King’s College undergraduate

It was around this date 50 years ago, in 1976, that I started my first term as an undergraduate at King's College, London. Studying mathematics, no less. A three year course, three terms per year, and 10 weeks per term. 90 weeks to get a BSc degree.

King's College entrance, 1979

It was certainly interesting, not only for learning advanced mathematics, but also for being at university away from home. The first two years I was lucky in that I stayed at the Halls of Residence for King's College in the south part of Camberwell on Champion Hill. I travelled back and forth to King's on the Strand using the number 68 double-decker bus. The first term of my third year was at a pretty crappy bedsit in Balham, and my final two terms at a much better bedsit in Herne Hill, which was again on the number 68 bus route.

At this stage though, it's hard to remember much about the courses I took. I do recall how I worked on them: for each lecture I'd jot down notes referring to what was being taught, what the lecturer put up on the blackboards (and some of them would rapidly write on each board -- usually three per lecture room -- before going back to the first and rubbing off all the chalk writing to continue), and then that afternoon, after getting back to my room at the Halls of Residence, I'd use those notes to write out more fully what was being taught. I'd then use those full write-ups to learn it all for the exams.

The MathSoc room

There was also a special society for math students: the Mathematical Society, a.k.a. MathSoc. This was an fun society in that we'd organize events (including a booze up at The Anchor on Bankside on the first week of term), and we had a separate society room on the Maths floor in the main building on the Strand. We'd also organize a grand trip to Windsor every year (staying at Cumberland Lodge at the south end of Windsor Great Park) where we'd invite lecturers to talk about recreational topics. I well remember one of them in my final year: Professor Singmaster brought along some Rubik's Cubes from Hungary (this was just before they went on sale worldwide) and I was hooked. I still have that original cube, although I now use a more modern one. After my first year I even became treasurer of MathSoc for year two, and I was president for my third year.

50 years later? Most of that maths I learnt I've completely forgotten. I did use some of it when I worked for traders in companies/banks in the City of London, which was a good selling point for me, but after that, not so much. I've kept in touch with one of my math friends from that time, and a couple that I knew from the Halls of Residence.

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