Official Cambridge Applicants Thread 2016 Entry

OP

Original post by MouseyBrown

Ha, true! It's all good here, it's just weird sometimes not be out there actually involved in things (earning money), but I love the study and it will be well worth it if I get into any of the Unis I will go for. Cambridge would be unbelievable, literally.

I just sat my French IGCSE, and I am doing English Lang. and Lit, Economics, Maths and the three sciences in January, History and Geography in May.

Did you do IGCSEs?

You're right :biggrin:

It will be worth it in the end! You seem very dedicated if I'm honest, so good on you :smile:

I did GCSEs but my sister is doing IGCSEs and I'm teaching her some of the stuff as it is relatively similar to what I did for my GCSE course, although there are slight variations within the specs. I'll try my best to help still!

Reply 202

OP

Original post by yellowcopter

Did you not have study leave? My leavers day was over a month ago, good luck with your speech! :biggrin:

Ah I loved leavers day, it was so emotional though. They showed pictures of us from year 7, there were gushy speeches from teachers and my head of year cried. :') I was the happiest sad moment ever. :tongue:

Thank you! I have no clue what to write. :redface:

Our headteacher refused to give us study leave but we all took it anyway, no one from our year turned up to school so they just gave up :rofl:

Ahh that sounds very emotional :tongue:

I'm a bit excited and sad about tomorrow as so many people are leaving! I'm coming back for sixth form so it isn't as bad :h:

Have you had your prom yet?

Reply 203

OP

Original post by BBeyond

http://gyazo.com/12761660aeb1b8e3846467cb47835c54

easyyyy

Imagine if people could actually skip A levels/IB and go to Cambridge with just GCSEs though. :laugh:

Reply 204

OP

Original post by MouseyBrown

And in my other reply to you I didn't realise you were the OP - how you finding English Lit and History, and what units are you doing?

I haven't started my A levels yet but hopefully I'll find it bearable :tongue:

Reply 205

fs1

Aaahh you guys got me excited with this thread! Very unlikely that I will apply to Cambridge and get in though lol.
I'm taking: English Literature, History, French and Economics.

Reply 206

username1118458

21

Original post by Gorwell

Thank you! I have no clue what to write. :redface:

Our headteacher refused to give us study leave but we all took it anyway, no one from our year turned up to school so they just gave up :rofl:

Ahh that sounds very emotional :tongue:

I'm a bit excited and sad about tomorrow as so many people are leaving! I'm coming back for sixth form so it isn't as bad :h:

Have you had your prom yet?

Just write casually about all the awesome times you had there and the people/teachers and how they've helped you out, wish everyone good luck with results and so forth. :smile:

Maybe ask a few friends what they think to help out.

LOL, my year would have probably done the same if they refused us study leave. My school are really strict though so they probably wouldn't have stood for it. During my second to last exam - Physics which the whole year was doing, they made everyone stay behind to Maths intervention (Maths was our last exam) but everyone just ignored them and ran out the school gates before they closed them. I luckily ran out fast enough before they closed it. :awesome:

Feel sorry for those who weren't fast enough and had to stay and do Maths. :tongue:

I would never go to my schools sixth form personally, since it's crap. Sad that I won't see many people since they're going there, but I would never go to that place ever, at GCSE my school are fine but their A-Level results are horrid.

My schools prom is tomorrow, I'm not going. :frown:

Reply 207

TaciturnPhantom

8

I think I might be too early for this thread. I've just finished my GCSEs.

My options for A levels are:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Maths

I would like to study either medicine or physics at Cambridge, though I'm veering more towards physics.

Reply 208

Chief Wiggum

20

Original post by TaciturnPhantom

I think I might be too early for this thread. I've just finished my GCSEs.

My options for A levels are:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Maths

I would like to study either medicine or physics at Cambridge, though I'm veering more towards physics.

Just to say, if you want to study Physical Natural Sciences at Cambridge, you should probably do Further Maths at A Level. Although I appreciate that it's tricky to choose subjects if you are undecided between Medicine and Physics.

Reply 209

TaciturnPhantom

8

Original post by Chief Wiggum

Just to say, if you want to study Physical Natural Sciences at Cambridge, you should probably do Further Maths at A Level. Although I appreciate that it's tricky to choose subjects if you are undecided between Medicine and Physics.

If I had the choice, I would have picked Further Maths at A Level too. I could only pick three but the sixth form let me choose an extra subject. Is it possible to stay on to complete another A Level in sixth forms/colleges?

Reply 210

suzywithaZY

18

Original post by Chief Wiggum

Just to say, if you want to study Physical Natural Sciences at Cambridge, you should probably do Further Maths at A Level. Although I appreciate that it's tricky to choose subjects if you are undecided between Medicine and Physics.

Any reason why in particular? Is it very mathsy? I'm hoping to do Physical NatSci and I am planning on doing FM but I have been told that it's pointless :/

Reply 211

Chief Wiggum

20

Original post by thechemistress

Any reason why in particular? Is it very mathsy? I'm hoping to do Physical NatSci and I am planning on doing FM but I have been told that it's pointless :/

Well, I imagine Physics at Cambridge is fairly mathematical.

Perhaps a PhysNatSci can confirm whether I'm right or not, but I think Further Maths would generally be advised for a PhysNatSci applicant.

Reply 212

ClickItBack

18

Original post by thechemistress

Any reason why in particular? Is it very mathsy? I'm hoping to do Physical NatSci and I am planning on doing FM but I have been told that it's pointless :/

If you want to do physics in first year (and beyond), FM is definitely not useless. Even if not, the course is reasonably mathsy, to the point where I think at least an AS would stand you in good stead.

You may find this link useful if you have some idea of what modules you are leaning towards doing.

I believe there is also an accelerated maths option in natsci for those who have done FM A Level and are really comfortable with the material. This is probably intended for people who want to do theoretical physics at some stage.

Disclaimer: not a natsci.

Reply 213

WinterWind

Original post by tryrevise

I would not consider 7A* mediocre! You've got to remember that's way way above average :smile:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Haha thanks :biggrin:

7A*'s would be the best scenario, so more likely I'll get something below that. It really scared me when I saw so many people here got 10+A*'s :colondollar:

I'll just try not to think about the results until results day :h:

Reply 214

Mike93L

12

Original post by thechemistress

Any reason why in particular? Is it very mathsy? I'm hoping to do Physical NatSci and I am planning on doing FM but I have been told that it's pointless :/

The course is very 'mathsy'. If you intend to do Physics at Cambridge then you should definitely do FM if possible. Maths B (the more rigorous maths course for natscis) assumes knowledge of FM from day one while maths A (the other option) will cover FM stuff very quickly (i.e. in half a lecture on a relevant topic) so doing FM is definitely worth it.

Almost all physnatscis will have done at least AS FM if not the whole A2 (with some doing additional further maths). I think in my year there were 10 or 11 physnatscis and only 2 hadn't done A2 FM.

Basically do as much maths as possible, especially mechanics modules. IMO, Maths and FM is more important than any other subject for Physics including Physics A level (which simply doesn't have enough maths in it).

Reply 215

Claree

17

Original post by BBeyond

Being keen is a good thing, right? :wink:

Haha of course. :wink:

(I was set on applying to Cambridge equally early!)

Reply 216

Claree

17

Original post by thechemistress

Oh, wow, I am in the presence of a genius! How on earth did you do so well, both at GCSE and AS? :O
And an UNCONDITIONAL offer from Cambridge. That is INSANE xD You really are incredibly clever :biggrin:

Wow, FM in Year 12?
So would you advise doing the same when preparing for a potential Cambridge interview? Did you find the Olympiad helped quite a bit?

Haha, thanks! :colondollar:

At GCSE and AS I wouldn't say I did much more than keeping on top of work throughout the year, and then having effective revision plans such that when it got to revision, I didn't need to revise the content and could just practise exam technique. At AS I spent a lot of time memorising answers on past paper mark schemes! :rolleyes:

I did A level maths over Y10/11 so doing FM in Y11/Y12 and then AFM in Y13 followed on from that. Otherwise I think doing all of maths and FM in Y12 wouldn't be very sensible! Are you thinking of bio or phys natsci? If it's phys natsci, possibly knowing a bit of C3 and maybe C4 calculus and about ln and e might be useful if your school does AS maths and FM in Y12 rather than A level maths in Y12 then further in Y13, but either way they would be able to see from your SAQ what topics you had covered and set questions appropriately. :smile:

I think doing past olympiad paper questions was what was helpful for the interview, as opposed to the olympiads themselves, but I really enjoyed doing olympiad papers anyway. :smile:

That said there are plenty of other sources too of questions you could look at. I would recommend having a go at the olympiads for all your subjects that have them just for practice, and if you happen to do well in one it's something to go on your personal statement and show extra interest in the course, and if not it doesn't matter in the slightest! :tongue:

Reply 217

3LostContinents

Ah wow you guys are so keen! I've been sticking with the 2015 thread as I'll be applying this year (deferred entry), but I might as well just join this one as well considering I might potentially be studying with some of you guys!
I did Biology, Psychology, Maths and RE at AS and will probably drop Maths after results day, since I don't feel that went all that well.
I'll be applying for Psychological and Behavioural Sciences :smile:

Reply 218

42Helium

Hello!

I'm doing Maths, FM, Physics and Chemistry at sixth form. I hope to maybe do Physics or Maths at Cambridge in the future :smile:

I might see if I can go along to an open day in the summer, eager beaver!

42

Reply 219

OP