‘It’s inspiring to be surrounded by people who are so dedicated’

Bilhana Kochloukova is a first-year Maths student from Brazil supported by the Global Talent Fund to study at Cambridge. She is among 31 scholars from 16 countries in their first year of university science or maths courses in the UK.

The Backing Ingenuity for Growth (BIG) Scholars Programme is a collaboration between the Global Talent Fund, XTX Markets and UK universities – Oxford, Bristol, Edinburgh, Warwick, Imperial and Cambridge. The BIG Scholars Programme provides full-need scholarships, internships and other opportunities.

Bilhana describes her experience so far as a Cambridge student.

Why Cambridge?
I chose Cambridge because I wanted to study abroad at a top university with a strong academic environment.

How do you find the course?
I find the course very challenging. It requires a lot of self-study and hard work. The example sheets and Supervisions are particularly helpful, as they push me to engage deeply with the material, test my understanding, and solidify my learning.

What is your experience of living at Trinity and in Cambridge?
It’s been a great experience so far. The University has a good atmosphere, and both the students and staff are very welcoming. The College also offers a variety of activities that help take my mind off work and relax.

Has anything particularly surprised you about studying here?
One thing that continues to surprise me is just how intelligent and passionate everyone here is. It’s inspiring to be surrounded by people who are so dedicated to what they do.

What do you do in your spare time?
I play football for the university team, go to the gym, climb, hang out with friends, watch TV series, and stay in touch with my family and friends back home.

Read more about the the BIG Scholars including Bilhana on the BBC (translated from Spanish BBC: What Is the ‘Economics of Talent’ (globtalent.org)

Find out about the Global Talent Fund: BIG Scholars