Judy Cheng [pictured above, centre] is currently completing a Bachelor of Biomedical Science at the University of Technology in Sydney. She's also a HUGE Harry Potter fan (this is relevant). In July this year, Judy embarked on the trip of a lifetime and set off to the University of Cambridge to study our Cambridge Science Program. Judy has kindly taken the time to tell us more about her summer of learning and travelling and the huge impact this experience has had on her. Read on...
Hi Judy! Could you please introduce yourself?
Why did you choose this AIM Overseas course?
I chose this course because Cambridge is well-known for its science program and I am interested in Science. Charles Darwin, who is one of history’s greatest scientists, was a Cambridge student. Also, I have never been to Cambridge and hence I thought this would be an opportunity to explore the unique British culture. In addition, I had an unspecific elective (6 credit point) at UTS and so I applied for concurrent study and I got it!
Did you have any fears or concerns before doing the program?
Of course I had some! I was concerned about the safety as I was going to the other side of the world by myself. I was scared of bullies and robberies as I was a foreigner in their country. I was also afraid that I would not be able to meet anyone during the summer school program since English is not my first language.
How has doing this program affected you?
I met people from all over the world and if in the future they want to come to Sydney, I can show them around and be their tour guide! Also, I have become more confident in myself since I have shown myself that I am able to take care of myself on the other side of the world.
As for my English, I had to complete a 2000-word essay and received feedback from the lecturer – needless to say, my written English has improved a lot and so has my spoken English.
This program will be a great addition to my resume. I have shown that I am interested in international culture and am willing to adapt to a new environment. From an employee’s perspective, this would be a bonus compared to the other candidates.
Tell me about a typical day at Cambridge.
I lived in Gonville & Caius College right in the center of the town. Breakfast was served as buffet from around 7.45am to 9am. My favorites were coffee, eggs and sausages. Of course, you can have cereals, bread or yogurt. You can choose anything you want. During this time, I met a lot of people from different courses such as Shakespeare, History and Art summer schools.
My first and second lectures were ‘Impact and Responsibility’ which were in the morning. We had new content every day such as physics or biology. One day it would be about the light and the next it would be infection and autoimmunity. Even though my field of interest is Biomedical Science, my knowledge increased significantly during these lectures. You could also download some of the lecture slides on the intranet.
After this lecture, there was a 1.5-hour break. Hence I went out to have lunch with my new friends and we would walk around. My third lectures started at 2pm and this was a special subject course. When you applied for the Summer school in Cambridge, you needed to choose a special subject course from the list and I chose ‘From Atoms to Galaxies: the Astronomer’s View’. This topic was interesting and the lecturer, Robin Catchpole, was so nice. Even though we had a small class, around 8 people, he did not mind spending his time explaining everything to us and he was glad to repeat or further explain concepts for us.
When this class was finished, we had a few hours to ourselves. Some people did some sightseeing, but I needed to complete my essay since I had registered for the evaluation of the essay. Hence, I went to the library of my college (which was one of the most beautiful places at Cambridge!).
Gonville & Caius College Library. How can you not be inspired to do great things when you're studying in a place like this?!
Dinner was around 6.30 pm and it was a 3-meal course. Here’s an example of the meal.
Tuesday 12th July 2011
- Spiced Butternut Squash Soup or Aubergine Pate with Pitta Bread
- Homemade Shepherd’s Pie with Red Onion Gravy, Carrots, garden peas
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Coffee
Sounds good, right?
Evening lectures started at 8pm and finished at 9.30pm. Different topics were included not only from the Sciences but also from Art or Literature (such as the plays of Shakespeare etc.). It was a bit difficult for me since I did not have any knowledge of Shakespeare, but these lectures were interesting.
Here’s a short version of my daily schedule.
Breakfast - 7.45am-9.00am
1st Lecture - 9.15am-10.30am
2nd Lecture - 11am-12.30pm
Lunch - 12.30pm – 2.00pm
3rd lecture - 2.00pm-3.30pm
Free time - 3.30pm – 8.00pm
Dinner - 6.30pm – 7.45pm
4th lecture - 8.00pm-9.30pm
What was the highlight of the program for you?
That would be the travelling. My friends and I went to places such as Oxford. I was so excited since I could go to the place where Harry Potter was filmed. It was a shame that I didn’t have a lot of time and couldn’t stay longer; still, I was so glad I got to go there and took lots of photos!
Another trip which was so inspiring was the additional trip with the lecturer. As I mentioned before, Robin Catchpole was my lecturer of the special course, astronomy. We were so interested in this area that we even asked him if he would show us around the institute of Astronomy in the University of Cambridge. He agreed and afterwards he had planned the whole trip. At the beginning he led us to the library and one of his colleagues told us about the history of astronomy. Then Robin showed us around the institute and explained everything. It was one of the most amazing times I have ever had!
Did you do some extra travel before/after/during the program?
Yes. Before the program, I went to Reading to attend my friend’s graduation. We also went to Bath and Scotland for several days. It was like a dream, travelling with your friends in a foreign country. Seriously, if I did not apply for this program, I would not have been able to meet my friend and hang out with him in England.
After the program, I stayed in London for a few days by myself and did some shopping. Sometimes the best way to truly understand the culture is to stay at one place for a while, soon you will notice the difference and you will start to enjoy it.
Do you have any funny travel stories you’d like to share?
During the weekend, I went to the optional weekend excursion which was London city cruise. While we were in London, the weather was so funny. It was raining heavily for 10 minutes and it was sunny for another 10 minutes and then it was raining again. The weather kept changing for at least an hour. I still remember people around me kept complaining. As for me, I enjoyed it. It was something different!
Do you have any advice for students thinking about doing this course?
I would suggest you to read all the information regarding the special subject courses.
You also need to consider that if you are hoping to register for the elevation of the essay, the course will be more intense since you need to complete a 2000-3000 word essay in a week. However, it’s worth it!
As for international students studying in Australia, you need to provide your IELTS result or attend a Cambridge language Centre diagnostic assessment before the University of Cambridge considers your application.
What would you say to somebody who’s thinking of doing the program?
I would highly recommend this course. When you are back from Cambridge, you will have more friends than before and start to realise the cultural differences. You will also gain additional knowledge from the learning. The optional weekend excursion is good for meeting people as you and your new friends can explore the place together.
As for international students who are studying in an Australian university, if you can study in Australia, I believe you have the ability to study in Cambridge. There is a similarity between Australia and Cambridge and that is - ENGLISH is the spoken language.
And most importantly, Cambridge is only 3 hours away from Oxford - you might be able to see the place where Harry Potter was filmed!
Thanks Judy, sounds like you had a fabulous time!
Judy and her new friends at the Farewell Dinner. Parting is such sweet sorrow!
Judy and friends on the London city cruise. What a summer!
This program runs every year in the July uni holidays. To find out more about this program or to apply, please go to our website: www.aimoverseas.com.au or email us on info@aimoverseas.com.au
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