Student profiles
Geography
The range of topics covered in the first year of the Cambridge Geography Tripos is huge, with five compulsory modules covering topics from inner-city social polarisation and the new geographies of globalisation, to the history of commerce, various forms of environmentalisms, biogeography and atmospheric processes, and even the past 65 or so million years worth of climate change! For those who like delving into a variety of different disciplines, this is most certainly the course for you. Each week consists of between seven and ten non-compulsory lectures (which it is of course advisable to make the most of) with the earliest at 10am, and weekly ‘Geography Skills’ practical classes covering stats, questionnaire and interview skills and, later, sediment analysis. Each term you receive ten essays to complete (two for each module), each of which is read and marked by a supervisor. You therefore also have ten supervisions per term in which you, and usually one or two other geographers, will discuss the topics brought up in writing your essays with the supervisor. Supervisions are one of Cambridge University’s greatest assets and are, in my opinion, by far the most useful learning tool as you are in direct conversation with leading experts in every topic you study. On top of all of this there are two small scale field trips to the beach in first year which allow the more practical minded to enjoy some hands on work both in the field and subsequently in laboratory analysis. In second year a week long field trip is arranged to several different destinations according to the module choices of each student, and an extended field trip to a field site of your choice is usually taken for data/information gathering for dissertation writing in the summer before third year. All the field trips are either partly or fully financially covered by the University.
So why choose to study at Corpus? Because of the very small intake number of Geographers to Corpus (normally either one, two or three) many are put off from applying under the false impression that it will be more difficult than elsewhere—I’m sorry to say that everywhere is going to be tough! Having fewer Geographers at a college makes for a more enjoyable time studying the course. Corpus is a five minute walk from Downing Site where all lectures are held and five minutes from Market Square and the city centre meaning that it lies in a prime location for students. This allows for long lie-ins on week days that I guarantee will make many of your course-mates jealous. Corpus Geographers share their Director of Studies (Phil Howell) with Emmanuel College, which is just a five or ten minute walk away, and they are included in all of the same academic privileges as the Emma students. Corpus’ Taylor Library is kitted out with a vast Geography section as well as extensive History, Sociology and Economics sections which are also useful throughout the course. Additionally there are sizeable funds available for personal travel during the long vacation for Corpus Geographers due to the importance of experiencing different cultures within the discipline; for example I was partially funded for a seven week excursion to China—a trip that may not have gone ahead without help from the College.
Corpus offers a real variety of non-academic activities to get involved with from Rugby, Hockey and Rowing to Acting, Choir, Charitable Work and even Board Games! Not only does Corpus’ size make these accessible to students of all abilities but it also makes them a great way to make friends in all the years, thus making the College an extremely sociable place to live. Settling in therefore happens very quickly and as such the course and general college life too become much more relaxed and enjoyable. In no time you’ll be heading into Hall for lunch or down to the bar for a cheeky pint and feel comfortable mingling with anyone else down there.
In essence Corpus has to be one of the best places to study Geography in Cambridge, not only for its location, academic and non-academic facilities and opportunity provision, but for its friendliness, its community feel and most importantly its people.
Mike Aizlewood, second year
History of Art
Telling people you study History of Art is generally met with blank faces and a question as to what the subject actually comprises of. Is there painting involved? Do you spend all your time in museums? What even is art?
I find the easiest way to describe Art History is by comparing it to a blend of English Literature and History where novels are replaced by canvas narratives and the historian’s facts can be combined with a certain amount of personal interpretation. At Cambridge, there is no painting or drawing as such, unless you can count a lecture making quills or a trip to the Hamilton Kerr Institute (Cambridge’s painting conservation centre) to experiment with gold leaf and some scarily expensive paint pigments. And, perhaps rather inevitably, a certain amount of time is devoted to gallery visits. In the first year, generally two (of about seven) lectures a week take place in one of the city’s museums or traipsing around one of the university’s thirty one colleges. The wealth of art and architecture available in Cambridge makes it such a perfect place to read History of Art and develop your own ideas – from gargantuan Ovidian tales painted by Titian to private views of little known drawings by Leonardo; lectures from the roof of King’s College Chapel to twentieth century artworks available to hang on your walls courtesy of Kettle’s Yard.
Corpus itself offers architectural excitement in the form of Old Court which dates to the fourteenth century and, as such, is the oldest continually used court in both Cambridge and Oxford. However, if Old Court’s unusual plumbing arrangements aren’t to everyone’s taste, then perhaps the Harry Potter-esque dining hall, Corpus’s relatively small size and central location (pretty much halfway between Topshop and the History of Art faculty) should sway your mind. Furthermore, Corpus’s size makes it easier for you to get involved in as many non-academic activities as you can make time for. In my second year I organised all of the food for the one thousand guests at last year’s May Ball which, despite being rather manic, taught me skills not readily available in the lecture hall.
Being an Art Historian is being a bit of a minority in Cambridge (on average, there are about thirty students a year across the university) and, unlike lots of subjects, supervisions are generally inter-college. History of Art also has rather minimal lecture hours. Nevertheless, being Cambridge, a certain amount of hard work is required with weekly essays necessitating enough will-power for a few trips to the library. Fortunately the library at Corpus is located directly next to the bar…
Felicity Woodrow, third year
Modern and Medieval Languages
The reason that I applied to the rather pompously named ‘Modern and Medieval Languages’ (MML) course at Cambridge is that it is one of the broadest and most varied courses available anywhere. In your first year, depending on your language combination, you could be studying medieval French Courtly Romance, Nouvelle Vague cinema, speculating on Catherine the Great’s colourful private life or getting to grips with the latest theories in socio-linguistics. There are compulsory language papers which will advance your written language and translation skills through faculty classes, as well as your spoken language through smaller classes in Corpus with Alicia, our resident language assistant. You’ll also have supervisions, one of Cambridge’s best features, with two or three other students every week to work on the literature component of the course. This system means that help is always available when you need it; your ‘DoS’ (Director of Studies) is there to ensure you make the transition from school to university study smoothly. In further years the course options widen even further to include periods of literature, the study of linguistics, philosophy, history, film and art history, even new languages such as Catalan, Dutch or Ukrainian. The knowledge acquired is not always academic- language classes require discussion of contemporary social and political issues, meaning you can keep in touch with the real world while in the Cambridge bubble!
Of course, the year abroad is one of the main attractions of an MML degree for many applicants. Most students choose to study at a foreign university, but a large minority find work in banks, legal firms, publishing houses or PR companies abroad. It’s a break from the intensity of Cambridge and particularly important for students who took up a new language in first year. This option, although intense, is very rewarding. I took beginner’s Russian and am new preparing to study in St Petersburg for a term, making memorising tables of declensions and conjugations worth it in hindsight…
Studying MML at Corpus in particular is also a great experience. We are a very small group, compared to the ‘MMLers’ at other college, and there are usually around 10 of us in total. There are two supervisors, specialising in French and Spanish, but don’t be put of if you want to study another language here—you’ll be given an external supervisor who is a specialist in your language. Corpus is also very generous with grants- our DoS has an ‘entertainment budget’ which is spent on a lovely dinner before Christmas and a Garden Party after exams—but, more importantly, everyone is entitled to a travel grant to study during the summer or Easter vacations, an excellent way of passing off sightseeing in Paris or Milan as work. Beyond Corpus, the university languages society Polyglossia organises social gatherings and careers events throughout the year and produces a journal of students’ original writing.
James Bell, third year
PPSIS
PPSIS at Cambridge involves studying Psychology, Politics and Sociology papers, but also newer additions such as International Studies and Anthropology. This wide range of subjects that are available to study in PPSIS is one of its best selling points. At few other universities would you be able to study all these different subjects together. The department is also constantly developing (hence the name changes) and aiming to increase the options of subjects available to you.
In the first year you can study 4 modules, normally these will include Psychology, Politics and Sociology and other options such as Social Anthropology and Education are available. I chose to do Biological Anthropology as my fourth module and found it incredibly fascinating. Some people might be a bit worried about studying so many different subjects, especially if there is one you already prefer. However, I found that the wide range of subjects helped me decide what I really find interesting and want to know more about. It was also great mixing with people from other departments. In first year you will have about 10 hours of lectures per week and about 12 supervisions in a term (4 essays per subject). The supervisions generally go over the information covered in your essay and lectures, and help you improve your essays substantially. This subject also involves a lot of reading for each essay, which is important to keep up with.
In second year it’s time to specialise! Most people choose between Politics, Psychology and Sociology. However, you can do mixtures of subjects such as Psychology and Sociology. In second year you only do 3 modules and one of these will probably involve a long essay or a project. This means you have more spare time to explore extracurricular activities but also more time to read around your subject, compared to first year. Second year in general is a really good year that allows to you explore the subjects you really like but it does involve a lot more independent work which you need to organise.
In third year there are four modules, one of which will most likely involve long essays or a dissertation, but in some subjects these are optional.
Studying PPSIS at Cambridge is really good because you have enough time between studying to carry out extracurricular activities and go on nights out without too much stress. The course also allows you to be very flexible with your modules. Corpus is a particularly good place to study it as it is quite small which means you make very good friends with the people on your course and can help each other out when needed. Corpus is also located right next to the PPSIS faculty library and next to the New Museums Site, which is where the lectures for Psychology and Sociology are often held. It is one of the best colleges to study at because it has a nice cosy feel to it and you feel at home very quickly.
Ruth Plackett, third year
Theology
8am. Alarm goes off. Hit snooze.
8.45am. Wake up, grab bag and Greek textbook.
9.05am Arrive at Divinity faculty and hide self at back of lecture room. However, being in a class of around 15 means that my 2 minute lateness is noticed.
1pm. After a couple more lectures and some coffee at the Law Faculty (who do the best coffee on the Sidgwick Site) I head back to Corpus bar for a leisurely lunch with friends in college, more coffee, and the usual moan about our supervision work for the week.
2pm. Go back to my room and pick up the necessaries for the afternoon. As I’m mainly studying Christianity-based papers, for me this means a Bible for reference, three or four books, and maybe one or two articles printed from an academic website. I then like to work in Starbucks, where they no longer ask for my order, but simply accept my money and hand me my usual Grande Americano with milk. I find a good corner, and do about 3 hours of intermittent reading and checking Facebook.
5.45pm Head back to College for dinner in hall with a group of friends. We usually go to the bar for a drink and sit for another couple hours chatting, and then slowly peel off one-by-one to return to some work.
8pm I do the actual writing of essays best in the evening, so between now and 11pm I get together all the notes I made in lectures and at Starbucks and try to form some sort of coherent essay. This usually ends up all coming together the night before the essay has to be handed in for me, but some people like to have it written three days before it’s due.
11pm A final cup of tea stops my head from swirling before I finally put my head to pillow…
The important thing to remember is that it’s different for everyone. Theology has a huge range of topics to choose from, and in first year, you cover a broad range of thinkers and ideas, so there is something interesting in every paper. Most of all, it isn’t work work work; my weekend tends to look very different from what’s outlined above!
Emily Aldritt, second year