{"id":299,"date":"2019-09-19T15:00:18","date_gmt":"2019-09-19T15:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/more.efpsa.org\/studytravelabroad\/?p=299"},"modified":"2019-10-08T15:43:49","modified_gmt":"2019-10-08T15:43:49","slug":"my-experience-as-a-research-intern-in-cambridge-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/more.efpsa.org\/studytravelabroad\/2019\/09\/19\/my-experience-as-a-research-intern-in-cambridge-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"My experience as a research intern in Cambridge, UK"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Kings college \u2018garden\u2019 behind the college, with the river Cam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIf you would come to work with us in Cambridge, your research would be about ajflda;f (\u2026) And in fact you\u2019ll be working also on fl;dajf fjd fkld;ae;fj (\u2026) In terms of practicalities you would fajd;l;sam jf apo (\u2026) Is everything clear?\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

There I was: trying to make notes during the phone interview with Cambridge University, but half of the words were lost in the unstable phone connection. What a mess! Still, when asked if everything was clear, I sat straight, nodded, smiled (completely unnecessary behaviour as it was a mere <\/span>phone<\/span><\/i> conversation without video but oh well) and responded \u201cyes, more or less\u201d. Again, I thought, what a mess!!! But then: two days later I received an email. Positive news: the psychology department of Cambridge University was happy to have me! Looking back, I\u2019ve had a wonderful time and would love to share some experiences and tips with you. In this blog I\u2019ll specifically talk about the Cambridge life, my work, finances, application process, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is it like to live in Cambridge?<\/b><\/p>\n

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View from the Old Cavendish Laboratory Building<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My time in Cambridge was like a dream. If you can visit it, I\u2019d definitely recommend (maybe avoid June\/July\/August \u2018cause it gets insanely busy then). Punting the Cam, attending an evensong in King\u2019s college or having some (greasy) food in the Wetherspoons: all are great touristy outings! The city also has many events, theatre gigs and a number of nightclubs. As student, however, you get to peek behind the doors of the university.\u00a0 And it often feels as if you\u2019re travelling through time\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, the city is like a living and breathing museum. Whether you sit in the Eagle pub where Watson & Crick uncovered the DNA helix structure or see the signature and picture of Stephen Hawking in the Gonville and Caius dining hall: the giants of arts & science are everywhere!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But that is only half of the story. Because it\u2019s not just a <\/span>museum<\/span><\/i> of greats. Cambridge also means having access to the greatest professors in your field, as well as speakers for events \u2013 Dame Judi Dench, Douglas Adams, Prof. Richard Dawkins, to name just a few. Indeed, when you attend events or meet new people at dinner: you realize that being at Cambridge gives you the privilege that the <\/span>greats<\/span><\/i> are right there, among you. The Indian PhD candidate who does cancer research, the Dutch MA student who fights for global health. To me, <\/span>that<\/span><\/i> was the Cambridge experience: to meet people who have such passion, talent and motivation, that you can see their dreams, wishes and potential twinkling in their eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

What did I work on?<\/b><\/p>\n

For me as a research intern, Cambridge was busy but very doable. I didn\u2019t have essays to write or classes to follow \u2013 although I was free to join lectures from the MPhil psychology department, which was great. I helped my research group with data collection, travelling throughout Cambridgeshire to visit toddlers and their families. During the six months I learned about conducting tests, observing behaviour and doing interviews. The research lab (and the PhD students in particular) really trained and helped us. We met once a week with the PI (principal investigator) during the weekly team meetings (with tea and cookies!). Other tasks I did included data entry, writing a literature overview and doing preliminary analyses. Next to that, I supported the organization of a parent panel for the Science festival, supervised two undergraduate students with their project and worked on video\/transcript -based coding. I\u2019d say 25% of my work was field research and 75% was desk research, although some weeks it was more 40-60%. I collaborated much with a PhD student in the lab, another fellow intern (who also became a very close friend) and finally with four MPhil students who worked on their dissertation. As research intern I really felt part of the team and had my own tasks, yet, I got the freedom to explore different aspects of research. For example, as interns we attended two conferences (one in London and one in Cambridge) that our research centre paid for. This was a great opportunity to learn more about current research and network! \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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High tea in a shop across King\u2019s College, city centre<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After work, sometimes having days from 7AM to 4PM, other days from 11AM to 7PM, I often went to events or had dinner together with friends. But it was also great to just go home after a busy day and have a chill night with housemates. We lived with seven students in total, from Brazil, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Singapore, and Scotland. I couldn\u2019t wish for a better house, they made me feel at home instantly. The house was a 20-minute bicycle ride from my work, but I\u2019d say that\u2019s really doable, and often more affordable than the alternatives!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How did I apply?<\/b><\/p>\n

After my BA in Liberal Arts and Sciences (Psychology, Anthropology & Statistics) in the Netherlands, I knew I wanted to study abroad. I applied to both KU Leuven (2-year MSc) and Cambridge University (9-month MPhil) for their research master\u2019s programmes and got accepted into both. The Cambridge selection process (for me) really focused on (a) research experience, (b) having a thorough, and doable research proposal and (3) a solid academic track record. You really have to understand the methodology and provide a thorough rationale (e.g. data collection, sampling methods). I talked to people from the Cambridge MPhil and the KU Leuven MSc, finding out the latter had the better scientific program but the former stimulated a broader personal development. A tough call but I chose for Leuven, hoping I could do my obligatory research internship in Cambridge\u2026luckily, this worked out perfectly! I even received an Erasmus+ scholarship to support me financially.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to apply for a master\u2019s at Cambridge bear in mind that the application process is long, and you will hear back late. I \u2013 and others \u2013 applied in January and only got acceptance in April or May. At that point, you don\u2019t even know anything about college accommodation, so you really have to be patient. Also, not all MPhil students can get university accommodation unfortunately, so you might have to go house hunting in August\/September.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What about finances?<\/b><\/p>\n

Going to Leuven was for me definitely also a financial ch<\/span>oice: there you pay only about \u20ac950 per year. In Cambridge, you pay more than \u20ac14000 for 9 months! For my internship at Cambridge, I lived in a student accommodation outside of college, which was \u00a3500 per month. I found it through the Cambridge University accommodation portal. (I visited the home during the summer holidays to ensure it was not a scam.)\u00a0<\/span>Additionally, I paid about \u00a330-70 per month for food, college dinners, event tickets etc. \u2018Formals\u2019 in the colleges cost around \u00a312,- for a 3 course dinner without wine. Going to the cinema costs \u00a310 although they have student discounts (e.g. Super Mondays at Vue cinema). I financed my stay through a student loan from the Netherlands, my Erasmus scholarship, and personal savings. If you want to study there for a MPhil, you can apply for grants (e.g. Gates, ESRC) but these are highly competitive and will be allocated more often to PhD\u2019ers than MPhils. Most MPhil students I talked to were (partly) funded by their own country or self-funded.<\/span><\/p>\n

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My living room in the student accomodation, Milton Road North Cambridge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cambridge culture observations<\/b><\/p>\n

I loved being in Cambridge and learning about their (British) culture! A few observations I scribbled down below:<\/span><\/p>\n