Cambridge Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) Students and Applicants

Hi everyone. Just wanted to say hello and see if there are any other Japanese or AMES offer holders here, or current Japanese students with any tips on how to best prepare for first year. I've got a little plan, but wanted to reach out and see if anyone had any advice too. Want to hit the ground running and make the most of it.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 1201

Ilovelanguages05

6

Hi, anyone studying Arabic/Hebrew (or both) at Cambridge now?

Reply 1202

Bran7766

2

Hello! I have a question about the course Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. I know that the course is taught from ab initio, but I was worried that I would be at a disadvantage (in the admissions process) for not having done an A level in a language. I am very passionate, but I was worried that my GCSE grade 5 in a language would put me at a disadvantage compared to everyone else, seeing as the majority of students have done a language A level. Thank you and have a great day!

Reply 1203

Kitty371

2

Original post by Bran7766

Hello! I have a question about the course Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. I know that the course is taught from ab initio, but I was worried that I would be at a disadvantage (in the admissions process) for not having done an A level in a language. I am very passionate, but I was worried that my GCSE grade 5 in a language would put me at a disadvantage compared to everyone else, seeing as the majority of students have done a language A level. Thank you and have a great day!

I did English lit, history, RE, and EPQ and got into AMES. I got a G8 in German at GCSE, you may need to check if there aren’t any requirements for that since I think some places wanted a G6 (if they do it might be worth retaking but this won’t guarantee a place). The main thing though is showing an interest so starting to teach yourself your language you’re interested in will be of more value to them than doing a language a level that has nothing to do with the course (ik most places don’t do Chinese or arabic etc)- not everyone knows what subject they want to do before a levels either. If you look at each individual college too, some will tell you which subjects they look for in applicants (a lot like history and maths) so focus on the colleges that match your a levels, not all of them prefer languages (last time I checked, this included places like Homerton, Churchill college, st Catherine’s and some more). If you have any coursework too (or EPQ) see if you can tie it into the course to show how much you’re interested in the subject. I hope this at least kind of helps! This aspect worried me when I was applying too.

Reply 1204

Anonymous #1

Hi!

I'm just starting to think about university and I'm interested in the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies course at Cambridge. I'm currently leaning towards Chinese because of the literature/history/politics, but I think Cambridge teaches the language from scratch, so I'm not sure if this course is suitable for me (I'm reasonably fluent).

Advice? Especially if you've done the course, do you think I could still get value out of the course, especially first year, if I already know the language pretty well?

Reply 1205

Kitty371

2

Original post by Anonymous

Hi!

I'm just starting to think about university and I'm interested in the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies course at Cambridge. I'm currently leaning towards Chinese because of the literature/history/politics, but I think Cambridge teaches the language from scratch, so I'm not sure if this course is suitable for me (I'm reasonably fluent).

Advice? Especially if you've done the course, do you think I could still get value out of the course, especially first year, if I already know the language pretty well?

If you're a-level fluency then there's an advanced course for Chinese students that you can do. If you're better than that, I really wouldn't recommend applying because the main focus of the course is language learning, even though you can do other modules in 2nd and 4th years. This is very relevant to 1st year, where the only non-language module you can take is a general exploration of China, Korea, and Japan, and this is only 4 hours of your weekly contact hours. If you mean only fluent speaking-wise but can't read or write, I would recommend emailing the admissions enquiries and asking them.

If you're interested in doing the Chinese modules at Cambridge specifically but you're too fluent, look into the 2nd year (part IB) course description on the ames websites for Japanese because I know they both share some of their modules, and the history of dynastic china is definitely an option for Japanese students. Otherwise, it might be better to wait for postgrad, or look for a course abroad that focuses on the humanities aspect of Chinese studies.

Reply 1206

jessica099

11

Original post by 7dragon

Hi,
I'm currently studying Japanese in the AMES department so hopefully I can offer you some advice or at least information.
The AMES course is quite small and so where you apply and your interview are extremely important in getting in; I was pooled and reinterviewed before being accepted. I've heard that some directors of study are particularly fussy when it comes to AMES, or they just disagree with the department. If you apply to a college that does not have a Dos in your subject it is far more likely you will be rejected or pooled as they won't know what to do with you.
In terms of your application, it sounds like you did really well, so I wouldn't panic about your grades - I got AABBB at AS level, so I'm sure that's not an obstacle. Improving your application sounds like good idea, they like the EPQ as it gives you something to talk about and having a passion for your subject, particularly fleshing out the history side as you seem to be more of a linguist is important. They also look (strangely) for resilient candidates as it is a tough and very fast paced course, so if you do decide to reapply you may want to put that across.
Regarding SOAS, my offer was the same, AAB, which I think is great for such a specialist university - it was certainly my second choice, however I can't give you much perspective as I don't go there. They do do tours on Wednesdays (if I remember correctly) so it may be worth checking it out if you haven't already :smile:

I can tell you a bit about the Chinese course as I do speak to them quite regularly during term time and we share the history course.
Feel free to message me with any questions :smile:

Sorry about your application, sounds like you were unlucky really :frown:

Hi, could you expand on how the course works in general (how many languages do you take?) and the Chinese course specifically? And if I took a gap year in China before applying, would that help or hinder my application?

Cambridge Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) Students and Applicants

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you