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!
