Robinson College

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Contents

Introduction .............................................................. 5 College life ............................................................... 6

Food and the Bar ..................................................... 7 Formal Halls ........................................................... 9 The Library ........................................................... 10 Porters’ Lodge ....................................................... 11 Chapel ................................................................. 11 Bikes ................................................................... 12 The Gardens .......................................................... 13

Student Life ............................................................. 14 What is the RCSA? ................................................... 14 RCSA Money .......................................................... 14 Admissions ............................................................ 15 Freshers’ Week ...................................................... 16 Academic Affairs ..................................................... 17 Facilities .............................................................. 18 Partying ............................................................... 19 Green .................................................................. 20 Welfare ................................................................ 21 Women ................................................................ 22 Men .................................................................... 23 Ethnic Minorities ..................................................... 23 Overseas Students ................................................... 24 LGBT ................................................................... 31 Sports and societies ................................................. 31

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Subjects .................................................................. 33 Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic .................................... 33 Architecture .......................................................... 35 Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) ........................ 35 Classics ................................................................ 36 Computer Science ................................................... 37 Economics ............................................................ 38 Engineering ........................................................... 39 English ................................................................. 40 Geography ............................................................ 41 History ................................................................. 42 Human, Social and Political Sciences (HSPS) .................... 43 Land Economy ........................................................ 44 Law .................................................................... 45 Linguistics ............................................................ 46 Mathematics .......................................................... 47 Medicine .............................................................. 48 Modern and Medieval Languages .................................. 50 Music................................................................... 51 Natural Sciences ..................................................... 53 Philosophy ............................................................ 53 Psychological and Behavioural Sciences (PBS) .................. 54 Theology .............................................................. 56 Veterinary Medicine ................................................. 57

Contacts ................................................................. 59

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Introduction Emily Fernandes (RCSA Access Officer 2012-13)

Choosing a Cambridge College can be a daunting and confusing

process. There is a lot of information out there to trawl

through, and 29 different undergraduate Colleges to choose

from. Written by people that have just gone through the

application process, this Students’ Prospectus is designed to

help you understand the College system and what student life is

like both at Robinson and at Cambridge. Each section is written

by a student currently studying at Robinson, and aims to give

prospective applicants an undergraduate’s insight.

Being the newest College in Cambridge, Robinson is one of the

friendliest and most relaxed. We have a diverse student body

and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. The fact that so

many people were eager to share their experiences within this

prospectus really is reflective of the College’s welcoming

atmosphere.

This Alternative Prospectus is split into three main sections:

information about the College in general, information about

student life, and an introduction to virtually all of the courses

on offer at Robinson. If you have a question that is not covered

here, please do not hesitate to contact us! The “Contacts Page”

at the end of the prospectus should hopefully provide you with

all the necessary e-mail addresses and websites.

For more detailed information about a particular course, or

about the University as whole, visit their undergraduate page at

www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate, or check out the

Cambridge University Students Union (www.cusu.cam.ac.uk).

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College life Ben Peacock (RCSA Access Officer 2013-14) – bjp33@cam.ac.uk

Accommodation-wise, we’ve thrown the dice well at Robinson

(apart from being surrounded by red brick) and not just because

our rooms are well heated in winter! Read this section to find

out why.

The majority of accommodation in Robinson is in the main

redbrick building that you see when you approach the College

from the road. All first years are accommodated in the main

building, as are many second and third years. The rest live in

College-owned houses around the perimeter walls of the College

grounds. Robinson is unusual in this way, as not all Colleges can

provide accommodation ‘in College’ for all three years. All

students living on the main site creates a community spirit, and

means that you will easily become friends with people in other

years as well as your own.

Accommodation in the main building in College is arranged

according to staircases, with 14-16 or so living on each staircase

and around four on each floor. There are two small kitchens on

each staircase, and you can have an ensuite bedroom, share a

bathroom between two or share a bathroom between three,

with the cost of rent reflecting this. Robinson actually has the

best bathroom-to-student ratio of any College! However, all of

this general information is on the Accommodation section of the

main College website. This Alternative Prospectus is designed to

give the student’s view…

The key thing to remember is that you will definitely get your

own room (of a reasonable size and containing essentials) at

Robinson. Not only that, but you get your bed linen changed

once a week for you as well! The choice is over whether or not

you share a bathroom with another student. If you like a lot of

your own personal space (the ensuite rooms are slightly bigger),

then go for an ensuite. However, the way the shared-between-

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two bathrooms are organised, it’s almost like living in a small

flat with your fellow bathroom-mate, and this can foster a good

friendship.

Regarding the bathrooms, you will find a standard arrangement,

with a shower/bath, toilet and sink. We are very lucky, though;

our bedrooms and bathrooms are cleaned for us once a week,

by a very friendly team of ‘bedders’.

Compared to the size of a lot of College kitchens, Robinson’s

are pretty good. They are not huge, but with two kitchens per

staircase, there are only about seven of you sharing a kitchen.

Each kitchen has two hobs, two microwaves, a fridge, plenty of

cupboard space and a surface for food preparation. Although

the College is fully catered, some people like to cook snacks

and meals in their staircase kitchens from time to time, and it’s

very convenient.

On many staircases, a good sense of community and trust can

evolve from the shared use of kitchens (and in particular sharing

space in the fridge!) Some members of staircases sometimes

cook together once or twice a week, the bottom line being that

sharing a staircase with fellow students (and always some fellow

Freshers) is a good way to make friends.

Finally, most people find that the rooms are big enough for their

needs, with plenty of cupboard space! Accommodation certainly

is one of the College’s strong points, although be warned: you

will have to get used to redbrick overload!

Food and the Bar

It is said that Robinson provides the best food of all the

Cambridge Colleges: in a recent survey, Robinson was found to

have the best food of all Cambridge Colleges!

The Garden Restaurant (also known as simply the Canteen or

the Restaurant) is a canteen that serves breakfast, lunch and

dinner (at reasonable times) on weekdays, and provides a

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lunchtime brunch at the weekends. This means that all of your

hot meals are catered for except for weekend dinners, when

most people tend to use their kitchens to show how just how

talented they are when it comes to cooking (demonstrated by

the number of times the smoke detectors are set off!)

There are usually four hot main meal options at lunch and

dinner, at least one of which is vegetarian. There is also a wide

range of potatoes and vegetables. Plentiful hot and cold

desserts are provided, there is a salad bar with a variety of

options, soup of the day, and you can also purchase emergency

food supplies such as milk, cheese and eggs from the Garden

Restaurant too. Meals are reasonably priced, with the average

main meal with potatoes and vegetables costing between £3

and £4. You pay for these via a swipe-card system (using your

University Card, which can be topped up in the restaurant or

bar).

Apart from the main restaurant, a variety of snacks and meals

are also served in the bar (also known as the Red Brick Café),

which is open until 11pm every day. There are a mixture of

cakes, sweets, and hot drinks on offer, and a panini and pizza

service is also offered in the evenings in case you have missed

dinner, become bored with eating in the Garden Restaurant or

can’t face the idea of actually cooking and washing up (a lot of

students can’t!)

There are therefore plenty of food options when you consider

that cooking for yourself in the kitchens and indulging in the

occasional takeaway are also well-explored options. However, I

haven’t talked in much depth about the College Bar…

The Robinson Bar is one of the more spacious of the College

Bars. It houses a pool table, a football table and several sofas,

armchairs and tables. The bar is an important social hub of the

College. Many people will meet in the bar before a night out or

simply to take a break from working in the evenings. The

atmosphere in the bar is particularly good on Tuesday and

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Friday evenings as many people head to the bar following

Formal Hall (see the next section for more details on Hall).

Drinks at the bar are very well priced. To give an example, a

pint of Stella Artois costs £1.80 at the time of writing. The bar

staff often organise evening events, such as quiz nights, karaoke

evening, or football screening.

Formal Halls

Many people consider Formal Halls to be among the best of the

Cambridge traditions, and a tradition that Robinson upholds in

style. At Robinson, Formal Halls (known simply as ‘Formals’) are

formal dinners that take place in the main College hall on

Tuesday and Friday evenings. It’s a great opportunity to get

dressed up, and all College members wear their gowns (which

students receive at Matriculation, the formal ceremony whereby

you become a member of the College).

The food at Formals is superb, wine flows and, for a three-

course meal, the £9.60 cost (at the time of writing), it

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represents reasonable value for the atmosphere involved. Most

people tend to book as groups via the online system so that they

can sit together as a table, and Formals are often used as an

opportunity for you to invite friends from other Colleges or from

outside Cambridge to come and visit you and sample life at

Robinson.

If you come to Robinson, you will soon receive an introduction

to formal dining at Cambridge with the grand Matriculation

Dinner at the start of your first term. It will probably have you

hooked on Formals for the rest of your time at Cambridge.

The Library

The College library is situated on Front Court next to the

Porters’ Lodge (Plodge) and is spread over three floors. The

quantity of resources you have available will vary according to

how popular your subject is, but many reading lists are at least

partly covered by the College Library. Books are very easy to

find through the online catalogue system, and the librarians are

more than happy to take you on a tour and show you how the

system works.

If you can’t find your book in the College library, then the

Copyright University Library is across the road, and that is

guaranteed to have the book you’re after. Your subject

department building is also likely to house a library, so you’re

very unlikely to go without the books you need! Most

departments are located very close to College, so you won’t

have to walk far to find any books you need!

Some people will do most of their work in their room; others

will work a lot in the library. The choice is entirely yours. The

library provides quite a good, light, and warm atmosphere for

working in, although working next to your friends can jeopardise

work productivity!

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Porters’ Lodge

I’ve covered the basics, but there are a few more essential

things about College life that may interest you, starting with

the Porters’ Lodge, AKA the Plodge.

The Plodge is, quite simply, where the College Porters are

based. They are extremely friendly and are always the first port

of call for any general questions you have about how the

College works. They also sort out all of our mail into our

pigeonholes. Keys for various useful rooms around College (such

as the Music Room and Teaching/Meeting rooms) can be

obtained from the Porters. There is a Porter on duty 24/7, so

there will always be a friendly face to see when you stumble

back into College after a night out.

The Porters are simply the lifeblood of the College; without

them, Robinson wouldn’t function. If you have been locked out,

need first aid, or want to call a taxi the porters will often be

your first point of contact!

Chapel

Robinson boasts a spacious Chapel on the other side of the

Porters’ Lodge to the library. The Chapel houses a fine organ

and a large stained glass

window that looks out over

Front Court. Its architecture

(in keeping, of course, with the

College’s red brick theme) is

impressive.

The Chapel plays host to a

number of occasions in

addition to religious services,

including almost all concerts

and choral performances.

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Bikes

Cambridge has quite rightly earned the name: ‘Cycle City’. The

city, being so flat and full of students, is teeming with bikes.

This can often make cycling around a difficult, sometimes

entertaining, and sometimes very frustrating process. However,

most students agree that a bike is a very useful purchase. It is

by far the cheapest and quickest way to get around Cambridge,

and can save you valuable time in the morning before lectures.

Although Robinson is a little bit outside the city centre, the bike

ride of only four minutes into town makes this a pretty

insignificant distance.

Robinson is an excellent College for bike owners, as it has two

large stores located underneath the main College building, as

well as a bike rack outside the College (although all of these do

fill up very fast, there will usually be a space somewhere for

your bike). As you might expect, bikes are not allowed to be

taken into the College itself, but there is plenty of storage

space.

Be warned, though: bike thefts are common throughout

Cambridge. This is an unavoidable fact, so make sure you don’t

spend too much on a bike, and also that you invest in a good

lock! Although remember to be careful to lock your bike safely,

and to invest in a good pair of lights – otherwise you may be

fined by the police!

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The Gardens

Finally, I must mention Robinson’s wonderful landscaped

gardens, located at the back of the main redbrick building and

overlooked by some of the College’s rooms. Unlike in other

Colleges, students are able to walk on all of Robinson’s grass.

Particularly in the summer, the gardens are often used as a

place to eat lunch in, revise, or just relax with friends.

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Student Life

What is the RCSA?

The RCSA – or Robinson College Student’s Association to use the

proper name, which nobody does – is your own College version

of the Students’ Union. Every single undergraduate member of

College is automatically part of the RCSA and can run for

positions and vote in our open meetings. However, when people

refer to the RCSA they are often talking about the committee –

a group of around 20 people elected every November. The jobs

involved in being on the committee vary wildly from talking to

College staff about academic and welfare issues, to organizing

our amazing College events, to helping with IT problems,

organizing the recycling, getting a new TV for the JCR, and

writing this prospectus!

For a full list of who’s who, take a look at the website at

www.rcsa.co.uk/contact. The RCSA is involved with pretty

much every level of College life and joining gives you a great

ability to not only help others but also make the changes you

want to see in the way things are done around College.

RCSA Money

The RCSA gets given money by College to spend on student

activities. This money funds student societies, including sports

teams, music and Ents (in-College parties). The RCSA also pays

for amenities such as a subscription to Sky for the TV room and

daily newspapers in the JCR. There is also some money to

support students paying ‘subs’ for University sports teams.

Students have control over what the money is spent on; after

College provides the money, it is then distributed according to

how students vote. Student societies also raise funds

themselves, through theatre productions, choir services, and

parties. The money generated is used to support these

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societies, for example by helping pay for a rugby tour to Bristol.

The aim of the RCSA’s money is to improve student life through

providing funding for any activity that students may wish to be

involved in, and there’s plenty to go round: Recently, money

from the RCSA funded a renovation of the TV room, the new

sports board and a new football kit to name just a few.

Admissions Emily Fernandes (Access Officer 2012-2013)

Robinson welcomes applications from all students - it doesn’t

matter what your social, racial, financial, or educational

background is. The role of the Access Officer is to coordinate

the work of current undergraduates that aims to provide

potential applicants with information about the admissions

process, College life, and dispel the myths and misconceptions

that surround the University of Cambridge as a whole. A key

part of this involves taking active steps to ensure that this

information reaches those that may not otherwise consider

applying to Cambridge, or come from a background with no

history of higher education.

Once at Robinson, you may want to consider becoming an

Admissions Representative – a role that is crucial to the success

of Robinson’s access and outreach initiatives. Admissions

Representatives take on a number of roles, including showing

school students around the College, working at Open Days, and

looking after applicants who are being interviewed (for which

you are paid). Being an Admissions Representative is also a

great way to get to know students from other years and to

enjoy great food for free – every event you do in College gives

you one free meal in the Restaurant and you will sometimes be

rewarded for all your hard work with a free formal!

The application process for Cambridge can seem daunting – it is

quite different from that of other universities. However, it is

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strange for everyone else too, and the people assessing your

application will know this.

The whole process is designed to take into account a wide range

of factors, including a student’s grades and personal statement,

but potential applicants often worry about the interview the

most. In reality, everyone finds the interview a lot less scary

than they expected it to be – the Oxbridge interview horror

stories definitely are not true!

At Robinson, there will be current students around in the Junior

Common Room (JCR) where you will wait for your interview.

They will take you to and from your different interviews and

tests so that you don’t get lost, and you can ask them any

questions you have, or just chat to calm your nerves. During the

interview itself, the interviewer will not be trying to trick you

or trip you up in any way. You may be asked about a topic

outside of your comfort zone, but the point of this is to see how

you respond to new ideas; you will not be expected to know

everything, and it is definitely ok to say if you’re not sure about

something! Both our College and the University website have

great resources on interviews, such as videos and advice, so if

you’re still a bit nervous about the process, have a look for

these online, starting with the link below:

http://www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/apply/interviews/

Freshers’ Week

Robinson College prides itself in being really welcoming and

encouraging: a place where people can get involved in College

life from the start.

A big part of helping new students settle in when they arrive is

Freshers’ Week (or Freshers’ 5 days as it turns out to be...) and

I reckon Robinson organises some of the most varied and

exciting activities (not that I’m biased at all). Events include

College parties - known as ‘bops’ here - in ‘The Party Room’

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(with a brand new College-shaking sound system), tours to some

of the bars in town, team building events, workshops and quiet

chill-out events where you can just relax and chat.

The College also lays out a memorable dinner (free of charge)

and you get a photo of your year group! Then to finish the week

on a high, we have Robinson’s annual massive party (formally

known as Corruption). Everyone has really fond memories of

those first few days, and it’s great fun introducing yourself to so

many new people. Everyone is in the same boat and really keen

to make new friends. You can introduce yourself to anyone and

they’ll really want to talk! The events organised for me in

Freshers’ Week helped me settle in quickly at College.

RCSA Officers wear named hoodies during Freshers’ Week so you

know who to ask for help. College holds a Societies Fair so you

can sign up for anything you’re interested in, and there are

events to suit everyone from pub crawls to board game

evenings.

Academic Affairs

It’s pretty unavoidable: academic work is a big part of your life

here at Cambridge. That doesn’t mean, however, that you are

expected to spend every moment feverishly swotting…unless, of

course, you want to! Each subject has vastly different amounts

of contact time and lecture time, so if all your friends seem to

be in labs from dawn to dusk whilst you only have two

supervisions a week, don’t worry. The most important thing

about your work here is to get into a good routine. After a few

weeks, you’ll learn when your essays are due, and when your

supervisions and lectures are. If you can structure your work

around that with a good balance of time out, it really isn’t as

daunting as it might at first appear.

Of course, everyone struggles at times and has the odd essay

crisis - it’s just part of life. Thankfully, because everyone’s in

the same boat, your first port of call when you’re having

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academic problems can often be your friends. There’s a really

great network of support at Robinson as well, should you need a

little more support. Your Academic Affairs officer will be there

to help you with any academic difficulties you might have - just

email, text or come to a drop-in session. You will also have a

Subject Rep who can help out - and, of course, you can also see

your tutor, your Director of Studies or chat to one of your

supervisors. If you feel like you’re struggling, there is always

someone to talk to. It’s a terrible cliché, but a problem shared

really is a problem halved. It’s amazing how just talking about

your work to someone else can help you get things into

perspective.

Cambridge is a really great place to work. As well as the College

library, you will have a subject library with a wider range of

books than Robinson’s Library (useful if you’re not a medievalist

or a theologian...!), and you can now also borrow from the

University Library. Each library will have different rules about

how much you can borrow and for how long, but they’re all

super-helpful and you should (hopefully) never have a problem

getting a book you need. If you find that you are missing a vital

textbook and nowhere seems to have it, talk to your DoS - they

can quite often buy in books for the library, or reimburse you

for things you’ve bought (as an impoverished student, this last

part is especially handy!)

Finally, you will at some point during your time here have to do

exams. Don’t panic! Exam term can be a pretty hectic time here

in Cambridge, but it can also be really rewarding. Remember to

take plenty of time to chill out and do things away from work,

and remember: there are plenty of people always willing to

lend a hand if you feel swamped.

Facilities

The Catering and Amenities Officer’s job is to look after the

facilities we have in College for student use, and also to try to

improve them. Robinson is a modern College, so we have the

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benefit of several purpose-built venues, for example the

auditorium which can be hired by students to produce plays or

show films. There is also the outdoor theatre in our (beautiful)

gardens and several conference rooms, which can be hired by

students to hold meetings, rehearsals or dinners.

We have a games room, which has a table tennis table, as well

as some gym equipment. On that note, there is also a weights

room hidden under College, which everyone is welcome to use

once they’ve been inducted - and it’s free! Across the road from

College are three squash courts, which are free to use in the

University Real Tennis Club. Then there are all the little things

that make the difference - we have a DVD library and CD

library. The JCR has just been renovated, and boasts a large

selection of board games, along with a 60” TV. In addition, the

TV room is undergoing improvement, and now has a big TV with

surround sound and 3D capabilities.

Partying

Whilst Cambridge isn’t best known for its nightlife, there is still

a great deal going on. The city has four major nightclubs, as

well as various other bars/pubs and venues. Cambridge students

live by the mantra of work-hard-play-hard, so whilst we may not

go out quite as much as other students, we make the most of it

when we do. If clubbing isn’t really your scene, there is plenty

on offer for you too! Cambridge is famous for its rich array of

cultural pursuits, with a dearth of theatre, comedy and music.

On a more local level, Robinson puts on a lot of entertainment

for students, so you can enjoy yourselves without even having to

venture out of College! Every Friday we run discos that we

affectionately refer to as ‘bops’. These take place in our party

room, which is always stocked with an eclectic selection of

alcohol, and the bar is completely student-run. In fact, we

recently spent a large amount of money installing a

professional-level sound-system, so the party room is a bit like a

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mini-nightclub within College! Bops always go down well and

are good fun.

We also run fortnightly pub-quizzes, and there are always

various other events taking place, such as karaoke, live music

and open-mic nights in the bar. Robinson’s bar/café serves

cheap drinks every night of the week.

Freshers’ week at Cambridge may not be as infamous as at other

universities, but we put on a lot of events to keep you

entertained, which culminates in ‘Corruption’, our annual end-

of-Freshers’-week party which takes up the whole College. At

the end of the year, when everyone finishes exams, we enjoy

May Balls. May Balls are huge events hosted within the

Cambridge Colleges, with all food and drink included all night,

and often attract high-profile musical artists to come and play.

In short, Cambridge isn’t all about work, we like to let our hair

down and enjoy ourselves too!

Green

If you are at all interested in environmental and ethical issues,

then Robinson is the place to be, as it is one of the greenest

Colleges in Cambridge!

At Robinson, we have lots of schemes in place to allow us to

have the minimum impact on the environment. Our student-run

recycling system reduces our landfill waste. We have a Fairtrade

society and the College has Fair Trade Status. Alongside

Fairtrade, you can also get involved in many of the University-

wide ethical and environmental campaigns. We look into how

we can participate in these areas as a College during our Green

sub-committee meetings run by our Green Officer, which

anyone can come along to. So if you want to make a difference

in the world, Robinson is an excellent place to get involved!

The College Catering Department is also very ethical in the food

and drink it serves. All of the hot drinks in the Red Brick Café

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are Fairtrade, and the chocolate sold is also Fairtrade (and

yummy!) In the Garden Restaurant, there is a strong influence

on sustainable food choices.

This means that they will not serve any fish, which is

endangered, and regularly serve locally produced food wherever

possible. They also provide lots of healthy organic, vegetarian

and vegan dishes, so there’s something for everyone.

The Garden Restaurant serves Fairtrade food and creates the

delicious Fairtrade Formal meals. What little is left at the end is

composted and packaging is recycled, so hardly anything is

thrown away! If you choose to cook for yourself in the staircase

kitchens (there are hobs and microwaves available to use) then

the market and health food shops in town can provide all the

green food you could ever want!

In considering how green a College is, it’s important to look at

the buildings themselves. As a modern College, not only do we

benefit from excellent facilities and very comfortable rooms

(and lots of bathrooms!) but also form great insulation and

much better energy-efficiency than older buildings. Even though

we’re this green already, as a College we’re always looking for

ways in which we can further reduce our carbon footprint and

be more ethical consumers. If you like that idea, then Robinson

could be the ideal place for you.

Welfare

As you will have heard from everyone here, Robinson is a small

College with a really friendly environment. This makes it great

for welfare because, on top of the tutors who are there to

support you through your non-academic side at University, there

are always people you know down at the bar or in the common

room if the pile of work on your desk is getting you down. It also

means everyone’s pretty good at looking out for each other both

in College and getting home from town late at night.

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If you do fall into trouble at Robinson, there’s a whole network

of people to help you out. For financial troubles, there’s a

financial tutor who can help you to access hardship funds and

College bursaries. For personal problems, there’s always your

personal tutor, as well as the Chaplain, nurse, and RCSA

Welfare officers who will all be happy to hear you out. The

University runs its own counselling service in addition to this.

The RCSA has an elected team of welfare officers so that

whatever your problem, there’s someone to talk to. As well as

the main welfare officer, there are Men’s, Women’s, LGBT,

ethnic minorities, and overseas officers, who all have a little

something to say below.

...Oh, and if you’re thinking I’ve missed something – there’s a

plentiful supply of free condoms in our welfare cupboard, and a

new “C-Card” scheme which enables you to pick up condom

packs from pick-up points around College and Cambridge town-

centre.

Women Emily Shaw (RCSA Women’s Officer 2012-13)

As Women’s Officer I don’t have an enormous amount to do

because, luckily for all of us, Robinson is very female-friendly.

Part of my role is to represent you in communication with

College authorities over women’s issues, but so far, no woman

in College has come to me with any complaints, which testifies

to how unproblematic it is being a woman at Robinson.

As Women’s Officer, I am also part of the Welfare Committee,

which meets regularly to think of lots of different ways to look

after the welfare of everybody in College.

In addition to this, I go to the fortnightly CUSU Women’s Forum,

where we discuss University-wide issues and try to come up with

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solutions and campaigns. While this is primarily intended for

Women’s Officers, any female student is welcome to attend.

If you are interested in getting involved in feminist issues and

activities, Cambridge has a lot to offer.

Men

It may seem a little unusual to have a section just for men.

However, student welfare is really important in Robinson and on

the welfare team are dedicated Women’s and Men’s Officers,

the latter of whom looks out for the well-being of male students

in College. From the beginning with Men’s Drinks in Freshers’

Week, guys have a great time at Robinson, with lots of extra-

curricular and sporting activities to get involved in as well as

the ever-popular bar. Most guys normally love their time here,

but if problems arise – be they work- related or personal – there

is always someone there to help out.

Ethnic Minorities

As an ethnic minority student, I certainly feel that the relaxed

Robinson environment actually allows you to branch out, and

experience the various opportunities Cambridge has to offer.

Certainly, there has been an attempt to recruit the academic

staff more diversely and in recent years, there has been a

growing ethnic minority population, which is due in part to

Cambridge’s socially inclusive and friendly environment. Part of

the university experience is meeting new people you probably

wouldn’t have met otherwise. There are many cultural societies

across the University that offer a dynamic medium for meeting

new people or even some that facilitate debate and discussion.

They usually hold an annual ball or dinner, weekly events (some

of which are good for a night out) and are a good way of

meeting new people both in Robinson and at the other Colleges.

There is also a great and dedicated system of support that aims

to help alleviate any problems that may arise, and my role as

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the RCSA Ethnic Minorities officer is only one aspect of this.

However, I am ever-present for a confidential chat, and where

possible will take grievances on your behalf when it comes to

dealing with any form of prejudice. CUSU (Cambridge University

Student’s Union) also give support in the form of an Ethnic

Minorities Officer, an Anti-racism officer and the Black and

Minority Ethnic Campaign, which works to improve welfare for

all ethnic minority students and increase access for prospective

students. The students at Robinson afford every member a

certain respect that can only help engender an easier transition

into the Cambridge system, and environment. Difference is

respected. Come and see Robinson to experience this yourself...

Overseas Students Yasmin Cazorla Bak (RCSA Overseas Officer 2013-14)

Dear prospective students,

My name is Yasmin Cazorla Bak and I am the overseas officer for

the Robinson College Students Association (RCSA). At Robinson,

the overseas community is extremely varied and well

integrated, with students from all over the world having found a

homely and friendly community in our cosy red-bricked College.

As a Canadian overseas student, I initially found it incredibly

daunting to consider the University of Cambridge, apply to

Robinson, and then have to move to a completely new and

different country. As you can imagine, there are a great deal of

cultural differences between my Canadian hometown and

Cambridge and the idea of adjusting to a radically different

cultural system was very discouraging. However, as I arrived as

a Fresher in my first year, I realised Robinson is an extremely

welcoming, friendly and exciting College. Its student

committee, the RCSA, is composed of several members such as

the welfare officer, men's officer, women's officer, LGBTQ

officer, and overseas officer, whose responsibility is to help and

take care of all students. My role as overseas officer is to

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extend that help to all students who have had to travel a bit (or

a lot) more than UK students in order to attend Robinson.

Overseas students in the College form an integral part of the

Robinson community. As a prospective international student, it

is important for you to be aware of the events, societies, and

special amenities that are organized by the RCSA. During

Freshers’ week, International students are allowed to arrive in

College a few days earlier than UK students do. During this

period, students can participate in the activities of

International fresher's week (Which is run by ICUSU), unpack,

buy any supplies, appliances, crockery that were not allowed on

the plane, discover Cambridge and adjust to the city. It is

important to know that from an 'overseas' point of view,

Cambridge is a very accessible city. The train that separates

Kings Cross in London and the Cambridge train station is only

5three-minutes long while Stansted Airport is a 30-minute train

ride away. After all overseas students are settled, all UK

students arrive, and the international and local students can

participate in the various activities of Freshers’ week. These

activities, which range from orientation talks to an end-of-

Freshers’ week College-wide party event, are run by the RCSA

and are designed to accommodate all students, offering both

alcoholic and non-alcoholic settings. The overseas officer will

organise an overseas breakfast in order to personally meet

every overseas student and try to answer any questions they

may have. Activities run by the overseas officer for overseas

students during Michaelmas, Lent and Easter term include an

overseas breakfast, a guided tour of the Cambridge Clubs and

Society Fair, drop in sessions for overseas students, overseas

'swaps' and formal dinners with the overseas communities of

other Colleges, and picnics in Easter term, when the sun shines

and exam stress is running high.

After freshers’ week, all students begin lectures and Michaelmas

term starts. During this first term, the line between overseas

and 'local' student blurs and all students become part of the

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Robinson community. After having experienced first year

Michaelmas and having spoken with other Robinson students, it

is important to mention that at some point or another, all

Robinson students will feel a sense of solitude or homesickness.

This is completely normal and although it usually comes hand-

in-hand with the ''week five blues'', it is important for you to

know that the entire RCSA welfare committee, including the

overseas officer, is there for you. However, this period does

pass quickly.

During the vacations, overseas students have the option either

to stay in College at a reduced room rate, or to place their

personal belongings in the trunk room until they return.

Personally, I found the trunk room to be extremely useful as all

students must vacate their rooms in between terms and I could

not take all of my suitcases back to Canada. An important

aspect to consider is the fact that each term at Cambridge is

only 8 weeks long. In Michaelmas, students will take up term at

the beginning of October and finish at the beginning of

December; in Lent, students begin mid-January and are off mid-

March and in Easter term, students begin in late April and finish

mid-June. As an overseas student, this can have both positive

and negative implications: the overseas students who go home

during these breaks will be close to their families and 'home-

friends' but far away from friendships made in Cambridge,

whereas students who chose to – or need to – stay in Cambridge

during the breaks may feel isolated or home sick, but will have

a great study environment. However, the breaks pass quickly

and before you know it, term resumes and the wonderful

Cambridge experience begins again.

Testimonials of current overseas Robinson students

Being an international student was definitely a plus in Freshers’

week. Getting to Cambridge a few days earlier allows you to

meet people through the activities organised by iCUSU, and this

is a great opportunity to make friends with students from other

Colleges, which can be quite difficult once term starts and you

27

get absorbed by College life. Some of the people I met in

international Freshers’ week are still good friends of mine. It’s

true that now most of my friends are English, and I never joined

any international societies, but meeting people who are in a

similar situation to you makes the transition easier. Robinson

has an overseas officer, who is in charge of organising events for

international students, and to provide support, should you need

it. Although adapting to a new culture can be tough, I’ve found

that in the long run studying abroad is incredibly rewarding, and

certainly worth it.

R. Luque Lora (2nd year Biology student from Spain)

Thinking about studying abroad is a very tricky business indeed:

on the one hand, you’re excited that you’re leaving home, and

on the other hand, you’re worried because you’re leaving home!

Studying as an overseas student at any university is difficult.

Great news! Studying at Robinson means forgetting you’re an

“overseas” student: the College is so diverse that it feels like

home away from home! Robinson College, apart from being the

friendliest College in Cambridge (a scientifically proven fact), is

also a place where you’ll almost definitely meet people from

your home country. And the level of support doesn’t hurt;

there’s a designated ‘overseas officer’ whose only job is to

ensure that you’re having a good time in College. But the most

important thing about Robinson: the food! If you’re a foodie like

me, you’ll be pleased to know that Robinson caters for all

appetites, whether they be for chow mein, halloumi, or

enchiladas! You’ll miss home anywhere you go, but you’ll miss

home less at Robinson!

M. Panayi (2nd year English student from Cyprus-Canada)

Important links and things to consider

As an overseas student, the application procedure for a UK

University may not be familiar. As a rule of thumb, all

applications must be made by 15 October in the year previous

to acceptance. This application is composed of several steps,

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and although it requires a few weeks to complete, it is

accessible to all students throughout the world.

Links for applications

Cambridge courses

http://www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/

There’s a very wide range of courses available at Cambridge!

UCAS: University and College Admission Service

http://www.ucas.com

All applications made to UK universities must go through this

system. Making an account is fast and the site is easily

navigated.

SAQ: Supplementary Application Questionnaire

http://www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/apply/saq.html

This questionnaire is specific to the University of Cambridge and

must be completed alongside the UCAS form. The UCAS and SAQ

may require a recommendation letter as well as your grade

scores.

Events and open days

http://www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/events/

For some overseas students, it may be possible to go and visit

the Colleges and faculties.

Tuition fees

http://www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/international/finance/

Financial circumstance should not deter students. Cambridge

offers a wide range of scholarships, bursaries, and funds

available to international students, with the aim that no

student should have to leave the University for financial reasons

alone. However, it is important to consider the financial

implications of studying at Cambridge.

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Links to Colleges

The application system in Cambridge is conducted through UCAS

and the SAQ. While filling out these forms, you will be asked

which College you wish to apply to. From then onwards, it will

be the College who manages your application, organises your

interview and gives you your offer. Although it is important to

spend time while choosing a College, it is important to

remember all Cambridge Colleges have their strengths.

Cambridge Colleges

http://www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/Colleges/

Cambridge has 29 undergraduate Colleges. As an overseas

student, it is difficult to judge which College would suit you

best. Important things to consider include location and size,

distance from your faculty of interest and sports facilities, co-

ed or women only Colleges, etc.

Robinson College

http://www.robinson.cam.ac.uk

This is the official website; there you can find descriptions of

College life in Robinson.

Robinson College finance page

http://www.robinson.cam.ac.uk/academic/finance.php

See for information on bursaries and finance

RCSA: Robinson College Students' Association

http://www.rcsa.co.uk

The RCSA website provides lots of student-friendly information,

and is an excellent source of information for international

students. On this page, you can find descriptions of the College,

Fresher's week, upcoming activities, contact information for the

RCSA members and more.

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What is it really like in Cambridge?

RCSA frequently asked questions

http://www.rcsa.co.uk/prospective-students/faq

This link allows you to look at questions past prospective

students may have had and to ask some of your own

CUSU: Cambridge University Students’ Union

http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk

iCUSU

http://www.international.cusu.cam.ac.uk

The International Cambridge University Student's Union and

CUSU can provide valuable information on international

Fresher's week and the events run for overseas students.

Societies in Cambridge

http://www.societies.cam.ac.uk

There are a million and one societies, groups and sports clubs at

the University of Cambridge. Explore this link to see if they

have what you like!

Oxford and Cambridge societies

VOCS: Vancouver Oxford and Cambridge Society

http://www.vocs.ca

Oxford & Cambridge Society of Toronto

http://www.cambridgetrust.org/partners/oxford-cambridge-

society-of-toronto

Oxford and Cambridge Club

http://oxfordandcambridgeclub.co.uk

Cambridge has an extremely wide network of alumni, present

and prospective students. Above are a few links for Canadian

based societies which can help you gain information on what

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Cambridge is about, what to expect, how to apply, etc. These

societies are easy to find and most likely exist in your country.

Do not be afraid to seek out information through them!

LGBT

Robinson and Cambridge as a whole is a very inclusive and

accepting place to be LGBT. In fact, some people believe that

there is little need for an LGBT community in such a friendly

environment. Some people in Cambridge experience difficulties

with their sexual orientation and/or gender; therefore it is

essential to provide an effective support network. As LGBT

officer, my primary role is to help and support members of

College with any LGBT issue in strict confidence. My second role

is a social one and involves organising ‘swaps’ with other

Colleges. There is also an annual LGBT ‘bop’: “Rainbow

Robinson” during Lent Term, which attracts people from all

Colleges in the University. Last but not least, we host free LGBT

drinks and nibbles at the start of year to provide a friendly and

informal environment in which to socialise.

Sports and societies

So you were captain of your school’s Rugby 1st XV, Cricket first

XI, County Athletics squad, and District amateur Beach

Volleyball team, and now you’re wondering where you can take

that burgeoning sporting talent while you’re here at

Cambridge’s youngest College.

Well the good news, there are a wealth of teams ready to make

use of your natural ability, unbridled enthusiasm, and stunning

physique. All the usual sports are represented, and listed with

the appropriate captains’ contact details on the RCSA website.

Plus if there’s something you have a real knack for but can’t

find readily available within the wide world of the Red Brick

Castle, then there’s nothing to stop you going ahead and setting

up a club or society to further pursue your inexhaustible passion

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for Extreme Ironing, or superhuman hankering for 43-Man

Squamish.

If you really figure yourself as a serious athlete, you’ll also be

happy to hear that there are even more sports represented at

University level than could ever be accommodated by a single

College. These range from the nearby Blues Rugby, Real Tennis,

and Hockey, to the slightly more travel demanding Archery, Life

Saving and, somewhat inevitably, Rowing.

So don’t be under any false pretences that now you’re all grown

up at University that you have to cut out your sporting

recreation. In fact my big piece of advice would be simply to

grab the amazing opportunity that Cambridge offers to try out

as many new sports as you can fit in, continue any that you

already enjoy, and dip in and out of whatever else tickles your

fancy. Also, always snap up all the stash you can get your hands

on.

Now for the Arts students among you, don’t fear. There are

plenty of other ways that you can get involved in free time

activities, which don’t require the merest sporting effort on

your part, as a lot of these procrastinating activities being run

by fully-fledged College or University level Societies. And much

like the situation with sports teams, if you find the inexcusable

absence of a club for the natural appreciation of Mexican

headwear, or of a society dedicated to the collective enjoyment

of Lemon-based products, then go ahead and set it up – it’s

incredibly easy to do. There’s advice and guidance on hand, and

you may even get College funding. Now before you go to all that

trouble it might be worth doing a quick check, and for a fairly

comprehensive list of existing societies you could do a lot worse

than consulting the RCSA website, or even contacting the

delightfully helpful Sports and Societies Officer:

sport@rcsa.co.uk.

So, to wrap things up, some closing words of recycled wisdom...

As you’ve likely already heard, these societies exist to enhance

33

your University experience, so feel free to sign up to as many as

you want, ignore the follow-up emails from all you’ve lost

interest in, and grab the freebies from the treasure trove that is

the early October Freshers’ fair with reckless abandon.

Subjects

What about the work? You’re probably thinking “yeah, but it’s

Cambridge so the work has to be over the top”, and you’re half

right. We do work hard, but most people enjoy their subject so

it isn’t too bad! All students find time to socialise. It’s work

hard, play hard.

All the courses you can do at Robinson are available across the

University, which provides more detailed course-specific

information but each College has different resources, locations

and so on which is why we’ve included a short piece on each

subject.

Also, there’s a bit of jargon, so by way of a glossary: your “DoS”

or Director of Studies is the Fellow of the College who oversees

your academic work and supports you if you get into difficulties.

They may also organise some of your work, but this varies across

subjects. “Supervision” is a meeting between yourself, an

academic and usually some other students (fewer than five,

sometimes it’s one-to-one) in which you may go over written

work or discuss a particular part of the course. They’re unique

to Oxbridge and are a vital part of every degree.

Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic Megan Kennedy

By applying to study Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic at Robinson

College, you truly get the best of both worlds. It provides an

opportunity to study some of the earliest history and literature

of the British Isles and Europe in all its gory, Dark Ages glory...

from the comfort of your spacious and comfortable

34

accommodation. There’s certainly nothing medieval about the

facilities at this College! Robinson is situated in the perfect

location for an ASNaC student; the Sidgwick Site, where you will

have your lectures, is just around the corner and there are

three libraries (College, English Faculty and the University

Library) within walking distance for all your essay-writing

needs.

Though it sounds like a very specific degree title, there is a

large amount of variety in this subject. Students can focus on

history, concentrate on language, or choose from a combination

of both disciplines. In your second and third years, there are

also opportunities to borrow papers that complement your

interests in ASNaC from another Tripos, including Archaeology,

English and Linguistics. The ASNaC lecturers’ dislike for 9am

classes will make you the envy of scientists, and members of

the department are generally considerate with the weekly

workload. Robinson has two ASNaC fellows in College who are

extremely kind and approachable, and are willing to help with

both academic and personal issues.

Because of the subject’s small intake of students per year, the

likelihood is that you may be the only person studying it in your

year at Robinson. However, this is definitely not a disadvantage!

Socially, studying a small subject encourages you to branch out

immediately and speak to people doing a variety of subjects. As

well as this, ASNaC has a thriving University-wide social side,

with events throughout the year. Whether you want to meet up

with fellow ASNaCs every week or just decide to go on the

occasional pub visit, you will be welcomed by this one-of-a-kind

community.

35

Architecture Fiona Johnson

Architecture is a great subject to study at Robinson, especially

if you like bricks! One of the best things about the subject is the

people you meet. There are usually only 40-45 people in a year,

which gives you the opportunity to know everyone in the group.

You work and socialise with the architects in addition to all your

College friends.

There are usually three architects at Robinson in a year,

supported by two Architecture fellows, which is actually quite a

lot!

Another thing about Architecture is the creative aspect of the

course. It is one of the only practical, creative subjects in the

university. I have had fun using the term “its ok, I’m an

architect!” after the department sends you into town on

unconventional projects. Much of your time will be spent in the

architecture studio situated near the engineering department, a

twenty-minute walk away. The creative aspect makes up 60% of

the course, with the lectures consisting of the other 40%.

It is one of the more time-consuming subjects at Cambridge due

to the model making and drawing on top of the theory.

However, you soon realise that it is a fast-paced course where

you get to work independently and constantly redevelop ideas.

Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) Angela Holloway

Robinson is a great choice for AMES, as it is so close to the

faculty – only ten minutes’ walk away, meaning you can pop to

the Red Brick Café for lunch if you like (you might find your

class want to come too – the café is amazing). Though most

applicants don’t realise this, Robinson also has two of the main

lecturers on East Asian history, one of whom is the current head

36

of East Asian Studies, so there is plenty of support available.

The current DoS for AMES is in charge of the Korean course, and

as a result, Robinson is the centre of Korean studies in

Cambridge. Although you cannot take Korean until fourth year

(Japanese), there are plenty of talks on Korea and even food

events, the majority of which are based at Robinson.

There are usually a healthy number of AMES students in

Robinson, specifically East Asian (Chinese and Japanese)

students (sorry Middle Eastern Studies students, Robinson

usually only accepts East Asian studies students), and there are

usually at least two in a year, which is pretty remarkable for

such a small faculty. Having so many AMES students ensures that

you will have someone to help you through your first year, as

they have already been through it themselves, as well as

someone else in your year. As there are only a few people, you

get to know each other quite well. AMES is an intense course

and having some guidance at the beginning of learning a

completely new language will really give you a head start.

There is also an AMES formal hall every term for the AMES

students at Robinson, helping you to get to know the other

years and your supervisors better.

The Robinson library is well stocked for East Asian studies,

particularly for the first year history course. If you cannot find a

book, our Dos is happy to make sure the library orders it, which

is particularly useful if there is competition over books in the

faculty. Also, if in doubt, the University Library (UL) is less than

five minutes away!

Classics

Classics at Robinson is brilliant, with the faculty located a handy

five-minute walk away. During the first two years, the

Cambridge course focuses on bringing you up to a high standard

of fluency in both Latin and Greek, with Robinson offering both

the 3 year (if you have Latin A Level) and 4 year (if you don’t)

courses. As the majority of non-intensive language teaching is

37

done within College, you soon become very well acquainted

with your fellow Classicists. The intensive Greek classes,

although hard work, provide you with an excellent opportunity

to make friends in other Colleges.

At Robinson, there is a much greater emphasis on personal

motivation than at other Colleges. Our Director of Studies has a

very ‘hands-off’ approach, allowing you a much wider scope to

dictate the structure of your course right from the outset, with

papers such as prose composition optional (unlike at other

Colleges). There is no pressure to go down any particular route,

and although the classical languages are compulsory for the first

two years, in third year you can choose from a huge variety of

papers, and even borrow a paper from another subject. The

workload isn’t light, but there’s still plenty of time to have a

busy social life!

Computer Science Daniel Chatfield

Robinson is a fantastic place to study Computer Science. It is

perfectly located halfway between the Computer Lab (where

you will have practicals, some supervisions, and lectures from

the second year onwards) and the town centre (where you will

have first year lectures, do your shopping and go clubbing – if

that’s your thing).

Another great thing about CompSci at Robinson are the two

Directors of Studies’ – one for the first year and one for the

second and third. They are both really engaging, passionate

people and this really helps motivate us. Robinson has great

computing facilities, which means that although your own

laptop/computer is helpful, it is by no means a necessity. The

College bandwidth restrictions do, on occasion, pose problems,

but if your excessive usage is due to academic work rather than

watching shows on Netflix, then the IT department will often

increase your limits temporarily if you ask.

38

Economics Alex Roberts

There are typically three economists per year at Robinson, so

we’re a close-knit bunch – this can be really useful for things

like sharing books and helping each other out when someone

doesn’t understand an aspect of their work.

Economists often form friendships across the year groups, with

the older years always willing to pass on their advice (and, if

you’re lucky, look things up in their old supervision work).

Supervisions are essential for understanding the course content;

they take place not only in Robinson, but also at other Colleges

and in the faculty itself. They also give a great opportunity to

practice Tripos questions before any exams.

The annual economics dinner is always very interesting, with our

DoS inviting a guest speaker. For example, this year we met a

member of the Government Economic Service.

The subject requires a fair amount of reading, but fortunately

for Robinson economists the Marshall Library of Economics is

just a five-minute walk away and the University Library is just

across the road. The position of Robinson is also helpful because

we’re only five minutes away from the Faculty itself, which

makes rolling out of bed at 8.48am and still making a 9.00am

lecture always possible.

Economics is a really varied subject in first year. The first few

weeks can be a bit hectic, but they start all from scratch so it

doesn’t matter if you haven’t studied economics at A-level.

Unlike other universities, Cambridge studies the wider effects

of economics in society. Alongside the core economics and math

papers, you will study economic history and the political and

sociological effects of economics.

39

Engineering Bryn Pickering

As you may realise from all the other entries in this prospectus,

Robinson is a great place to study and Engineering is no

exception!

There are around 10 Engineering students per year, which

means you're sure to get to know everyone in no time and the

friendly atmosphere of the College encourages teamwork –

especially good when you have overslept a lecture or lab.

The Engineering department is 5-10 minutes away by bike or 15-

20 minutes walking. There are Colleges that are closer, if that's

the thing for you, but to be able to distance yourself from the

department when you need a break without having to worry

about being late for a lab if you get up late (woken by a phone

call from another engineer, of course) works really well for

many. Like any other College, there are several top-class

Engineering fellows at Robinson. Their specialities span several

Engineering areas, so all the supervisions (which you have in the

College in your first and second year) are great quality and the

mix of student interests is also varied – some other Colleges

have fellows that lean heavily to one Engineering area, which

makes for a very skewed interest from the students who study

there.

Engineering students are also well known for their ability to

juggle a good number of extracurricular activities alongside

their studies; in the past few years, Robinson Engineering

students have been captains of university sports teams,

presidents and directors of several Engineering societies and

even made a food-dedicated society in College. The location of

the College makes this an easy extension to your studies as it is

close to the athletics ground and newly built sports centre, as

well as being in easy walking/cycling distance of the centre of

town.

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If you're looking for a College where you'll get great teaching

and support from staff and students alike, alongside the chance

to gain skills that are invaluable to a future career in

Engineering, then Robinson is the place for you.

English Eleanor Riches

Robinson’s location for all English Literary activities is superb.

The 24-hour Robinson library houses an expansive collection of

material for the Medieval paper, which you will study in your

first term. However, if you are unable to find a book there,

then the University Library (UL) is only a four-minute walk

away. As the UL is a Legal Deposit library, it must contain a

copy of every book published in the UK EVER.

You are in a prime location as the English Faculty library is just

a three-minute walk from the UL, and a seven-minute walk from

Robinson, where they have multiple copies of the texts you are

likely to study. The English Faculty building is located on the

Sidgwick site, where lectures also take place, so you can roll

out of bed just eight minutes before your lecture and still make

it. Robinson is a fifteen-minute walk from the very centre of

town, so there’s no excuse not to leave your bed and books one

evening to go and see one of the many plays, which are

constantly being performed to a very high standard in

Cambridge. You don’t even have to travel into town to get your

drama fix, as Robinson also houses its very own Red Brick

Theatre Company.

Studying at one of the most outstanding universities in the world

can be daunting, especially when perusing the alumni you come

across, such as Milton, Wordsworth, Brooke, C.S. Lewis, and

even Sir Ian McKellen. Despite the fact that the supervisors are

the world-leaders in their fields, and even the authors of the

textbooks, they are surprisingly friendly and encouraging, so

41

there is no need to worry that your verve and preconceived

notions of your talent for English literature will be crushed

within the first week. Most of all, Robinson is a relaxing place to

study English: you will have no exams after Christmas, as every

other subject does, and in the Summer Term of first year you

can lie on the grass and read Shakespeare, whilst everyone else

studies for their exams. If you are looking for a tranquil and

pleasant environment in which to study English Literature, then

Robinson is for you.

Geography Ben Peacock

Robinson takes quite a large number of Geographers (seven in

my year), which means it is one of the better Colleges in which

to study Geography. This builds a real sense of community, and

everyone helps each out with supervision essays, and work in

general. The large Geography intake means that the College

library is well stocked for Geographers - in first year, I didn’t

even need to use the Department Library. Almost all of the

books I have needed have been in the College library, and that

often isn’t the case in most Colleges.

The whole process of starting a degree at Cambridge can be

very daunting, but as a Robinson Geographer, you will receive

help and advice. The older students were always very willing to

give me advice in my first few weeks, and my Director of

Studies held “Induction Sessions” every Thursday for the first

four weeks of Michaelmas term to help us with study skills. You

will therefore be in good hands if you choose to apply to

Robinson for Geography.

Our Director of Studies also works hard to boost the social side

of Geography and Robinson, and will organise a Geography

Formal once a term. We also have an annual pankathalon every

Shrove Tuesday, and Geography drinks at the beginning of every

year.

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At Cambridge, the Geography degree does not work you so hard

that you can’t get involved in other activities and lead an active

social life. Because you will typically only have 1-2 lectures a

day (alongside a supervision and a practical per week), you will

decide when you do most of your studying. Unlike at school, you

will be much more flexible in your extracurricular and social

life, as you will be able to study at other times of day. As a

Robinson Geographer, you will therefore be fully able to enjoy

the vast range of social and extracurricular opportunities that

both the College and the University have to offer.

The infrastructure is all here for you to have a great

undergraduate degree studying Geography. If you are an

enthusiastic Geographer, you should strongly consider applying

to Robinson!

History

I would urge even the most humourless scientist to make a

significant life choice and convert to History. History is all about

freedom. This can be in terms of freedom of which paper to

choose each term, freedom to pick and prioritise which lectures

to attend or freedom to leave your weekly essay until the last

possible moment. In my first two years I wrote essays on George

W Bush’s foreign policy, the British penal system and even the

barbarian invasions of the collapsing Roman Empire. Almost all

of them were either coherent and handed in on time.

Robinson is excellently situated for History at Cambridge; the

faculty is within five minutes’ walk and the University Library,

packed with complicated old books, is literally across the road.

Plus, the College library itself has most of the essentials for the

first two years of the History tripos. Besides these practical

matters, Robinson really is a learning environment; everywhere

you look there are people, just learning furiously.

But more importantly, historians at Robinson have been proven

to be objectively the most interesting and provocative group of

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people at Cambridge. The College takes around seven or eight

undergraduates a year, which is roughly standard for a

humanities subject. The Fellows, though at first perhaps

intimidating, are genuinely friendly and intellectually

stimulating. Studying here will stretch the way in which you

think and equip you with a fancy vocabulary to argue and

articulate even the most misguided of views.

For an enjoyable, respected, and challenging subject, choose

history (at Robinson).

Human, Social and Political Sciences (HSPS) Andrew Burrell

Interested in Politics, Sociology, Anthropology or Archaeology?

Then welcome to HSPS, the course that has undergone more

regenerations than Doctor Who!

This latest incarnation gives you plenty of scope to tailor the

course to suit your interests in the first year, whilst still

providing you with a broad overview of the social sciences.

Expect around eight hours of lectures a week, perhaps slightly

more if you take an Archaeology paper. On top of this, you

usually have two, hour-long supervisions a week in groups of

two or three. For each supervision, you submit an essay the day

before.

In years two and three, you specialise in either one or two of

the subjects you studied in the first year. Again, you study four

papers each year. In the third year, one paper can usually be

substituted for a dissertation. Some subjects may also allow you

to borrow papers from outside the course as well.

This year (2013-14), Robinson admitted seven HSPS students,

which makes it one of the largest ‘arts’ subjects in College, yet

it is small enough to form a tight-knit group.

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Robinson has first-year supervisors for Politics, International

Relations, Sociology and Social Anthropology; all are really

friendly and approachable, yet are some of the brightest minds

in their field, advising the likes of the European Commission and

the Imperial War Museum. For other papers, supervisions are at

the relevant department or at another College, allowing you to

experience the best of what the remainder of the University has

to offer.

The College library is well stocked with first-year reading

materials, although most people tend to use the two faculty

libraries, the SPS (Social and Political Sciences Library) and the

Haddon. Both are near to the main lecture rooms on Mill Lane,

about a 1five-minute walk away from College. All the papers

involve a lot of reading, but as most of the first year lectures

are over by lunchtime, you will always be able to plan your day

around societies or nights out. Yes, you’ll probably be up until

some unearthly hour the night after as you frantically finish an

essay, but you can catch up on sleep during the holidays!

Land Economy Adam Tyrcha

Congratulations - you’re reading about a great degree, and a

great College to do it at! Land Economy (Land Ec) is one of the

most sociable degrees there is, and you’ll have plenty of time to

spend with friends, or engage in whatever extracurricular

activities you wish to take on. As you will soon learn, due to the

relatively unchallenging timetable in first year, Land Ec has a

bit of a reputation for not being a “real” degree. Don’t worry,

though, we still have the highest starting salaries and second

highest employment rate out of all Cambridge graduates. And

this is not to say that there is no work at all – just a more

humane workload than many other degrees. Typically, you’ll

have an average of 2 supervisions and 9 hours of lectures a

week, meaning time for other things than work is available.

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Our department is on Mill Lane, which is about a five-minute

bike ride or 1five-minute walk away. That’s where you’ll be

having all your lectures, and most of your supervisions (though

because some of the supervisors like Robinson, they may come

to you!) There’s also a great library there. When it comes to

libraries, you’re in no trouble at all – the College library is well

stocked and will order any books you’d like for you if you make

a request through your DoS – and the University Library is right

across the road as well. One of the great things about doing

Land Ec at Robinson is that you’re still relatively close to all the

resources you need, while being just far enough from the city

centre to avoid tourists.

You’ll have supervisions with people at other Colleges, so great

opportunities to meet new people; and I’m sure you’ll have a

great time in general, doing a truly multidisciplinary degree,

very applicable to the real world, at one of the most down-to-

Earth and relaxed Colleges there is.

Law Adin Sampson

Robinson is definitely one of the best Colleges for Law. Nowhere

else will you find such a family atmosphere among the Lawyers.

There are normally about 16 or 17 of us (5 or 6 in each year)

and we have our own Law library in College, which is really

relaxed: you can talk and ask others for help, and we will even

sometimes have drinks there. We all pass on our notes and old

books as well.

The RCLS (Robinson College Law Society) is the most active Law

Society in Cambridge. We organise the end of year dinner and

photo, Law Information Evening (a careers event with solicitors

firms - but if you don’t want a career in Law, don’t worry: the

emphasis of your studies is always academic), drinks, law

dinners and parties throughout the year, and the social events

and food for Revision Week.

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Revision Week in particular is what makes Robinson Law unique:

this happens for no other subject and for no other College, and

is the envy of everyone. Each year during the Easter holidays we

all go for 4 or 5 days of revision. This has in the past been held

in a beautiful country house in Norfolk, and this year is being

held in Oxford. Academically, it’s hugely beneficial: the

Robinson teaching fellows all come too, and we have almost a

term’s worth of supervisions crammed into the few days.

Socially, it’s also really fun. We all live together and help out

with cooking, and we have huge parties every evening including

a themed Murder Mystery event.

I applied to Robinson because I heard about Revision Week and

thought that not only would that be really fun and useful, but it

also sounded like the atmosphere was great. I wasn’t

disappointed – no other College has such great relations

between Lawyers in different years, and also with the fellows –

one of them takes us to lunch at his house in Easter term, and

some of them even party with us at Revision Week!

One final important thing, which is probably the reason why you

are already considering Robinson, is that we’re only five-

minutes’ walk from the Law Faculty. That can come in

extremely handy!

Linguistics Jess Radley

Robinson is one of the best places to study Linguistics. There

are usually one or two people per year, so you always have easy

access to the books in the library, and if there are some

Robinson doesn’t have, the Sidgwick Site and MML Library are 5

minutes away. This also means that you become friends with

lots of people from other colleges as the subject usually has

about 30 people per year and you tend to all be very close. All

of the first year Linguistics lectures are in the Sidgwick Site so it

is incredibly convenient. In your first year, the course is very

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broad as no-one has studied it before. You have four modules:

Sounds and Words, Structures and Meanings, Language, Brain

and Society and History and Varieties of the English language.

They cover a wide range of Linguistics and formulate a great

introduction to the subject. You have four lectures a week

which cover these four topics evenly, leaving you plenty of time

for extra-curricular activities.

In the second year, you pick four more modules from a

selection, and then the third year, you take three and do a

dissertation. You can also borrow papers from others courses

like MML or ASNaC. Linguistics as a subject does not have many

members of staff and so a Director of Studies (DoS) usually looks

after pupils from more than one college. At Robinson, the

Director of Studies is Bert Vaux, who is a fellow at Kings.

Supervisions do not take place at Robinson. However, they are

usually very close at the Sidgwick Site or in another college.

They are also reasonably large compared to other subjects. In

your first year, the group size is usually 5-6 people, but it

becomes smaller in second and third year. Because of the large

group size, the Linguistics department can afford to give us

more supervisions. In first year, you have 6 a term per module

and so 24 a term.

Mathematics

Maths at Robinson is great. It’s well-situated, and it’s a 1five-

minute walk away from first-year lectures and 5-10 minutes

away from the Centre of Mathematical Sciences, where lectures

are in third and fourth year.

The workload is tough, but is very rewarding and still gives you

plenty of free time. You’ll probably notice a big difference to A-

level though. Most of the Further Maths A-level content will be

covered in about 3 lectures and you’ll notice that the speed

doesn’t get any slower! A typical first-year timetable will entail

two lectures every morning (except Sunday) and 2-3

supervisions per week. Work is a lot more independent - you’ll

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have a lot of freedom as to how to manage your time, which is a

task in itself. There are no set textbooks (although there is

recommended reading) which has the advantage that you don’t

need to pay a penny for course material, although finding the

right chapter of the right book can be a challenge. The library

has plenty of books for you to get another perspective on ideas

brought up in lectures and to provide more exercises if the set

problem sheets aren’t enough.

Robinson Mathmos are also invited to a delicious meal at the

start of every year of their degree courtesy of the Director of

Studies; and trust me, it makes getting in all the more worth it.

Medicine David Burnside – db536@cam.ac.uk

Robinson is a great College if you want to study Medicine - it has

excellent supervisors, outstanding facilities, and a Director of

Studies who will always go the extra mile for you. However,

before we talk in more detail about Robinson, it might be

helpful to quickly recap what the course involves.

The Cambridge Medicine course is somewhat different to those

at other Universities, being divided into two halves. In the first

three years, you study ‘pre-clinical’ medicine. This involves

lectures ranging from anatomy and physiology to ethics and law.

These are accompanied by numerous practicals, the most

notable of which is dissection. Cambridge is one of the few

remaining medical schools that provide cadavers and dissection

as part of the anatomy course. Although initially unnerving, it

quickly becomes a fascinating learning tool, and a highlight of

the week.

Third year is your intercalated year, in which you can specialise

in a specific subject of your choice. The majority of students

will choose to study subjects closely linked with medicine such

as pathology or pharmacology. However, it is possible to study

other subjects, such as anthropology, zoology or management

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studies. This not only ensures you get an extra BA degree, but

also provides an opportunity to focus on subjects that

interested you during the previous 2 years. Additionally, you can

get involved in research labs, and maybe even get a scientific

publication! - (which is great for future job applications)

Once the pre-clinical course is completed, you have a choice to

make: either continue in Cambridge, or move to London to

complete your clinical training. The majority of students will

get their first preference, although this system may change in

the coming years, as Cambridge expands their clinical teaching

capacity. At this stage, you will likely spend less time in

Robinson, and many students move into private

accommodation. However, the College can still provide you with

a lot of help in terms of facilities, accommodation, and money.

Now that we have recapped the basic facts, let me give you

some more useful, College specific information, hints and tips

for medicine.

Average number of medical students in a year at Robinson: 8

Firstly, Robinson College has an excellent 24/7 library. I know

this may not seem like the most important fact but trust me;

many Colleges struggle to provide enough copies of books for all

medical students. Thankfully, Robinson rarely has this problem,

and always has up to date editions at hand. Moreover, Robinson

medical students have their own ‘Resource Centre’ in College.

This is a sort of mini-library that only medics can use, equipped

with textbooks, white boards, skeletons and models which

provides a quiet place for either independent or group study.

Whilst on the topic of books, I should point out that Robinson

offers every student a book grant of £75 to help with any

essential purchases. However, the need to buy books is

minimal, as the library is well stocked.

Another excellent resource that first year Robinson medics

receive is a real human skeleton (1 between 2), something not

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available to most other Colleges. This sounds creepy, but is

actually very useful for learning about the anatomy of bones - it

is much easier to remember when you have the real thing in

your hand!

One of Cambridge’s defining teaching methods is supervision.

These are 1 hour weekly sessions where on average 3 students

are coached, quizzed, and educated by some of the best

teachers and academics around. Unlike lecturers, the

supervisors are usually College specific, and this is again an area

where Robinson shines. The College supervisors are experienced

and knowledgeable, ensuring that every hour is extremely

useful. Moreover, they will always go the extra mile and help

you in any way they can. This is one of the highlights of

Robinson’s Medicine course. Key in all this is the pre-clinical

‘Director Of Studies’ or ‘DOS’ who is in charge of your

education. At Robinson this is Dr Andrew Sharkey, who is one of

the most helpful and keen individuals you will meet. He is

behind many of the benefits I have mentioned above (the

resource room is actually his donated office!) and will always

endeavour to help you, whether you need a reference, essay

writing help, or a summer placement.

I could go on and highlight Robinson’s other perks, such as its

excellent location (beside the new University Sports Centre, yet

also close to the town centre), outstanding canteen and bar

facilities, and the great Formal Halls, but I simply don’t have

the space. The key message is that Robinson is an amazing

College, with amazing students, and I am lucky to have had this

experience. You’d be foolish to miss it!

Modern and Medieval Languages

Studying Modern and Medieval Languages (or MML) at Cambridge

is a great experience. It is highly challenging, interesting, and

opens doors to a wide range of careers. The course is really

diverse – it’s not all just grammar and vocabulary. In your first

year, as well as the compulsory language papers (which consist

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of translation, grammar and reading, comprehension and

creative writing), you can choose between literature,

linguistics, history and thought. The workload is heavy –

particularly if you are taking up a new language from scratch, as

many people do, but don’t let that put you off; the work is

always interesting and everyone else is in the same boat – no

subject at Cambridge is easy. Robinson also has an unusually

high number of MML fellows, compared with other Colleges,

which means that you will most likely have an expert in your

language close at hand should you feel stuck.

You will spend your third year abroad, doing almost anything

you like, provided you are actively practicing one or both of

your languages. In addition to this, the department currently

supplies Vacation Study Grants to fund travel during the

holidays.

In addition, because you’ll spend most of your contact time in

small classes rather than in lectures, you get to make friends

with lots of people from other Colleges.

It sounds like a lot of work, but there is always enough time to

do extracurricular activities if you want to, or just relax in the

bar if you don’t!

Music Alvo von Cossel

Robinson provides any musician from any background with a rich

and diverse canvas for music-making. We have a thriving music

society and a thriving choir, with excellent music facilities, too.

Our Chapel houses a wonderful Steinway piano as well as a

Frobenius organ and a harpsichord, and we have a music room

fully equipped with a Yamaha grand, a drum kit, and a music

cupboard full of all sorts of musical miscellanea, including music

stands.

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Being a Muso (student of Music) is also a wonderful experience.

Robinson is a very unpretentious environment, especially for a

music student. We pride ourselves on our diversity of musical

interest, from classical music to ethnomusicology. Jeremy

Thurlow, our DoS, is a composer, and he's always up for a chat

about new music! Most of our musos have some background in

composition, but don't worry: those of you who hate composing

(like me!) will have an equally enjoyable time here, and you'll

get along equally well with Dr Thurlow. Robinson's library is well

stocked, and the College is very near the University Library and

the Music Faculty. Trust me, this makes life incredibly simple

for you: it allows you to sleep those few extra minutes before

rolling into lectures!

The Music tripos is rather good, especially after its recent

reform. It allows you to study both in breadth and in depth.

There are courses on the musical canon (especially in first

year), though other more roguish options include blues,

ethnomusicology, hip hop, lots of medieval stuff, performance

studies, music & science, post-war Italian music and much

more. Some papers are compulsory, e.g. analysis, harmony &

counterpoint, an odd paper called 'Music and Musicology Today'

and various other things (mainly history papers) which are

prescribed for first-years. This means you'll be required to

juggle about a million different skills in your first year, making

it rather a tough start to your degree. But worry not! Everybody

has one or two pet-peeve papers, but they all prove useful and

valuable by the end of your degree. Besides, Dr Thurlow will

supervise a lot of the first-year courses, meaning he'll be there

to support you all the way.

That’s the most important thing about music at Robinson: Dr

Thurlow and all of the other Musicians have been through

everything you’ll go through, and we’re there to help. We’ve

got a nice Muso community going, and we’d love you to join us!

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Natural Sciences

Natural Sciences is a diverse science course that allows you to

continue studying a broad range of scientific disciplines in your

first two years, with your specialisation only occurring in the

final year. This allows you to gain a more thorough background

in several fields before making a decision. The distinction

between Biological and Physical natural sciences is small, as you

are free to choose from all the natural sciences modules, being

restricted only by your interests and A levels. Changing between

the two is not uncommon.

At Robinson, you will benefit from really enthusiastic and

supportive supervisors and Directors of Studies. You will meet

regularly with your Directors of Studies to discuss your progress

and advise you on your module options in future years. Natural

scientists make up about 20-25 Robinson students per year, split

between the two Directors of Studies, making it the largest

course in Robinson. You can always find someone to talk to

about your subject.

The College is ideally placed, being next to the University

Library, and it is one of the nearest Colleges to the West

Cambridge site where the Cavendish laboratory (Physics

department) is situated. It is also only 1five-minutes from the

city centre, where many of the other science departments are

based.

Philosophy

If you’re reading this, you probably already know that you want

to study Philosophy at University. So what’s so good about

studying Philosophy at Robinson?

Philosophy is a very small subject at Robinson. We usually have

around four or five philosophers in the whole College. This year

we have just two in the second year, and none at all in the

other two years. Because of this, only a few people have to

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share the pretty large selection of Philosophy books in our

library - which is open 24 hours a day, every day during term

time. Even if a book isn’t available in the College library,

Robinson is literally across the road from the University Library

and is only a five minutes’ walk away from the Department

Library. The Director of Studies here - Dr. Hallvard Lillehammer

- has an extremely good reputation, particularly for teaching,

throughout the Philosophy faculty and Robinson students are

seen by other philosophy students as very lucky to have him. As

an added bonus, the highly distinguished academic - Professor

Myles Burnyeat - is an Honorary Fellow here, and is kind enough

to offer some teaching in ancient philosophy to undergraduates

if they want it. This is a great and unexpected bonus of studying

at Robinson.

Robinson’s location, which I mentioned above, is extremely

beneficial to Philosophy students. Philosophy lectures tend to

begin later in the day, usually at 10 or 11 in the morning, and

the Faculty and lecture halls are only five minutes away on foot

(or two minutes by bike).This means whilst most science

students with 9am lectures have to get up at 8, philosophers

can realistically expect to get up at 9.30 or 10.30 if they like

sleeping in!

Psychological and Behavioural Sciences (PBS) Tilly Roberts

During the first week of term, in College, there are many

opportunities to meet students in the second and third year as

well as other first years on your course or a similar one,

providing a good chance to ask any questions you may have.

Also, there are introductory talks about the two optional papers

you can choose. These talks are really useful, because if you are

unsure about which papers to choose you can go to more than

two talks since the deadline for deciding isn’t until a couple of

weeks into term. Plus, talking to your Director of Studies is

really useful if you are unsure about what to choose. There is a

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wide variety of optional papers, ranging from Introduction to

Archaeology to Microeconomics to Language, Communication,

and Literacy.

The workload depends upon which optional papers you choose.

The compulsory paper, Introduction to Psychology, has two

lectures a week and, generally, your supervisor will set one

essay every other week (a total of four essays for this paper in

the first term). You will cover concepts such as individual

differences in personality, addiction and the cognitive

neuroscience of decision making. The other compulsory paper,

Psychological Enquiry and Methods, has three hour lab sessions

(every other week) in which you learn about molecules and the

brain, the structure and measurement of the nervous system

and psycho-biological interventions. Additionally, during the

first term, for students who did not take maths A-Level, there

are lectures available to get everyone to the same level. For

many of the optional papers, the pattern of workload is similar

to that of the Introduction to Psychology paper, though papers

such as Evolution and Behaviour (from the Natural Sciences

course) will have practicals as well as set work.

There are plenty of resources to assist you in writing your essays

and understanding the material from the lectures. For each

essay you will receive a recommended reading list - the books

are not always available from the Robinson College Library, but

these books can be found at the Psychology faculty library or

the University library. Articles can be found online and often a

link to these articles is put on CamTools. CamTools is a really

useful website where you can access resources such as links to

e-books, specific chapters of books which have been scanned,

and the lecture PowerPoints or handouts.

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Theology Catherine Hodge

Robinson is a really fantastic place to base yourself for a

Cambridge Theology and Religious Studies degree. The College,

which is wonderful in and of itself, is only five-minutes’ amble

from the Divinity Faculty, which plays host to the vast majority

of lectures, and also houses the faculty library. In practice, this

means you can get out of bed at about 8.56 and still be on time

for a 9am lecture. You can also avoid fines when you realise

that your books are overdue at the very last minute. The faculty

building is on the Sidgwick Site, where you'll also find the

faculties of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, History, English

and Philosophy. Because the course is so varied, all of these

departments and their libraries could well come in handy.

The breadth of the papers on offer, even in the first year, is one

of the things I love about the course. When you arrive, you will

be asked to choose a language: Hebrew, Sanskrit, Quaranic

Arabic or New Testament Greek, as well as three other papers.

This means that in my first year I have found myself studying

the rise of fundamentalism in the modern world alongside the

origins of Deuteronomy, Kant's definition of the moral

imperative and the ins and outs of Arabic grammar. Sometimes

there's a lot to do, but I am never bored.

Robinson often takes three students a year to study TRS, which

doesn't sound like many, but actually makes for one of the

bigger cohorts across the University. A relatively small number

of people in each year (around 40) means that you quickly get

to know lots of people from other Colleges. It can be a bit

daunting when you first have one-on-one supervisions or

lectures and classes where you are one of ten, but after a

couple of weeks you realise that lecturers, supervisors and

teachers are incredibly friendly and are desperate for you to ask

questions.

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Our Director of Studies, David, is very helpful and supportive

when you are choosing your options and is very good at finding

great supervisors who are able to help you study topics, which

really interest you. I have no complaints about Theology and

Religious Studies at Robinson, but if you did, the support

network here is fantastic. The student community is very

friendly and there is absolutely no need to be of any particular

religious persuasion to enjoy the course and do well.

Veterinary Medicine Becca Muller

Robinson is one of the best Colleges to study Veterinary

Medicine (VetMed) at Cambridge. The College is located halfway

between lectures in the city centre and the vet school for pre-

clinical animal handling sessions, all just a 10-minute cycle

away. Being slightly outside the city centre means we don’t get

many tourists wandering around, creating a more relaxed

atmosphere for studying and socialising.

We are lucky to have excellent supervisors at our College who

are very experienced and engaging. This is important for

supervisions as they can answer any questions you have and help

to focus on particular areas in the course. The Robinson library

also has a very good selection of books for vet students to use,

not only in the Veterinary section! There are several copies of

all the recommended textbooks and there is usually always one

available for use when you need it. If not, the University Library

is just across the road.

Vet Med is a lot of work, but we still have a lot of time to have

fun too! Having up to 4 vets in each year means you get to know

everyone really well. There’s always someone to talk to if you

get stuck and the second and third year students are always

around to give advice, particularly in the first term when

everything can seem a bit overwhelming. Vet students here get

together once a term for a vet formal or vet punting, another

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good opportunity to get to know the older years. Because we’re

here for six years, VetMed is a really sociable subject and you’ll

get to know vets from other Colleges really well! We have an

inter-year party at the end of Freshers’ Week, a pantomime at

Christmas, and a dinner-dance in second term to boot.

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Contacts

RCSA Website http://www.rcsa.co.uk

RCSA President Email (Chris Parmee) president@rcsa.co.uk

RCSA Access Email (Ben Peacock) access@rcsa.co.uk

RCSA Prospective Students Page http://www.rcsa.co.uk/prospective-students

Here, you can email us with any questions you may have!

Roisin, Robinson’s Schools Liaison Officer slo@robinson.cam.ac.uk

Robinson College Admissions Website http://www.robinson.cam.ac.uk/admissions/

Cambridge University Students’ Union (CUSU) Site http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk

University Website http://www.cam.ac.uk

Photo credits: James Goodwin, Rosalyn Old, Dan Dyer, Alex

Massey, Andrew Chapman, Harshil Raisinghani, Miguel Barros-

Brito, Phillip Hubbard, Rosie Patterson, Sam Ruiz, Tim

Sherrington, Will Matthews.