Cambridge Anglo Saxon Norse and Celtic (ASNC) Students and Applicants

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People who know their stuff - what are the career opportunities after reading ASNC? As you can see in my sig, rejected by Cam for English and looking into reapplying for next year, this time for ASNC (which sounds awesome!). But what does it lead to?

Thanks! =)

Reply 21

neebo

johannski

I would say pretty much the same as for English, or History, or Classics, or any other arts degree for that matter.
ASNC will give you the same skills as any of these, it's just that it isn't as widely recognised.

At the end of the day, unless you are doing a specifically vocational degree like medicine, any other degree from a good university should stand you in good stead to go and do whatever you want to do.

This is what I hope, anyway.

Don't apply for ASNC just because you think it will be easier to get into than English though. True, there will be fewer applicants, but these applicants will be doing it because it is a degree they are interested in, not to try and use as a back door into Cambridge.

Anyway, good luck.
PM me if you like. :smile:

Reply 22

johannski

neebo

Don't apply for ASNC just because you think it will be easier to get into than English though. True, there will be fewer applicants, but these applicants will be doing it because it is a degree they are interested in, not to try and use as a back door into Cambridge.

Anyway, good luck.
PM me if you like. :smile:

No, no, no! Sorry if it came across like that! Not at all. It's just...being non-English, I think it's difficult for me to get in to read English since you wouldn't even read Shakespeare over here normally in school. I'm sure it's not impossible, but I'm starting to wonder if it's really for me and if I'm rejected from 3/5 it's obv not. I did look at ASNC before applying, but was too much focused on English. I know I'd still have to read up on it and stuff, but I do find that effort much more interesting than starting to devour English Lit just for the sake of it. I wouldn't apply for a subject and pay looads of money (education in Sweden is free) if I wasn't interested. But I can see why it might come across like that =)

EDIT: and it's not to get into Cam. If I had gotten into UCL I would've gone and been happy. Just didn't want to point it out in the OP. Not my proudest achievement :wink:

Reply 23

neebo

johannski

Oh right, sorry. After further explanation I can see that this wasn't what you were wanting to do. :smile:

My apologies.

So yeah, go for ASNC. Don't worry about career aspects, like I said before...I think they would be much the same as for any other arts degree, including English.

Reply 24

ussferox

hello all, i got an offer to do asnac at trinity. anyone else out there, prospective freshers or current students?

Reply 25

Haz1248

Hiya, I've an offer for Caius, there are some of us floating around! There's a group for us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=57234921261&ref=ts
:smile:

Reply 26

Haz1248

Hang on, think you may be on there already... :P Where is everyone else, supposed to be 19 of us, come on people, own up!

Reply 27

ussferox

yeah i'm there. (switzerland). so i'm still confused how someone found out there's supposed to be 19 of us. how would anyone know that as of now?

Reply 28

Haz1248

It's on the ASNC subject page on the Cambridge website: Applications/acceptances 2008: 51/19, which we assume is our year of entry.

Reply 29

ussferox

Oh. I thought those were last year's stats, not ours.

Reply 30

neebo

Haz1248

It's on the ASNC subject page on the Cambridge website: Applications/acceptances 2008: 51/19, which we assume is our year of entry.

those are last years stats
they can't make up ours yet because for most people the offer is conditional, they haven't met it yet so they aren't really "accepted"

2008 stats= year of entry 2008

Reply 31

julkanowicka

Got an offer from Catz after the winter pool, and I'm sooo excited!!
Best subject ever.
We shall be such a tight, close-knit community
so who else listens to folk metal?

Reply 32

julkanowicka

Got an offer from Catz after the winter pool, and I'm sooo excited!!
Best subject ever.
We shall be such a tight, close-knit community
so who else listens to folk metal?

Reply 33

ussferox

from what i can tell, all of us do (or did at one point, in my case) listen to folk metal. much prefer just folk meself though.

Reply 34

OT1030

Hi everyone, just had a few questions for those in the know. I was wondering what level of proficiency in the languages studied is expected to be attained by the end of the ASNC BA. Is it simply a general knowledge of the language cultures with some reading knowledge of the languages themselves, or on the other end of the scale will students be fully proficient readers and speakers? With the OE, ON, MW, MI and Insular Latin languages being studied it seems unlikely that a high level of competence would be achievable in all. Also is the course equally focussed on history, language, literature, and archaeology? If not what kind of mix is it (I got the impression that literature was the focus)? Thank you.

Reply 35

ussferox

I can't remember exactly (check the asnc website) but i read somewhere that within a few weeks you're fluent in the languages you study there. you don't have to study all five languages at once. and there is a very good mix of what goes on in the asnc course, from what i can tell in the prospectus. you could consider it slightly more literature based, but isnt a lot of history that way? we tend to value written accounts more highly than other types of [archaeological] evidence.

and i think its funny that you doubt a high level of competency can be acquired in the languages... i mean, this is cambridge we're talking about, isnt it? even if the course itself doesn't push you to succeed in what you study, it seems to me that the students would have such a drive to achieve in their studies.

but maybe i just have an idealistic view of it all.

OT1030

Reply 36

MC REN

fluent within a few weeks? i doubt that

and yes you do have an idealistic view, a lot of people aren't really that driven - but you're right in that most of them have the ability to succeed

Reply 37

julkanowicka

when I talked to one of the asnac directors of studies (paul something) at the open day he told me that you would know the language within a few weeks well enough to be reading written texts and translating. im assuming the first two or three weeks is just an intensive introductory course that enables you to assimilate the basics really quickly, and from then on you're required to translate and read (not completely fluently, but still) different works in that language by yourself, continuing the learning process..

Reply 38

Athelstan

For "Anglo Saxon, Norse and Celtic Studies" at Cambridge how much prior knowledge do/did you have?

Does the average applicant know loads about Anglo Saxons, ie read ASNC fiction when they were younger, and studied them tonnes and stuff?

Because atm I know nothing about the Anglo Saxons, except what I'm reading now in this "A very short introduction".

The Cambridge website says "no prior knowledge is required" as with many other subjects, but surely this is a trap, because if you're interested you will display lots of 'prior knowledge.'??

Reply 39

El Gomez

They will bring you up to speed so everyone is at the same level when you get there. I suggest finding out what sort of period it is you're studying. Find out the rough dates and what country you may be focusing on, then I would start getting a general knowledge based on that.