Hey, I’m Ahmed, a first year medic at Sidney Sussex College. I actually first applied to Emmanuel College basically because it looked nice, was medium-sized and had reasonable admissions stats (would not recommend the last approach!). Cambridge has a winter pool in place where over-subscribed colleges can place strong applicants who just missed an offer because of high competition. From there, colleges who might have had fewer applicants can then choose the students they like the look of. This happened in my case and luckily I was picked out by Sidney!
Sidney’s key selling point has got to be the people. It is one of the smaller Cambridge colleges, both in terms of physical size and student body, which might not be for everyone, but for me it means that we have a very tight-knit community where you get to know other students really well while still being large enough to regularly meet new people. One of my worries coming to Cambridge was whether I would fit in, given all of the stereotypes. I was really glad to find that Sidney has a very diverse cohort, with people from different backgrounds, faiths, ethnicities, genders and sexualities, which means that you’re guaranteed to find people you can relate to but at the same time you can also learn a lot from those who are completely different to you. Our JCR (or Student’s Union) are always working to make sure that Sidney is an inclusive and welcoming place where everyone feels at home.
At Sidney we’re lucky to have very supportive supervisors and directors of studies who understand the pressures we place on ourselves to do well. For this reason, they never put us under undue stress on top of that of a Cambridge degree, but instead push us just enough and give us the right tools and guidance to achieve our potential. For Medicine, our first year director of studies was actually a medical student at Sidney himself not too long ago, so he knows exactly what its like and is in a unique position to help us out.
Sidney’s reputation comes from its strong sense of community, the fact that Oliver Cromwell’s head is buried here (fun fact, I know…) and its prime location. Sidney is right in the centre of Cambridge so that our students are never far from their faculties, friends from other colleges, the shops (Sainsbury’s is literally a few steps away) and all of the other things Cambridge has to offer. Sidney is also one of the few Oxbridge colleges to have a student-run bar. Although it has been closed during COVID times, it usually has very chill vibes and is a great place to socialise, not just for those who drink.
Now for the not so great things – to be honest, 1st year accommodation is not the best. Half of the freshers stay at Cromwell Court, which is off-site and doesn’t have the nicest rooms. Having said that, it is only a few minutes walk from college, has its own laundry and common room, and does have some of the cheapest rent in all of Cambridge. People who stay there also tend to get quite close. Sidney provides accommodation for all 2nd and 3rd years mostly on-site (or very close by) and the quality of the rooms tends to get better as you move on to the next year.
On the whole I’m really glad to have been pooled to Sidney. It’s got all of the things that I would want in a college: strong community feel, friendly environment, central location and supportive fellows, supervisors and staff. For anyone looking to apply to Cambridge, my advice would be not to stress too much about which college to go for. They each have their pros and cons, and everyone ends up saying their college is the best anyways, regardless of if they applied directly or were pooled.
Visit the Sidney Sussex College website for more details!