ECONOMICS

The Faculty of Economics at the University of Cambridge is one of the longest standing as well as being one of the leading economics faculties in Europe. The Faculty has a global reputation for outstanding academic achievement and world-class original research. The Economics course has been consistently rated No. 1 in?The Complete University Guide. Our academic staff include some of the world’s most distinguished economists, including many Nobel Prize winners. Cambridge economists undertake innovative research that extends the frontiers of modern economic analysis, and our teaching programmes are internationally recognised for the excellent training and scholarship that is provided.

STUDENT PERSPECTIVES: TONY

Written by Tony Zhang, first year Economics?undergraduate student

What are your favourite things about your course?
I’m Tony, a first-year economics student at St John’s College. I think one of the great things about studying Economics at Cambridge is how quickly I got to know some of the most interesting and talented people that I have ever met. Since coming to Cambridge, I have tasted the awe of attending lectures and supervisions led by world-leading academics, seasoned with the combined joy and thrill of having intellectual discussions with my peers. Outside of the classroom, I have seen the same people thrive in everything from rugby matches to Cambridge Union debates to lunchtime concerts to full-blown Italian opera. It has been such a roller-coaster ride being part of the close-knit collegiate community that Cambridge is. The city itself is also beautiful and an absolute delight to live in – personally, I fell in love instantly with the restaurants, clubs and museums which could all be great places to hang out. And that’s not to mention the postcard-worthy streets, the river and the serene surrounding countryside which is just perfect for a weekend walk to unwind.

What does a week in the life of an Economics student look like?
Studying Economics involves attending 2-3 lectures a day and 2-3 supervisions a week (which are small-group classes face to face with world-leading academics, how exciting!). Undeniably, there is a good chunk of reading, maths, and essay-writing in between. Whilst everything was a bit daunting at first, managing time and studying efficiently are skills soon picked up by everyone. To keep my motivation up, I’ve personally enjoyed mixing up my work hours by exploring the many quirky and beautiful libraries all around Cambridge together with friends.

Work aside, no two weeks at Cambridge look quite the same! You can never run out of interesting things to do in Cambridge when there’s literally hundreds of university-wide societies to get stuck into (some of the most unique ones that caught my eye at the start of the year include the assassins’ guild, quidditch and ballroom dancing). Personally, my biggest commitment is my role as a College rep for the Cambridge Christian Union, which involves supporting Christians in and around college and inviting discussion with others about Christianity, faith and life in general. My remaining free time is divided between playing football (more like fooling around) for the John’s thirds team; attending student concerts and theatres to support my friends; and meeting cool speakers at events at the Cambridge Union and the Marshall Society (Bill Gates and Edward Snowden comes readily to mind).

Despite the current disruption with Covid-19, Cambridge is still vibrant with online events to lighten the mood of lockdown. Examples include live “Zoomba” sessions, student bake-off competitions, Netflix parties and online bar quizzes, all run by the lovely St John’s JCR (Junior Combination Room, essentially students’ union). Despite being physically apart, Cambridge’s community spirit lives on. That, above all, is what I think makes studying here truly special.