We are about to go to Jesus College
We are going to go to talk to
Joseph and
Fadle about life
as an undergraduate student
I’ve got some real cool questions
please be as candid and as open as possible
What's the best thing about
being black at Cambridge?
Fadle: You have just a different outlook
on a lot of things,
you have a different experience.
You to go to uni to meet people
who've had different experiences.
Courtney: for me, when I used to meet people
who were like ‘oh, you’re the only black person I know’
and I was like ‘get away from me’!
This could quickly turn into a
kind of get out situation,
you know what I mean...
How about yourself?
Joseph: for me, it’s more about appreciating
that we are part of the change
because you was here.
There is hardly any black people
there's this, there's that...
So for me it’s just like
'okay, but I am one of those black people
that are there' so...
we have been given the opportunity
to be part of that change Courtney: yeah
Courtney: you’re in second year
and you're in first year, right? Joseph and Fadle: yeah
Courtney: So you guys kind of were applying
around the time when there was a bit more
discussion around being black at Cambridge. Fadle: mmhmm
Courtney: Talk to us about your experience
with the media before you came here.
Joseph: well, I would hear a lot on the news
about unrepresentation at Cambridge
and stuff like that
but it didn't -
I wasn’t going to let that kind of
get in the way of what I wanted
to achieve Courtney: good
Joseph: and also my teacher was really
like pushy about it Courtney: yeah
Joseph: she was like 'I think you should apply,
I did this course at Cambridge, I think
you should do it' and de de de dah... Courtney: oh, cool!
Joseph: and I was like 'yeah, sure,
why wouldn't I go for it?'
and she was like 'what’s the worst that
could happen - you don’t get in? Courtney: yeah
Joseph: Well, loads of people don’t get in.'
So I just went for it and I knew
that the representation was quite bad
Courtney: mmhmm
Joseph: I was hoping to add to that representation
in some way anyway.
Fadle: I was aware that, yeah, the minority Courtney: yeah
Fadle: groups are really unrepresented
but then it’s more of a problem...
it's also a problem at
any decent university that I would’ve
applied to as well. It's like
you can’t let that stop me.
Courtney: have your ideas changed
about Cambridge since being here?
Joseph: yeah, a hundred percent!
Courtney: ok, so tell us what
did you think before you got here then?
Joseph: all of the myths.
[laughter]
Joseph: I don’t know why I thought that, which...
I’d never been here before - the only time
I came here was for my interview Courtney: amazing
Joseph: and then, other than that,
I’d never come to visit or anything...
Just old buildings, old lecturers, old people
and I thought I was just going to be stuck
in a box just working.
But I think it’s quite a cool city
I enjoyed my time here as a whole.
There are ups and downs where I feel like
‘oh wow I feel a bit more lonely
than I thought I’d actually ever feel’.
Courtney: yeah
Joseph: but that’s more of like a growing
process for me just living by myself in general
so yeah, now it’s changed totally, although
somethings haven’t changed... Courtney: yeah
Joseph: It’s Cambridge, it’s a
prestigious university and
so I appreciate being here
I look out the window and I’m like 'wow,
okay, I’m here'. Courtney: wow
and turns out, yeah... 'oh, do I deserve
to be here?' Courtney: mmm
Joseph: And you're like 'oh, I’m behind,
I'm with all these smart people.
Am I smart enough to be here?'
And all those questions cross my mind
and I don’t find answers to those questions. [laughing]
Joseph: I don't answer those questions.
But I just keep at it to be honest.
Courtney: yeah
Joseph: and I'm only in my first year. Fadle: yeah.
[Laughing]
Fadle: Nah, if you’ve got that kind of outlook
in first year then like that's the kind of
the outlook to have all the time isn’t it? Yeah. Courtney: Yeah, yeah
Fadle: I’d say definitely my ideas have changed.
Even... I know that they say like, for example,
people at Cambridge are like typically privately
educated and are close-minded Courtney: yeah
Fadle: and things like that. Courtney: yeah
Fadle: But I also realise that
I've been quite sheltered as well in my life
so I only knew people from like
similar background to myself
and I didn’t know anyone who’d been
to a private school, for example,
so I had all those ideas
about what people would be like but...
Courtney: yeah, all these preconceptions
Fadle: mmhmm. But you find out that like
people here are just like the average 18-year-olds.
They are, in some respects...
Courtney: okay, yeah, I was about to say,
because I met some people...
Fadle and Joseph: yeah [laughter]
Fadle: I think...
I think one of the things that I noticed was
that the people who aren't like you aren't
the people you be friends with anyway
Courtney: exactly, yeah Fadle: so like yeah
Courtney: and it’s such a big place, right? Fadle: mmhmm
Courtney: It’s like you can find your people
and just stick with them.
Yeah, alright, next Q.
Were you shocked by the workload?
Fadle: Yeah. Yeah.
Courtney: Yeah. Joseph: if you balance your time well
it’s... you're not going to be stuck
in your room 24-7 doing nothing Courtney: yeah
Joseph: maybe exam season you will, Courtney: yeah
Joseph: but before that; if you balance it well,
you’ll be okay.
Courtney: so before I came,
I don’t know if they did it with you guys,
but everyone just hyped up the societies.
They were like ‘oh yeah,
when you come it’s going to be so cool,
you can join like every society, [laughter]
Courtney: oh my days, you’re going to have -
you’re gonna be like
drinking tea with the Queen,
and when I got here
I completely forgot you had to do work.
I completely forgot that
'oh, this degree stuff is actually like...'
So when they were like, oh yeah,
8, 12 essays a term...
I could have collapsed.
I obviously didn’t die.
I’m here to tell the tale.
What has your favourite moment been so far?
Joseph: probably all the
extra curricular stuff I’ve done, actually.
You have the work and then there’s always
other stuff to be doing outside of work.
Courtney: yeah
Fadle: Jesus May Ball was probably
Courtney: ooooh Joseph: mmm
Fadle: the best thing I’ve done this year.
Joseph: yeah, I haven't had any yet Fadle: yeah,
Fadle: you haven't had one yet, yeah
Courtney: which ones are you going to?
Joseph: King's Affair
Courtney: Ooooh...
That’s not really the best one. [laughter]
Joseph: they say Jesus May Ball...
Courtney: what’s the hardest part
of Cambridge life?
Joseph: I think what trying to constantly
fit in. I think you're
always thinking are you going to fit.
And it’s funny because when you speak to other people
they feel the exact same way sometimes
and you may think, 'oh, social groups this,
social groups that...'
but there are times when you’re just there
and it’s just you and it’s like
'oh, this is too much'. Courtney: yeah
Joseph: but I think it’s just about
getting through it,
understanding and appreciating where you are
and then just trying to push through it, and
talking to people, and letting them know
that okay, I’m finding this hard.
Because people in Cambridge are
actually quite helpful. Courtney: yeah
Joseph: It’s just about going about
opening up.
I realise that you kind of,
you release like your burdens
and it kind of gets spread out
and you feel better
but it is hard sometimes.
Sometimes you’re just there and it’s just you
and you’re like 'ahhh'.
Fadle: for me personally it’s being
quite far away from home
so, yeah, I know a lot of friends
who can just nip home for the weekend but...
Courtney: yeah, because like London... Fadle: Yeah, I have that...
Courtney: How do you deal with it though?
Fadle: They’ve invented WhatsApp video calls
for a reason... [laughter]
Courtney: it’s true it’s true, yeah.
But it’s only eight weeks.
By the time you’ve really got the hang of everything
it’s week five, so that’s the [laughter]
end of that!
Joseph: it's so quick
Courtney: what most shocked you about
the black people here?
Fadle: I would say diversity of background.
Joseph: I thought all black people were from London!
[laughter]
Joseph: then you meet black people from other
parts of England and you’re like
'okaaaaaaaaay' Courtney: and they come with an accent.
Joseph: I was so confused
but I don’t know why I always
thought black people were
all from London...
Courtney: No, it's so true
Joseph: They’re from different parts of the UK,
parts of the world.
So yeah that definitely shocked me.
Courtney: I thought all the black people here
were going to be mad nerdy
and like I would be the only one like
speaking slang and I thought
they would all be private school
so I was shocked when I came and there were
other state school students
and like people from London and other places
who are just so down to earth. Fadle: yeah
Courtney: what would you say
to a black student thinking of applying
to Cambridge who's a bit on the fence?
What would your words be?
And it can totally be ‘just don’t do it’
don’t feel like under pressure.
Joseph: I would say 100% go for it.
And I’d say it because
being at Cambridge when I'm hearing of
stuff back home or in London
all these like catastrophic kind of events,
in people that I’ve known's lives
and I’m just like, 'wow, life is seriously short'.
You don’t get to do much
and I’m here in Cambridge and
people back home are getting
into serious problems.
So I would say, if I was to speak to myself back then,
I’d just say 'go for it' because
you’ve just got to go and achieve your dreams.
I am actually starting to realise
that these opportunities
can last a lifetime
and life is actually very, very short
you just have to go for it. Courtney: wow
Courtney: that’s amazing.
And yourself? Fadle: I mean, I can't compete
Fadle: with something like that. Courtney: yeah, I was about to say, yeah...
Fadle: I think we need to end it there really. [laughter]
Courtney: it’s enough... [laughter]
Fadle: I don’t know, sort of
lighten up maybe. The thing is like
if you don’t apply, then you definitely won’t get in
but if you do apply then you might get in, so
you’ve got nothing to lose.
Courtney: amazing
Joseph: that’s a good quote, you should...
Courtney: yeah, you’ve got nothing to lose.
Thank you guys so much and just
from me personally to you guys
I’m super proud.
Keep it up, you’ll do amazing.
Don’t let it stress you out.
You’ve got this.
You’re smart enough to be here for sure.