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Which Cambridge course suits me

:smile:
(edited 7 years ago)
Do whatever you want to do. Those subjects would probably allow you to do a wide range of subjects so you have a good amount of options. Unless you actually like the subject you apply for you will probably struggle at interview which is the most important thing. They'll want to see how much you know about your subject at a wide level and it is way too late to cram about a subject you don't really care about now considering interviews are in just over 2 months.
Don't pick a uni and then the course - pick a course and then the unis.

The course content / structure etc is very important for keeping you motivated at university, and requires a lot of research to know what you're getting into. Don't pick courses by name only - look at the content and decide whether it's actually interesting.

So honestly find the most interesting subject to you / the one you think you'll do best at, and unless you know you have 0 chance of making it onto that course for whatever reason... apply.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Don Joiner
A2 Predictions: A*A*A* + A in AS Further MathsGCSE: 10A*AS: AAA (economics is linear)Maths: 95, Geography: 91, French: 99For courses that require the TSA I'm not very strong, I average about 61-2 on the TSA scoreAny thoughts?Posted from TSR Mobile


Welcome back. :wink:
Please read my reply below.

Original post by Sparticus515
Do whatever you want to do. Those subjects would probably allow you to do a wide range of subjects so you have a good amount of options. Unless you actually like the subject you apply for you will probably struggle at interview which is the most important thing. They'll want to see how much you know about your subject at a wide level and it is way too late to cram about a subject you don't really care about now considering interviews are in just over 2 months.


They don't do interview to check how much you know about the subject but to see how you 'think' especially when you're confronted with something which is unfamiliar. Because that way they ca see if you're suitable to their unique style of teaching = supervision.

So naturally, unless you've genuinely passionate about the subject you're applying for and have spent decent amount of time and effort to explore the subject sufficiently, things won't go very well at interview........which nicely came to the same conclusion as yours. :wink:
I would definitely support what has been said before. You need to be passionate about a course to excel in a degree, and that is true for all universities and not just Oxbridge. Due to the intensitiy of an Oxbridge degree, I think the passion is even more important, because you will need that passion to get you through some tough days and nights.

I'll use a personal example -

My older brother did a degree in Philosophy at the University of Leeds. He loved Philosophy at A-Level so naturally he went on to study it at University. However, after his first year he began to loathe Philosophy. His university application was mix-matched to say the least; he was disorganised, he didn't check the modules before applying, and he didn't go to any open days or seek out further information before he started his degree. As he hated his course, the good grades he was getting during his first year quickly fell. If he had loved his course, he would have found the motivation to overcome the more challenging aspects of an undergraduate degree. Although he loved the subject at A-Level, he soon grew to hate it.

This fostering of hatred for a degree isn't common, but it isn't unusual. It's a bad idea to pick a uni and then pick a course. Even if you are good at a subject at A-Level, you will need more than brains to excel, and it is here that a careful consideration of what you will enjoy most takes primacy.
I don't think it would be wise to apply to Cambridge for this cycle if you still haven't decided on a course...
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by vincrows
Welcome back. :wink:
Please read my reply below.



They don't do interview to check how much you know about the subject but to see how you 'think' especially when you're confronted with something which is unfamiliar. Because that way they ca see if you're suitable to their unique style of teaching = supervision.

So naturally, unless you've genuinely passionate about the subject you're applying for and have spent decent amount of time and effort to explore the subject sufficiently, things won't go very well at interview........which nicely came to the same conclusion as yours. :wink:


I think you've expressed my point slightly nicer, that's what I meant (honest :tongue:). What I meant was that you kinda need to know a decent amount to be able to get through the questions quick enough in the interview, it can be hard to impress someone, especially some of the fellows, in 45 minutes.
But you sent off your UCAS application off 4 days ago with one of your choices being Economics at UCL? Surely you have an idea of what course you want to do? Or is this thread just a bragging thread?

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4332168
Original post by Sparticus515
I think you've expressed my point slightly nicer, that's what I meant (honest :tongue:). What I meant was that you kinda need to know a decent amount to be able to get through the questions quick enough in the interview, it can be hard to impress someone, especially some of the fellows, in 45 minutes.


No need to. Cambridge interview is not like Mastermind. :wink:
Original post by DarkEnergy
But you sent off your UCAS application off 4 days ago with one of your choices being Economics at UCL? Surely you have an idea of what course you want to do? Or is this thread just a bragging thread?

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4332168


Maybe he's doing two? :ahee:
Original post by vincrows
No need to. Cambridge interview is not like Mastermind. :wink:


Mine actually kinda was, although that was probably more to do with the fact my interviewer admitted he just wanted to go home! When I went in they told me they'd like me to get through 3 questions and I managed to get through 5, I think that's the kind of thing which helps to impress because you need to do whatever you can to stand out.
Original post by Sparticus515
Mine actually kinda was, although that was probably more to do with the fact my interviewer admitted he just wanted to go home! When I went in they told me they'd like me to get through 3 questions and I managed to get through 5, I think that's the kind of thing which helps to impress because you need to do whatever you can to stand out.


lol was he a DoS/fellow or a PhD helping the interview?
Were those questions on maths? Maths-related interview does have that sort of element because they want to see your brain can deal with it with a certain speed. :wink: But most other interviews are not like that.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by vincrows
lol was he a DoS/fellow or a PhD helping the interview?
Were those questions on maths? Maths-related interview does have that sort of element because they want to see your brain can deal with it with a certain speed. :wink: But most other interviews are not like that.


He was a retired professor who had came in to help because my DoS wasn't available and I don't think he was particularly happy that he was running 30 minutes late! Yeah my interview was for Computer Science so that's probably why I found the speed important. Either way I think the original point still stands, apply for the subject first then Cambridge second, i.e. don't apply to Cambridge (or any other university for that matter) just because you want to go to Cambridge and you don't care about the subject.

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