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Cambridge Natural Sciences (NatSci) Students and Applicants

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MaryMoo

Are there any lectures/practicals/supervisions over the weekend?

Hell yes. You get used to it. I'm not sure about practicals in the 4th year for Chemistry and stuff since most of it is done off you rown back from what I can gather, but you won't have them on weekends for the rest of your time here. Supervisions are likely, and Saturday lectures are almost a certainty unless you pick your subjects very carefully in the second year. I have none this year on a Saturday for the first time ever!

Reply 41

*Joanna*

Ahah, that's what I was looking for http://www.cam.ac.uk/cambuniv/natscitripos/structure/first.html

Reply 42

MaryMoo

Thanks *Joanna* :biggrin:

Was hoping you'd say no - makes my hopes for a LDR now seem more unrealistic :redface:

Reply 43

*Joanna*

It can be done. My friend was going out with her boyfriend before she came here; we're half way through our third year and they're still together and he's all the way in Northern Ireland. Another friend was in a LDR for a year. Both NatScis. Yeah, it'll be hard, but it is possible.

Reply 44

Excalibur

Yeah, I was just looking at the timetable thing earlier and noticed the abundance of Saturday lectures :redface:

I'm used to school on Saturdays though anyway (I've been going to Saturday mornings Japanese school) so it shouldn't be too bad...

Do most of the lectures/prac etc take place in the Downing Site or the New Museums Site? If you don't do a physical science, do you ever go up to the Cavendish at all?

Reply 45

*Joanna*

Um...Physics practicals are in the Cavendish I think. Cells and Evo is in New Museums. Geology, Physil and Materials in Downing. Chem in the Chem Dept. I think that's it. If that's unreadable apologies cos I don't have my glasses on! Physics lectures aren't in the Cavendish though.

Reply 46

purple-girl

Hello

.

Well, personally, I'm in yr 12 at the moment, and unless something happens to drastically change my mind, I will almost certainly be applying for NatSci (biological) next year. If my interests stay the same over the next 2 years, I'm thinking of taking Biology of Cells, Chemistry and one of the other Biology options. Yes, I know it's early to be deciding what options I want to do, but hey =).

Anyway, firstly, I've seen a notice at school about this NatSci conference day thing, which is in a few weeks, on a Saturday, which I'm considering going to. It's the careersmcs thing, if that makes sense to anyone, and I was wondering if anyone here went last year? If you did, did you find it helpful, or didn't it help at all, when applying for university?

Secondly, does anyone have any tips that could help me (and any other prospective NatSci's that read this, I expect) in my application, to make it stronger. The grades I'm not too bothered about...hopefully I'll get my 3 As in Biology, Chemistry and Maths (whether they'll be high As or Low As is another matter...). I've heard about the Nuffield Bursary things, which sound good, so I'll probably go for one of those if possible, but I don't really have much else that would make my application that strong =).

And I know how many lectures you have each week, having looked at the website many times, but how many practicals and other things do you generally have, and how long are they, for the options I'm thinking about (Chemistry and the biological options). Also, any information about the courses in general would be appreciated, like what sorts of things are covered in the courses etc.

Thanks :smile:

Reply 47

*Joanna*

Right, for Part IA:

Cells, once a week 11-5 (though you often get out earlier)
Physiol, once a fortnight in Michaelmas, then once a week in Lent (alternates animals and plants) 12-1 debrief and 2-5 practical
Evolution, once a week I think but don't quote me on that
Chem, once a fortnight 11-5
Oh and for QB there is a weekly computer practical that is 2 hours long if I remember rightly. There are sporadic ones for EMB.

I think I have that all right, it seems a rather long time ago!

Reply 48

Kyle_S-C

Robob

In my college, that ratio is more like 10-2!

I think the main reason is that before uni, people didn't realise quite how much maths is involved in physics, and in my experience, natscis hate maths!

I reckon it's more 9-3; Heardy and I are kinda half physicists...

It is scary how many natscis don't like maths really, then again, I guess all the people who like maths are off doing economics and maths to make money.

Reply 49

Supergrunch

*Joanna*

Evolution is once a fortnight, 12-5, but you have to do an assessed write-up outside of the practical. (takes an hour or two) The weekly computer practical for QB is 1 hour and 15 minutes long, but they don't give you much work to do, so you usually get out early. However, 2 of the sessions every term are assessed. And don't forget the additional computing lectures for maths B. :wink:

Reply 50

Robob

Kyle_S-C

Nah, you guys dont count. Sell outs.

Or are doing natsci, slowly realising that they (a) don't like maths, and (b) are doing the wrong course to go into the city.

:p:

Reply 51

Robob

Excalibur

Yeah, I was just looking at the timetable thing earlier and noticed the abundance of Saturday lectures :redface:

Nah you're sorted, they're all in the New Museums Site/Downing Site or in the Chemistry department, which is on the opposite side of Downing on Lensfield road. Although I think having lectures so close makes them easier to skip :p:

Reply 52

Supermerp

Excalibur

If you don't do a physical science, do you ever go up to the Cavendish at all?

Even if you're a physicist, in the 1st and 2nd years you only regularly go to the Cavendish for practicals and, if your supervisors want them there, supervisions.

But then from the 3rd year onwards you never leave :frown:

Reply 53

*Joanna*

Supermerp

But then from the 3rd year onwards you never leave :frown:

Same with Chemistry. I hardly see some of my friends now because they seem to spend 8 hours a day in the Chemistry department. At the end of term, they arrived there when it was almost still dark, and left in the dark. This is when I appreciate my dissertation.

Reply 54

steelmole

You all make maths sound so evil!

Robob

Nah, you guys dont count. Sell outs.

Or are doing natsci, slowly realising that they (a) don't like maths, and (b) are doing the wrong course to go into the city.

:p:

I can't get a high paying job with a natural sciences degree? Bugger.

Reply 55

Excalibur

purple-girl

Hello

I'm not quite there yet so I may not be qualified to comment, but hey. :p:

In terms of extra curriculars, the Nuffield Bursary seems really good - I didn't do it (I didn't know about it until the deadline was past), but I know people who had done it and enjoyed it. I personally didn't have that much extra stuff - I had gone to a Biology summer school (which was great) and also done a week's worth of work experience (aka standing around being annoying) in a research lab (which my interviewer seemed quite interested in at the interview). I didn't have time to organise much else because until about September this year I had been considering medicine and had been doing so much work exp/voluntary work for that (now I can't imagine myself doing medicine at all....!). My friend who also got in for NatSci did nothing at all apart from one day looking around a path lab. If it's a way for you to show enthusiasm for science then by all means go for it; but if you can still show your enthusiasm through other means then work experience isn't essential - you can achieve exactly the same thing by reading a few popular science books.

Robob

Meh, perhaps I should've applied to Girton or something so that I would actually get some exercise :p:

*Joanna*

Supermerp

Thanks for the info! :smile:

Reply 56

Spire

faik_kheft

In any case, don't worry about essay writing, lots of natscis arrive having not written an essay for 2 years or so, they all do fine :smile:

Thought I'd never have to do a damn essay again :mad:

Reply 57

Excalibur

Hm, someone negged me for this thread. :s-smilie:

I don't think I'll mind writing essays too much, but it is going to be a bit rusty.

Reply 58

*Joanna*

You're joking?! What an arse.

I've just discovered I have two Saturday 9 o'clocks this term for one of my papers. Not impressed. I bet they coincide with Bop weeks too. Poo.