Charlotte Hartley                                                              

Independent School , Epsom

Third-year SPS Student

Seen here with Greg, second year Law student

Cambridge 's SPS course offers a unique combination of four compulsory subjects in the first year (Part I), from which students are required to choose one or two to continue with in their second and third years (Part II).  I found the course immediately attractive when I first read about it because I didn't have a clear idea of a single subject  I wanted to read. The four offered in SPS seemed really interesting, although unlike anything I had studied at school.  By the time I had finished my Part I though, I really felt ready to narrow down and focus on one subject, which, in my case, was Politics.

SPS, like most subjects in Cambridge, is taught through a mixture of lectures, classes, supervisions, private reading and essay writing. With Arts subjects, there is an emphasis on the last two, which can be a bit daunting at first, but eventually becomes more enjoyable and rewarding.  Because of the difference between the way in which you are taught at school and at university, Clare puts all of the first-year undergraduates together so they can encourage and help each other while they get used to new work practices and expectations. The Academic support at Clare is brilliant, and the College encourages communication with its undergraduates, either directly, or through the Academic Affairs Officer on the UCS (Union of Clare Students) Executive. The SPS Director of Studies at Clare, Dr Helen Thompson, supervises all first-year students for their Politics paper so, even if you do not eventually specialise in that subject, you will get to know each other early on.

Choosing a college was the most confusing part of the application process for me, especially as most of the college profiles in the University Prospectus sounded very similar.  In the end I relied upon the CUSU (Cambridge University Students' Union ) alternative prospectus, which is on the internet. It portrayed Clare as a progressive and unpretentious college, with all the advantages of being an old Cambridge college (for example, a central site with beautiful buildings and gardens) without being stuffy or old-fashioned. When I came up to Cambridge on an Open Day a month before applying, this impression of Clare was confirmed. Now, having been here for a year and a half, I cannot believe my luck in choosing it. Clare is a very lively community, and its students come from all backgrounds, with wide-ranging interests and skills. There is an opportunity to do just about anything, either through an existing society, or by applying for a college fund to start a new one. We are fortunate to be based on three main sites, each near to the centre of town, and each with communal facilities such as IT and Music rooms.  All undergraduates are eligible for rooms on these sites for three years, so there is a strong sense of community within the college.

I'm sure most Cambridge students would say that they couldn't imagine being at any college other than their own, but I would really recommend any student thinking of applying to strongly consider Clare. It has a very welcoming and friendly environment, and is just a really fun place to be a student. Come on an Open Day and see for yourself!

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