Every university has its own character, whether it intends to or not.

For example, Cambridge University is about the most intense educational experience you can have with your clothes on — when students aren’t busy working, they’re usually busy on the sports field, rowing on the river, producing plays or magazines, debating or politicking, praying in chapel or playing in bands, and so on. If all else fails, they can even seem busy just propping up the bar.

Of course, there are exceptions. Cambridge has students who wouldn’t lift a finger unless someone put a car-jack under it. But there’s a general tendency.

Conversely, Lampeter is so laid-back it’s almost horizontal. If hippies had set up a university, this would be it. They don’t necessarily do any less work than Cambridge types (well, maybe). It’s just the general pace at which they do it. Like tortoises and hares, perhaps.

Other universities come in all different styles. Think of an adjective and there’s probably a university you could apply it to: radical, staid, friendly, business-like, posh, down-to-earth, quiet, lively, arty, square, left-leaning, right-leaning, apolitical, wealthy, poor, multicultural, diverse, uniform, god-fearing, caring, local, sporty... you get the idea.

It’s rare that a single adjective will sum up a whole university very accurately and there will always be bits of the jigsaw that don’t quite fit. Nevertheless, it’s a good way to think about the general feel of a place.

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