downing text 2012_Layout 1 - Downing College - University of ...

DOWNING COLLEGE ASSOCIATIONThis sense of things largely remaining the same but being subtly differenthas been especially apparent to me on returning as Senior Tutor after ninemonths away. The students are for all intents and purposes the same, with thesame worries, abilities and ambitions. But things have shifted slightly. Perhapsit is the ever growing concern about the pressures in the real world outsideDowning, such that good examination results are going to be ever moreimportant in order to secure even a satisfactory job. Perhaps it is the financialpressures within the College, with a growing number of students sufferinggenuine financial hardship and reliant on the support from College funds andthe Association Student Support Fund (soon to be renamed the AlumniStudent Fund). Perhaps it is the particular pressures faced by first year studentsas they tackle the difficult transition from school to University, with the needto become independent learners, something which they have not necessarilybeen encouraged to do before in their education.But the job of the Senior Tutor largely remains unchanged. It remains myresponsibility to ensure that the students we admit fulfil their true potentialacademically and to report on their performances. Looking at our examinationresults this year, the message remains unchanged. There have been many goodperformances, and some have been outstanding, but there are also somesignificant disappointments and causes for concern. The results of the secondyears as a whole have been disappointing. There are results in particular subjectswhich are simply not good enough and where the Directors of Studies, relevantFellows and I will be meeting to see what can be done better. But there areresults in some subjects which are a cause of real pleasure. The Economicsresults were particularly strong, with four of the six first years gaining first classresults. The Law results overall have been the best we have had for many years,with 18 students obtaining first class results and six of the first years gainingone third of the first class results awarded throughout the University.Individually there were some outstanding results. Prizes for especialdistinction (requiring the student to be ranked in the top 2.5% of their class)were awarded to: Alice Monaghan (Part IIA, Biological Anthropology);Benjamin Carr (Part IB, Engineering); James Wedlake (Part IIA, History of Art);Jessica Pham, Gretel Scott and Joshua Stevens (Part IA, Law); William Day andAjay Ratan (Part II, Law); Yang Li (Part IA, Mathematics); Andrew Kwok (PartIA, Medical and Veterinary Sciences ); Flora Lee and Hugh Wilson (Part IA,Natural Sciences) and Zara Goozee (Part II, Psychology). Of these students, AliceMonaghan, James Wedlake, Joshua Stevens, Ajay Ratan, Yany Li and ZaraGoozee were all ranked top of their respective Triposes. Ajay Ratan and ZaraGoozee were awarded Association prizes and Alice Monaghan and JamesWedlake were awarded Whalley-Tooker prizes.27