I'm Ben and I was a student at King's from October 2004 to April 2006. This is about my experiences of applying to and studying at Cambridge.

Applying
I first thought about applying to Cambridge a long time ago, perhaps the first time my dad told me about the university when we visited the city. That must have been when I was eight or nine. During my GCSEs I thought about doing computer science because I was into video games but after doing work experience at a computer company I realised I was more interested in real life than computers. Attending a science masterclass at Pembroke gave me a real flavour of what it's like to live and study in Cambridge - and we learned some interesting science in a relaxed way.

Then during AS-levels I became very annoyed with my subjects and I was generally a bit depressed. I decided I could either let it get the better of me or dig in. And they always say attack is the best form of defense. So, pissed off with schoolwork, I read up on what physics and chemistry meant in the real world to try and get a bit of perspective on the subjects. I found out so much from the internet, books and from people who studied and worked in science and engineering, that I wanted to carry on after A-level and get to the good bits.

While on holiday in Sardinia (on a beach no less!) I got my AS results - five As. I was really relieved and excited to have passed the first hurdle. At this point I wasn't even sure that I was going to apply to Cambridge at all. The thought of interviews and offers seemed very scary. When I got back home I found out that my individual UMS points scores were quite low grade As (250-260 out of 300), but in the end it didn't matter.

It took a long time to get used to the style of A-levels and I had been suffering from depression for half of Year 12. I applied to six universities for chemistry (most of the courses had a year in Europe option which I chose because I like travelling and languages). By December I had 5 offers, all roughly BBB or BBC. Then I went for an interview at King's. I thought it went ok, but I was worried that they had only asked me medium-difficulty questions, the sort of stuff I had already learned in A2-Level. I'd expected the interview to be rock hard because Cambridge places are in such demand. Nevertheless, I got an offer via post from the college on January 2nd 2004.

Studying
I've been at King's since October 2004 and the most important thing to report is that it's very different being here to what I imagined. Visiting the city and the college didn't give me any real idea! It's certainly difficult to encapsulate the feeling of being here in a few words. I do really like it at King's - I like my course, it's interesting and the best thing of all is the people. I have great friends at college.

Sometimes it is very tough - as much emotionally as academically. It's a slow and painful process learning to cope with the quantity and difficulty of the work but it gets easier day by day and I am enjoying life here more and more as time goes on.

I don't think Cambridge is the most suitable university for every type of personality. Many people are clever and hardworking enough to have a fair chance at an offer (luck plays a certain role, but I don't know to what extent). Being here will push you in many ways, and this can be exhausting at times. There are highs and lows and it's hard coping with this. But don't let that discourage you! Just realise it won't be plain sailing. University is not a massive free-for-all where you can get plastered every night and learn everything you ever wanted to know. It takes getting used to and it's quite a skill finding out how to get what you want out of your time as a student. What it is though, is the start of the rest of your life! Happy uni-hunting.

Look at the forms I sent and the letters I received to get an idea of what your postbox will look like if you apply to Cambridge. And to anyone who's applying this year, good luck, be yourself, tell the truth and don't worry too much about what happens - life's too short! Click to return to benjamin-mills.com.


My old school's website
My reference from school
My UCAS personal statement
My Cambridge additional personal statement

The envelope of my acceptance letter
The letter from King's College offering me a place
Some of my photos from Uni

Cambridge University website
King's website
Unofficial Guide to Cambridge
UCAS (Universities & Colleges Admissions Service) website

Screenshots of my UCAS offers online
UCAS track offers intro
UCAS track: sign-in
UCAS track: list of offers
UCAS track: details of an offer



I'll be very happy to answer your questions and give my advice and opinions on Cambridge.
E-mail me at ben@benjamin-mills.com