PREP Course helps students find their feet

Ashley, Richard and Eleanor have all experienced a taste of imposter syndrome and they are all feeling nervous – understandably so as, like thousands of others, this week they start their new lives as undergraduates.

But there’s a bit more to it than that. Ashley, Richard and Eleanor never really believed that Cambridge was for people “like them”– and, although they have all achieved highly, it’s hard to shake off this feeling. Ashley is reading history at Fitzwilliam College, Richard is studying medicine at Trinity Hall and Eleanor is taking natural sciences at Lucy Cavendish College.

Thanks to a course only in its second year, as these three students embark on their undergraduate education they can draw on some extra support. Along with around 30 other new Cambridge students, they have benefitted from a preparatory course run before the start of term, and each has an undergraduate mentor they can turn to for support.

The PREP Course, which has been funded by the Sutton Trust for a two-year pilot run, was set up to give a limited number of freshers extra support by introducing them to the academic demands they will face, helping them to orientate themselves, and providing them with a social network.

Roughly two-thirds of those on this year’s course are, like Eleanor, mature students (21 or over). The others, including Ashley and Richard, are standard age students. All were put forward for the course by their Cambridge tutors as students from “non-traditional” backgrounds who may need some additional help in making the transition to university.

Ashley first came to Cambridge 18 months ago on a summer school funded by the Sutton Trust for pupils likely to be the first in their family to go to university. He was put forward by his teachers at his school in Tower Hamlets as being an exceptionally able student. The summer school spurred him onto making an application and, once offered his place, he worked extremely hard to meet his offer.

Richard was so diffident about applying that it took his father’s determination to put Cambridge on his UCAS form. “I really couldn’t see myself leaving London but I am so glad I had changed my mind. I had all these preconceptions of what Cambridge would be like – you know, the type of student they admit here, the way of life – but they all proved untrue. Everyone I’ve met has been so friendly and so encouraging – it’s almost surreal.”

For Richard, the PREP course has gone a long way to allay his qualms about studying at Cambridge. Meeting other students from a similar upbringing has been a huge help.

For Eleanor fitting in at an all-girls school in Lancaster was hard: she underachieved badly and it was only when her specific learning disabilities were identified that she began to do better. Illness meant that it took her longer than her peers to do her A levels. It was a chance meeting with another student with a similar disability that persuaded her that Cambridge was attainable – even then she dreaded failure.

She says: "People tell me I've done really well but I am apprehensive of what lies ahead in terms of the work load, and I'm frightened that everyone else will be more intelligent than me. The PREP course has allowed me to meet other students who have had to face adversity in order to get where they are and, like me, don't really see themselves as the typical Cambridge student.

“Most importantly, the course has also made me realise that there is no such thing as the typical Cambridge student, and that nobody expects me to change myself in order to 'fit in' because they chose me for the person I am now."

Many of the mature students on the PREP Course were in their 20s. Among them was Matthew Green who spent three years travelling after achieving strong A levels at Holyfield School in Surbiton, and will be studying English at Wolfson College.

He spent some time working to fund trips to the Middle East where he learnt Arabic and to the Caribbean where he visited family and researched into the literature and history of his ancestry. “When I left school I didn’t feel I was ready to go to university – I wanted to see the world and advance my education by meeting people and exploring other cultures,” he said.

“When I returned to London in September 2007, I was fairly rushed to get my application in on time. Among other things, I chose Cambridge for its academic excellence and the structure of the English course. Once I’d got my place, I set myself the task of writing essays on the books I was reading – I can’t say I did this on a weekly basis but I hope it’s helped!”

The PREP Course took place over two time-slots – the first a residential weekend in early September and the second a non-residential three-day non-residential programme held just before the start of term. Further meetings to bring participants together are planned with the first one taking place mid-term.

“One of the chief benefits of the course is the support network that students form quite spontaneously. After the first session they all Facebooked each other and by the second session it was clear that many of them had found kindred spirits in the group,” said Susan Woodall, PREP Course Coordinator.

“It is always hugely reassuring to find that other people have similar worries and concerns. Even small things - such as how to address your tutors or how to pay for meals – can loom incredibly large.

“The first few weeks in a new environment are bound to be stressful and for many of our PREP student they are making a really huge leap by coming to Cambridge – and some have overcome considerable challenges to get here. We feel they deserve the best possible start to their studies at Cambridge and we hope to be able to offer the course in the future, so that new students can continue to benefit from it.”