Pre-Admissions Prizes Testimonials
Hannah Moss, Pre-Admissions Prize in Education 2015
“I was absolutely thrilled to receive the Pre-Admissions Prize for Education which, in turn, has had an immensely positive impact on my first year at St John’s. I came up in 2015 from Ripon Grammar School in North Yorkshire to read Education with English and Drama; as I want to work in education, studying this degree will provide me with a strong grounding in the field.
Throughout the year I have developed an interest in the philosophy of education, particularly that of moral education, and enjoyed composing a theorised analysis on bilingualism and language attrition. I have also been given the chance to become involved in the theatre and film scene at Cambridge and was able to direct a play and produce a short film. I have benefited immensely from the Pre-Admissions Prize, as it has given me the opportunity to focus on my studies and become involved in projects, such as the Rickshaw Theatre Project, which will develop my experience and knowledge of education. This support has helped me to fully engage with my studies which I hope one day will enable me to apply what I have learnt in a way that will benefit others, allowing them to achieve their full potential. “
Jen Turner, Pre-Admissions Prize in Modern and Medieval Languages 2015
“Studying at Cambridge was a dream that I thought was completely impossible for someone like me: I didn’t have 12 A* at GCSE and I didn’t do loads of extra-curricular activities. But I came to St John’s College as part of the HE+ Scheme and fell in love, so I decided to have a go at applying to study Spanish and ab initio German here.
The college is beautiful and the people are wonderful. There is a real sense of community and the teaching staff are friendly and passionate about their subjects. I’ve enjoyed the small group supervision system, combined with classes and lectures which are all challenging and interesting. I’ve surprised myself by loving the Golden Age and Medieval Spanish texts. I never thought that I would enjoy studying such early literature.
Studying at Cambridge has its ups and downs, but I’ve loved (nearly) every minute of my time here.”
Lauren Marshall, Pre-Admissions Prize in Classics 2015
“I am Lauren Marshall and I am studying the 4 year Classics course with a preliminary year here at St John’s College. I have just finished the first year of my degree, learning Latin as a beginner, and in my final term I also started learning Ancient Greek. I am thoroughly enjoying my time at St John’s and I believe without a doubt that John’s is the best Cambridge College to attend both academically and aesthetically. Indeed, I am always grateful for any sunny weather, which affords me the opportunity to wander around the College with my camera, taking photos, probably looking more like a tourist that most bona fide tourists do!
During the summer vacation I will be returning to Cambridge for a compulsory Greek Camp in Clare College, and I am also voluntarily attending a Greek Camp in Dorset in August, in the hope that by the time my second year starts I should be sounding like an ancient native in both languages, perhaps looking like one too, cue excessive use of togas! To date, I haven’t spent any of my Pre-Admission Prize, however I hope to enrol on a residential course, learning ‘Intense Italian’ in Florence in the summer of 2017, for several weeks, to further extent my command of ancient and modern languages.”
Sam Smith, Pre-Admissions Prize in Economics 2015
“Prospective Students! I’m Sam and I’ve just finished my first year studying Economics at St John’s. I grew up in Birmingham, UK and went to school at King Edward VI Aston (a state-funded grammar school) prior to Cambridge; studying Maths, Further Maths, History and Economics at A-Level.
While it’s true that you should be prepared to work hard at John’s, from personal experience there is still more than enough time to satisfy the many extra-curricular interests you may have. College clubs and societies are a great way to interact with students in other year groups and subjects; St John’s Football was particularly valuable for me in this respect.
I was honestly unaware of the Pre-Admissions Prize offered by the College until I was lucky enough to be awarded it, hence it was a very welcome surprise! Regarding how it has benefitted me, books weren’t much of an expense anyway due to the plentiful stock available in St John’s Library and Faculty Libraries. However, the Prize certainly helped with regards to accommodation and living costs during my first year!”
Stephanie Tye, Pre-Admissions Prize in Natural Sciences 2015
“I am a first year Biological Natural Scientist from Bradford, West Yorkshire. Studying at Cambridge has been tough but very rewarding, and I’ve even managed to get used to the Saturday lectures! Living in St John’s has also been a great experience and is an amazing place to meet and get to know new people. It was a very pleasant surprise receiving a Pre-Admissions Prize from the College, and has been extremely useful in helping me to settle in and not worry too much about maintenance costs in my first time living away from home.“