Guest Post: Poppy Looks Forward to a Reach Summer!

Today’s guest post is written by another of our scholarship winners, Poppy, who is joining Reach Cambridge in Program 3. How does she feel about making friends in a brand new environment? Read on to find out!

Nothing like punting with friends

Friendship to me goes beyond words. I can try all I like, but my words can’t emphasise enough that feeling of warmth, partly guttural, partly pectoral, all wonderful. When you hear their voice(s) or feel their touch, it’s a soothing balm that just makes you feel safe and wanted. Friendship’s a solace; a reassuring pat or stroke on the back and an invitation to hang out when you feel down. What I’ve come to notice is that similar people just flock together, sometimes before they’ve even spoken. Friendship’s a natural thing, is what I’m trying to say. I wouldn’t force yourself too hard to make friends with everyone and anyone; you’re bound to find a friend eventually. From what I know, Reach Cambridge will provide activities – it’ll be scary at first, sure, but it’ll grant me an opportunity to find other people, and possibly make a friend or two by doing so. I’m joining Reach Cambridge’s English Literature course in Program 3. I’m not sure exactly what the course will entail, but so long as it’s discussing literature with other people (which it probably will), I’m game. They won’t be ‘strangers’ (that gives a degree of coldness), rather people I don’t know yet, full of originality and enthusiasm for it like me and having some taste for the written word. These are probably the people I’ll be hanging out with the most, and (fingers crossed) will become my friends too.

Studying English in Trinity Hall gardens

I personally chose this subject because I love literature. I’ve always read, but I started delving into the classics and more advanced works at around when I began secondary school. ‘The Book Thief’ by Markus Zusak was the threshold into a passion I now hold dearly; I look to fiction as a means of comfort and inspiration. I sometimes write myself. In this course I’ll be surrounded by people who may have similar reasons to love books, but who may also have different histories and opinions about literature entirely. However, we are all together with the same passion for English. Outside of the course, at the beginning at least, I’ll have my roommate to cling onto. But we could have different times for our separate courses, not to mention that our areas could be very far away from each other, if we are interested in very different fields. And even if they weren’t, wouldn’t it be ungrateful to fasten onto someone you already know in a social-based, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity such as this?