Faris Qureshi (Modern and Medieval Languages 2022) had only spent four days in France before joining Gonville & Caius College to read French and German.

Faris grew up in east London and enjoyed the free cultural activities the capital has to offer, with his mother, a teacher, supporting his interests.

His uncle attended the University of Cambridge to read Economics, and Faris was encouraged to aim high at Lister Community School in Newham. He completed A-Levels in French, History and Politics at London Academy of Excellence in Stratford and successfully applied to Caius.

Faris disproves the perception that languages students must have ample exposure to their language of choice; his aptitude was “all from school,” he says. He is determined to make sure he is not an exception, advising the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics about admissions and the student experience.

“I’ve only been to France twice for a combined total of about seven days,” says Faris, three days of which was after Michaelmas Term in the Christmas vacation with the assistance of a Caius travel grant.

“I didn’t realise until the end of my A-Levels, but I was the only person in my A-Level French class who had only spoken one language at home throughout my life."

After finding out that he was perhaps the only student in his class who was not bilingual or speaking a second language at home, he realised that his good grades were not exactly down to luck.

“I worked really hard to get to a high level. It’s hard to extricate skill from practise, because the skill comes with practise,” Faris adds.

After changes in teachers throughout secondary school, Faris was encouraged by his teacher in his GCSE year and another during his A-Levels, which saw him turn his back on a long-term interest in the sciences and engineering.

His Year 11 teacher encouraged him to explore French beyond the established curriculum – something Year 12 students can do with Caius Explore to support their Cambridge application – and it enhanced his interest in the subject.

He adds: “I entered a poetry translation prize, and I think that was the moment I realised I wanted to study French. It was a completely extracurricular challenge which I had no reason to do, but felt drawn to.

“Encouragement from my teachers helped me realise this was a path I could take, a path that was real.”

He also spoke of the importance of the cultural activities, interests which were sparked in his mother by her father, Faris' grandfather, after he immigrated to east London in the 1960s.

“Even though I’m from a fairly deprived area in east London, I engaged in the types of culture which are given value in our society,” Faris adds.

“I entered a public speaking competition and espoused all of the opportunities we get for free in London: going to the theatre, art galleries, museums... I continued to engage in those interests and brought them into my work.”

Faris, then at primary school, pictured in Caius Court by Professor Stephen Hawking's then office. 

Faris’ uncle being a Cambridge alumnus made the prospect more real, with a visit to Caius while still in primary school documented for posterity on camera.

“Having these experiences of a world I could access, which from the beginning I was told I could access, put me on the path to applying,” he says.

His visits to Cambridge in his youth made Cambridge a tangible goal. He believes many more students from backgrounds like his should seize such opportunities through the outreach schemes run by the University and its colleges, including Caius.

Promoting applications to Caius, Cambridge and to humanities subjects, but specifically languages, is something Faris is passionate about. He talks of the career opportunities studying languages can provide – journalism, translation, the civil service, to name just a few.

He is learning German ab initio – from the beginning – on a course designed to take you from scratch (or GCSE) to A-Level standard in the space of eight months. He is interested in exploring further language learning in future.

As for French, he is grateful to Caius for providing a travel grant which enabled his pre-Christmas visit. Further travel opportunities are sure to follow, not least with his Year Abroad in third year.

“It was my favourite holiday and it was only three days,” he says.

“A travel grant makes possible doing something I wouldn’t otherwise be able to do.”