Students at one of the country's few residential further education colleges learnt about opportunities for studying at Cambridge earlier this week, when Hillcroft College in Surbiton hosted a visit from Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge.

Established in the 1920s as the Working Women's College, Hillcroft runs courses exclusively for female students aged 19 and over who come from a wide range of backgrounds and have a variety of life experiences.

As an institution that encourages academically-able students to aim high, Hillcroft has sent several students to Lucy Cavendish, which describes its purpose as “to give women over 21 from every possible background the opportunity to study for an undergraduate or graduate degree at the University of Cambridge in a stimulating and enriching environment”.

The session at Hillcroft was given by Lucy Cavendish's Student Outreach Officer, Sue Long, and was attended by 20 students taking a six-month Access to Higher Education course that will prepare them for university. She began by saying: “I'd like to congratulate all of you for embarking on a learning journey that will change your lives. I urge you to support each other, learn from each other, and move forward together.”

Sue gave an overview of the Cambridge system, explaining the collegiate structure and the teaching approach of lectures and small group supervisions. She also covered the question of student finance and encouraged students to visit Cambridge for Open Days and to think about applying for Taster Days and Summer Schools.

She spoke honestly about the challenges and demands of studying at Cambridge, touching on some of the issues that might deter mature women students from applying to a top university – such as lack of self-esteem, fears of “not fitting in”, and concerns about family responsibilities.

During an informal question and answer session, several students remarked that it was heartening to hear Sue Long talk about her own experiences as someone who had left school at 16 with no qualifications, returning to education after “the longest gap year in history” to take an Access course and gain a place at Lucy Cavendish to read history.

Hillcroft student Christine, 49, said: “Before I heard Sue talk, I thought someone like me could never even think about applying to a place like Cambridge. It just didn't fit with my ideas. Now I feel that, yes, I could apply.”

Another student Salma, 22, agreed: “It's encouraging to hear from someone who had been out of the educational loop for so long and got into a top institution through an Access course, rather than A levels. It shows that an Access course is well regarded and not seen as second best.”

Hillcroft's Head of Curriculum Jacqui Beckford-Walker said: “We're passionate about adult education and want to see our students achieve their best. Because it has such a prestigious name, Cambridge can seem out of reach but it's not. Lucy Cavendish has the right attitude to mature students, and provides the support they need to flourish.”

Four Cambridge Colleges take mature students only for undergraduate courses: Hughes Hall, Lucy Cavendish College, St Edmund's College and Wolfson College.

An Open Day event for prospective mature students (men and women) will take place at Wolfson College on Saturday, February 2. A few places still available: book as soon as possible by contacting Honor Ridout at Cambridge Admissions Office hlr10@admin.cam.ac.uk

Lucy Cavendish College has a Taster Day for mature women students on May 1. For details contact Gaby Jones at Lucy Cavendish gj202@cam.ac.uk

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