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Advice to someone who wants to apply for PBS next year?

Hi, I posted this question on another thread, but that thread seems pretty dead right now, and nobody's given me an answer yet. So I'm going to post my question again here

I'm in year 12 at the moment, and I'm nearly 100% sure I'm going to apply to do PBS at Cambridge next year. I was wondering if anyone here had some advice at things I could be doing now which would help me get specifically into this course at Cambridge (instead of just general advice of how to get into Cambridge)?

Things I'm already doing are: writing some psychology articles for my school newspaper; keeping up with the bps digest; doing some of the recommended reading from the PBS tripos site; trying to attend a few lectures when I can; doing a MOOC related to psychology; and watching psychology related videos on youtube. I've also done over a year of volunteer work in the past, and I'm thinking of applying for the Oxford UNIQ summer school (I know that's Oxford's one, but it's free) and/or maybe the Cambridge Shadowing Scheme (although most of my family have been to uni, and my school sends most of it's students to uni, so...). Obviously focusing on getting good grades is important, but I always love to get engaged with more psychology related things, especially if they'll help met get into my dream uni!

So what are your thoughts?
Cambridge's Psych course is focused heavily on cognitive/medical and behavioural models so it would help a lot if you read into those areas and perhaps delve deep into one or two areas of interest or psychologists. Summer school doesn't actually make a difference - but if you want to, then you definitely should. In your PS, talk more about how you're interested in *whatever you're interested in* rather than a vague statement of being interested in Psych. Anyhow, you seem very well read - so get excellent grades and I wish you all the best!!!
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Avatar for Darelz
Darelz
OP
14
Original post by Jayd Shah
Cambridge's Psych course is focused heavily on cognitive/medical and behavioural models so it would help a lot if you read into those areas and perhaps delve deep into one or two areas of interest or psychologists. Summer school doesn't actually make a difference - but if you want to, then you definitely should. In your PS, talk more about how you're interested in *whatever you're interested in* rather than a vague statement of being interested in Psych. Anyhow, you seem very well read - so get excellent grades and I wish you all the best!!!


Thanks! I'll make sure to focus more on behaviourism and the cognitive approach then. I'm quite interested in determinism, so it might be worth looking deeper into the behaviourist approach to the idea of determinism.

I think summer school will help me find out if going into the experimental side of things is really for me, since I'm thinking of applying for the experimental psychology course as that's what I currently think I'm interested in.

Alright, I'll keep that in mind when it is time to write it. Thankfully writing my PS is a bit of a while away still, and I know my school is going to do a lot to help us write it.

Thanks again, I'm going to try my best in all my subjects!
Reply 3
Avatar for hxs_7
hxs_7
7
Original post by Jayd Shah
Cambridge's Psych course is focused heavily on cognitive/medical and behavioural models so it would help a lot if you read into those areas and perhaps delve deep into one or two areas of interest or psychologists. Summer school doesn't actually make a difference - but if you want to, then you definitely should. In your PS, talk more about how you're interested in *whatever you're interested in* rather than a vague statement of being interested in Psych. Anyhow, you seem very well read - so get excellent grades and I wish you all the best!!!


I'm not sure if I agree....here's an insight from a girl who just finished her first year of PBS http://housemcrtell.tumblr.com/post/147126764708/big-question-is-pbs-at-cambridge-mainly-focused

It's another story if you did read on those areas, had questions about such in interview, and got in.

Definitely have a look at what the course entitles as I've been told it does help in interview, otherwise discover the areas you like most and read much on them so that in interview you could link your areas of interest to the questions you're being asked & the new ideas they give you.

Good luck!

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