3
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
4
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
5
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).
6
College life Ben Peacock (RCSA Access Officer 2013-14) – [email protected]
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-
7
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
8
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
9
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
10
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!
11
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.
12
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!
13
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.
14
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
15
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
16
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’
17
(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
18
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
19
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
20
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
21
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.
22
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
23
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
24
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
25
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
26
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,
28
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.
29
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.
30
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
31
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
32
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:
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.
40
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.
42
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
43
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.
44
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.
45
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.
46
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
47
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
48
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 – [email protected]
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
49
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
50
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
51
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.
52
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!
53
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
54
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
55
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.
56
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.
57
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
58
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.
59
Contacts
RCSA Website http://www.rcsa.co.uk
RCSA President Email (Chris Parmee) [email protected]
RCSA Access Email (Ben Peacock) [email protected]
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 [email protected]
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.