Cambridge Admissions Officer Visit Event - Insights from the Hosts
This hosting opportunity came with a relatively short preparation time. I felt quite anxious due to my lack of experience and concerns about my vocal tone and overall performance abilities. However, the reassuring smiles, consistent encouragement, and approving nods from instructors Jane and Jasmine during rehearsals truly helped build my confidence. I also coincidentally ran into Instructor Paul during a meal. He always brings such positive energy — our conversations about customs, foods, and traditions from around the world provided fresh perspectives and helped ease my nervousness.
This hosting experience was truly meaningful for me. Talking with the instructors helped me realise I'd been wrong about something for a long time. I used to believe that people were largely confined by their emotions, which inevitably led to mistakes. Now, however, I understand that outcomes often depend greatly on our own perspective. Some say that anxiety is one of the most significant factors shaping a person. Luckily, we always hold the keys to our own prisons of anxiety and pessimism. As the author of The Gaslight Effect noted, "A gaslighter encourages the gaslightee to doubt their own perceptions, but the gaslightee also actively enables this dynamic." Rather than getting trapped in negativity, it's better to stay positive and take practical steps forward.
Author: Chen Kaihong (Irene)
When it comes to this Cambridge University information session, I first want to sincerely thank our teachers and the school for giving me this valuable opportunity.
At first, when the teacher asked Chen Kaihong and me if we were willing to be the hosts, I actually refused. Although I knew deep down that I needed this kind of opportunity to improve myself—otherwise, how would I handle all kinds of presentations in university? —I had no hosting experience at all, so I was naturally a bit nervous. After thinking it over and with the teacher's encouragement, I finally accepted the task.
We had five days from receiving the task to the actual event. I finished the first draft on the second day, discussed and finalised it with the teacher on the third day, and spent the remaining two days practicing intensively. During those two days, the thought of hosting still made me feel a little annoyed sometimes—mainly because I wasn’t entirely familiar with the script yet. In comparison, Chen Kaihong was much calmer. She not only practiced with me but also helped me focus when my mind wandered, easing my anxiety step by step through her solid preparation.
We practised repeatedly, adjusting our tone, pauses, and pace. During rehearsals, I thought my performance was pretty good for a first-time host. But when we actually stepped on stage, I realised rehearsal is just rehearsal. I missed a few lines on stage, sentences I thought I knew well became jumbled in my mind, and I even said things I hadn’t planned to. Looking back at the photos later, I noticed I hardly smiled—even though I thought I had.
After the event, I kept thinking: why wasn’t my hosting as natural and confident as some other students? Maybe it really comes down to experience. With more hosting experience, I might have been more relaxed.
Looking back, these five days taught me a lot. I took the initiative to practise with the teacher during lunch breaks, which I rarely did before. The frequent communication also made me feel closer to the teacher. More importantly, this experience taught me how to face things I initially resist: the key is not to see the task as a burden, not to overthink it, but to actively engage and just do it. I’ve also truly learned that taking action can greatly ease inner anxiety. This has shown me a way forward in my future studies and life: think less, do more—just as my homeroom teacher Lulu often says, “Over-Thinking creates problems, action brings solutions.”
Author: Hou Kaicheng (Jasmine)
