Old Boy Gus John (2019), pictured, is a 2024 recipient of an Overseas Study Scholarship for Old Boys. He recently attended the University of Cambridge and has penned the following recollections of his experience.

I arrived in Cambridge in August 2023 ready to commence my Master’s degree in Medieval History. It was a nerve-wracking experience entering a whole new environment again but thankfully I had five weeks of preseason with the Cambridge University Boat Club to settle in, meet some great guys and familiarize myself with the town. The city itself is beautiful, rich in history and a citadel of academic excellence.

My studies began early as I had to undertake a compulsory Latin course which would prepare me for the months to come. Latin was a language I never had the opportunity to learn nor something I thought I would need but it was taught excellently and led by one of the most eminent scholars in the world. The others in my course were a mixed bag in terms of Latin experience, so it took the pressure off and created a friendly atmosphere where everyone could advance at their own pace. At the end of it was an exam, after which we all congregated at a college bar to celebrate making it so far (four weeks). 

Term one, or Michaelmas, was a fantastic eight weeks. I met all my new college mates, began my actual classes and settled into a rowing routine which simultaneously kept me busy and allowed enough time to have some fun on the side. Every Sunday, the Boat Club would have their social night, ‘swaps’ as they call it, which was an opportunity to unwind and bond as well as meet people from other sports and societies. Of course, before the Boat Race in March these would peter out, but they were integral to creating a strong and harmonious team early on in the season.

Lent Term was by far the craziest experience of my life. The classes were fascinating, as one involved us meeting at a different college library each week to handle medieval manuscripts, some which were roughly 1200 years old. It was during this term, however, that preparation for the Boat Race really ramped up. We had a camp in Portugal in January to make sure we hadn’t had too much food over Christmas and from then on it was go, go, go. We trained twice a day, six days a week, all on top of our studies and the growing pressure of such a large event looming over. Being selected for the Blue Boat was one of the proudest moments of my life and winning the race in front of hundreds of thousands of people on the bank of the Thames and many millions more on television was a surreal experience.

But there was little time to celebrate as my 20,000-word dissertation was due a few weeks later.

Nonetheless, I can confidently say my year at Cambridge was one of the greatest experiences of my life and an opportunity I will fondly remember. It allowed me academically to come away with a world-class degree and from a rowing perspective, put me in a good place to be selected for the GB under 23 rowing team where I won gold in the men’s eight in August.

I must show my appreciation for the Churchie Old Boys’ Association for their support in this endeavour and hope that through this organization many other boys are able to experience equally amazing opportunities across the world as I did.

This year Churchie Foundation is again awarding the Overseas Study Scholarships for Old Boys. Applications are now invited from Old Boys and current Year 12 students wishing to attend colleges or universities in the UK or USA. The application process will close on Friday 31 May. To find out more information and/or apply for a scholarship, please click here.