Shub Bhumbra - Engineering
'I grew up in Leicester and went to school there. The 6th form I attended was reasonably sized with over 500 pupils per year. I had never properly considered a career path until I was 16, but opted to do A-levels instead of the vocational courses that we were offered, as I had a vague idea that I wanted to go to university.
Taking A-levels turned out to be a good idea, and taking Further Mathematics turned out to be an excellent move for Engineering. I hadn’t always wanted to do Engineering, but its mix of problem-solving, mathematics and practical applications appealed to me greatly when I was considering my options.
I applied to many universities and was utterly delighted to be accepted by Cambridge. I didn’t know much about the University and was originally applying to Pembroke; as it was a five minute walk from lectures. My parents urged me to make a more informed choice. Based on size, location, funding and opportunity, I then chose St John’s College.
All of these reasons have really shone through during my time here and I can’t imagine applying to any other college if I had the chance again. With the Learning and Research Grant, I have had my books, equipment and laptop subsidised. Even food is subsidised too; I can have a three course meal for less than £6 or a canteen meal for around £3 every day.
The undergraduate accommodation here is fantastic; I can travel by foot to anywhere I need from College grounds (with the occasional use of a bike when visiting far away colleges) and have really enjoyed College life. We have our own jazz nights, ents (student-exclusive entertainment nights), cinema and sports teams which I have gotten involved with, not to mention the free table-football, pool and snooker available to all College members.
Studying at Cambridge has been a rollercoaster and there are many deadlines, demanding exams and tough supervisions to contrast College life. The quality of supervisions at John’s has been outstanding and the supervisors have really helped me develop my understanding of the course. I hope to use the skills I have learnt at university in the future, and I highly recommend prospective applicants to consider St John’s College and benefit as I have.'
- Shub Bhumbra, 4th Year Engineering, 2013