Hi, my name is Lamorna and I’m a second year history student at Downing College.
I didn’t always know that I wanted to go to Cambridge. I started seriously considering applying in year 12 – the year above me were doing their UCAS applications and I knew a couple of girls who got Oxbridge offers that January. The fact that people I’d grown up with, who’d been to the same state comprehensive as me and had a similar background had successfully applied to Oxbridge made it feel simultaneously more achievable but also really daunting. The application process has so many hurdles and I remember thinking it seemed impossible that I’d be able to clear all of them. Over the course of that year I changed my mind on applying to Cambridge so many times – I worried that it wouldn’t suit me, that I wouldn’t cope with the pressure – but the thing that eventually convinced me to apply was the Downing Open Day in September of Year 13. I immediately felt comfortable at Downing, I loved the grounds, and how green and peaceful it was.
I was also excited to see a Barbara Hepworth sculpture as I walked in through the gate. Hepworth lived and worked in St Ives which is very near where I live, and this element of familiarity made me feel at home.
Downing is sometimes called the ‘oldest of the new’ or the ‘newest of the old’ colleges, and its neo-classical architecture appealed to me. I think the ‘vibe’ of a college can be quite important – some colleges were built in the Gothic style, and others were constructed in the sixties and so have characteristically brutalist architecture.
Downing is also really conveniently located, at the edge of the city centre. This means that we have the best of both worlds – Parker’s Piece is opposite, and the river and Coe Fen aren’t far away, so you can get your fill of nature very easily. We’re also two minutes from a Sainsbury’s, Pizza Express is next door but one, and you can be in the city centre within five minutes.
Another college that I like, but that I’ve only visited since being a student at Cambridge is Girton. I walked there with my friends in Michaelmas of first year (it is quite far out of town so it felt like going on a bit of an expedition). It’s a really pretty college, with an interesting history (it was the first female Cambridge college, but is now mixed gender) and it has a swimming pool!
Going back to Downing, one of my favourite things about my college is the community and the feeling of belonging. Before the pandemic, our chaplain, Keith, hosted ‘Keith’s café’ on the steps of the chapel every Thursday, with free doughnuts and hot chocolate. In a feat of extreme procrastination I have been known to stay at Keith’s café until it is dark and Keith has packed up and gone home!
I also really like the sense of community that comes with Downing Bar. During the day it is the Butterfield Café, and many students use it to study and to catch up with friends. In the evening there are events like the Monday pub quiz, various open mic nights (including a BME one last year which was very successful), live music and karaoke.
I think this sense of community is facilitated by the fact that Downing is the only college (as far as I know) where all of the accommodation is on site. You’re never more than five minutes from the library or the dining hall, and you see everyone around the college grounds. Some of the rooms are in the main quad, and at the bottom of the Paddock, Downing owns a row of houses on Lensfield Road.
However, the close-knit college environment also has its downsides, because Downing can at times feel quite insular. I’m really happy with my friendship group within college, but I haven’t been very proactive in making friends outside of college. That said, I know plenty of Downing people who have made those links, especially through theatre and sport.
In summary, I think Downing suits me well. I’m glad I chose it, and I’m still a little bit awe-struck by how lovely it looks on sunny days. But it is important to say that choosing a college is personal. What works for one person might not work for another. You shouldn’t choose a college based on where someone else wants you to go, or where you think it is ‘tactical’ to apply.
Also, don’t worry if the process feels overwhelming – that is totally normal! If you meet your offer and start studying at Cambridge, you will be a whole year older, wiser and more mature than when you started your application, and ready to meet any challenges you may face.
Check out the Downing College website for more details!