Then and Now
Many things about university life have changed over the years. Universities are no longer restricted to male clerics. Women now pursue all fields of study. No longer are law, medicine, and theology the only professional degrees available. Universities also have changed in appearance. By the 1200's, larger student buildings with their own classrooms and libraries had became part of the university. Such student buildings were the ancestors of the dormitories now found in most universities. Many modern universities have huge lecture halls, arenas, stadiums, cafeterias, libraries, and offices for professors-none of which were part of the medieval university. However, some aspects of student life have not changed much over the centuries. Students still often need money, are sometimes known for rowdiness, and still sell used textbooks to one another. The black copes and cassocks worn by early scholars were the ancestors of today's graduation robes. The "special hats" worn by masters became the mortarboard.