Lucy wrote this at the end of her second year studying Natural Sciences (Physical) here at Christ's College, Cambridge. She is from Newquay, Cornwall (South-West England) and did A-levels in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Physics.
What attracted you to Natural Sciences?
I always knew I wanted to go to Cambridge, so it was just a case of figuring out which course I wanted to take there. When I was applying to university, I hadn’t yet decided whether I wanted to study Chemistry or Physics at degree level. Natural Sciences allows you to choose three science courses and a maths course for first year, which really appealed to me. This way, I was able to keep both options open, while still being able to keep studying Maths (which turned out to be my favourite course!) and even try out Materials Science too.
Another aspect of the Natural Sciences course at Cambridge that most appealed to me is the gradual specialisation of the course, which made being at university considerably less daunting to start with. My studies in first year were very broad since I was taking four distinct courses, but in second year I was able to specialise by taking two Physics courses and a Maths course.
Why did you apply to Christ’s?
I started the process of choosing a college by going through the college listings part of the University prospectus, and reading about the specific details of each listed there. Since there are so many colleges, at a certain point they all seemed to blur together, especially because I wasn’t able to visit Cambridge to check any of them out in person at the time. Eventually, I just picked Christ’s because, being first in the alphabetical list of colleges, it was the one that stuck in my mind the most.
Applying to Christ’s turned out to be a great choice – the accommodation is really nice, as is the food at Upper Hall (canteen). It’s also really central, so the shops or my second-year lecture halls are only a few minutes’ walk away.
What is your favourite place in college?
Of course this is a cliché, but my favourite place in College would have to be the library. I spend a lot of time there during Easter term studying for exams, but I prefer it during Michaelmas and Lent, when it’s much quieter. I also really enjoy the Fellows’ garden – it’s nice to have such a large green space available for us to use for gatherings with friends or enjoying the sunshine.
Do you have any advice for students choosing a College?
I didn’t particularly understand the college system when I was applying, with regards to how much different facilities/locations can affect your experience of studying here. I now understand that it affects a lot of things – how long it’ll take to travel to and from lectures, what facilities you’ll have access to on a day-to-day basis, how far away the main supermarkets are, that sort of thing.
If you’re struggling to choose a College, it’s probably best to think of two or three criteria that are most important to you (proximity to your department, catering for special dietary requirements, sports facilities, etc), and then work out which Colleges satisfy those criteria. This will help stop you from getting overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choice, and you could then do some more concentrated research into the Colleges on your shortlist. Reading what current students have to say about those colleges, watching virtual tours, and visiting if possible will all help you decide which College on the shortlist is for you.
How did you find the application process?
It was tiring, and filling out the SAQ and arranging to take the pre-interview assessment (the NSAA in my case) was very-time consuming, but ultimately that degree of stress prepared me well for dealing with my emotions when I was interviewed. Filling out the forms is boring (as filling out forms tends to be, regardless what they’re for), but I actually enjoyed taking the NSAA. The most stressful part was definitely the period of waiting between being interviewed and finding out whether I’d been given an offer.
How did you prepare for interviews?
The school I went to tried its best to run mock ‘Oxbridge-style interviews’, which weren’t particularly accurate in retrospect, but were helpful in figuring out how best to communicate my thoughts to an interviewer while working through questions out loud. I also made sure to go over everything I mentioned in my personal statement, just in case any of that came up. I also did the standard thing and looked up Oxbridge-interview-style questions, which I would talk through by myself, just to get used to the process of explaining my reasoning.
Before arriving in Cambridge, what were you looking forward to and what were you most worried about?
I was most worried about settling in, especially because I came to university a year early. Being younger than my peers had made college difficult at times, and I was worried that it was going to be the same thing at university. It was definitely hard at first, especially because of the pandemic limiting how many people I interacted with in first year, but during second year I made a lot of good friends – both within college and at different society events.
On the other hand, I was looking forward to living away from home, working on my own schedule and just generally learning how to juggle academic and domestic responsibilities. It’s rewarding to work out a schedule that lets you finish all your academic work on time, spend time with friends and still be able to do things you enjoy. Some weeks it’s a bit hit or miss, but it’s a fun learning curve nevertheless.
What are the best and hardest things about your course?
I may be a Natural Sciences student, but my favourite courses here have always been the Maths components. I took Maths B in first year, which also contained a programming course that I enjoyed. I then took the Maths course in second year, which built on everything I learned in first year, and also extended it to solving differential equations in more ways than you would ever hope to use.
I found the practical component of the Physics course to be the most difficult, particularly in second year. To be honest, spending a whole day at the Cavendish labs isn’t the most exciting, and the group project work was frustrating in Lent term when there was a bunch of other practical work that also had to be done that term and it all got a little overwhelming. It’s quite ironic that I spent this past summer working at the Cavendish to help develop new practicals for IA and IB students, but admittedly I enjoyed being at the lab much more when it wasn’t tied to my academic performance.
What does your timetable look like?
In first year, I had twelve lectures a week (three for each course, and unfortunately that meant Saturday 9 a.m.s), Chemistry and Physics practicals which alternated every other week, and a Materials lab every week. There was also a Python course which ran for a couple weeks in the middle of the Michaelmas and Lent terms. I had four supervisions a week, and the rest of my ‘academic work time’ went to working on example sheets, of which I had four a week.
In second year, I had nine lectures (three for each course again, but thankfully none on Saturdays) and one eight-hour Physics lab per week. There was also a numerical Excel course that ran over both Michaelmas and Lent terms, and a Python course that ran over Lent term. I had three supervisions per week, and again the rest of my time was spent working on example sheets.
What do you do when you're not working?
I joined Christ’s boat club as a novice in my first year, just to try it out. While we didn’t have many opportunities to row that year because of COVID, in second year I rowed for Christ’s W2 boat and found a real passion for the sport! I participated in the Lent and May Bumps races for the first time this year, both of which were very exciting. The rowing outings and additional training took up a significant proportion of my spare time, but the boat club is such a wonderful and friendly environment, and even as a novice I felt very welcomed there, and I would definitely recommend that freshers give rowing a try!
In my second year I was also a Logistics Officer for Christ’s May Ball committee, and together we pulled off an event that hundreds of people were able to enjoy. I also sang and played guitar with Christ’s Pop Group, and I occasionally like going to see plays at the Corpus Playrooms or the ADC.
What accommodation have you lived in?
In first year, I lived in Staircase P – the architecture of the building was strange, and it was really hot during Easter term, but it was pretty charming nevertheless. My second year room couldn’t have been more different from that: it was a Blyth room with a view of the Fellows’ garden, which was beautiful and very spacious. For third year, I’m finally in the Typewriter building; although the room is small, it’s nice to have my own ensuite, and the lighting is much better for working.
What are you most looking forward to next year?
This year I’ve finally figured out the direction my degree is going to take – I’m taking Part II Astrophysics, with the aim of progressing to a Masters’ Degree in Astrophysics later on. I’m really excited about this because the Part II Astrophysics course borrows some courses from the Maths department, and the Astrophysics department itself seems very welcoming.
I’m also excited to row for W2 again this year, and get involved in some different societies, as well as just getting to spend more time with my friends.
Please be aware if you're considering an application that our student writers describe their experiences. Although the majority of the information stays the same, some details may change from year to year. Do read the student profiles in combination with our undergraduate admissions pages for full information.
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