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Mike Coffin
Independent school, Winchester
Second-year student
reading Natural Sciences
When I left school I wasn't
sure that I wanted to commit to doing just physics – with NatSci
you get the opportunity to see how the different science subjects
are taught at university, and then make decisions about what exactly
you want to study. For my first year I've chosen to do Geology,
Physics and Evolution and Behaviour (E&B), as well as the obligatory
maths. At first this appears to be an odd choice, but that's the
brilliant thing about NatSci- you can do physical sciences and biological
ones at the same time.
Natural Sciences is a very
structured course with 12 hours of lectures, 10 hours of practicals
and 4 supervisions a week. This sounds a lot, but with this amount
of timetabled work, you don't need to spend hours every day in the
library and as work is structured, you know when you're working
and when you're not. Thankfully I've avoided the feeling of spending
all day staring at the computer trying to write a 4000 word essay,
which is what English students seem to do - neither relaxing nor
working! So there is time to do other things apart from work, and
in general NatScis seem to be actively involved in all areas of
college life. In some of the subjects, there are field courses over
Easter in the first year, so this year I went off to Arran in Scotland
to spend a week looking at rocks, which was both great for my Geology,
but also was a great way to meet people outside of college.
Whilst Clare isn't the sportiest
of colleges there are teams for everyone, and the great thing about
college sports and societies is that you don't have to pay anything
to participate! Unlike some of the larger colleges, you don't have
to have been playing a sport for years to get into a college team.
Though having said that, the first boats compete at a high level
both in Cambridge and at regattas outside the city, and our hockey
team is in the first division. This year, I've managed to row in
the 1 st VIII, have just been appointed hockey captain (If you're
a hockey player then please, please apply….), and am now UCS secretary,
as well as getting involved with college music and turning out for
the 2 nd football team. So you can definitely do all sorts of things
as well as a being a NatSci! However this isn't to say it's an easy
degree, but I've always tried to stick to the maxim: “work hard,
play hard” and that's exactly what the college allows you to do.
To make sure you keep the balance right, everyone has a DOS (Director
of Studies) and a Tutor, but they're also there to help with all
sorts of problems.
All the first years live
in Memorial Court, which is just across the river from Old Court.
Everyone living in the same place makes it really easy to get to
know other people in your year, and the computer room and the College
library are in the court. There are about 10 staircases - I live
in the attic and walking up to my room, there are always doors open
to have a quick chat – it's all just really friendly with a small
gyp room on each floor of five or six people. My room's not en-suite
(which most first year rooms are – they're some of the best in the
Uni!) but I only share a bathroom with two others on my floor, and
it's only the 3 of us using our gyp. There's the added bonus that
my room is really quirky with beams and a sloped ceiling! Overall
the college is not too big that you can't get to know everyone,
but not so small that you're forever treading on each other's toes.
There are so many different people here, each with something interesting
to say - there really is no limit to the opportunities here.
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