Robinson College Cambridge University

Subject Masterclasses – events for Year 12 Students Subject Masterclasses provide academically-able Year 12 students with the opportunity toexplore subjects they are interested in studying at university and may not have previouslyexperienced. Each event includes two lectures, an introduction to the admissions process, and the chance to hear about student life from current undergraduates. There is a charge of £10 per student to cover event costs, with free places available to those in receipt of a 16-19 Bursary, Discretionary Learner Support, Looked-after Children, and those from families in receipt of Income Support. Following on from the success of last year’s events we are pleased to announce that we are increasing the number of Masterclasses offered in 2015/16. The events will now run on selected days between November 2015 and June 2016. A range of subjects are offered each year, currently we would like to inform you bookings are open for February 2016 Masterclasses:

 Archaeology: Saturday 06 February 2016  Genetics and Biochemistry : Saturday 06 February 2016  Physics: Saturday 06 February 2016  Theology and Philosophy: Saturday 06 February 2016  Architecture: Saturday 27 February 2016  Classics: Saturday 27 February 2016  English: Saturday 27 February 2016

Robinson has a lively IT office with Dave, Mike and Kevin at hand to help with all IT related issues.

What’s the most important thing for students to think about regarding IT Kevin?

We have seen quite a lot of hard drives failing recently and students have lost all their work. It’s really important that students back up their work on a different media, such as a cloud, USB stick or external hard drive. If you are using a cloud, your work should sync automatically. With USB sticks and external hard drives, you should regularly back up your work.

What should students think when buying a computer for University Kevin?

There is no need to spend a lot of money on a laptop - you can purchase a very decent laptop for around £250. Students are eligible for a free Microsoft Office 365 subscription while they are at University so there is no need to buy this before they come. If students don’t have a laptop, Robinson has a computer room with 8 PCs and 1 Mac and 2 computers in the library. There are also 2 computers in the MCR (Middle Combination Room) and there are also computer facilities in all the Departments. .

What about anti-malware software?

Entry Requirements: A*AA No subjects required but a mix of science and essay based subjects is recommended James switched to PBS after his first year of Philosophy. He now takes two papers in Philosophy and two papers in PBS. He is assessed at the end of the year with three exams and an extended research project.

What do you most enjoy about PBS?

Reasoning and Decision Making: what is the logical, normative way of approaching a problem compared to heuristic and biases.

How many contact hours do you have a week?

Six hours of supervision and a few hours of lectures.

What are you researching for your extended project?

Whether cryillis letters are more susceptible to the crowding effect. The crowding effect is when you can’t see objects in peripheral vision. Cyrillis letters have dominant horizontal spatial frequency so they are more similar to each other than Latin letters.

What do you do in the evening?

Entry Requirements: A*AA No subjects required but some Colleges ask for a language to A Level. Anna is a second year AMES student who came to Cambridge after a Gap Year. She started Japanese ab initio although had some experience in the language. She is also fluent in German, having grown up in Belgium.

What did you do during your Gap Year?

I volunteered in Japan after the earthquake. I was working with a German charity so I didn’t learn much Japanese but the experience gave me a real insight into Japanese history and way of thinking. I developed a cultural awareness that I could draw on when I started the tripos here.

How did you find out about the course if you were living in Brussels?

I researched the course online. When I arrived I found this type of teaching much more intense than at school. There was also a lot more independent study than I was used to.

What does a typical day look like for an AMES student?

The first year was very language intensive. We had to go from no language knowledge to a post A Level standard in one year. It’s still pretty language orientated ijn the second year but we also have Papers on society, modern History and Classical Japanese.

7.30 Get up and eat breakfast in the College hostel kitchen.

9-10: Lecture

10-3: In the Faculty in supervisions or language classes or in the library preparing work for my supervisions.

Lottie is a PhD student in English literature at Robinson College.

Why did you choose Robinson?

I was an Undergrad here and had a great time. I heard it was also good for Graduates and there are a lot of scholarship opportunities here for Grads.

What is the MCR?

This is the Graduate student committee which organises events for Grad students. These include afternoon tea, evening socials including free Formal dinners, pub outings, garden parties, film nights and a research day once a term during which Grad students and Fellows present their research.

The MCR also stands for Middle Combination Room, which is our Common room and has a football table, a Playstation 4, a small kitchen, comfortable seats, free newspapers, computers and printers, a free fruit bowl and a huge TV.  I spend quite a lot of time here, printing my work and before and after Formal Hall. I sometimes go and watch a film with friends here in the evening.

What subject do you do?

Medieval English Literature. My thesis title is ‘Setting and Convention in Chaucerian Dream Poetry’. I see my supervisor at least once a month (she’s not at Robinson). There are some really friendly Medievalists amongst the Fellows here at Robinson so I quite often chat informally to them about my work.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Out of term time, I work in the library or the café at Robinson because it’s quiet with the students away. During term, I head to the English Faculty Library or the University Library. I work approximately 9-5 most weekdays but quite often take coffee breaks with passing friends. I also teach during term time and there are usually plenty of seminars to choose from. I tend to take weekends off, but if it’s been an unproductive week or I’m nearing a deadline, I might work on Sunday too.

Favourite bit of Robinson?

The gardens!

Favourite place to eat?

Afternoon Tease on King’s Street.

Current favourite medieval poem?

Entry Requirements: A*AA

No subjects required but most Colleges prefer History/ an essay based subject at A Level.

Emily is in the second year of the History tripos. She is also the JCR Access Officer which means that she works on behalf of the Undergraduate students to make Robinson as open and accessible as possible to potential applicants. Can you describe a typical day?

7.30: Get up and have breakfast in my room. Usually read the news on my iPad, and check my emails for the day ahead.

9-10: Head to the History faculty for a lecture on Paper 9, ‘Early Modern Economic and Social History’.

10-11: Lecture on Paper 23 ‘World History since 1914’ which looks at Indian and Chinese History.

11: Study with a friend in the University Library, just over the road from College. We have lunch in the tearoom at 1 and I generally stay there until 6, reading and writing my supervision essays. Usually at around 3pm I might head with a friend to Sainsburys for food shopping, or WHSmiths for stationary shopping.

6: At six, I will head to the garden restaurant for dinner, or cook pasta in our staircase kitchen and catch up with friends.

7: In the evening I have a lot of choice – Either I am subediting the University student newspaper, Varsity, or I go to a debate at the Cambridge Union, or I hang out in the bar here or at Corpus, my friend’s College. Sometimes I just chill out in my room with a film and friends. When I have an essay deadline the next day, I will head to the Robinson library with a mug of tea and spend the evening typing/reading.

11: Bed

What’s the difference between Papers?

The History tripos is separated into part 1 and part 2. Part 1 is for first and second years. It involves taking five papers (a paper on British political History, British Social and Economic History, European History and the other two papers you have free choice). We all take a ‘Themes and Sources’ extended essay, (also part 1) which involves reading a lot of primary material. I am writing mine on the history of rivers, focusing on their economic, cultural and environmental role within societies. The other Papers tend to be based more on secondary literature, but still have the opportunity to look at primary sources. For example, this term I chose paper 9 (Social and Economic History in Britain from 1500-1750) and this paper offered source seminars which allows closer examination of primary sources.

What’s your favourite part of being a History student?