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Big Problem...

Ok- I have an offer for SPS at corpus, oct 05. BUT...I've never really been totally sure that it's right for me- when I said that I might go into law or politics, everybody seemed to imply that that kind of thing "isn't me". And now I think they're right. I originally thought that maybe I was having doubts becuase I havn't studied anyof the component parts of SPS- psychology, politics, sociology- before, but now I really don't think that the subject is somehting that I'll enjoy- it really doesnt seem suited to my nature, at all. The subjects that I currently do for A Level are all very arty arty ones- and one of them, history of art, is something that I seriously think I'd enjoy studying at degree level. Cambridge has amazing resources for hist of art, and I know that through the tripos system I could always transfer subject in second year...but I really don't think I want to wait and do one year of a subject that I really doubt I'll enjoy. I know that hist of art takes on a very small amount of people, but it is a subject that I am passionate about- I've carried out a lot of work expeirence related to it (have no work experience related to politics or law) and I got a very very high grade in it last year. Cambridge emphasise 'passion' for the subject all throughout the prospectos, but I doubt I have a passion for SPS, and will they not say that if I am so passionate about another subject, then why didn't I apply to it in the first place?

So am I just being insecure becuase I havnt studyed SPS before, should I email admissions and get their advice, or should I just do SPS?

any advice would be much appreciated! :confused:

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Reply 1

Willa

it would probably be good to talk to admissions, see what they think. they wont withdraw their offer if you're honest (they cant anyways). But generally i reckon they'd say try and have a look at some of the course content and teach some of it to yourself. See if you can find an area within it that you are particularly interested in. If after trying for a while you cant find anything that interests you in the subject, i would give course transfer a good think....i think it's v important to do subjects you enjoy to study.

Reply 2

JHutcher

Find out more!

I changed form applying for Law to Theology because i studied theology and decided that i really liked it. I think its important that you enjoy the subject you're going to study.

Reply 3

Simone de Beauv

JHutcher- when abouts did you change over? I'm just worried that it's too late to change over now and they'll tell me they can't do anything about it!

Reply 4

JHutcher

yes well i had my form sent back a couple of days after deadline so nothing drastic... but i thought it might be a bit suspect (all that talk about the easy option etc.)

But they can't take your offer from you surely. so phone and enquire... or phone a different college and enquire as a perspective student for next year... i have done the second loads lol

Reply 5

fishpaste

obviously I can't make guarantees but they seem quite liberal about subject transfers in my college in the first term.

Reply 6

Ticki

You'll probably have to sit an interview for History of Art in your first term if you want to swap. Even if you're not successful in switching, your place for SPS will be safe.

Reply 7

amateurish

I know a couple of people who changed subjects in freshers' week without any hassle. :smile:

Reply 8

Simone de Beauv

That's quite reassuring- should I wait until then, or should I email/phone them nowish?

Reply 9

Waldo

So ticki are Sidney quite amenable to subject changes? because Im having serious second thoughts about english.

Reply 10

amateurish

Simone de Beauv

That's quite reassuring- should I wait until then, or should I email/phone them nowish?

well...as corpus is quite a small college, if you did change, they might have to sort you out an external DoS or something, so I suppose it might be better to ask now. I don't think it would hurt to ask now, if it's just for general advice rather than saying 'i definitely want to change"?

Reply 11

treff

If worst comes to worst, you can maybe make use of the flexibility of the Cambridge Tripos, i.e. doing part I of SPS and then studying another subject after that. Not sure about the details, but I read this somewhere in the prospectus. :smile:

Reply 12

priya

Waldo

So ticki are Sidney quite amenable to subject changes? because Im having serious second thoughts about english.

what are you thinking of changing to waldo? i'd speak to richard partington if i were you, sooner you sort your subject out the better

Reply 13

Simone de Beauv

Yeah that is true treff :smile:

I wish I wasnt so indecisive though! I don't want Cambridge to think I'm not interested/dedicated enough, it's just that I'm really interested in a lot of things and I find it hard to decide between them all!

Reply 14

treff

It's okay to be *indecisive*, I think--better that you think of your options even if it causes you a bit of headache, rather than thinking you're sure of everything you want to do and then regretting it later. :smile:

Good luck! :smile:

Reply 15

tcelina

If I were you I would wait to change until at least the first term, maybe even the first year. A more varied education is never a bad thing, one of the things I like least about Cambridge is the narrow subject divisions. You might find SPS really interesting, after all, there must have been some reason you picked it in the first place, right? I'm a grad student, so I know it's quite different, but I know a lot of people at my college who wanted Corpus because of their manuscript archive (which is really good for both theology and art history apparently), and the college is therefore over-subscribed by "those kinds of people". I know nothing about the admission process for undergrads, but it might be a bit suspicious if the competition at Corpus is stiffer for humanities students than social scientists and immediately upon acceptance you claim you want to switch.

My opinion is that an education in anything is never wasted, and you might be able to bring an interesting point of view to your work in art history having had some first year classes in a complementary subject such as politics. Despite the way Cambridge likes to cling to tradition, employers are rewarding inter- and multi- disciplinarians more and more, and any way to make your education more unique and interesting translates into more desirable upon completion.

Sounds to me like the worst case senario is that you end up actually liking SPS, proving everyone wrong and having a 5% chance of actually finding work after graduation as opposed to the 1% with a degree in art history. :-) I say that being a hard-core humanities student myself, I'm forced to stay in academia because I'm not qualified for anything else...

Good luck!

Reply 16

Waldo

priya

what are you thinking of changing to waldo? i'd speak to richard partington if i were you, sooner you sort your subject out the better

Philosophy, which id imagine might not be easy as Sidney doesnt have a philosophy DoS (i think).

Reply 17

khil

Simone de Beauv

JHutcher- when abouts did you change over? I'm just worried that it's too late to change over now and they'll tell me they can't do anything about it!

Well there're people who switch courses a short while into their degree, so no don't think it's too late!

I'd switch if I were you - you obviously wanna do History of Art - and with the amount of work involved at Cambridge it would kill you if you hated the subject. Goodness simply hating the Eng Lit course at AS was bad enough! If you can't switch I'd go in for it anyway and then switch over in the 2nd year, but I'd switch over now if they let you.

Reply 18

freddie88

One of my best friends is an art historian and another does sps, both at corpus. Theres only about 25 art historians in the whole year, and she's the only one at corpus in all three years. from what i've seen she absolutely loves it (except for essay day!). i'd say phone sooner rather than later because they can't take your sps place away.

Reply 19

musicbloke

You should just be weeary that SPS is one of those subjects in which you can't do part one and then do part two in a different course - you'd have to do part onee and then do another course from part one (although SPS part one is only one year.

MB