Help please - offer for Education with English at Homerton

Hi, I've been offered a place at Homerton to study Education with English but I'm a little concerned about a couple of aspects of Cambridge life and I would be really grateful if someone could help me out by answering some questions please.

1) How heavy is the workload? I understand that the terms are very intense - do you get much down time over the holidays?

2) What is a typical day for an Education with English student? How much contact time is there and how is the time split between the Education and English sides (at least in the first year)?

I know it sounds really silly, but I also didn't realise when I applied how strict the rules were for keeping term, so, as a home bird, being away from my family for so long concerns me without being able to get home much during term time.

Thank you so much, any feedback would be greatly appreciated :smile:

Reply 1

sweeneyrod

Original post by candycake

I know it sounds really silly, but I also didn't realise when I applied how strict the rules were for keeping term, so, as a home bird, being away from my family for so long concerns me without being able to get home much during term time.

Thank you so much, any feedback would be greatly appreciated :smile:

Cambridge has longer vacations than most other universities, so you'll be able to see more of your family there than at other universities (unless you went to one in your home town).

Reply 2

Colmans

Original post by candycake

Generally you get plenty of down time over the holidays, enough to get a job. I don't know specifically about Education.
Whilst terms are strict they are only eight weeks long. Many people by the second year opt to come up a few days early to sort themselves out and have time with friends before the work starts in earnest. I did actually manage to go home over a weekend on more than one occasion so as long as you don't miss lectures and don't live too far away it isn't actually impossible if you are discreet.

Reply 3

Elegantsolution

Original post by Colmans

I'm an athlete and may want to come back to Scotland to participate in a race or two during term time. Is that likely to be a problem?

Reply 4

Colmans

Original post by Elegantsolution

I'm an athlete and may want to come back to Scotland to participate in a race or two during term time. Is that likely to be a problem?

If you run for Scotland I imagine you could get permission if it isn't at a weekend. Otherwise they may suggest you could run for Cambridge.
http://www.cuac.org.uk/all-events

Reply 5

Elegantsolution

Original post by Colmans

If you run for Scotland I imagine you could get permission if it isn't at a weekend. Otherwise they may suggest you could run for Cambridge.
http://www.cuac.org.uk/all-events

I expect I will run for Cambridge. The races I'll want to do will be at weekends, assuming that's not an issue at all? I'd probably travel back to Scotland on the Friday/Saturday and come back to Cambridge on the Sunday night so I wasn't missing lectures or supervisions or anything.

Reply 6

Colmans

Original post by Elegantsolution

If it is infrequent I don't think it's likely to be a problem but I was always fairly discreet about weekends away. I did have some academic things at weekends but I doubt if you will for your course.

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Reply 7

saster

Generally speaking you are expected to spend no more than two nights out of college during term time, though this can be flexible with the permission of your director of studies and personal tutor. They may give you some leeway but don't expect to spend more than four nights away from Cambridge, weekends or not.

You should be invited to an open day at the college if you have been picked from the winter pool, so you should take the opportunity to ask some of the students who show you round. It would be fine to contact the admissions office to ask if one of the student helpers that day will be an Education student, and that if they aren't you'd really like to meet one.

If you weren't taken out of the pool you could possibly contact admissions anyway and ask if you can come along. They're generally pretty nice about things like that, at most colleges (and Homerton is supposed to be especially friendly).

Congrats, by the way.

Reply 8

Doones

Original post by Elegantsolution

NatScis have Saturday lectures. Not sure if anyone else does.... hmmm... maybe Maths?

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Reply 9

Elegantsolution

Original post by jneill

NatScis have Saturday lectures. Not sure if anyone else does.... hmmm... maybe Maths?

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Maths do. As far as I'm aware Engineers don't.

At the moment I'm swayed toward engineering (not for this reason alone) but who knows what will be on the form come October.

This isn't going to be a deal breaker and it will only be a few Saturday's a year, if that.

Reply 10

Zacken

Original post by jneill

NatScis have Saturday lectures. Not sure if anyone else does.... hmmm... maybe Maths?

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Definitely maths, Compsci's do as well - but only because they do maths for natsci lectures on Saturday or proper maths on Saturday. AFAIK, I think those are the only subjects that do.

Reply 11

sweeneyrod

Original post by Zacken

Definitely maths, Compsci's do as well - but only because they do maths for natsci lectures on Saturday or proper maths on Saturday. AFAIK, I think those are the only subjects that do.

That's only the first year, right?

Reply 12

Zacken

Original post by sweeneyrod

That's only the first year, right?

And depending on course choices in third year as well, perhaps second year. Some people have maths lectures in third year if their course has them, I know that for sure. Not so sure about second year. (this is for mathmos)

Edit: oh and Natsci's definitely have second year ones.