The past two weeks have been full.
The kind of full that leaves you tired, proud, and quietly challenged.
Cambridge Venture Project: From daunting to done
The final stretch of term was anchored around our Cambridge Venture Project. On Monday 24 November 2025, exactly one week before our presentation, our client sent detailed feedback. With the presentation scheduled for the following Tuesday 2 December 2025, everything moved quickly.
We split the work and aimed for a full draft by Friday. We shared it, received mentor feedback on Saturday morning, and spent the day refining and filling gaps.
By Monday 1 December, more client feedback came in. We addressed it quickly, took a short break, and kept going. Chris (my MBA Classmate) showed up with rolls and buns. A small act of kindness that mattered more than he probably knew.
I was drained, but my team kept pushing, and that carried me through.
After finishing the slides, we did a full dry run and gave each other honest feedback. We left Cambridge Judge close to 23:30. Chris cycled slowly beside me as I walked home since we live nearby. That quiet walk felt like a community in its simplest form. I rested briefly, then rehearsed my section again.
Rezky and I welcomed our clients when they arrived, while Lan, Chris, and Carlos set up the room. This was the moment of truth.
Our clients are ex-McKinsey consultants, so expectations were high on presentation day. We chatted over coffee, then went in.
Picture with client, team and mentor
We had 20 minutes to present.
What followed surprised all of us.
The clients asked questions for 25 minutes straight. They were deeply engaged, and neither our mentor nor faculty had space to jump in. That almost never happens.
My biggest highlight was going from knowing nothing about quantum communication to confidently explaining it and answering questions.
At the start, the project felt daunting.
A new topic. A new terrain.
By the end, I felt accomplished.
My Study Group: Lan, Melissa, Chris, Carlos, Rezky
Slowing Down in the Best Way
After the intensity of the project, the rest of the week softened. Wednesday felt lighter. That evening, I went to Lan’s (my MBA Classmate) place to try Chinese hotpot for the first time, and I loved it! Beef, noodles, shrimp, chicken legs, fish cakes. Everything. A solid 10 out of 10. Vivianne (my MBA Classmate) made a special version using her mum’s recipe, with milk in the broth. The beauty of hotpot is that you eat as you go. You pause, talk, play games, then eat again. I left with a full belly and a very happy heart.
Studying, Support, and Small Joys
Thursday was about focus. I headed to Kinza’s (my MBA Classmate) place to study for exams. Long revision days filled with tea breaks, quick family calls, shared meals, and laughter in between serious concentration. There were moments when I nodded off. Kinza would gently wake me up. We really did our best.
Taking a break during studies at Kinza’s house
Then the exams arrived. Microeconomics was my first Cambridge exam. Seeing invigilators and professors in gowns reminded me how deeply tradition runs here. Next came Financial Reporting, then Corporate Finance. Finishing the last one I felt relief, gratitude and quiet pride.
Exam day
After Corporate Finance, I took photos with Lan to mark the moment. Kinza and I then went to Wingstop for a celebratory lunch before I went home to rest.
Picture with Lan after exams & Wingstop celebratory lunch
That evening, I attended the MBA festive drinks at King’s College. It was lovely catching up, hearing holiday plans, and sharing that I’d be going home too. A surprise for my kids. Some classmates even asked me to record that moment for them.
Reflection
These weeks reminded me that life here isn’t just about lectures and exams. It’s about Community. Group Consulting Project. Shared meals. Late nights. Quiet walks home. Showing up for each other.
As the term ends, I feel exhausted.
But also full.
Cambridge continues to stretch me.
And somehow, it continues to hold me too.