Human, Social & Political Sciences

Introducing your Student Rep

Carys Myers

Hi, I am Carys and I am the current Access Officer at Pembroke College! I am from a town just outside Liverpool called St. Helens and attended a Mixed Comp State School. I was the only person from my Sixth Form to get into Oxbridge. I am passionate about making Cambridge accessible to all and ensuring that those who deserve to be here, are, regardless of background or any other constraints. I captain my Pembroke College's Mixed Netball team and get involved in the Politics Society at Pembroke, and of course, I am the Access Officer too. I do a lot of outreach events and speak to schools about Cambridge and basically myth-bust. Hope you enjoy looking through this prospectus to get a flavour of the true Cambridge :)


Key Facts

Average offer: A*AA

3 years

Available at all colleges

Key subjects for admission: None mandatory

Written assessment if interviewed

No inclusive prayer space :(


Q&As

Why did you want to study HSPS?

Carys

I have always been interested in Sociology and Politics. I wanted to try out a range of subjects in first year to help me decide on what I was really interested in. I did Social Anthropology, Sociology, Politics and International Relations. I was able to specialise in 2nd year which was really cool. There are also a lot of students in my college doing HSPS so it is nice to have a little community.

How is the HSPS course structured?

Carys

In first year, you have 8 hrs of lectures a week and maybe 1/2 supervisions a week. In first year you study 4 papers (SOC, POL, IR and Anthropology) which have 2 lectures a week. You complete 12 essays a term, doing 3 from each paper, and have supervisions on each of the essays. A lot of your time will be reading and writing essays.

What is the faculty building like?

Carys

As there are four papers for HSPS, each department is in a different place. Sidgewick site is where all your lectures are held. You will have supervisions which are organised by your college and will be wherever they are arranged. Each department is dotted around the city but you very rarely actually go into them.

What is the workload like?

Carys

For example:   - Monday lecture 1 at 10am, lecture 2 at 1pm   - tuesday lecture 3 at 11am  -wednesday lecture 4+5 from 10-12 and lecture 6 2pm  - thursday lecture 7 1pm, with a supervision at 4pm   - friday lecture 8 3pm.

What about your course would you change?

Carys

Better communication between departments to ensure essay deadlines are not concentrated into the same week/ similar period.


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Have more questions? Talk to an academic rep

Email access@cambridge.co.uk to be put in contact.

Academic Reps are the voice of students in faculties, departments and schools. Reps have the power to enact changes to education, individually based on their priorities and collectively, working with other representatives across the University. Their responsibilities include taking students’ ideas and concerns to faculty and department boards, relaying important information from those boards back to students, and organising with their peers to foster a subject community.