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Asian and Middle Eastern Studies: A Churchill Student's View

Miriam Storrs-Fox
2nd year student of Chinese Studies

Churchill College may not feature on many postcards of Cambridge, but don't let that put you off...

After being at Churchill for only a few weeks, you will soon come to appreciate the friendly, relaxed atmosphere of the college. One of the biggest advantages of being at Churchill is that our sports fields, tennis courts, gym and squash courts are all right on our doorstep (literally!) Even if you are not a budding sportsman (and I am certainly not), with so many new and exciting sports to try, you will soon find yourself trudging back from the fields mud-covered and happy!! So far I have tried rugby, rowing, salsa dancing, badminton, tennis and ultimate frisby (along with the very occasional visit to the gym!) — an odd mixture I'll admit, but when else will you have the opportunity to try such an eclectic range of sports? Churchill also has lots of very keen sports supporters and you will often find yourself woken to the sound of whistles and horns on a Saturday morning as a crowd of supporters march up to the field (including, of course, our very own Churchill mascot!) If you are still not convinced that you will ever be persuaded to squeeze into your gym shorts from when you were ten years old and run around like a lunatic in the rain, the sports grounds still provide an ideal bbq and picnic spot in the summer and the top of the Møller tower is the perfect romantic spot for star-gazing lovers!

Being further away from town than some of the other colleges certainly isn't as bad as it may seem at first — after all, it only actually takes 10 minutes to cycle down to Sainsbury's or any other essential haunt! What's more, in the summer you quickly come to appreciate a much-needed break from the swarms of tourists that flock to the city centre armed with cameras and guide-books (few seem to make it to Churchill for some unknown reason!)

Churchill is definitely a good college to apply to if you are thinking about studying Chinese. This is because the Director of Studies (DoS) at Churchill is a member of the Chinese department, and Churchill College also has a generous grant established for students travelling to China during vacations (the Wing Yip grant) — which as a student of Chinese you will no doubt be able to make good use of! But other oriental languages are catered for too.

Chinese, like every other oriental language, is highly demanding of personal motivation and commitment. Although at times it can be very challenging, it is also extremely rewarding. During the summer after my first year studying Chinese at Cambridge, I was awarded a scholarship to study Chinese in Taiwan for two months and was absolutely amazed at how much I had learnt over my first year!

The course is designed not only to give you a competence in modern Chinese, but also an understanding of Chinese history, literature and classical Chinese — all of which will give a fascinating insight into Chinese culture today. But by the third year you get the chance to specialise in some of the areas you are really interested in: I have chosen to study modern Chinese literature, which will give me a great opportunity to deepen my understanding of Chinese culture.

Most students of Chinese say the year abroad in China during the third year is one of the best bits of the course. I have chosen to study in Qingdao and am looking forward to the chance to immerse myself fully in the Chinese way of life (as well as making the most of Qingdao's famous beaches and mountains!)

In my year, there are two other Churchill students studying Chinese which, given that our class only has seventeen students, is actually quite a high concentration for any one college. Having other students studying the same subject as you at your college is a huge help, especially in the first year when everything is so new and at times can seem daunting. Being in a small class means you can get to know the others on your course really well, and you will also quickly develop friendships at college with people studying all sorts of other subjects.