The Cambridge (Survival) Guide - Cambridge University Students ...

21Graduate Study EssentialsThe mere fact that you are pursuing a postgraduate degree atCambridge probably means that you have already performed very well atundergraduate level. Postgraduate study, however, is rather different fromundergraduate study, and presents new challenges and opportunities.The next two pages will guide you on your first few steps as a post gradin Cambridge.SupervisorsEach graduate student is appointed a principal supervisor by the Degree Committee of theirdepartment. The Principal Supervisor will be from your general field of study whose role is toguide your programme of study or research. Some departments also appoint an additionaladviser for each student to provide extra support in case issues arise between the student andthe supervisor. Ask the Chairman or Secretary of your Degree Committee to find out whetheryou have an advisor and who he or she is.In scientific subjects, students work daily in the Faculty or Department and are often in closecontact with their supervisor. In the humanities, students often see their supervisor lessfrequently. In either case, though, trying to develop a good relationship with your supervisorwill be very important. Your supervisor is meant to provide you with help and advice on manythings, from methodology and results to the administrative jungle of the University. Hopefully,you and your supervisor will get on well, but this shouldn’t be left to chance: both you andyour supervisor must take responsibility for understanding and managing the relationship.Relationships breakdown is not that common and could often have been avoided if bothstudent and supervisor had established right at the start what they could expect of each other.The following sources of information may be of some help:• the website of the Board of Graduate Studies (BoGS):www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/• the University’s Code of Practice for Graduate Studies which lays out the University’sas well as your own responsibilities – definitely worth reading in order to avoidmisunderstandings! Go to www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/practice• the Graduate Union website: www.gradunion.cam.ac.uk/postgrad• guidelines on the supervision of postgraduates specific to your department, if theyexist. Ask your departmental secretary for more information.