What is it Really Like to Study at Cambridge?

A complete, honest guide to the question on everyone's lips this time of year: what's it really like?

This guide breaks the glamorous bubble a little – in a good way – so you can picture the daily reality: the highs, the pressures, the quirks, and the genuinely lovely parts that make the hard work worth it.

And if, along the way, you realise you’d like help with choosing a college, shaping your application, or preparing for interviews, we work with hundreds of aspiring Cambridge students every year at Avalon Education. We'd love to hear from you!

Now we do go on and on in this blog (it's going to be a long one, be forewarned), so we've included a little short-fire FAQs section to get you warmed up. But if that doesn't quite scratch the itch, keep reading.

FAQs About Studying at Cambridge

How much free time do Cambridge students get?

More than the horror stories suggest, but less than a typical university timetable. Expect pockets of time rather than long stretches, and learn to guard them well. It's inevitable that you'll have less free time than your friends at other universities, but it's worth it.

Is Cambridge stressful?

It can be intense, especially in exam terms, but the college system means support is built into the structure. Tutors, Directors of Studies, counsellors and peers genuinely try to prevent burnout.

Do I need to be a genius to study at Cambridge?

No. You need to be bright, yes, but mostly you need curiosity, resilience and the willingness to think aloud in supervisions. At Cambridge, it's not uncommon to find people who say, with full honesty, that they didn't think they'd be smart enough get in... Just goes to show!

How hard is it to get into Cambridge?

It’s competitive, but far from impossible. Part of our mission here at Avalon is to demystify Cambridge. If you’re in Year 12 or 13 and want support on reading lists, admissions tests or interview prep, we help students through the process every year at Avalon Education.

Do Cambridge students have a social life?

Yes – a good one! It's true what they say: work hard, play hard culture is BIG here. You just learn to make fast decisions like: lecture, library, or pub?

What is a Cambridge supervision like?

A conversation that is equal parts thrilling and humbling. Sometimes a little more of the latter. You’re taught in tiny groups, usually just you and another student, by experts in your field on a weekly basis, typically discussing the work that you were assigned that week.

Is Cambridge harder than Oxford?

They’re academically siblings, not rivals – equally intense, equally brilliant. The real difference is in teaching style, course structure and culture. (If you want the full breakdown, see our Oxford vs Cambridge blog.) The ‘harder’ question is usually code for ‘will I survive’ and the answer is yes. You adapt surprisingly quickly.

What is the Cambridge workload like?

Full on. Expect weekly essays, problem sheets or lab reports depending on your course, plus supervisions that demand solid preparation. Not to mention the lectures. You will work hard, but you also develop academic muscles you didn’t know you had, and the terms are only eight weeks long so the pace has a rhythm. It's a great process if you work well in short, intense bursts.

What is Cambridge like for international students?

Very international, very welcoming and very well structured in terms of support. Colleges often have international reps, welcome events and dedicated pastoral staff. The biggest adjustment tends to be the pace of the academic term rather than the cultural environment.

Is Cambridge expensive?

It can be. Rent varies by college, formals add up if you go every week, and the city isn’t the cheapest. But many colleges offer generous financial support, bursaries and subsidised accommodation. It’s worth checking each college’s financial help before applying. If you're a UK home applicant, it's worth remembering that Cambridge's fees are the same as you'd pay at any other university in the country...!

What is the food like at Cambridge?

Often surprisingly good for the price, though this can vary by college. College 'buttery' meals are cheap and hearty, formals can feel like dining in a Harry Potter film, and between the cafés in town and the libraries with cafés attached, you’re never far from caffeine. (And no, you’re not legally obliged to like Pret, but many succumb.)

How much contact time do Cambridge students get?

More than most Russell Group courses but less than school. Arts students might have only a few lectures plus two supervisions a week, while STEM students can clock up twenty hours or more. The intensity comes from the prep work, not the timetable.

OK, now let's get into the heavy lifting.

Academic life at Cambridge

The first thing to understand is that Cambridge academics don’t expect you to arrive as a finished product. They expect you to be teachable. The pace is quick – especially during the middle of term – but the structure is designed so you’re constantly building on what you learned the previous week. Lectures give you the broad framework, supervisions help you test and refine your thinking, and the weekly essays or problem sheets are where you work out what you do and don’t understand.

Most students describe their first term as a bit of a whirlwind. Not in a chaotic sense, but in the sense that you suddenly realise just how much ground you can cover when you’re guided by people who know the subject inside out. A supervision may leave you feeling out of your depth one week and completely energised the next. Both are normal. Most of the learning happens in that slightly uncomfortable middle ground where you’re capable, but stretched.

Social life at Cambridge

People who haven’t studied at Cambridge tend to imagine that everyone is working all the time. And you do work hard – but there is a real social world here, and it’s one of the most grounding parts of the experience. The college system creates a ready-made community where you’ll quickly find your group of people, whether that’s through subject societies, rowing, orchestras, theatre, political debate, or the informal gatherings that seem to spring up in every kitchen in the city.

Nights out aren’t the centre of student culture in the same way they are at some universities, but they absolutely exist. More often you'll find yourself doing something low-key: a spontaneous formal dinner, an evening walk by the river, or the classic post-supervision debrief with someone who’s surviving the same deadlines as you. Because the terms are so short, you settle into friendships very quickly. And because terms are so intense, your friendships are deeper. You need one another, and people show up for each other in a genuine way.

There's a reason both Cambridge and Oxford have some of the most active, thriving alumni communities; people make friends for life!

The Cambridge college system

This can be quite a bizarre subject if you're unfamiliar with collegiate universities. In short, 'Cambridge' is not one unified campus, but rather a collection of 29 (undergraduate) colleges, each functioning as a self-contained community. Think of them like mini universities of their own.

Your college is where you’ll live, eat, socialise, and find academic support – and for many students, it forms the core of your Cambridge experience. Colleges differ in size, character, and facilities, but all provide tutors, pastoral support, and (most) courses.

There can be some misconceptions around colleges, so feel free to contact us if you'd like a further explanation.

For a full breakdown of every Cambridge college and what makes them unique, check out our popular Complete Guide to Every Single Cambridge College.

The hard parts of studying at Cambridge

There is no point pretending the workload isn’t demanding. It is. You will have weeks where everything seems to happen at once: a supervision, an essay deadline, a practical write-up, a society commitment, a looming exam you forgot was coming. The trick is realising that everyone around you – even the students who seem effortlessly brilliant – is learning to balance these pressures in real time.

Week 5 does have a reputation, and not without reason (you may hear the term 'Week 5 Blues' kicking around the student vernacular). The novelty of the term has worn off, the deadlines keep arriving, and you haven’t quite built up enough momentum for the final push yet. Most colleges acknowledge this by hosting welfare events, dropping off snacks or offering extra check-ins with tutors.

There can be another, somewhat underrated difficulty with studying at Cambridge, in that your relationships outside of the Oxbridge bubble – your family, home friends at other universities, perhaps a partner – are operating at a different pace. Cambridge can be so unique to the extent that it's difficult to explain the pressures and tight schedules you're dealing with.

The good parts of studying at Cambridge

It's easy to mention the prestige of studying at a place like Cambridge, in a historical and infamous town, and it's true that the beauty of the architecture, the unique university culture, and the formal dinners and balls are great fun to experience. But the things that really stick with you are more abstract. The friends you make, of course, but also the joy of studying your subject at such a thorough level.

There's something really addictive (and quite rare outside of higher education, in adult life) about being able to talk about your passion with a bunch of other really passionate people. There's a real sense that you are sharper than you were a month ago. That's hard to get (nearly) anywhere else in the world.

And if reading this makes you feel excited, you’re probably the kind of person who will thrive at Cambridge.

If you’d like support with the application process – choosing a college, preparing for admissions tests, or navigating interview preparation – we work with Cambridge hopefuls every year at Avalon Education. You’re welcome to reach out anytime.

What is it really like to study at Cambridge?

What is it really like to study at Cambridge?