I'm 27, a freelance hack based in London, where I've lived all my life.
I'm 27, a freelance hack based in London, where I've lived all my life.
Member since:15.12.2000
Reviews:154
Members who trust:129
- in my humble opinion, and not least because I managed to survive it. I actually decided I wanted to go to Cambridge because of the course (having been turned down before I wasn't keen on reapplying) and it was absolutely the right decision.
There are two main things you need to know about the Cambridge course. One, there are no compulsory papers (or lectures, come to that). This is, I think, the only course to work this way. At some point in your first two years, you have to do a British policial paper (period of your choice), a british social and economic paper (ditto) and a European paper (ditto). Since you can do everything from Anglo Saxon England to the modern day, this isn't much of a restriction. Otherwise, you can pick three more papers from a total of about forty, and
there's a mini-dissertation too.
This structure leads to the second thing you need to know: for the vast majority of your time here you'll be studying alone. The chances of someone else in your college doing the same paper at the same time as you are pretty much nil, so all your weekly supervisions will be one-on-one - pretty daunting given that as this is Cambridge, you'll be tutored by a leading expert in the field. For this reason also, Cambridge historians don't tend to bond as a subject group the way other subjects do - you'll hardly see each other. The other thing this means is that you'll have to work bloody hard. The workload here is a 2,000 word essay per week - a walk in the park compared to some Cambridge courses (try whingeing to a medic about this) but a marathon when you discover that all your mates at other universities are doing three essays a term. And because you're on your own there'll be no-one to crib off or to help you with research. You'll be given an essay title about someone you've probably never heard of, and have a week to turn your 2,000 word analysis over to someone who's been studying it for 15 years. Like I said, be prepared to work.
But the up side is more than worth it. Working so intensively means you learn heaps, and you'll get pushed to the point where you really learn and develop your skills. There's no hiding in a one-on-one supervision, and this can be a very good thing, depending on how much you've drunk the night before. The scope is there for you to get into anything you want and take it as far as you want - third year dissertations can be on practically anything, are 15,000 words long and require orignial research. These can lead on you on quite a voyage - I wound up going to the States to research mine (College gave me loads of money too) and are quite the best thing about the course. And the advantage of somewhere like Cambridge is they really will go out of their way to accomodate you. If you manage to find something so obscure that there's no-one in the university who can teach it, they'll actually arrange for you to be supervised in London, Birmingham, Oxford - wherever there's an expert.
It is a quirk of the course that your entire degree rests on your final year's work. To a point, this means you can doss for two years or do other stuff (not many dossers at Cambridge, it has to be said) and just work like mad for your final year, tho its not the way to get a First. The downside is that the stress of exams is like nothing I've experienced. To know your entire degree rests on about twelve hours of frantic scribbling is good neither for the body or the soul. The dissertation option alleviates it a bit, but not much - you'll still have five exams and they will still terrify you.
I have to say though, that it's worth it. My three years were fabulous, I discovered interestes that i never knew I had (history of South Carolina, anyone?) and learned more that I think I have yet realised. History is one of those few arts degrees where what you learn actually is some practical use in the outside world. I'm a journalist now and there's really not that much difference: everything I learned about objectivity, evaluating evidence, source material and constructing arguments is immensely valuable to me now. So if you choose to put yourself through this course, at least take consolation in the fact you'll walk away with some proper skills - and don't blame me if you hate it...
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Interesting op, very useful. Am putting together my uni application at the moment, am applying for History at Oxford. Thanks.
Manx 22.01.2001 15:56
I see this is sitting as a "Great Opinion" example (currently) on the front page of the Education section. :)
LostWitness 16.01.2001 08:46
Although of no use to me, this sort of opinion is very useful to publish on Ciao, as it offers a lot
of relevant detail to a prospective student - good stuff.
exceptional by (6%):
very helpful by (94%):
