History undergrad reflects on his unconventional route to university

What was your journey to studying at Wolfson like?

From the age of eleven, I was home-educated as I struggled to integrate into secondary school. As my father was a carpenter, it seemed like the logical step for me to take up the same role.

At the same time, I became a full-time unpaid minister within a Christian fundamentalist church for a number of years. However, after a crisis of faith which resulted in my excommunication from the church and my community, I realised that I needed a completely new understanding of the world to build my life around.

It was only during Covid that I took the opportunity to examine my life, assess my goals, and then decided to move towards higher education through enrolling in an Access to HE course. I decided to return to my childhood passion for history that was first started by a Horrible Histories box set of books.

Had you ever considered applying to study at university or Cambridge before that point?

Growing up, attending university did not even occur to me. No one in my family had ever attended, and I knew no one, other than my teachers at school, who had been to university or was considering it.

Up until a spontaneous visit to Cambridge, studying here seemed unattainable. However, seeing the beautiful architecture of the city inspired me to research possible ways of studying here and I discovered the Mature Colleges which exclusively admitted mature undergraduate students. As a child I loved history, so the choice to study this subject was an easy one to make.

You experienced a less conventional route to Higher Education, which is often the case for mature students. Do you have any words of advice or reassurance to prospective students who might be in a similar position now?

Taking an unconventional route to higher education has given me valuable life experience that many other students at Cambridge do not yet possess. This has definitely given me essential skills in balancing studying, hobbies, and other commitments.

If you are worried that your previous or current academic experience may not qualify you for Cambridge, I would say 'Go for it and apply'; you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain. Receiving the offer to study here makes the hard work you put into your studies so much more rewarding.

There was a jump in difficulty and workload from the Access to HE Course to the first year of the degree, but it was manageable. The academic skills and library staff here at Wolfson provided plenty of guidance and help.

Why did you choose Wolfson?

What drew me to Wolfson was its balance of undergraduate to post-graduate students. At first, I was concerned that I would struggle to fit in to Cambridge with my background. But the atmosphere at Wolfson is very open, diverse, and engaging. Its mix of undergrad and postgrads is what makes it so great.

Are you involved in any Cambridge extra-curriculars?

Student life this term has been quite academic-focused, but I have enjoyed trying out various societies to broaden my horizons and meet people from different colleges and courses such as the Cambridge Union and Salsa nights. The proximity of Grantchester meadows to Wolfson is extremely useful when you want to take a break from your studies and enjoy a small part of the natural world.

How are you finding your History course and its teaching?

The History Tripos has been incredible. It has given me the opportunity to study a wide range of historical eras and topics, and the supervision system grounds you into the subject knowledge - you have weekly, direct access to someone who has expertise in the topic.

I am currently planning my dissertation topic which will examine 20th century British radio infrastructure as cultural sites and how people within their vicinity engage with them on a cultural and political level.

Did you learn anything in particular in first year that to are taking with you into second year?

I received guidance on the best way to structure my essays but also the reminder that the term 'essay' literally means 'to try'. It is ok to not hand in a perfect essay as long as it is one that reflects your understanding of the material.

This article is part of the 2024 Undergraduate Student Profile Series.

You can find out more about current opportunities and support for prospective mature students, including our free virtual and residential outreach programme, 21 Plus, here.

In-person tours of College are additionally available for prospective undergraduate and foundation year students (see the above link for details).

You can discover more about applying to Cambridge as a mature student, including details about the additional UCAS deadline in March for mature students.