Oxbridge experience #6
If you’re preparing to apply to university at Oxford or Cambridge, or you’re still unsure whether it’s a good idea, it’s useful to hear from others who’ve gone before you. Here’s the sixth of our Oxbridge experience posts, where we hear from a Cambridge natural sciences graduate about college life.
How easy was it to settle into your Oxbridge college?
Pretty easy. I remember on the first day of freshers’ week, sitting in the pub and being surprised and happy that there were so many people who took great pleasure talking about their subjects. I made a friend who’d spent her gap year in Mauritius doing field work in the jungle, discovering a new species, and actually contributing to proper, grown-up science. I had wonderful friends at school, but only a handful of us were enthusiastic enough about our subjects to talk about them. In comparison, at college, I felt like I’d come home.
As for the practicalities of living and studying in a new place, getting used to the way things worked felt clunky to start with, but everyone was in the same boat. I managed to fall ill during freshers’ week and missed the first week of lectures (not recommended). I slotted back in with some help from my new friends. We also had college ‘nannies’*, who were students from the third year who were tasked with keeping an eye out for us. We were referred to as ‘nannettes’.
*The college lingo was a bit weird and while some embraced it wholeheartedly, for others it was used grudgingly (if at all) with a sardonic eye roll. It’s not as big a deal as you might think.
If you’re considering applying to Oxbridge, check out the experiences of other prospective students, and how they chose their college. Impetus Coaching helps Oxbridge candidates prepare for a confident interview performance, through one-to-one coaching and workshops in schools. Contact us here to find out more.