In this episode Naomi speaks with Leona Kouame who is studying Human, Social and Political Sciences (HSPS) at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. Leona shares the story of her journey to HSPS and how the breadth and multidisciplinary nature of the course appealed to her. She discusses how she researched the different topics related to the subject and how she developed her interests by using everyday events as a starting point. She also shares how she wrote her personal statement and prepared for the admissions assessment an the interview. Below is a list of the resources mentioned by Leona in this ..read more

In this episode Naomi speaks with Taiye Lawal who is studying Engineering at St Anne’s College, Oxford. Taiye speaks about how she developed her interest in Engineering despite it not being taught at school. She shares the detail of her preparation for her application process, covering further reading, problem solving resources, personal statement writing, admissions assessment preparation and the interview. Below is a list of the resources mentioned by Taiye in this episode: - Problem solving exercises via I want to Study Engineering: https://i-want-to-study-engineering.org/ - Problem solving ..read more

In this episode Naomi speaks with Chizute Ogbedeh, who is studying Medicine at Jesus College, Cambridge. Chizute speaks about the difference between Medicine at Oxbridge and other universities, and how to know if the academic focus of those courses is right for you. He also speaks about the requirements for making a competitive application, securing work experience, personal statement writing, preparing for the BMAT (the admissions assessment) and the types of questions asked during interview. Below is a list of the resources mentioned by Chizute in this episode: - Brighton and Sussex online w ..read more

In this series of episodes, Naomi speaks with Target Oxbridge alumni studying some of the most popular Oxbridge subjects to get their top tips on getting in. Naomi begins by speaking with Tariq Hammed, who has recently completed his Economics and Management degree at Wadham College, Oxford. Tariq shares the details of the world events and books that inspired him to study Economics, as well as his tips for writing a personal statement, preparing for the Thinking Skills Assessment and getting ready for the interview. He also shares his insights into what it is like to study the course. Below is ..read more

In the final episode of the series, Naomi speaks to Matthew Ryder QC, the barrister who represented the family of Stephen Lawrence, and former Deputy Mayor of London for Social Integration, Social Mobility and Community. Matthew Ryder studied Law at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he got involved with the Black Caucus and co-founded the Group to Encourage Ethnic Minority Access (GEEMA). On graduating he worked at a legal aid firm in Harlesden before training as a barrister and then moving to New York to study for a Master’s in Human Rights at Columbia University. Matthew discusses the thing ..read more

Naomi catches up with Priscilla Mensah, the first Black woman to be elected President of the Cambridge University Students’ Union (CUSU), and a UK representative at the WTO and the UN. Priscilla almost missed out on her school’s visit to Cambridge, as she wasn’t in the top set for both English and Maths. Her English teacher secured her a place on the trip however, and she fell in love with Cambridge as a result. When she arrived at Cambridge, she set her sights on making things fairer for the students who came after her. She co-founded FLY, Cambridge’s network for women and non-binary people o ..read more

In this episode Naomi speaks to Tom Ilube CBE, CEO of Crossword Cybersecurity, Advisory Fellow of St Anne’s College, Oxford, Honorary Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford, and a Director at both the BBC and WPP. Tom studied Physics at the University of Benin in Nigeria and discusses how he has applied those skills in his career in tech and entrepreneurship. He tells the tale of leaving his job to start his first business at 30 years old, and how his ability to embrace failure helped him go on to found eight business over the course of his career. Tom also provides an insight into the skills that ha ..read more

In this episode, Hashi Mohamed joins Naomi to discuss his journey from arriving in the UK as a child refugee to becoming a barrister and author.  Hashi Mohamed arrived in the UK as an unaccompanied child refugee. With the support of a number of people, including a teacher who gave up her summer to provide a safe space for her students, Hashi was able to work towards his dreams in terms of his education and career. Following a Master's degree at St Anthony's College, Oxford, Hashi went on to pursue a career as a barrister. His book, People Like Us, reflects on his personal journey in relat ..read more

Femi Fadugba joins Naomi to speak about The Upper World, his recently announced book series that is being made into a Netflix film starring Daniel Kaluuya. The Upper World tells the story of a 16 year old boy from Peckham who discovers he has the power to see glimpses of the past and future. It combines time-travel physics with life on an estate, and explores the question of free will. Femi is a Physicist who has worked as a consultant and on solar energy solutions in West Africa. In this episode he discusses how the problem solving skills he developed in these roles were also helpful when w ..read more

In this episode Naomi speaks to Theophina Gabriel, a published poet, recent intern at #Merky Books and the Editor in Chief of Onyx Magazine, a magazine that showcases the talent of Black writers and authors.  Theophina studied Philosophy and Theology at Oxford, and explains in this episode that, despite popular opinion, this did not limit her to a career in a nunnery! She discusses the skills she gained from studying philosophy, and how she got involved in theatre during her studies. Theophina also shares the story of how Onyx Magazine got started, including the fundraising efforts and in ..read more