ABOUT THE COURSE
''I was one of very few in the cohort to not do biology or chemistry - I hadn't stepped into a biology classroom in 3 and a half years until my first physiology lecture! It was a really difficult transition and I had hoped there would be a bit more wiggle room - but I was stupidly too shy to ask for extra help and tutorials when I needed it.
It's not 40 hours 9-5 work like they scare off Oxbridge applicants with - I've had many weeks where I did half of that. And some with more, but that's completely resulting from my organisation.''
''I was looking to do a more traditional course and in fact was exploring everything from medicine to classics - unfortunately I just loved everything too much, a very common sign of a HumSci!
As an international student I was also worried the UK's education system was too limiting as it is very straightforward and only prioritises expertise in one subject. I'd applied to liberal arts colleges in the USA as well, but that didn't quite hit the mark either as I wanted to study the connections between subjects. And you do exactly that in HumSci. It is truly the greatest degree which allows for that diversity and breadth! I can confidently say I wouldn't choose to be anywhere else.''
''HumSci lets you study a ton of different disciplines surrounding what it means to be human. It's unlike anything offered anywhere else, you get to study the overlap between disciplines; if you've found yourself stuck between sciences and humanities, and are interested in all aspects of the human condition from the biological to the social, this is the course for you.''
''We've written essays on a ton of different subjects, from the nervous system to evolutionary cycles to witchcraft!
But my personal favourite essay was entirely unexpected: it was on something called biprospecting, and I have to admit I originally picked that topic because everyone else wanted to do the other question on offer and someone had to go for it. I'd never heard of it before, and braced myself for another boring technical concept.
Turns out, bioprospecting is about the practice of searching in nature for plant and animal species which could have medicinal properties for commercial value. This has been used to exploit indigenous populations and justifying environmental damage. It was such a cool essay and I've ended up working on a related topic for my dissertation. Just goes to show that sometimes, you really just have to take the road less travelled.''
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
''The TSA tests thinking not knowledge, so its different to prepare for than any exam you'd sit at school - no cramming facts or anything like that. But past papers helped massively, mostly to get my timing sorted out. Find as many online resources as possible - from the official websites, and YouTube. Old TSA and BMAT etc papers are good too. I got a mental maths app to get my calculations faster, that really helped me with timing.
Interview experience was actually pretty enjoyable, I think the thing that helped me the most was the fact I was interviewed unsuccessfully at C*mbridge the year before for HSPS. That put things into perspective for me - at the end of the day the opportunity to just sit down with an academic and talk about really cool stuff you wouldn't normally chat to your mates about is awesome to its own end. I stopped caring about the outcome because it wasn't my first rodeo, and relaxing, and making sure you know everything you put on your personal statement is also great for prep, though sometimes they don't ask you about it much.''