Cambridge colleges provide you with a Director of Studies (DoS) who is responsible for steering and facilitating your learning. Each DoS is expert in their subject(s). A great many are also world-class research academics.
In Churchill, most DoSs are Fellows (academic staff members) of the College. DoSs meet you at the beginning and end of each term to provide formal advice and guidance, but they are available throughout your undergraduate career if any issues crop up that need particular attention or action. Churchill’s DoSs are notably pro-active and they are immensely committed to their students’ academic development and well-being.
The principal job of our DoSs is to arrange your supervisions – the weekly, small-group tuition that characterises teaching and learning at Cambridge. Supervisions are immensely rewarding, for you and your supervisors. They allow us to challenge and stretch you, and allow you to develop your understanding in the topics that interest you most. The result is that your learning is broadened, deepened, and made even more stimulating and enjoyable.
Churchill invests heavily in obtaining the best supervision for our students and we closely monitor the effectiveness of our tuition. This effort is rewarded by the outstanding examination results our students achieve.
Learning Facilities
Churchill provides you with lots of practical tools to facilitate your learning. Our College Library is large and comfortable, well-stocked for all subjects, and open 24 hours a day throughout the year. It offers several different rooms and studying/seating options, and we can make seminar rooms available for groups. In short, you can study when and how you work best. Our IT provision and staff are excellent and we have free wireless internet across our campus. We run specialist support and study skills sessions if you need to improve particular aspects of your learning, on everything from note-taking and essay-writing through to examination technique.
Our Community
Subject-related socialising and community building are important to academic development. In Churchill, many subjects run academic student societies in which outside speakers give talks or students make presentations on their work. Sessions are often linked to social events and each year whole-College subject dinners allow the Fellows, postgraduates, and undergraduates to get together and talk in a less academic setting.
