History - Laura Dix

Laura studied A-Levels History, Politics and French at Hereford Sixth Form College before coming to St John's to read History in 2001. She graduated in 2004 and is now working in Management Consulting for Accenture in London.

'What especially drew me to the Cambridge History Tripos was its diversity. In Part 1 I chose to study topics spanning a huge variety of time periods and geographies, ranging from Europe after 776bc to British Political and Constitutional History in 1450-1750. Eager to specialise in 20th Century American diplomatic history in Part II, I received funding from St John's enabling me to travel to Washington DC to conduct primary research for my dissertation on Nixon and Kissinger's Vietnam policy in 1972-3. After graduating in 2004 I completed a three-month internship with the United Nations Development Programme and went on to study an International Relations MA at Durham University in 2005. In 2006 I joined Accenture and am currently living and working in London.

The best and probably most unique aspect of reading History at Cambridge was, for me, the way I was encouraged to think and work independently from day one. This - coupled with the continuous friendly support of my Directors of Studies and Supervisors - made for an extremely rewarding experience at St John's providing me with lifelong skills that have been invaluable to my job in Management Consulting. All in all I had an absolutely great time studying History at John's, and if you're thinking of applying I'd say go for it!'

  - Laura Dix, graduated 2004