Editing Bertie Wooster (section)

===Education===

Bertie Wooster's early education took place at the semi-fictional [[P. G. Wodehouse locations#Malvern House Preparatory School|Malvern House Preparatory School]], headed by Rev. [[Aubrey Upjohn]], whom he meets again in ''[[Jeeves in the Offing]]''. (Wodehouse himself attended a school by that name, in [[Kearsney, Kent]], but the Malvern House that appears in the stories is in the fictional town of Bramley-on-Sea.) At Malvern House, Bertie's friends called him "Daredevil Bertie", though Upjohn and others called him "Bungling Wooster".<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1938], ''The Code of the Woosters'', chapter 5, p. 114. Gussie Fink-Nottle says that Bertie was called "Daredevil Bertie" as a boy at school, and Bertie confirms this.</ref><ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1960], ''Jeeves in the Offing'', chapter 4, p. 41. Aubrey Upjohn says, "'Bungling Wooster we used to call him'".</ref>

One detail of Bertie's Malvern House life that comes into several stories is his winning of the prize for scripture knowledge. Bertie speaks with pride of this achievement on several occasions, but in ''[[Right Ho, Jeeves]]'', his friend [[Gussie Fink-Nottle]], while intoxicated, publicly accuses Bertie of having won the award by cheating. Bertie stoutly denies this charge, however, and on the same occasion, Gussie makes other completely groundless accusations against other characters. Despite his pride over his accomplishment, Bertie does not remember precisely what the prize was, simply stating that it was "a handsomely bound copy of a devotional work whose name has escaped me".<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1974], ''Aunts Aren't Gentlemen'', chapter 7, p. 65.</ref>

Bertie once won a prize at private school for the best collection of wildflowers made during the summer holidays.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1923], ''The Inimitable Jeeves'', chapter 2, pp. 24–25.</ref> When Bertie was fourteen, he won the Choir Boys' Handicap bicycle race at a local school [[fair|treat]], having received half a lap start.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1934], ''Right Ho, Jeeves'', chapter 22, p. 270.</ref>

After Malvern House, Bertie was further educated at the non-fictional [[Eton College|Eton]] and at [[Magdalen College, Oxford]]. At Oxford he was a [[Rackets (sport)|Rackets]] [[Blue (university sport)|Blue]].<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1949], ''The Mating Season'', chapter 17, p. 172.</ref>

Bertie is a member of the [[Drones Club]], and most of his friends and fellow Drones members depicted in the stories attended one or both of these institutions with him. It was at Oxford that he first began celebrating the night of the annual [[Boat Race]] between Oxford and [[Cambridge University|Cambridge]]. Though ordinarily he drinks in moderation, Bertie says he is "rather apt to let myself go a bit" on Boat Race night, typically drinking more than usual and making mischief with his old school friends.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1925], ''Carry On, Jeeves'', chapter 7, pp. 169–172.</ref> Specifically, Bertie and others tend to celebrate the occasion by stealing a policeman's helmet, though they often get arrested as a result. London magistrates are aware of this tradition and tend to be lenient towards Bertie when he appears in court the morning after the Boat Race, generally only imposing a fine of five pounds; while this would have constituted a significant amount of money for many people at the time, Bertie has no trouble paying it.