Cambridge 2011 Freshers Chat Thread

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Reply 2620

bobby

Got in for economics at clare :smile:

Anyone know if we're going to get an information pack or a reading list anytime soon?

Reply 2621

kpatb

Original post by indifferencepersonified

I'm not sure, i might have :confused:

link me

I chose an ensuite room in the second top band as my first choice accomodation. Will do, but I think we might be waiting a while yet so don't get your hopes up :wink:

YOU HAVEN'T?
Better do quick:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/183841648316006/

:smile:

Reply 2622

kpatb

Original post by Tortious

I think it varies between Colleges. All I received from Pembroke was a letter from my DoS saying to read his book and write an essay on one of several titles he gave us. I'd imagine it'll be within the next week or so, although I don't know whether it'll be in the "welcome pack". (I've made this sound like going on holiday, which isn't a bad description - Cambridge is the happiest place on earth! :awesome:

)

Thank god I'm not doing Law...
if I had to write an essay during my holiday... I think I'd eat myself.
(I'm terrible at writing essays.)

Reply 2623

Tortious

Original post by kpatb

Thank god I'm not doing Law...
if I had to write an essay during my holiday... I think I'd eat myself.
(I'm terrible at writing essays.)

Well, apparently he didn't do that to the year above us (i.e. my parents, now third years) and when we told them they all looked horrified! :cool:

It wasn't too bad though; it was only 1200-1500 words on, say: "All animals have rights. Discuss." Considering you have to write about two essays a week, that was fairly straightforward!

EDIT: Also, with regard to subjects, expect to be treated with suspicion for the first few days until Arts freshers become familiar with the abbreviation for your course. You can get some funny looks when you say you're a NatSci. :fuhrer: :p:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 2624

emma1701

aaaaahhhhhhhhhh super excited :biggrin:

MML at Queens' :smile:

BEST DAY EEEVVVVVVAAAAA

43 days to go......

Oh and does anyone know when our welcome pack arrives?

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 2625

kpatb

Original post by Tortious

Well, apparently he didn't do that to the year above us (i.e. my parents, now third years) and when we told them they all looked horrified! :cool:

It wasn't too bad though; it was only 1200-1500 words on, say: "All animals have rights. Discuss." Considering you have to write about two essays a week, that was fairly straightforward!
EDIT: Also, with regard to subjects, expect to be treated with suspicion for the first few days until Arts freshers become familiar with the abbreviation for your course. You can get some funny looks when you say you're a NatSci. :fuhrer: :p:

But you see, I'm terrible at writing essays.
This is why I'm VERY apprehensive of taking a Bio option for NatSci ... apparently there's a couple of ... of... ESSAYS a week :eek:

I almost had a heart attack trying to write my personal statement. It's almost like a fear I have - I think I need to sort this out xD

I suppose if you're doing Law, you either would enjoy it or be good at it anyway :smile:

hahaha, so I'll get weird eyes for saying "NatSci".... Brilliaaaant.

Also, I've been meaning to ask you for ages...
how would you pronounce your username?
Would it be "Tort-ious" like Tort as in a Law Tort or pronounced "Torsh-us"
I'm assuming it's the former since you're a lawyer, but I'm still curious.

Reply 2626

Tortious

Original post by kpatb

But you see, I'm terrible at writing essays.
This is why I'm VERY apprehensive of taking a Bio option for NatSci ... apparently there's a couple of ... of... ESSAYS a week :eek:

I guess you're just out of practice - don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll be given plenty of guidance! :smile:

As for my username, even though you say "tort" (like the cake - that joke's been made numerous times over the last year...), "tortious" is pronounced "tor-shuss". I think that's the same across the globe, but for some reason, Americans tend to use "tor-tee-uhss". :p:

Reply 2627

UnderControl

Original post by Ziffachan

Congrats to everyone who got in! So who's coming for MML?

Hiya! - French and ab initio Italian at Downing

It is awful that I haven't started the reading list yet :colondollar:

Reply 2628

anoushka1

Original post by Cast.Iron

Well done

. It's up to the college to send reading lists but here is mine if you want to get started early: http://www.homerton.cam.ac.uk/pdf/Law.pdf

Now, if you excuse me, I am going to get ridonkulously drunk.

Ohhhh thank you!!

Haha go have a great time, I'm just about to go out and do the same. :biggrin:

Reply 2629

gethsemane342

Original post by Tortious

)

You had to write an essay? Ha ha, knew it was a good idea not to apply to Pembroke! We just got a reading list and freshers pack. I think I was the only person who even bothered with the reading list.

Reply 2630

Amy Luo

I only got a letter from UCAS this morning and not Cambridge.
I'm starting in Oct 2012 so do you think they would send me anything in this time?
And when can i actually get the preparatory engineering questions book from them? (as one of my friend got it a while ago)

Reply 2631

Ziffachan

Original post by UnderControl

Hiya! - French and ab initio Italian at Downing

It is awful that I haven't started the reading list yet :colondollar:

You're a terrible person and your offer should be withdrawn immediately. :wink:

Reply 2632

Ziffachan

Original post by shinysheep

Greetings, fellow MMLer

Awesome! What languages/college?

Original post by gethsemane342

This is a random question-how are cambridge law exams marked? Is there a lot of discretion between examiners and do tutors mark them thus favourite students get higher marks??

My friend says this is true..but he didnt go to cambridge..so is there much truth in above statement?

Reply 2635

nibbler12

Original post by mrmayrhofen

Yes, that's exactly right! :smile:

Reply 2636

TimmonaPortella

Original post by mrmayrhofen

Yeah; in fact, it's usually said that a full third of marks allocated are done so on the basis of how good an impression the student made on the tutor.

LOL

Original post by Doughnuts!!

Yes fam, so much excitement :biggrin:

Also, don't know if you know this, but in light of the video you sent me the other day, you realise angst is just a remix of stress by Justice :holmes:

Reply 2639

gethsemane342

Original post by mrmayrhofen

Your mate's wrong. Essentially.

Exams are done in this way. Everyone is given a candidate number, on paper. They can't tell anyone (or any tutors) their number. The examiner will only see the number and not the name.

The exam is set by 1-2 academics and is then marked by 3-4 of them. Every paper is double-marked. This is because, although it is anonymous, some tutors will be able to recognise handwriting or maybe even ideas (for example, my land law supervisor probably set our paper this year. He's seen my handwriting before and I have a fairly distinctive style. He might not remember it was mine but it's possible he'd realise it was one of his supervisees. My EU supervisor was probably an examiner and I actually told him the week before the exam that if a certain point came up, I'd give a certain answer just for fun. That point, coincidentally, *did* come up and I gave the answer I told him I would). However, the double-marking ensures that someone who doesn't know you will also mark the paper and thus eliminate bias. For example, I didn't know any other land law academics (or rather, they don't know me. OK, one knows me as the girl she caught talking and giggling in a lecture but that's it) and I did know another EU supervisor who could have taken a guess, feasibly, as I was one of 8 2nd years doing the paper (compared to 220 3rd years). But that's the best she could have done.

If you are a borderline candidate your paper will be triple-marked. For example, I got 70 for my contract paper. This means 3 examiners marked my paper to check if I really was at a 1st standard rather than a 2.1.

Some subjects triple-mark anyway, just to be sure. They are also triple-marked if there is a large disrepancy between the first two examiners.

The law exam system is done in a painstaking manner to make sure there's no chance of favouritism or dodgy marking.