A BIT ABOUT ME
Hi! I’m Sneha and I’m a first year English student from Birmingham. I attended state grammars for secondary school and Cambridge had been a distant dream for me in sixth form; I never thought I’d actually get here. Truth be told when I applied to Cambridge I hadn’t even heard of Murray Edwards. I remember vaguely registering the existence of all girl’s colleges in the prospectus but completely disregarded them. I originally applied to another college partly because it looked like Hogwarts. My interview was not the most pleasant experience- I was overawed, overwhelmed and intimidated by both its grandeur and my interviewers. I left my interview not only convinced all that would await me in January would be a rejection letter, but also believing that Cambridge was not for me.
A POST CHRISTMAS SURPRISE
By the end of the Christmas holidays a mixture of good food and Christmas cheer had erased Cambridge from my mind. To say I was surprised then when I saw an email from the university before decision day would be an understatement. My initial reaction to the news of a re-interview was shock and a determination not to go. I had already accepted rejection and the experience of my first interview had almost made me glad of it. It took the collective effort of all of my friends and family to persuade me that I had been given a golden opportunity- I had to take it. To all of you who are unsure whether to go along to your re-interview, I would definitely recommend it. Despite my disillusionment, at that point it was the best decision I had ever made- you have nothing to lose!
INITIAL THOUGHTS ON THE COLLEGE
To be truthful, I initially didn’t like the idea of Medwards. I had been to an all girls school from year 7-11 and was not keen to repeat the experience. In all honesty, I thought Medwards would be like an unfortunate collision of Mean Girls and a nunnery- not exactly what I wanted my university experience to be. Nevertheless, Cambridge was Cambridge so I decided I would go to the interview with low expectations of the college and a resignation to failure.
THE RE-INTERVIEW
After making my decision to attend my interview, I started to prepare intensely. I would definitely recommend looking over your personal statement before the interview and going over anything you mentioned. When preparing for a re-interview, this is difficult as you’re not given much notice. Instead it may be better to simply focus on things you struggled with in your previous interview as there’s not point wasting time on what you already know.
When I got to the college I was terrified. Turns out there was no need for all of that fear. My interviewers could not have been lovelier! They made me comfortable while also challenging me, encouraged me while making me think in fresh ways and left me with a whole new view of Cambridge. An education where I could experience this type of intellectual stimulation as part of my daily life was one which would be a living dream. I left Cambridge content- even if I got rejected, the interview was an experience I felt lucky to have.
DECISION DAY
The day after my interview was the university decision day. I hadn’t expected to hear anything so wasn’t expecting anything from the call from an unknown number I received at around 4pm. When I got my offer I screamed, my friend in the background clocked on and also started to scream- it was commotion. The dream had come true.
OFFER HOLDERS OVERNIGHT STAY
Despite my elation and the love of the Medwards English faculty, my reservations about the college remained. The overnight stay was a brilliant way of showing of Medwards- the community of the college and friendliness of all of the first years went a long way to assuage my fears. What’s more, I got to meet my future year and they were lovely! I made friends with a girl who lived in a nearby city and we were able to travel together. Over the next year we met up and became good friends. The opportunity to meet people made the idea of going to university a lot less scary. Uni can be a big place; having a friend there made that a lot less terrifying. Despite this and the insistence from many that ‘Dome is home’, I was still plagued with concerns. I was still put off by the all-girls aspect and generally terrified that I wouldn’t fit in the university or be able to cope. In the end I accepted my offer not because I felt like I would enjoy attending the university, but because it was Cambridge.
BEING AT MEDWARDS
Now that I’m actually here, I can honestly and wholeheartedly say that I love Cambridge, and more specifically, I love Murray Edwards. The layout of Pearl House (the first year accommodation block) means you’re never alone and if you’re even slightly bored you can just pop in to a friends room as all of the first years live together. This means you bond as a year group incredibly quickly- the friendships I’ve made I know will last a lifetime and are so strong I would have thought they would take years to make, not months. What’s more is these friendships extend to a range of different colleges. This not only means that Medwards is definitely not like a nunnery at all, but also that the university as a whole feels like your home, not just your college. Medwards isn’t a traditional college which is reflected in more than just being allowed to walk on the grass. The people who teach you and all the other staff (like the porters) genuinely care about you, your well-being and your progress. As for fears about fitting in, no matter what your background Medwards is a welcoming place and definitely not the pretentious place I expected from Cambridge. The work is hard but the supportive environment helps you to achieve your potential, and there is still time for fun! There are plenty societies to join and something social to do every day and night, whatever you enjoy! Some people go out every night, some once a week and some never- it’s completely up to you. Work hard and play hard is definitely applicable to life at Cambridge.
I could never have imagined, even three months ago, how much I would have had at Medwards or that I’d feel homesick for Cambridge over the Christmas holidays. I wouldn’t change my experience here for the world. Getting pooled to Medwards was definitely a blessing in disguise and I feel so grateful every day for the opportunity to be here. So, if you’ve been pooled here, don’t worry; Dome really is home.