Cambridge from the Inside

Stay tuned to hear Ramji Venkataramanan, our postgraduate tutor, go over the most frequently asked questions on postgraduate funding. You can find a list of topic discussions below:00:00 Introductions00:30 When should you start looking into funding? When is the deadline?02:00 Who provides the funding?04:00 Does the UK government provide any loans/grants?04:40 What kinds of funding are available? (e.g. partial/full tuition/maintenance)06:00 Is it easier to get funding for a Master’s degree than it is for a PhD?07:10 Is there funding support for unexpected hardship for postgraduates at Cambridge and Trinity Hall?08:40 Does funding availability differ between departments and faculties?09:30 Does funding availability differ between colleges?11:00 Postgraduate funding search tool (seeing what funding colleges have provided)12:40 What happens if your PhD overruns? Do you get extended funding?14:10 What things should applicants consider when choosing a college?16:10 How do departments and colleges allocate funding? How do they choose who should get funding?17:30 What factors go into applicant's scores?19:00 What makes a good research proposal?21:00 How are the scores used?22:00 How is funding allocated at the college level?26:00 Are socioeconomic/contextual factors taken into account when providing funding?29:00 Is your PhD funding dependent on the academic performance you maintain during your PhD?31:10 If a student had to take time out of their studies for health reasons, do they get extra funding?32:40 What are Postgraduate Tutors at Cambridge?34:30 If an applicant is unsuccessful in getting funding from the University, what are their options?For external funding and loans listed on the Cambridge Postgraduate website - check out the link below:https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/funding/external-funding-and-loansPostgraduate Funding Search (to compare opportunities between the colleges) check out the link below:https://www.student-funding.cam.ac.uk/For funding opportunities at Trinity Hall, check out the link below:https://inthnet.trinhall.cam.ac.uk/students/financial-information/financial-support-graduates/ The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding is a popular database of alternative funding opportunities from charities and trusts. Applicants can email [email protected] for an access pin. You can find the site in the link below:https://www.postgraduate-funding.com/

Stay tuned to hear May, a third-year VetMed student, discuss what sport and societies are like at the University Cambridge. A list of discussion topics can be found below.00:00 Introductions00:40 What does your typical day look like?01:30 How different is Vet Med from other sciences?01:50 What is an intercalation year?03:20 What do you do outside of studying?04:20 What is the Boat Club?05:00 Do you need to have rowed before to join the boat club?06:20 When do societies and sports clubs host their events and training sessions?07:15 Wednesday inter-university sports matches08:30 What’s the difference between college and university societies?10:00 Founding a society (college-run club) and getting funding from the JCR12:00 JCR committee and the JCR explained13:45 What is Trinity Hall’s Induction Week?17:30 Getting out of the college bubble19:00 Funding support and grants for sport and travel20:30 How do you fit all of your societies around your workload?27:30 Off-site accommodation explained — Trinity Hall accommodation 30:00 Has Cambridge been what you expected?32:00 FOMO (fear of missing out) explained — how to deal with FOMO35:00 Not comparing yourself to others, but to your past and future selves39:00 Spending more time at your desk does not necessarily mean getting more work doneA link to the Trinity Hall accommodation Virtual tour can be found below: https://www.trinhall.cam.ac.uk/study-with-us/next-steps/trinity-hall-virtual-tour/

Stay tuned to hear Jess, a third-year Architecture student, discuss what it's like balancing studying and extra-curricular activities at Cambridge. A list of discussion topics can be found below.00:00 Introductions00:20 What is a society?01:30 Societies Jess has been a part of04:00 Social events for sporting societies05:15 How do you balance the workload?07:50 What does a typical day look like?09:50 How sport can help with studying13:20 The difference between college and university societies20:30 Discipline vs Freedom: the overlaps between learning a sport/skill and studying26:00 Different ways of teaching and learning31:00 Doing your degree on your own terms

Stay tuned as Bethany, a fourth-year Law student, shares what it's like studying Law at Cambridge and everything you need to know about the Law Year Abroad. A full list of discussion topics can be found below.00:00 Introductions 00:25 What is a typical day like for a law student? No02:20 Course structure for Law 03:25 Modules Bethany has chosen 04:20 What are supervisions?05:20 Both problem solving and essay writing in Law07:00 Life outside of studying/Law societies 08:45 Careers after Law09:05 MOOTS explained 10:30 What makes you suited for a law degree? 11:40 Why Cambridge and not Oxford? 12:40 Law Year Abroad explained 13:30 Bethany’s year abroad 17:40 Advice for upcoming Law applicantsFind out more about the Law Year Abroad in the link below:https://www.ba.law.cam.ac.uk/studying-law-cambridge/year-abroad

Stay tuned to hear our Director of Admissions, Dr Marcus Tomalin, explain everything you need to know about Results Day and what to do if you've missed your offer. A list of topic discussions can be found below:00:00 Introductions 00:50 What percentage of offer holders miss their offer? 02:50 What should you do on results day if you’ve missed your offer? 04:00 Can colleges still take an applicant who has missed their offer? 06:20 What happens if an applicant receives a successful remark? 07:20 If an applicant miss their offer, can they be selected by another college? 09:00 The difference between the Summer Pool and the August Reconsideration Pool11:30 Can successful applicants change their course? 16:00 What happens if you do IB/other qualifications where you receive your results before A Level students? 18:35 What advice do you have for applicants who want to reapply? 23:30 How you can always study at Cambridge for postgraduate studiesAdd podcasts about summer pool and better gradesA link to the podcast covering the Summer Pool can be found below:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z-bs-cTcFYA link to the podcast on Post-A Level applications can be found below:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgAg_Slbh0I

Stay tuned to hear Dr Ola Osman, Assistant Professor of African Politics at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow at Trinity Hall, share everything you need to know about studying Politics at Cambridge. Ola explores both the Human, Social, and Political Sciences (HSPS) and History & Politics courses in depth.You can find more about Dr Ola Osman in the link below:https://www.polis.cam.ac.uk/people/ol...A list of topic discussions can also be found below:00:00 Introductions00:30 How can you study Politics at Cambridge?01:00 What does HSPS stand for? What do you study?02:00 What are the main differences between HSPS and History & Politics?02:45 Which course should you choose if you're interested in both contemporary politics and its historical context?03:50 What is the structure of the HSPS course?04:50 What's the difference between studying Politics elsewhere and studying HSPS?07:00 What is critical theory?09:30 Is it more important to study politics with an understanding of sociology and social anthropology, or with an appreciation of historical context?10:30 What's the difference between HSPS at Cambridge and PPE at Oxford?13:20 Can you study philosophy within HSPS?14:50 Ola's research interests17:20 Siam's trip to Nepal and diasporic identity19:20 Studying African and Caribbean politics in HSPS20:40 Studying individual countries in Africa through HSPS21:20 If an applicant wants to study cutting-edge contemporary politics and political theory - not just the Western canon - would Cambridge be a good fit?

Stay tuned to hear Ramji Venkataramanan, our postgraduate tutor, go over the most frequently asked questions postgraduate applicants have about the Cambridge admissions process and what life is like at Cambridge.00:00 Introductions01:30 When should applicants start thinking about their postgraduate application?03:00 Avoiding missing funding deadlines04:00 The application process for applying for a master’s05:20 Should you reach out to a supervisor/academic before applying for a master’s degree?07:00 Differences between a research-based master’s and a PhD09:00 Differences between a PhD and a DPhil09:30 The application process for applying for a PhD10:30 What does a day in the life of a PhD scientist look like? And how integral are PhD students to a science group?13:30 Should PhD applicants reach out to potential supervisors/academics before applying?14:00 Centres for Doctoral Training explained16:30 Are there interviews for master’s and PhD programmes?18:10 How important is networking in making a successful application?19:30 Are places for master’s courses first come, first served?21:00 How to get funding24:30 Making sure you know the relevant funding deadlines25:30 What are colleges? How do postgraduates take part in college life?26:45 Postgraduate accommodation at Trinity Hall Cambridge28:00 What are Cambridge postgraduate tutors? What support is there for students’ wellbeing?The university's Postgraduate homepage can be found below:https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/Check out Trinity Hall's Virtual Tour below, including Postgraduate accommodation:https://www.trinhall.cam.ac.uk/study-with-us/next-steps/trinity-hall-virtual-tour/

Stay tuned to hear Professor Louise Haywood, Director of Studies in MML and History & Modern Languages, share everything you need to know about studying languages at Cambridge! A full list of discussion points can be found below.00:00 Introductions01:30 What degree options are available for someone who wants to study languages at Cambridge?04:00 Do students study a language degree solely to become fluent in the language?05:30 What kinds of things can you learn on an MML course?08:00 Reading classical texts in their original language09:30 Can a text ever be fully translated?11:00 Learning about a culture through language12:30 The MML year abroad explained14:00 Why study Spanish and Portuguese?16:30 How are MML students taught? What does a typical day look like?20:30 Teaching critical theory21:20 Differences between college and faculty teaching25:20 What are MML supervisions like at Trinity Hall?27:00 Developing your own voice28:00 Career pathways after studying languages31:00 Becoming a lawyer without a law degree32:40 Why is there a gender skew in MML applications?35:00 More on careers after studying languages37:40 Louisa's research interests48:30 What is there to gain from studying the humanities?49:30 Portfolio careers53:40 Advice for prospective MML applicants

Stay tuned to hear Sam, a first-year Geography student from Sheffield, discuss what his application journey was like and the advice he would give to prospective applicants. A list of discussion topics can be found below.00:00 Introductions01:30 How did you decide to study Geography? And why Cambridge?02:45 Did you visit Cambridge/Oxford before applying?04:30 Train costs and choosing universities05:45 How affordable is it to live in Cambridge?07:00 When did you start preparing for your Cambridge application?08:15 How did you approach your personal statement?13:20 How much did your school help?16:00 How did you find your interviews?17:50 How did you think your interviews went?22:10 What was the Winter Pool like?23:30 Could you imagine being at a different college?25:20 At Trinity Hall, what are Central Site and Wychfield Site?27:30 What did you think Cambridge would be like beforehand?29:50 Hesitating to apply to Cambridge30:45 How did you decide to apply to Cambridge?31:10 What have the Cambridge students been like?32:00 Are Cambridge students posh?35:20 What are colleges?37:00 Explaining college and university societies38:10 What societies has Sam been attending?39:10 Trinity Hall Cambridge’s wall by the river40:00 Trinity Hall boats available to rent for punting40:50 Cambridge being a flat city — getting used to it after Sheffield42:00 Grantchester Meadows and Cambridge intellectuals43:10 Advice for applicants hesitating to apply

Stay tuned to hear Holly, a first-year Law student, discuss what it was like applying to Cambridge from the Irish system, compare her experiences at university in Ireland and Cambridge, and explain why she thinks more Irish students should apply to Cambridge. A list of discussion topics can be found below.00:00 Introductions01:30 How did the idea of applying to Cambridge come up?02:30 Differences between Trinity College Dublin and University of Cambridge08:00 What it’s like living in a college compared to living in the city, with your family, or in digs13:00 What are Cambridge Colleges?19:30 Leaving Trinity College Dublin for University of Cambridge20:00 Differences between applying to university in Ireland and the UK28:00 Guidance for teachers on how to write the school reference30:30 Applying to UK universities with Irish predicted grades32:30 More of Holly’s experience applying to Cambridge while at Trinity College Dublin34:30 The difference between applying with predicted grades and completed grades35:10 More differences between applying to university in Ireland and the UK36:00 Cambridge having lower grade requirements than Trinity College Dublin38:10 Applying post-qualification, gap years, and unconditional offers40:00 How common is it for Irish students to apply to UK universities?41:20 How expensive is Cambridge? Irish students eligible for tuition loans, travel grants, and Cambridge financial support44:30 College support for Cambridge students — “there’s a whole army of people here who are there to help you”46:00 Living costs while studying at Cambridge47:45 How much does accommodation cost at Cambridge?49:15 Subsidised food at Cambridge and Trinity Hall Cambridge52:00 What is the Irish community like at Cambridge?54:30 Was being surrounded by Brits a deterrent to studying in the UK?58:00 Opportunities to study the Irish language at Cambridge for all studentsFor more information on funding for Irish applicants, see below: https://hea.ie/funding-governance-performance/funding/student-finance/other-finance-bursaries-scholarshipsFor more information on learning Irish at Cambridge, see below: https://www.asnc.cam.ac.uk/currentstudents/irish/learning.htmFor podcasts on Personal Statements, School Reference, and how applications are assessed, see below:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rM-4pCKTgkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SGqFEvho-ghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn4e8XTcgOw