Supervision
A supervision is a weekly session in which a small group - usually one to three students - meets a supervisor, a specialist in the topic, for about an hour to discuss work in depth. Supervisions are arranged by the student's College and sit alongside University lectures, seminars and practicals that students from all Colleges attend together.
In practice
Each supervision needs preparation: reading, set questions or an essay, which the student then discusses with the supervisor and receives feedback on. The number of supervisions per week depends on the course. Supervisions are organised by the student's Director of Studies and change with the topic, so there is no single supervisor for a whole degree. They are not assessed, which makes them the place to test ideas rather than perform.
Why it matters to newcomers
"Supo" talk fills Cambridge conversation: colleagues relive theirs, students disappear to write essays for them, and parents hear about them every week. If your teenager studies here, the supervision essay is the rhythm of their week. If you work with Cambridge people, knowing the word explains half their anecdotes about university life.
Related
- Tripos - the examinations supervisions prepare for
- Director of Studies - who arranges supervisions
- College - the body that provides them