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What do you want to know about Cambridge?

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Reply 580
Original post by Aylish
What grades do you need to get in would 5 a levels grade A get you in?
Please reply thanks

Geography (academic)
History (academic)
Level three travel and tourism (3 vocational a levels)

For geography degree sorry if I'm trolling I'm not just editing my own post


well if you insist you're not a :troll: ...

see the cambridge website- standard offer is A*AA from 3 A levels but this can be higher (particularly likely if you're doing anything vaguely science-related). travel and tourism A level is a 'blacklisted' subject according to trinity's site, i.e. only acceptable as a 4th A level but i don't know if any colleges would make an exception for your alternative vocational qualification.

to be quite honest, unless you didn't have the option of taking a third, suitably academic, A level at your school (or you're from a background which would merit application through the CSAS), i'd say you don't really have much of a chance. sorry :redface:
Reply 581
Original post by Larry31
Are there any amazing facts about Downing to be uncovered? I am surprised by the lack of mention it has on these forums... :P


http://cambridgetab.co.uk/news/downing-it

i think nick griffin went there too :ahee:
Original post by simonoafc
Can anyone put a reasonable estimate on the average number of hours a law student might put in per day?

I understand that I would typically be attending 2 lectures a day, with 2 supervisions a week. I also know that there are clearly very heavy amounts of reading etc involved with a law degree. Anyone estimate an average of what I'd probably be doing each day?


For first year? I'd say 6-7 a day. You should be aiming for (around a) 40 hour week in first year. It increases in second and third year because your workload heavily increases but first year, that should be enough. It obviously depends on how you work as well (for example, I handwrite everything which takes longer so I'd take longer than most students)

(Whatever you do, DON'T spend the first term doing nothing. I know a guy who did that. He spent the rest of the year trying to catch up with us and didn't manage it.)

Original post by simonoafc
Also, for law, do your exams at the end of every year count toward your overall degree classification?


Each year technically counts but we cite 3rd year as our degree grade.

However, if you want to work in law, EVERY YEAR COUNTS IN PRACTICE! This is because law firms and chambers will want to know all your module results and will prefer at least a 2.1 in all of the core subjects. So don't mess around for the first 2 years thinking the 3rd will save you. It won't.
Reply 583
Original post by Kobie
http://cambridgetab.co.uk/news/downing-it

i think nick griffin went there too :ahee:



I've been somewhat put off on apply there now xD
Original post by Larry31
I've been somewhat put off on apply there now xD


I wouldn't be, it's a great college, with some really good alumni (John Cleese, and Quentin Blake has dinner with the arts society every year). Oh, and our chaplain gives us free doughnuts every Thursday :love:
Reply 585
How many hours a day does an economist usually spend studying? (genuine question, not the first line of a bad joke)
Original post by fdot5
How many hours a day does an economist usually spend studying? (genuine question, not the first line of a bad joke)

Depends on the economist, doesn't it? (There, I finished your bad joke for you.)

Probably about 40 hours a week, including lectures and stuff.
Original post by TimmonaPortella
We have to pay for printing. It's something silly like 5p per sheet.

Just buy a £20 printer and save yourself the bother.

No no no! I bought an entry-level (£120 or so) laser printer in sixth form. Five or six years later it's still going, having printed thousands of pages, and is only quite recently on its second cartridge. Additionally, a toner cartridge costs less than £20. Worth considering, given how expensive, unreliable and short-lived inkjet cartridges are.

Original post by Larry31
Are there any amazing facts about Downing to be uncovered? I am surprised by the lack of mention it has on these forums... :P

Nice bar.

Original post by hassi94
Is there anyway a Maths student can go to some of the lectures/labs a comp sci student has, say to learn some programming (doesn't have to be part of the degree, just extra)?

While you're allowed to go to any lectures you want, you'll often find they're all at the same time (annoyingly). But also you probably don't get taught how to program in the compsci course. You will also have to do some programming (well, actually, I think nowadays it's matlab) in your second and third years of the maths tripos, and you won't get taught that either. You'll have to teach yourself. :smile:

Original post by marceltheshell
Can someone tell me what Cambridge students regularly do on their breaks between terms?

Work work work. (Well. At least that's what they all say they should be doing. Realistically most students take far longer breaks than they think they can afford to, and spend the whole break stressing. Sigh.)
Reply 588
Any random stuff about Magdalene? :smile:
My medic friends probably do a little bit more than me. I tend to average 40-45 hours, do i'd guess sort of up to 50 for them.
Reply 590
I read somewhere that the amount of information you have to learn for the 2nd year of the Cambridge medicine degree is one of the greatest volumes of any degree in the world . . . REALLY?? (What have I got myself in for??!)

Alsoo . . any more comments about Queens' ? It sounds (and looks, from what I saw) gorgeous !! I guess all the colleges are like that though . . .

Do most people who are given offers end up in Cambridge? Or do quite a lot not get the grades? Depressing, but I'd rather know now ):
Original post by atwn


Do most people who are given offers end up in Cambridge? Or do quite a lot not get the grades? Depressing, but I'd rather know now ):


http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/statistics/university.html

It surprises me that the level of offer missing is that high, actually.

edit: actually, maths will account for a good portion of it.
Reply 592
Original post by atwn
I read somewhere that the amount of information you have to learn for the 2nd year of the Cambridge medicine degree is one of the greatest volumes of any degree in the world . . . REALLY?? (What have I got myself in for??!)

Alsoo . . any more comments about Queens' ? It sounds (and looks, from what I saw) gorgeous !! I guess all the colleges are like that though . . .

Do most people who are given offers end up in Cambridge? Or do quite a lot not get the grades? Depressing, but I'd rather know now ):


Most people make the grades, don't worry (even the A* offers don't seem to have scuppered too many people, especially in the sciences). And my second year medic and vet friends tell me the workload is horrific, I'm afraid, but on the plus side, there's four more years after that where it's less difficult!

EDIT: Using the page above, in 2010 295 people were given offers for medicine and 280 were admitted. By my maths that's about 95%.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by simonoafc
Any random stuff about Magdalene? :smile:


The college bar staff are rude.

there's a random thing.

:colonhash:
I'm a fresher medic this year, and my scheduled timetable looks like this:

http://www.bio.cam.ac.uk/sbs/facbiol/mvst/tt1a/1astandard/x3008m14.htm

So about 15 hours of compulsory university education a week. Add in 3 supervisions of an hour each and a 20 hour week isn't unheard of.

In terms of personal work, it's variable: we do 2 weekly dissections taking up 2 hours each, and the preparation for that (if you do it properly) could take 1-3 hours per session depending on the session.

Ideally I'd spend at LEAST 30 mins per hour spent on university things going over it and memorizing, so say university stuff is a 20 hours week + 10 hours revising.

Supervisions can vary - my anatomy supervisions SHOULD take a lot of preparation, but I slacked on that (and therefore suffered) and probably spent 2 hours a week prepping for anatomy supervisions. MIMS (biochemistry) we recieved a sheet per week which could take 3 hours. HOM (physiology): another sheet which was 2 hours when I did the minimum amount on it, but again up to 3 hours. Say supervision prep takes up about 10 hours a week.

Then essays. Our first term evened out to (I think) an essay a week, which can vary hugely depending on the time put into it. Some people take the approach of doing their essays open book and making them detailed sources for their own revision. Personally, I used the notes I made from lectures, supervisions, etc to plan my essay in great detail, spending probably the first half of my Sunday (which for me was about 12-4) to do that, then tried to write the essay itself within an hour in the Sunday afternoon. Essays should probably take up 5-6 hours in a week.

We also have practical reports to do which are tedious but not so important, extra things like SCHI essays, other things which come up.

All together I think I spend a 20 hour university week, a 10 hour supervision week, 10 hours (trying to) revise, and up to 5 hours essaying, probably averaging 45-55 hours. And I was a slacker during the term and needed to work constantly over Christmas to catch up. :tongue:
Reply 595
Does anyone know where I could find a copy of the baxter table for maths?

(The tompkin table but subject specific)
Reply 596
Original post by Topaz_eyes
I wouldn't be, it's a great college, with some really good alumni (John Cleese, and Quentin Blake has dinner with the arts society every year). Oh, and our chaplain gives us free doughnuts every Thursday :love:


Woah woah woah free food? I'm so there xD
Reply 597
Original post by deejayy
Does anyone know where I could find a copy of the baxter table for maths?

(The tompkin table but subject specific)


I don't think Baxter tables are available for all to access -- only the likes of DoSes and Senior Tutors. That said, if anyone has one, I'd also be interested in this.
Original post by deejayy
Does anyone know where I could find a copy of the baxter table for maths?

(The tompkin table but subject specific)


1.Christ's
2.Trinity
.
.
.
.
30.Queens

:ahee:
Reply 599
Original post by ben-smith
1.Christ's
2.Trinity
.
.
.
.
30.Queens

:ahee:


hahaha (probably isn't that far from the truth actually)
Original post by nuodai
I don't think Baxter tables are available for all to access -- only the likes of DoSes and Senior Tutors. That said, if anyone has one, I'd also be interested in this.


damn, would be a good read.


edit: Is it too late for me to switch to maths with physics?
(edited 12 years ago)

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