History - Andrew Browning

Andrew began his time at St John's in 2008, having attended King Edward's School, Birmingham. He chose to study history at Cambridge because of the reputation of the Faculty, and because of the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer. As a keen orchestral player, he made the most of the musical opportunities around Cambridge, and he also represented the college in rugby and athletics. He now works with a strategy consulting firm in London.

'For me, the best part of studying history at St John's is the variety of options available. During my time at Cambridge, I studied Anglo-French diplomatic relations, the role of the World Bank and the IMF in the global economy, and the bad habits of the ancient Athenians. I took a course in political philosophy, from Plato through to the Nineteenth Century, and wrote a dissertation on landscape in the film music of Ralph Vaughan Williams.

As a student at St John's you are also exposed to the very best academic staff in the University. Both the established best-selling historians such as Professor Tombs, and the big names of the future. The balance of one-on-one supervisions, group classes, talks and lectures provides scope to overindulge even the most intellectually curious. And the support that St John's gives you doesn't stop there: book grants, travel grants, career advice are all on offer.

The skills which I learnt during my three years at St John's, I now use every day in my work. At Cambridge you will learn to absorb a large amount of information quickly, to distil it into a clear analysis, and to communicate your ideas clearly. If you would like to gain a hugely valuable degree, to have a lot of fun, and to make friends for life, my advice is to apply St John's to study history.'

- Andrew Browning, graduated 2011