Use this paragraph to tell the donor a little about your background (or to provide a recap, if you did so in a previous report), such as the year you came up to St John’s, the school you came from and your motivations in pursuing your chosen degree. Please include how your studies are going, such as topics of interest or passion, parts of your course that you found most enjoyable or inspiring, essays or exams that you have performed well in, and even your latest results if you were especially proud of them. You might also want to think about how Cambridge, the unique supervision system and quality of teaching staff or lectures you’ve attended have impacted and enriched your studies.

Use this section to tell about any extra-curricular activities you may be involved in through the College, University or personally, including societies, sports, music and hobbies. You can mention any leadership roles you have in these. This would also be a good opportunity to outline any summer plans.

Use this space to explain, with specific examples, how this bursary has benefited your time at St John’s. We recommend highlighting a mixture of academic and social activities (eg Formal Halls, society dinners, college balls, etc). Remember, your donor will want to see how their support has helped you to flourish both in your studies and as an individual. On reflecting upon your examples, you may feel it makes more sense to move some of them to earlier in your report (eg purchasing a book which helped with one of your essays). Your conclusion is your opportunity to thank the donor for their support and underscore what a difference they have made to your life at College. You may also wish to mention your longer term career aspirations and the ways in which you wish to give back to society.