The Economist is a brilliant source to increase general awareness of subject-specific current affairs for personal statement writing and university interviews. The magazine (and Economist podcasts) are not only fantastic for aspiring economists, but students preparing for a whole array of STEM and Humanities courses. In this Curious Minds digest, we explore five of the Economist’s top 10 trends for the world ahead in 2022, posing a range of Oxbridge interview-style questions and offering reading suggestions for students looking beyond the syllabus in their degree preparation.

Being able to take a question that is hotly contested in public discourse and stripping it back to its bare bones to be able to arrive at a robust and logically sound conclusion is an ability necessary for success in all humanities disciplines. This Curious Minds article takes one of the more pertinent questions of our political age: “should we lower the voting age?”, to guide students on how to approach normative questions. This digest is relevant not only to those interested in politics, but all social sciences/ Humanities students.

This Curious Minds digest is based around a prominent topic in the news: “the first energy squeeze of the green era”. If you are looking to study a scientific or social science degree (e.g. Geography, Economics, Politics etc.), it is crucial to examine current affairs articles and topics in the news. This digest will pose a range of questions around the energy market shortage, and will start you thinking about the potential causes and implications.

Since the 18th century we have seen ourselves as separate from nature. But as human activity threatens the very climate system we need to survive, is it time to reconsider? In this Curious Minds digest, 1st Class Cambridge Human, Social and Political Sciences graduate, Keira, traces the development of the human-nature relationship from its encapsulation in Enlightenment thinking, to today’s warming world. This digest is particularly relevant to students thinking of Social Sciences degrees.

It can be difficult to fully realise the functional significance of what you are studying. Yet, looking beyond the syllabus into the world that awaits post-school not only instills excitement and enthusiasm for the subjects you are learning, but is crucial when approaching entrance to top universities such as Oxbridge. The strongest students will show an awareness of the wider implications of their subject, make connections between topics, and be able to demonstrate their own knowledge and application of ideas. Find out how!

For students applying for a social sciences degree, it is important to understand the linkages between adjacent fields. The following questions were asked to an Economics candidate at Cambridge during his interview. In this Curious Economics Minds digest, we encourage you to interrogate and explore the following questions in detail, thinking about how Governments, Environmental Policy, and Business intertwine.

For students applying for politics-related degree courses or simply with a mind for politics, it is valuable to have an understanding of US Politics, the principles and structure, as well as in comparison to the UK system. In this Curious Political Minds digest, we aim to stimulate a keen interest in US Politics using Allan Lichtman‘s book, The Keys to the White House (1981) as a centrepiece for an examination of a presidential candidate’s rise to power and how we can determine the outcome of presidential elections in the United States.