Cambridge Engineering Students and Applicants

I got mainly mechanics based questions, a little bit of pure with it and some chemistry, it simply varies from college to college, and there is no set syllabus you can study. I am a reapplicant and my two interviews one in 2008 and the other in 2007 were completely different from each other. It's just like the website says, it is impossible for you to prepare yourself completely for it, but nothing stops you from reading around your subject and looking into other types of problems otherwise not taught but relevant to your courses.

Reply 381

JakeyTheSnake

7

I'm applying for CheMEng via Engineering, you can see my subjects etc. below.

However, I am not doing Further Maths, and my maths class is doing the S1&S2 applied modules. Now I am learning M1 outside of school, teaching myself, but how much of a disadvantage would this put me at?

My Director of Studies for Downing said that he didn't think it would, but I would like a second opinion.

Reply 382

aKarma

11

JakeyTheSnake

I'm applying for CheMEng via Engineering, you can see my subjects etc. below.

However, I am not doing Further Maths, and my maths class is doing the S1&S2 applied modules. Now I am learning M1 outside of school, teaching myself, but how much of a disadvantage would this put me at?

My Director of Studies for Downing said that he didn't think it would, but I would like a second opinion.

In terms of interviews and tests, I wasn't asked any mechanics questions what so ever; only pure maths. It's probably worth making sure you can do mechanics 1 and 2 (1 is such as joke it's worth starting on 2 as 1 then seems obvious)

Also bear in mind IB people are unlikely to have done any mechanics, so they can't discriminate that much as IB people still rpesumably get in.

Whif you get a place, I imagine the first week or so will cover all the maths/mechanics anyway to bring everyone up to the same level. It's also worth brushing up on your integration as you'll be missing a lot of this due to not doing further maths.

Reply 383

lisa_2k

1

JakeyTheSnake

I'm applying for CheMEng via Engineering, you can see my subjects etc. below.

However, I am not doing Further Maths, and my maths class is doing the S1&S2 applied modules. Now I am learning M1 outside of school, teaching myself, but how much of a disadvantage would this put me at?

My Director of Studies for Downing said that he didn't think it would, but I would like a second opinion.

There are a few people in my college who didn't no Further Maths, so it clearly didn't affect them at interview. If you're learning mechanics in your own time, that will give a good impression, although if your school offers FM and you didn't take it they might wonder why. Of course if your school doesn't offer it that's hardly your fault and wouldn't be held against you.

The course itself is designed to get everyone up to the same level by the end of the first term. The maths doesn't go much beyond FM at first anyway, and there are two different maths classes which cover the same material but one in two lectures per week and one in three, the idea being that people without FM go to the three lectures one and have more time to learn stuff that's new to them. People with FM can go through it more quickly in fewer lectures. Naturally you'll have to work a bit harder than people who've seen it all before, but by the end of that first term there wasn't a noticeable difference anymore.

Reply 384

JakeyTheSnake

7

One term to learn two maths modules (FP 1&2) doesn't seem like a lot :shock:

But guess I'll have to do it anyway :shrugs:

My school does offer it, but I didn't take it. Having not done IGCSE Maths a year early and then ad-maths, I didn't really consider it as an option. Despite getting 7 A*s and 3 As at GCSE, I didn't really consider myself an oxbridge candidate until part way through the AS year.

Reply 385

dan9

i was just wondering which colleges would be more beneficial for someone studying engineering (chemiacal)?

Reply 386

bodybuilder22

16

dan9

i was just wondering which colleges would be more beneficial for someone studying engineering (chemiacal)?

beneficial?

Reply 387

didgeridoo12uk

16

why oh why chemical engineering! normal engineering is much better :tongue:

and most colleges, it really makes no difference

although the master at jesus is an engineer :tongue:

so well that has to count for something

Reply 388

ebam_uk

20

JakeyTheSnake

One term to learn two maths modules (FP 1&2) doesn't seem like a lot :shock:

But guess I'll have to do it anyway :shrugs:

My school does offer it, but I didn't take it. Having not done IGCSE Maths a year early and then ad-maths, I didn't really consider it as an option. Despite getting 7 A*s and 3 As at GCSE, I didn't really consider myself an oxbridge candidate until part way through the AS year.

Well I guess the pace of cambridge is pretty fast!

Reply 389

JakeyTheSnake

7

Who would've guessed, eh?

Reply 390

thefish_uk

14

dan9

i was just wondering which colleges would be more beneficial for someone studying engineering (chemiacal)?

Engineering is one of the biggest departments. Every college has several engineering fellows. Also don't assume that because a college has a particularly high profile fellow in that subject it'll mean your teaching is better - it's not uncommon for the best academics to make terrible supervisors as they can't understand how you could possibly find it difficult, plus they would rather be spending the time researching or something instead.

So pick your college based on the usual factors (location, architecture etc). And remember that whichever one you end up at, after a few weeks it will be the best one as far as you're concerned!

Reply 391

sasjegbruv123

1

Hey guys,

Who is applying to do engineering at cambridge next year and what have you guys done to make your application a strong application? I think it is a good idea for people who are seeking advice to ask for it as most of the time you will get at least a couple of helpful replies as I have recieved over the last few months. Together we can all enjoy the rollercoaster ride that is the cambridge application process which will most likely make us successful engineers. Hopefully with a little luck most of us will be able to get in and see each other at cam next year.

Good luck everybody

Jeg (Prospective Cambridge Electronic Engineer - Nanotech is the way to go)

Reply 392

Anonymous1994

Hi everyone, i was wondering how engineering is at Cambridge. Seen the videos and all that, seems perfect but how should i better my chances to get in when the time arrives. Is the work load difficult? with a tripos scheme. And finally, which college is the best and offers permanent acommodation?

Thanks alot

Reply 393

Illusionary

19

Anonymous1994

Hi everyone, i was wondering how engineering is at Cambridge. Seen the videos and all that, seems perfect but how should i better my chances to get in when the time arrives. Is the work load difficult? with a tripos scheme. And finally, which college is the best and offers permanent acommodation?

Thanks alot

Welcome to TSR!

I was a NatSci myself, so I won't try to give advice re the engineering course (but I'm sure that someone else will be able to), except that to say that for pretty much all Cambridge courses the workload is high - but certainly manageable, even with other non-academic activities.

As for choosing a college, I highly recommend visiting Cambridge, ideally during an open day (more details on these can be found here). Take a look through the prospectus and draw up a short-list of colleges that interest you and try to go around each - most porters will let you into the college fro free if you say that you're a prospective applicant. Factors you might want to consider are the size of the college, its location and the facilities (academic and otherwise) that it offers - there's no one 'best' college (though everyone at Cambridge will tell you that theirs is the best).

I *think* that all of the colleges will at least arrange accommodation for you for the duration of your course. This won't necessarily be within the main college grounds, though often is. At St John's for example, you'll be in college accommodation throughout, but there's the option of living in a college-owned house outside of the main grounds if you choose.

Hopefully that gives you something to go on. You'll probably find that a moderator moves this thread to the Cambridge University forum, where it's likely to get more replies.

:tsr:

Reply 394

lisa_2k

1

Illusionary

I *think* that all of the colleges will at least arrange accommodation for you for the duration of your course.

As engineering is a four year course, that isn't necessarily the case. The majority will, but I believe there are some that don't, or who might force you to live a long way from the main college site or something. Probably best to draw up your short-list of colleges, and then post it on here - there's bound to be someone who knows for definite for each college.

Reply 395

ukebert

OP

13

Anonymous1994

Is the work load difficult?

Yes. And I can't stress that enough :p:

Actually if you work quickly and efficiently and can grasp key concepts easily and retain them, as well as work meticulously, review lecture notes after each lecture and take notes in supervisions then you should be fine. If, like me, you can't do any of the above then you'll find it tricky. A lot of the work is entirely self motivated, not like A-Level where you have 30 or 40 lessons a week. You'll have hours of lectures, some labs, 3 or 4 supervisions and everything else is up to you.

Reply 396

sasjegbruv123

1

Hey guys, a question to the engineers at cambridge particularily churchill and a few others. I was wondering how difficult the 60 min short maths and physics questions test is and what we are required to know? what kind of questions come up? and is there anywhere where you can find the papers?

Reply 397

thefish_uk

14

sasjegbruv123

Hey guys, a question to the engineers at cambridge particularily churchill and a few others. I was wondering how difficult the 60 min short maths and physics questions test is and what we are required to know? what kind of questions come up? and is there anywhere where you can find the papers?

It's whatever they feel like putting on the test as the tutors will write it themselves. Generally questions on stuff you've studied at A-level but looking at it from a different angle / requiring more thought. You won't find past papers as they probably re-use the same paper (or a very limited set of questions) year upon year, but doing some AEA maths/physics questions might be good preparation.