“It’s not all horrible. If you can give yourself a task every day and break things down, then the time passes more quickly. Treating yourself or doing something that makes you feel like you belong or are of value in society is quite good”

What does summer life look like in Cambridge if you’re student without a home to go back to? The colleges now provide rented accommodation for these students – but it’s no bed of roses. We talked to one of our student mentees about their summer in Cambridge.

The upsides

Because everyone leaves, there’s more chance to interact with “town” rather than “gown” – you get to know Cambridge as a city outside of academia. I’ve been to Grantchester, on bike rides, taken train to Ely, which has a great market.  Also there are more job opportunities – with summer schools, and people are looking for catering or cleaning staff, so there’s always something you can find workwise.

What do you find hard?

Most of my friends have disappeared and there’s no structure, especially if you’re not working. You’re left to your own devices and you might not speak to anyone for several days – it can be quite lonely.

Also you have to pay rent – whereas people who go home to their families don’t have that kind of financial worry. Student finance may not cover this – and some colleges don’t offer any discounts, especially if you’re not eligible for official “care leaver” status (in which case the local authority covers your rent in the holidays. Being “care experienced” is not enough – you have to have spent a certain number of weeks at a certain age in care.

Not knowing people is hard. You can’t escape from the Cambridge “bubble” – it’s full of tourists, and a lot of them seem quite privileged people. Knowing you haven’t got anywhere else to go is hard.

Sometimes it feels like the college kind of treats you like property…that can be moved about for convenience – if the conferencing team decide you can’t stay in your normal room. Moving all your stuff with no-one to help is hard work.

Meanwhile on move-in and move-out days, you see everyone’s happy families arriving to collect them.

Sometimes the catering in college stops so you’re catering for yourself – but with no oven and no freezer, just cooking with a hob, a microwave and a toaster – and one fridge shelf. Rice cookers are banned, which doesn’t feel very inclusive for people from other cultures or trying to cook halal.

There are very few events run by college or the uni during the summer, and I don’t know anyone else currently in my college in the same situation.

A lot of people from the Wellbeing team are on annual leave too, so if something happens and you need someone, you might be talking to someone you’re not familiar with.

Staff just don’t really know how to handle your situation – you’re expected to be the expert and just find things for yourself. They don’t realise how isolating it is being stuck in a small room all day – it feels quite demeaning and unhealthy just sitting and getting “in your head” – but there’s not much opportunity and I don’t have many options financially.
The “How are you Cambridge?” website has some activities though.

How do you spend your spend time?

Well, the University completely shuts down – although I can still take things out from the library, but that’s not really a break or a detox or engaging with other people.

About half my time is working, then I sometimes see friends, exercise, listen to music, read, look at work for next year. I stay in touch with friends who’ve gone home.

I have a mentor through Concrete Rose who I see roughly once a week which is a bonus. Sometimes we go for a walk or a coffee. It’s nice to see someone and have somebody to check in with.

I also go to The Hub, which is a drop-in space for anyone over the age of 16 that’s operated by Concrete Rose. It provides support of any kind if you just have a query about lodgings or mentoring, or getting people involved in social activities and skills, like sewing skills, bike maintenance, beach trips, cooking s’mores, hiking, cooking. It teaches you basic life skills in a friendly and inclusive environment where you don’t have to explain yourself to anyone.

I like The Hub a lot – it fosters a sense of family through peers who can relate to you. Having Juliet and Mike there and a hot meal at the end of the day means you can belong somewhere even if only temporarily. It’s a good balance of learning skills and just hanging out.

I don’t really have any plans for a trip – WWOOF (volunteering on organic farms for free accommodation) is a possibility, or pet-sitting. I’m slightly desperate to get out of Cambridge, even just for a few days!