The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

Student Life at Aberdeen.
first week, and one shilling per day during the second week.
If still absent by the beginning of the third week, he
forfeited his bursary. It seems, however, to have been no
uncommon thing for the Magistrand (z>., fourth year
student) to set the authorities at defiance and risk the
prospects of his admission to the degree by turning up
about the middle of January and going home again at the
end of March. The vacation proper began in May, but
was frequently postponed until the end of June. On his
return to College, the student had to produce a certificate
of good conduct from the minister or Presbytery in whose
district he had spent his holidays.
As to the course of study itself, it may be described as
made up of the Greek and Latin classics, with Rhetoric,
Logic and Dialectics, Moral Philosophy or Ethics, Physics,
and Astronomy. Almost every one of these subjects was
dominated by the influence of Aristotle. 1 he teaching was
entrusted to so-called Regents, three or four in number,
each of whom conducted the studies of a class in all the
branches of the curriculum during the whole four years
from matriculation to graduation. Progress was tested by
viva voce examinations upon the notes, or comments on the
text-book dictated by the teacher. But the stress was laid
on disputations and declamations in various forms. Before
the Regent, " the classes were divided into companies, who
met apart and conferred and debated among themselves
daily. The students were occupied, altogether, six hours
a day. Then the higher classes were frequently pitched
against each other. This was a favourite occupation on
Saturdays. The doctrines espoused by the leading
students became their nicknames. The pass for graduation
consisted in the propiigning or nnpiLgning of questions by
each candidate in turn. An elaborate Thesis was drawn
up by the Regent, giving the heads of his philosophy
course ; this vvas accepted by the candidates, signed by
them, and printed at their own expense. Then, on the