Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The supervision system is extremely rewarding. First, writing a paper every week improves writing skills immensely. The one-on-one nature of supervisions allows for the student to receive helpful attention and feedback. Second, supervisions provide an excellent opportunity to hone oral defense skills and to think critically at a quick pace. Third, supervisions provide excellent opportunities for students to voice concerns, posit ideas, or learn from the seemingly-boundless knowledge that the supervisor has to offer.

On-site administration of your program

The international office ensures that students maintain in contact with their director of studies by arranging monthly meetings. These provide helpful opportunities to ask questions about the program, classes, etc. The international office administration is friendly and welcoming, and always ready to offer you tea! They also provide a few gatherings for all of the international students to meet with each other over the course of the semester.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a graduate hostel with four Americans on my program and four Cambridge graduate students. This provided a pleasant and easy opportunity to meet people from Cambridge as well as different American universities. The hostel is essentially a lovely house with private rooms, kitchen, bathrooms, tv, and other useful amenities, and is located in a neighborhood that is part residential and part university-owned. <br /><br /> I lived in a graduate hostel with four Americans on my program and four Cambridge graduate students. This provided a pleasant and easy opportunity to meet people from Cambridge as well as different American universities. The hostel is essentially a lovely house with private rooms, kitchen, bathrooms, tv, and other useful amenities, and is located in a neighborhood that is part residential and part university-owned.

Cambridge does not require you to be on a meal plan - in the dining hall, it is pay as you go. This allows you to decide what you wish to eat and when. The food at Pembroke College is some of the best in the university. They provide daily vegetarian options, although the cooks do favour fish and pork.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Cambridge denizens in general are very friendly and welcoming. It was sometimes difficult to integrate with the general student population, simply because you enter Cambridge while the other students are already half-way through their year. However, there is always something to do, whether visiting the church at which the first sermons of the Protestant Reformation were preached in England, having tea and hot scones, or walking along the River Cam.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The nurse and doctor's office are friendly and helpful. More importantly, it is easy to schedule an appointment quickly if you need urgent help. Both services are also conveniently located in or near Pembroke, respectively. I felt very safe at Cambridge, even when walking home at night. I would of course recommend that you walk with someone at night, but the town feels very, very safe.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

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• Hostel

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• International Students
• Americans

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• Local Students