume's lawyer came and read out Hume's appointment of Brando's inheritance of part of the estate.

Mr. Bennet was also asked to sign the legal papers, promising that as a father, he would not supervise the money and let Brando make his own arrangements.

Without hesitation, I signed it directly. Later, I heard Brando mention that the family would not have to give her living expenses in the future, and she would also solve the expenses of college by herself.

Mrs. Bennet realized that college was tuition-free. She didn't ask Brando in person, but asked her husband privately.

"How much does it cost to study at Cambridge every year? You didn't go to college when you were young, did you not like it, or could you not afford it? ”

Mr. Bennet took a deep breath, how could this matter not be overcome.

I just wanted to use the usual silence to avoid the problem, but I found that my wife's face was obviously entangled, which was an expression of distress for money.

"What are you thinking about again?"

"Didn't you hear what Brando said, that the cost of university doesn't cost you a pound at home, and what money are you worried about?" Don't you want her to go to school? ”

Mrs. Bennet immediately shook her head, "No! Don't talk nonsense! How could I be so short-sighted. God testifies that I am very supportive of Brando's college education, which is good for the whole family. One of her classmates might become your son-in-law. ”

If it is expensive to go to Cambridge to study, it proves that the students who enter it are either rich or expensive or have small assets, what a good place to marry.

Mrs. Bennet's mind was spinning very fast in this regard, and she was just subconsciously a little worried about money.

The annual household income of £2,000 is a lot less, but not much.

The daily expenses of the whole family are indispensable. Besides, Jane is 21 years old this year, and Elizabeth is 19 years old, and they are getting closer and closer to the age suitable for marriage, but their dowry has just been saved up to a thousand pounds.

"I'm just worried that the cost of college is too high. Brando says she doesn't need support from her family, but when she's so poor that she nibbles on one black bread a day, can we really not give it? ”

Mrs. Bennet wondered how much Brando's royalties were and whether she could afford to study for four years.

As she spoke, Mrs. Bennet glared angrily at her husband.

"Blame you, it's that you didn't make it clear why you didn't go to college, and you didn't explain how the university charges."

Mr. Bennet could no longer escape the question, "Ma'am, you are right, that I have underestimated your imagination and created a bunch of absurd speculations about the institutions by which it can be exploited. ”

In order to avoid family conflicts, he rarely explained the causes and consequences clearly.

"As far as I know, the cost of going to Oxbridge has not risen significantly in the past 20 years, averaging two or three hundred pounds a year. Workers in London can't afford the tuition, but it's not a problem for our family.

Back then, I didn't go to college for a simple reason – the end result of studying or not going to university made no difference to me. ”

The Bennet family can afford to pay for tuition, but it costs about one-eighth of the family's annual income each year.

Mr. Bennet once seriously thought that if you choose to go to college, you should always pay off.

He doesn't pursue academic attainments, doesn't want to be curious about the collection of books in the college library, doesn't seek a decent job as an Oxbridge graduate, and has no interest in going to school to make friends, so why should he go to the trouble of applying to university to study?

Both schools in Oxbridge are dormitory-based, and students are not allowed to leave the school at will on a daily basis, and each college has different rules that students need to follow.

Knowing that the university doesn't have what he wants, as long as his brain is not broken, he won't spend money to take the initiative to seek control.

Mr. Bennet rarely crumpled his thoughts and told them to his wife. "Ma'am, what else do you have to worry about?"

Mrs. Bennet breathed a sigh of relief, "That's fine." The cost of schooling for a year was only two or three hundred pounds, and Brando should be able to afford it. ”

Mr. Bennet watched his wife turn the page at last, and did not say that there are always exceptions to everything, and who knows if Brando will have any extra costs?

This kind of question does not need to be verified, and he has confidence in Brando. If you're free, you might as well go for a walk on the beach. As soon as the door opened, a strange young man was greeted by him, and he was about to knock on the door.

Mr. Bennet: "Good afternoon, is there anything you can do?" ”

Julien: "Good afternoon, I'm Julien Sorel, and I'm applying for a job as a tutor at the Bennet family. The letter made an appointment for an interview within the week. ”

Mr. Bennet was stunned, he didn't find a second tutor, it should be a separate job posting by Brando.

Not to mention that the test taker speaks with a French accent and sounds a little awkward, but it is said that this face is handsome and fair-skinned, which is too easy to win the favor of young women.

- Looks too unsafe, is it really suitable to be a tutor?

Mr. Bennet suspected that he had been influenced by his wife, and a question popped into his head.

It is definitely not cheap to invite such a little white face to be a tutor, and the other party's expected salary is so high!

Isn't it okay to say that the extra cost of Brando is coming?