I studied abroad this summer and it changed my life.
Just kidding! Well, to be fair, that is the stereotype of what people say when they study abroad – something along the lines of “Oh, you haven’t had true insert-food-name-here, but I did when I studied abroad in insert-country-name-here!” I won’t say that (hopefully), but hear me out.
I studied abroad at Cambridge University this past summer, as a part of the Pembroke-Kings Programme (PKP). While I hesitate to call it a life-changing experience – my life has only been so long and it’s in a state of constant change, especially since college is also fundamental in understanding yourself! – I will say that it was an amazing experience that I treasure.
For geographical context, Cambridge is a university city within the county town of Cambridgeshire, England that’s about an hour north of London by train:
My first day in Cambridge was a rainy one. The rain overhead was more like a mist, but water rushed by in the little aqueduct-esque gutters lining the main road. It was like someone had applied a muted Instagram filter and lowered the brightness over the city – maybe that was because of the rain clouds overhead – but it was gorgeous and gothic and I couldn’t get enough of it. The roads, slick with water, made it difficult to push my suitcases along, but that was the least of my worries when I got to my lodgings.
This is a picture I took on the first day, when it stopped raining enough for me to snap a shot. This is the view from Fitzwilliam Street, with the Fitzwilliam Museum on the left side.
I stayed at the Fitzwilliam Hostel, which is across the road from the gorgeous Fitzwilliam Museum (home to paintings, sculptures, pottery, and so much more). The Fitzwilliam hostel is comprised of many buildings/apartments. Fun fact: Charles Darwin lived in the neighborhood when he studied in Cambridge. However, not only was I staying in the general area where Darwin had lived, I was lucky enough to stay at the exact building and address that he lived in: 22 Fitzwillliam Street! Just thinking about how I was sharing a space that Darwin had lived in – had he stayed in the same room I was living in? – was a great way to start my study abroad session. There’s even a little plaque next to the blue door that commemorates Darwin’s residing there!
As a member of PKP, I had keycard access to both Kings College and Pembroke College. Kings College is one of the most popular tourist sights in the university, what with its brooding gothic architecture looming over its pristine grass and its ethereal chapel with ceilings higher than the clouds. Pembroke College is smaller, but I find it homier – its clock tower and library are absolutely gorgeous.
Inside the Kings College Chapel. I took this when I visited on the weekend, but I recommend visiting on a weekday to avoid the crowds!
A view of Pembroke College from the Porters Lodge. The library is located next to the clock tower. I took this during golden hour, when the college glows in the light.
Across the road from Kings College is the Cambridge Market Square, located in the city center. Cambridge used to be a thriving market town and this market carries on that legacy. There are vendors selling dishes from all over the world – my favorite is the dumpling vendor, located near the Cambridge University Bookstore – and stalls with all sorts of knick-knacks, souvenirs, and goodies to buy. There’s also a stall for freshly picked fruits and vegetables; I couldn’t get enough of their flat donut peaches and bright red strawberries.
One hallmark of PKP is its essays and dissertations. No matter what three classes you take – from neuroscience to English to history to business, with maybe mathematics as the exception – each class requires students write two 1000-word essays for their midterm exam and one 2500-word dissertation for their final exam. There’s a strong writing focus in the program, but don’t let that scare you away: PKP was worth every single word I wrote and more.
As I mentioned before, my favorite place is the Pembroke College Library. It’s charming and quaint on the outside, warm and homey on the inside without feeling overbearing or stuffy. The entire building was designed by Alfred Waterhouse, who also designed the Natural History Museum in London. Both its first and second floors are lined, from floor to ceiling, with shelves and shelves of books. The architecture of the second floor is absolute perfection to me.
The second floor of the Pembroke College library
Between classes, I stopped by the library to do some homework or work on my exams. However, after dinner, I often wandered around the city with my friends – I wanted to try every gelato place in the city, and while I didn’t reach that goal, I did manage to eat my weight in said Italian fare. (Note: my favorite flavor at Aromi Gelato was “bacio,” which is a chocolate-hazelnut gelato with whole hazelnuts mixed in. I couldn’t get enough of it! And Jack’s Gelato changes its deliciously creative flavors every day or almost every few hours.) One of my favorite moments was when we rented punts from the Kings College porters and punted ourselves down the River Cam. There were many moments when we got stuck in a corner or along the side of the river – we bumped into some professional river tours a few times – but soon we got the hang of it and were cruising past the different colleges.
Punting along the River Cam, underneath the Mathematical Bridge in Queens College.
Being in Cambridge gave me a lot of opportunities to travel on the weekends, and PKP was very flexible with us traveling, so long as we didn’t miss classes. There were people who visited continental Europe, but I decided to stay within the United Kingdom, visiting Bath, Bristol, Edinburgh, Hitchin, and Ely.
Stay tuned for my next articles about PKP/Cambridge and about sightseeing at these destinations!