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scytoo

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  1. Like
    scytoo got a reaction from CHRISPR in Gates Cambridge 2021-2022   
    Congrats to all who've received an offer! Looking forward to meeting some of you in October ?
  2. Upvote
    scytoo got a reaction from Juliagus in Gates Cambridge 2021-2022   
    Congrats to all who've received an offer! Looking forward to meeting some of you in October ?
  3. Like
    scytoo got a reaction from Afro Aniyunwiya in Gates Cambridge 2021-2022   
    Congrats to all who've received an offer! Looking forward to meeting some of you in October ?
  4. Like
    scytoo got a reaction from Alpha_orionis in Gates Cambridge 2021-2022   
    Congrats to all who've received an offer! Looking forward to meeting some of you in October ?
  5. Like
    scytoo got a reaction from Chiralres7 in Gates Cambridge 2021-2022   
    Congrats to all who've received an offer! Looking forward to meeting some of you in October ?
  6. Like
    scytoo got a reaction from DeNovo in Gates Cambridge 2021-2022   
    You will get an email from the relevant body offering the scholarship, and then you should have a certain amount of time (it'll vary a lot) to respond to that offer. If you have one full scholarship then you cannot accept another without giving up the first. You can only receive enough money to cover your tuition and standard living costs, and anything above that amount will be distributed to other scholars. Once you are no longer eligible for more scholarships then you might be taken off the list or might not be. Again, these are all independent boards doing the assessment, and it can take some time to pass along the news that you're not a candidate unless someone passes it along directly.
    If the college offers you something then you would accept. And then if the Trust offered you something full-cost your only options are to decline or to accept and give up the college scholarship. That kind of switching and juggling is why scholarship offers are given out in drips until quite late in the year.
  7. Like
    scytoo got a reaction from shivermetimbers in Gates Cambridge 2021-2022   
    You should assume that each of the scholarships listed on the Trust website are independent. The Trust collates them but may have no say in their selection, and that's especially true for awards that are explicitly non-centralised, e.g. anything from a college, department, or donation. Those all have their own selection process.
    There aren't any solid numbers on how many conditional offer holders get awarded funding. We know how many attending students have funding, and it's not all that high (self-funding is much higher than you might expect), as per the Funding website (https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/funding) :
    >In 2019, 81% of our new PhD students and 30% of our new Masters students were awarded funding (either full or partial)
    And if you follow to the PDF, then 73% of PhD applicants (? the language switch between students and applicants is confusing, and those mean two very different things) and 17% of Masters applicants were fully funded. 
    If they're correct in talking about applicants then that's good. But if they're only talking about people who eventually got an unconditional offer or who attended then it leaves out a huge proportion who get a conditional offer but no funding. These people aren't funded but they obviously aren't self-funded either, so it's a glaring gap in the infographic.
    You should assume all funds are merit-based. There are a couple of need-based things if you're a refugee or come from a war zone, but assuming you're American, neither apply. All other need-based monetary awards are small, one-time bursaries (maybe £500) that individual colleges offer to students who are already on their course and face hardship, not applicants.
  8. Like
    scytoo got a reaction from shivermetimbers in Gates Cambridge 2021-2022   
    You will get an email from the relevant body offering the scholarship, and then you should have a certain amount of time (it'll vary a lot) to respond to that offer. If you have one full scholarship then you cannot accept another without giving up the first. You can only receive enough money to cover your tuition and standard living costs, and anything above that amount will be distributed to other scholars. Once you are no longer eligible for more scholarships then you might be taken off the list or might not be. Again, these are all independent boards doing the assessment, and it can take some time to pass along the news that you're not a candidate unless someone passes it along directly.
    If the college offers you something then you would accept. And then if the Trust offered you something full-cost your only options are to decline or to accept and give up the college scholarship. That kind of switching and juggling is why scholarship offers are given out in drips until quite late in the year.
  9. Like
    scytoo got a reaction from DeNovo in Gates Cambridge 2021-2022   
    You should assume that each of the scholarships listed on the Trust website are independent. The Trust collates them but may have no say in their selection, and that's especially true for awards that are explicitly non-centralised, e.g. anything from a college, department, or donation. Those all have their own selection process.
    There aren't any solid numbers on how many conditional offer holders get awarded funding. We know how many attending students have funding, and it's not all that high (self-funding is much higher than you might expect), as per the Funding website (https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/funding) :
    >In 2019, 81% of our new PhD students and 30% of our new Masters students were awarded funding (either full or partial)
    And if you follow to the PDF, then 73% of PhD applicants (? the language switch between students and applicants is confusing, and those mean two very different things) and 17% of Masters applicants were fully funded. 
    If they're correct in talking about applicants then that's good. But if they're only talking about people who eventually got an unconditional offer or who attended then it leaves out a huge proportion who get a conditional offer but no funding. These people aren't funded but they obviously aren't self-funded either, so it's a glaring gap in the infographic.
    You should assume all funds are merit-based. There are a couple of need-based things if you're a refugee or come from a war zone, but assuming you're American, neither apply. All other need-based monetary awards are small, one-time bursaries (maybe £500) that individual colleges offer to students who are already on their course and face hardship, not applicants.
  10. Like
    scytoo got a reaction from shivermetimbers in Gates Cambridge 2021-2022   
    In previous years the results would come out at slightly different times or different days for the separate panels. They are separate, after all. I don't know if it's the same this year without any interviews, but I imagine they've still done selections using the different areas/panels, so I wouldn't be too worried unless someone in your panel area has heard back already. And even then, the emails are not sent simultaneously. Different people will get it at slightly different times, even within the same panel. Will be on the same day though, unless an offer-holder ahead of you turns down the scholarship.
    48 hours to accept is a tight turnaround, but it's still 48 hours. So I doubt they would send all rejections before that time is up as I'm sure someone will inevitably turn down the scholarship. So sit tight, basically.
  11. Like
    scytoo got a reaction from anotherpotato28 in Gates Cambridge 2021-2022   
    In previous years the results would come out at slightly different times or different days for the separate panels. They are separate, after all. I don't know if it's the same this year without any interviews, but I imagine they've still done selections using the different areas/panels, so I wouldn't be too worried unless someone in your panel area has heard back already. And even then, the emails are not sent simultaneously. Different people will get it at slightly different times, even within the same panel. Will be on the same day though, unless an offer-holder ahead of you turns down the scholarship.
    48 hours to accept is a tight turnaround, but it's still 48 hours. So I doubt they would send all rejections before that time is up as I'm sure someone will inevitably turn down the scholarship. So sit tight, basically.
  12. Like
    scytoo got a reaction from LinaKM in Gates Cambridge 2021-2022   
    In previous years the results would come out at slightly different times or different days for the separate panels. They are separate, after all. I don't know if it's the same this year without any interviews, but I imagine they've still done selections using the different areas/panels, so I wouldn't be too worried unless someone in your panel area has heard back already. And even then, the emails are not sent simultaneously. Different people will get it at slightly different times, even within the same panel. Will be on the same day though, unless an offer-holder ahead of you turns down the scholarship.
    48 hours to accept is a tight turnaround, but it's still 48 hours. So I doubt they would send all rejections before that time is up as I'm sure someone will inevitably turn down the scholarship. So sit tight, basically.
  13. Upvote
    scytoo got a reaction from vxn in Concurrently taking & TAing a course   
    I have TA'd for a class I was concurrently taking, although it wasn't for credit and I was a few years above the rest of the class so there wasn't any interaction between us outside of my TA work.
    It was really tough. As the TA you don't just have to understand the material as the term goes on, you need to understand it better than the best student in the class and about a week in advance of them because they'll be emailing you and asking for guidance on the assignments. Plus undergrads can make their classes their full-time job, while I had to juggle research and lesson planning alongside learning the content. My PI was the lecturer and gave me the green light to TA (even suggested it) because (a) I'd learn the content faster that way, and (b) as a graduate with a good few years on the rest of the class, I should be able to learn faster than them and to a deeper level.
    I managed okay and got very good student reviews, but I would never do it again and I would never recommend it to another person. The stress is insane. 
  14. Upvote
    scytoo got a reaction from Phoenix88 in What piece(s) of advice would you give to new TAs?   
    I've TA'd quite a few undergraduate courses at different levels, and what I've learned so far is:
    1. The students who show up to extra sessions or are otherwise really engaged will fall into two groups: those who are dedicated but just aren't prepared for the content, and those who are acing it. The apathetic middle is really hard to engage. 
    2. It's easier to teach students who are struggling. Maybe this is a personal preference thing, but I'll take a business student struggling in calc over someone precocious any day. And if your students are way above the level expected for an undergrad or you're not completely familiar with the content, you end up in an arms race where you're trying to keep 10 steps ahead so you're still the expert in the equation.
    3. Don't tutor/teach a subject you're not an expert in. Just don't do it. I made that mistake once and it was hell because while the students could dedicate hours every day to the subject, I had other things to do. I was learning the content while trying to mark assignments, and then fielding questions from those advanced students. Start by teaching intro stuff. 
    4. Decide early on how much time you'll dedicate to students. If you're going to have intensive one-on-one sessions with one student who's struggling then you do need to offer the same to every other student. If you're not willing/able to do it for everyone then don't do it. 
    5. Set clear expectations at the start, both for you and them. Tell them when their assignments are due, where, and what the late penalties are. But also tell them how long it'll take you to mark them, and how long you might take to respond to emails. If you need them to check their emails every day, tell them that. Everyone claims they want total freedom but what people really want are clear guidelines and rules.
    6. Set professional boundaries and always be wary of students overstepping them, especially if you're a woman. Younger students in particular will see you as an authority figure and source of pastoral support not unlike their high school teachers. They might come to you with some very serious concerns, including abuse and suicidal thoughts. Think ahead for this kind of stuff -- know who you need to contact, what you need to do, and also what you should do to help the student. Read up about what language you should use to address student concerns without appearing to dismiss or ignore them. If you feel concerned or uncomfortable about a student for any reason, escalate it. You are not their therapist.
    7. Avoid discussing your students online, or even in person, unless it's in the most vague terms humanly possible. A complaint about a student who's needy or who doesn't do the work could be identifiable to someone. Yes, it's your job and sometimes you'll get frustrated, but avoid gossiping about your students. Approach this like doctors do for their patients. 
    8. Remember that your students might have quite different goals, and don't assume you know what those are. Not everyone is aiming for graduate school or academia, not even the top students. Industry shouldn't be an alternative, it should be on equal footing as academia. 
    9. You will get tired. Starting to TA at the beginning of term is easy, but once it gets near the end you're going to be bogged down in your own work and with little energy left for neurotic undergrads and their final exams. So just be aware that any standards you set at the beginning (e.g. in providing extra tutoring sessions) will need to be upheld for the entire term, even when you have more important deadlines to worry about. 
    10. Take notes at the end of every session/tutorial for what worked and what didn't, plus any relevant notes about specific students (especially if you have to provide individual reports to them). You won't remember to do it tomorrow or next week. You won't remember to fix that example problem that didn't work out. 
  15. Like
    scytoo got a reaction from Rauschenbusch in What piece(s) of advice would you give to new TAs?   
    I've TA'd quite a few undergraduate courses at different levels, and what I've learned so far is:
    1. The students who show up to extra sessions or are otherwise really engaged will fall into two groups: those who are dedicated but just aren't prepared for the content, and those who are acing it. The apathetic middle is really hard to engage. 
    2. It's easier to teach students who are struggling. Maybe this is a personal preference thing, but I'll take a business student struggling in calc over someone precocious any day. And if your students are way above the level expected for an undergrad or you're not completely familiar with the content, you end up in an arms race where you're trying to keep 10 steps ahead so you're still the expert in the equation.
    3. Don't tutor/teach a subject you're not an expert in. Just don't do it. I made that mistake once and it was hell because while the students could dedicate hours every day to the subject, I had other things to do. I was learning the content while trying to mark assignments, and then fielding questions from those advanced students. Start by teaching intro stuff. 
    4. Decide early on how much time you'll dedicate to students. If you're going to have intensive one-on-one sessions with one student who's struggling then you do need to offer the same to every other student. If you're not willing/able to do it for everyone then don't do it. 
    5. Set clear expectations at the start, both for you and them. Tell them when their assignments are due, where, and what the late penalties are. But also tell them how long it'll take you to mark them, and how long you might take to respond to emails. If you need them to check their emails every day, tell them that. Everyone claims they want total freedom but what people really want are clear guidelines and rules.
    6. Set professional boundaries and always be wary of students overstepping them, especially if you're a woman. Younger students in particular will see you as an authority figure and source of pastoral support not unlike their high school teachers. They might come to you with some very serious concerns, including abuse and suicidal thoughts. Think ahead for this kind of stuff -- know who you need to contact, what you need to do, and also what you should do to help the student. Read up about what language you should use to address student concerns without appearing to dismiss or ignore them. If you feel concerned or uncomfortable about a student for any reason, escalate it. You are not their therapist.
    7. Avoid discussing your students online, or even in person, unless it's in the most vague terms humanly possible. A complaint about a student who's needy or who doesn't do the work could be identifiable to someone. Yes, it's your job and sometimes you'll get frustrated, but avoid gossiping about your students. Approach this like doctors do for their patients. 
    8. Remember that your students might have quite different goals, and don't assume you know what those are. Not everyone is aiming for graduate school or academia, not even the top students. Industry shouldn't be an alternative, it should be on equal footing as academia. 
    9. You will get tired. Starting to TA at the beginning of term is easy, but once it gets near the end you're going to be bogged down in your own work and with little energy left for neurotic undergrads and their final exams. So just be aware that any standards you set at the beginning (e.g. in providing extra tutoring sessions) will need to be upheld for the entire term, even when you have more important deadlines to worry about. 
    10. Take notes at the end of every session/tutorial for what worked and what didn't, plus any relevant notes about specific students (especially if you have to provide individual reports to them). You won't remember to do it tomorrow or next week. You won't remember to fix that example problem that didn't work out. 
  16. Upvote
    scytoo got a reaction from bibliophile222 in What piece(s) of advice would you give to new TAs?   
    I've TA'd quite a few undergraduate courses at different levels, and what I've learned so far is:
    1. The students who show up to extra sessions or are otherwise really engaged will fall into two groups: those who are dedicated but just aren't prepared for the content, and those who are acing it. The apathetic middle is really hard to engage. 
    2. It's easier to teach students who are struggling. Maybe this is a personal preference thing, but I'll take a business student struggling in calc over someone precocious any day. And if your students are way above the level expected for an undergrad or you're not completely familiar with the content, you end up in an arms race where you're trying to keep 10 steps ahead so you're still the expert in the equation.
    3. Don't tutor/teach a subject you're not an expert in. Just don't do it. I made that mistake once and it was hell because while the students could dedicate hours every day to the subject, I had other things to do. I was learning the content while trying to mark assignments, and then fielding questions from those advanced students. Start by teaching intro stuff. 
    4. Decide early on how much time you'll dedicate to students. If you're going to have intensive one-on-one sessions with one student who's struggling then you do need to offer the same to every other student. If you're not willing/able to do it for everyone then don't do it. 
    5. Set clear expectations at the start, both for you and them. Tell them when their assignments are due, where, and what the late penalties are. But also tell them how long it'll take you to mark them, and how long you might take to respond to emails. If you need them to check their emails every day, tell them that. Everyone claims they want total freedom but what people really want are clear guidelines and rules.
    6. Set professional boundaries and always be wary of students overstepping them, especially if you're a woman. Younger students in particular will see you as an authority figure and source of pastoral support not unlike their high school teachers. They might come to you with some very serious concerns, including abuse and suicidal thoughts. Think ahead for this kind of stuff -- know who you need to contact, what you need to do, and also what you should do to help the student. Read up about what language you should use to address student concerns without appearing to dismiss or ignore them. If you feel concerned or uncomfortable about a student for any reason, escalate it. You are not their therapist.
    7. Avoid discussing your students online, or even in person, unless it's in the most vague terms humanly possible. A complaint about a student who's needy or who doesn't do the work could be identifiable to someone. Yes, it's your job and sometimes you'll get frustrated, but avoid gossiping about your students. Approach this like doctors do for their patients. 
    8. Remember that your students might have quite different goals, and don't assume you know what those are. Not everyone is aiming for graduate school or academia, not even the top students. Industry shouldn't be an alternative, it should be on equal footing as academia. 
    9. You will get tired. Starting to TA at the beginning of term is easy, but once it gets near the end you're going to be bogged down in your own work and with little energy left for neurotic undergrads and their final exams. So just be aware that any standards you set at the beginning (e.g. in providing extra tutoring sessions) will need to be upheld for the entire term, even when you have more important deadlines to worry about. 
    10. Take notes at the end of every session/tutorial for what worked and what didn't, plus any relevant notes about specific students (especially if you have to provide individual reports to them). You won't remember to do it tomorrow or next week. You won't remember to fix that example problem that didn't work out. 
  17. Upvote
    scytoo got a reaction from Sigaba in What piece(s) of advice would you give to new TAs?   
    I've TA'd quite a few undergraduate courses at different levels, and what I've learned so far is:
    1. The students who show up to extra sessions or are otherwise really engaged will fall into two groups: those who are dedicated but just aren't prepared for the content, and those who are acing it. The apathetic middle is really hard to engage. 
    2. It's easier to teach students who are struggling. Maybe this is a personal preference thing, but I'll take a business student struggling in calc over someone precocious any day. And if your students are way above the level expected for an undergrad or you're not completely familiar with the content, you end up in an arms race where you're trying to keep 10 steps ahead so you're still the expert in the equation.
    3. Don't tutor/teach a subject you're not an expert in. Just don't do it. I made that mistake once and it was hell because while the students could dedicate hours every day to the subject, I had other things to do. I was learning the content while trying to mark assignments, and then fielding questions from those advanced students. Start by teaching intro stuff. 
    4. Decide early on how much time you'll dedicate to students. If you're going to have intensive one-on-one sessions with one student who's struggling then you do need to offer the same to every other student. If you're not willing/able to do it for everyone then don't do it. 
    5. Set clear expectations at the start, both for you and them. Tell them when their assignments are due, where, and what the late penalties are. But also tell them how long it'll take you to mark them, and how long you might take to respond to emails. If you need them to check their emails every day, tell them that. Everyone claims they want total freedom but what people really want are clear guidelines and rules.
    6. Set professional boundaries and always be wary of students overstepping them, especially if you're a woman. Younger students in particular will see you as an authority figure and source of pastoral support not unlike their high school teachers. They might come to you with some very serious concerns, including abuse and suicidal thoughts. Think ahead for this kind of stuff -- know who you need to contact, what you need to do, and also what you should do to help the student. Read up about what language you should use to address student concerns without appearing to dismiss or ignore them. If you feel concerned or uncomfortable about a student for any reason, escalate it. You are not their therapist.
    7. Avoid discussing your students online, or even in person, unless it's in the most vague terms humanly possible. A complaint about a student who's needy or who doesn't do the work could be identifiable to someone. Yes, it's your job and sometimes you'll get frustrated, but avoid gossiping about your students. Approach this like doctors do for their patients. 
    8. Remember that your students might have quite different goals, and don't assume you know what those are. Not everyone is aiming for graduate school or academia, not even the top students. Industry shouldn't be an alternative, it should be on equal footing as academia. 
    9. You will get tired. Starting to TA at the beginning of term is easy, but once it gets near the end you're going to be bogged down in your own work and with little energy left for neurotic undergrads and their final exams. So just be aware that any standards you set at the beginning (e.g. in providing extra tutoring sessions) will need to be upheld for the entire term, even when you have more important deadlines to worry about. 
    10. Take notes at the end of every session/tutorial for what worked and what didn't, plus any relevant notes about specific students (especially if you have to provide individual reports to them). You won't remember to do it tomorrow or next week. You won't remember to fix that example problem that didn't work out. 
  18. Upvote
    scytoo got a reaction from circumflex in UK Tier 4 visa: tight window to get approved   
    This is not normal for international students and you need to contact the Immigration team at your prospective university for their advice. It's recommended for UKVI that you submit your visa application as early as possible, which is 3 months before the start date. One month is not going to be long enough to get your CAS, get a confirmed offer, submit your visa application, attend a biometric appointment, and wait for the outcome of the visa assessment. There may be a week or more between each step. And even if you pay a lot of money for priority visa service, you should expect it to take 3 months. UKVI is notorious for being slow and making mistakes. 
    It's likely you'll need some kind of special consideration by the university to get your CAS information before your final grades and thesis are done, otherwise you'll have to start later. 
  19. Like
    scytoo got a reaction from InMyDNA in Gates-Cambridge 2020-2021   
    No, you won't get anyone from the Trust. Your interviewers will be mostly previous scholars. I was interviewed by two engineers and a chemist, and Luisa sent their names shortly before the interview. 
  20. Like
    scytoo got a reaction from InMyDNA in Gates-Cambridge 2020-2021   
    Hey all, I was successful in applying for Gates last year - PhD Astronomy, interviewed by Skype with the Physical Sciences panel
    If anyone has been invited to interview and wants some tips, PM me! 
    [although obviously I can't give much advice for fields very different to my own, different panels and all]
  21. Like
    scytoo got a reaction from automatic_peas in Gates-Cambridge 2020-2021   
    Hey all, I was successful in applying for Gates last year - PhD Astronomy, interviewed by Skype with the Physical Sciences panel
    If anyone has been invited to interview and wants some tips, PM me! 
    [although obviously I can't give much advice for fields very different to my own, different panels and all]
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