Nobody in my family had ever applied for the university, no matter, Cambridge. My father said: “Hmm, are you sure you want to do that? It's a pretty big step.” I had stressed out about GcSes and put a lot of pressure on myself, and he feared that I would undergo even more stress. But in the end my two parents said: “You could also try it because you will kick yourself later if you don't.” But we were all pretty amazed at the idea.
During the application process, I spent a lot of time on websites for university and universities – cambridge and tips for applying. At school we had a presentation about how to apply, and then I was sent during the summer vacation to write down everything, and it felt a bit “Oh god, how do I do that?” I looked at different online forums to write tips on writing a personal explanation, and finally I wrote over 20 designs! It stumbled through a lot. After all, I had something I was happy with, but it was a pretty long process. I made it earlier I found that even if you have no one next to you that you can ask questions, there is a lot of information and support, resources online and people at the university and colleges that you can ask. The university wants the best of the best, so you shouldn't prevent anything from applying.
When it came to preparing for my Cambridge interview, there was a question I had – what do I wear? It may sound trivial, but it was something I had to think about because it was different from everything I had done before. I didn't know what I would expect. I had no clever, business dresses that were lying around at home, and I couldn't justify to buy some for it. I was looking for online. “What do people wear for a Cambridge interview?” And in the end I went with jeans and a jumper. And then of course I went to the interview and the other candidates had suits, and I thought: “That was a mistake!” But the interviewers are not interested in what they are wearing and they are interested in who they are and what they have to say and contribute.
In the interview, you would like to see that you have the kind of mind that will thrive in this area. The big one you want to see is how you think, how you work, how you process things, how to deal with challenges. They want to understand how they get from A to B. You don't have to have a perfectly coordinated answer to every question, you won't know everything and you don't want you to do it because you can't teach them anything. The main thing is to try not to be too nervous beforehand, which is so much easier to say than done! Sometimes the interviewers refer to their personal statement so that they need to know it inside out. You can also read the messages on your topics and make sure that you will stay up to date. However, you cannot know exactly what you can expect, so you have to try to feel comfortable in this gray area. And you can practice – you can ask a friend or a family member to ask them with different types of random questions on site. It is a very useful ability to have.
I dealt with access work at the university because it made such a difference for me – I felt that the university turned me to me exactly as I turned to the university. I am in the Student Union Committee of Jesus College and have been an ambassador and mentor since my arrival. I was also a mentor in CSUS shadow scheme. I wanted to make the same difference for people who are in the same situation that I was, so I take part in access events, school trips and mentoring – people help to prepare for their interview. I took part in questions and answers with students in my old school, spoken by them, dismantled misunderstandings and encouraged them to apply. When people see a person from a similar background, it seems much more possible to be a Cambridge student.
The scholarship in Cambridge makes a big difference. When I decided where to apply, I looked at the scholarships that are available at various universities and which additional money they may be able to offer. Cambridge is very generous; The scholarship is up to 3,500 GBP per year, and now there is an improved scholarship. I knew that I had to get a student loan because I wouldn't afford it, so I would not allow it to be a barrier. But apart from working during the holidays, I would not be able to ask my parents for money anywhere. I was always pretty good in budgeting, but without the scholarship it would have been impossible – and it was a large part of my decision to come here.
I am halfway in my degree and can't believe how quickly time has passed. I think about the next phase of my career; I want to go to the trade law, down the route from Solicitor. The career consultation in Cambridge was great. The university has a legal society and all different universities also have legal societies. When you study law, you will be taught by people who are lawyers, and at Jesus the master carries out weekly career meetings and brings people from different areas to have conversations. There is also a career team on college and a career service at the university. It is great to have this support, and it is so accessible – it is easy to advise yourself on an application and ask for advice or ask the best way to prepare for a specific interview. I have an internship for the summer, and then you will apply a permanent job next and hopefully when I end the university!
Further information on the application at Cambridge as a student.
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