Tell us about yourself?
I’m Rosie, a second year Natural Scientist from East Devon. This year I’ve been studying Materials Science, Chemistry, and the History and Philosophy of Science, and in my third year I’m hoping to focus on Materials Science.
How does your experience compare to what you expected?
Despite lots of accounts (like this one) claiming otherwise, I found it hard to imagine someone like me ever really belonging in Cambridge. Starting university is a scary change for anyone, but I was especially daunted coming to a place with such an amazing reputation, and following in the footsteps of so many incredible people. Luckily I was very quickly proved wrong about pretty much every preconception I had. The people I met weren’t all clones of each other with hobbies consisting of reading, writing, and reading a bit more. Selwyn (and I’m sure every other college) wasn’t a place for competition, but for making amazing friends and working together. Although I’m not pretending the work was easy (or even not hard!), doing your best was okay and there was plenty of help around instead of criticism for not understanding.
Is Cambridge expensive?
Although there aren’t officially kitchens, there’s a market, Sainsbury’s, and Co-op nearby to Selwyn, and the “gyps” (kitchens) have hobs, microwaves, a kettle, and a toaster, so I’ve managed to survive two years almost entirely cooking for myself with no ill effects. Eating in the college’s hall every day gets expensive, but you don’t have to pay for meals in advance so it’s great for one-off occasions when you’re running low on pasta or motivation to cook. Formals in college are also a lovely way to celebrate birthdays or the end of exams – three courses for £13 takes the pressure off finding a reasonably-priced place to eat! There are lots of lovely places to eat and shop in Cambridge itself, but lots have prices to match the high volume of tourists that come through! The actual college is probably cheaper than most universities, because you only have to pay for your room when you’re in it, and there’s a very generous University-wide bursary as well as plenty of scholarships to support both academic and extra-curricular development. There’s plenty to do in the town with a student discount – historic buildings, the botanical gardens, and of course punting!
What do you like about Selwyn?
I actually didn’t apply to Selwyn – I had only visited Cambridge once on a summer school at a different college, but they’re very small and I found myself pooled here instead. It made me more apprehensive about coming, but I’m so grateful I ended up here! The academic staff here are brilliant, and get involved with your teaching rather than just sitting in their offices. The friends I’ve made have supported me through all sorts, and my coursemates are really friendly. Its ideally positioned as well, being exactly halfway between West Cambridge and the Department of Chemistry (where I spend most of my time), and there’s plenty of secure bike parking. I’ve loved getting involved with the boat club, despite having no experience when I arrived, and I’ve just finished coxing my crew through “bumps” (a series of races where you aim to hit to boat in front before the one behind catches you).
What are you looking forward to doing over the vacation?
I have an internship at the University of Exeter with their metamaterials research group, where I’ll be working with a PhD student to collect and analyse data. After that I’m hoping to visit a patency company to see more about what they do their and find out if it’s something I’d be interested in. My boyfriend’s heading out to Germany for his year abroad, so I’m planning a week out there with some friends before the start of our third year. I’m sure lots of sleeping and enjoying not having to cook every day will happen too!