And I was really scared because I don't really know what I want to do!
Hi, I'm Maya and that was me two years ago at the ACS access conference
and I am now a HSPS student at Cambridge University.
Most of us had gone to kind of state comprehensive schools as well,
so I feel like it was a really nice moment of realising
Oh! It's not just me!
Everyone else is kind of figuring this out too as we go along.
Honestly I've actually really enjoyed myself
it's been a good chance to network with like-minded people.
The area that I come from doesn't necessarily
have many people who come from the same background as me.
So I'd really like to meet more people who can share experiences with.
I came from a background where
a lot of people felt like Cambridge was sort of another world,
sort of place which was impossible to get into.
I had been pushed by my head of year at my sixth form to do so
and I feel like you know just with a push
it can help people just try and once people try
they really can sort of realise their potential.
I think there's power in people who have gone through the process
giving back to us younger ones and there's a lot to learn from it.
It gives you the chance to ask some questions and it provides an insight
of whether or not Cambridge is somewhere you'd be happy to go to.
There were lots of things I just hadn't thought about
obviously there was a very formal section about things like...
How many books I need to read?
Do I need to read books?
Are articles okay?
Those sorts of things were answered in so much depth.
But at the same time there was an informal kind of Q+A session.
Remember to bring, even at any university,
bring your seasoning, bring the Maggi cube.
Remember that yeah!
So I would say, even when you get to your college
just ask them, are there any scholarships? Are there any bursaries?
Bursaries especially because you don't have to pay them back.
Scholarships you don't have to pay them back.
So look for those things because they're there!
They might not scream about it but they're there!
I think when you get there you know you're scribbling everything down
trying to take down notes of people's names, all their advice
and you think you're taking it in but it's so overwhelming at first.
But I think definitely when you start having to apply it
and trying to write that first draft of the personal statement,
which everyone struggles with!
It was nice to feel like, oh no, I've actually got some idea of direction for this.
I can see you guys are pretty determined
because you've decided to kind of sign up for today
and find out about your future but absolutely, absolutely go for it!
You know no kind of question of like should I do this extra bit of revision
should I do this bit, should I think about this?
Absolutely go for it because that's your sense of agency right now,
it's all in your hands!
I could actually make it to Cambridge
when I realised that they didn't just focus on the GCSEs
and they focus on your predicted grades,
they focus on like the admissions test,
they focus on interview and I knew that I had time to kind of excel in those.
So that's when I thought, it was around like the middle of Year 12,
that's when I thought oh yeah!
I can definitely give it a give it a shot and see whether I make it or not.
So I'm actually in Year 13.
I initially did the whole Oxbridge process last year but I was unsuccessful.
However my IB results were much better than I expected
so I've decided to have another go at the whole process!
One thing I've taken away is definitely about opportunities
and how doors aren't necessarily always open
but it's in our power and it's actually within our right
and if you want to to actually push those doors
and get those opportunities that you want to.
They really made it seem like, okay this is a choice that you have,
if you want to go you can
here are the tools to be able to do that.
But if you don't that's also okay!
And no matter where you are, even if you don't get in,
it still teaches you those skills
and I think that was what was really nice for me.
I think that's what everyone was sort of left with.
Please apply to Cambridge!
If you're doubting yourself or you think you're not good enough
please apply because I'm sure you're worth it!
Hey everyone, I'm Zute and I'm one of the access officers for ACS.
Hi everyone, my name is Oluchi and I'm one of the access officers at Cambridge ACS.
Our access conference this year is a chance for you to be inspired
by alumni and current students, through a host of subject workshops
and panel discussions to help your application to Cambridge.
Make sure that you sign up for the access conference if you're interested
on the link on this post
and also at cambridgeacs.org/accessconference
and make sure you sign up by the 14th of August!