Malaika's Story

Written by Malaika Amin

Hello! I’m Malaika, or Maks, and I’m currently a first-year student here at UOB studying History and Politics.

Why a Joint Honours?

If you told nine-year-old me – the head-in-the-clouds, Horrible Histories obsessed kid, singing to every parody song, harbouring a very real crush on Matthew Baynton’s King Charles II – that I’d one day study History and Politics at university, she probably would’ve fainted on the spot.

History alone wasn’t enough. I’d always had a soft spot for Politics too – world-shaping things (I don’t think it helped with the PMQs on when I got home from school, “Order! Order!” Bercow Classic!) I’d visited Parliament in Year 6 with a bunch of grumpy peers, loved public speaking, and had this need to do something meaningful with my life. So naturally, I chose Joint Honours: half historian, half wannabe Parliamentarian, fully committed to the art of overthinking every essay.

Settling in: how I accidentally became a Pokémon master

Fresher’s Week was a blur: tote bags, free pens and trying to act like I knew where half the buildings were. But joining UOB F1SOC was the real turning point. Suddenly, I had friends in every year group (like collecting Pokémon) – second years, third years, even master’s students telling me about their impeding deadlines. They are the sweetest people: texting to check if I got home safe, calling when I walked home in the dark, and generally taking me in. Even though I started university being very unsure of how I would be perceived by others, they made me feel so comfortable and so confident in my personality by giving me a safe space to communicate.

Academically, I found my history trio (the girlies above) – the three of us clung together like some. We went on the most random but fun trips: Hanbury Hall, Ashmolean Museum, walking under tunnels…. Honestly, CAL kids get the best excursions. Meanwhile, Politics introduced me to a whole new crowd. We bonded over 9am lectures (why, why, why), shared the trauma of assignments, and that the five-minute break between a 2hr lecture was prime snack time. Having this shared experience makes the stresses of uni – deadlines, understanding content, and timetabling concerns – seem inconsequential because we are all going through the same thing together.

Assignments, reps, and realising I might be getting the hang of this

The academic shift from A-Level to university was like bungee-jumping without a rope. But with all the support – seminar tutors, office hours, friends who’d check my drafts super quick – it started to make sense. There was a satisfying moment where everything was becoming exciting rather than as impossible as it felt in the beginning – not knowing how to structure academically, unsure what the seminar leads wanted from us, the fear that my work just wasn’t good enough for what they may have been looking for.

Then, in a plot twist that I didn’t see coming, I applied to be Student Rep and got it. I liked the sense of responsibility, and the feeling that maybe I wasn’t just winging it all. Outside of lectures, I lived for the little adventures: wandering around Cannon Hill Park, browsing Harborne High Street, exploring the Artisan Market, running to sit on a carousel at the German Markets, and squeezing mini trips between classes. There’s something magical about having that freedom – the chance to say, “lecture’s finished, who wants to go somewhere?” University gave me that surreal chance to work on my social life that I didn’t really have in sixth form and allowed for amazing opportunities to push for a side quest in our hours long breaks between classes.

Looking ahead: bring on second year

If first year was a bullet train, second year feels like the next stop on the long journey of life. I’m not scared – I’m buzzing. I’ve got a good number of friends, met some wonderful people, and built a little community that makes UOB feel a little homey.

First year has been chaotic, and honestly surreal. A fever dream, but the good kind.

And now? I’m ready for more.

Have a story to tell? Contact us at studentcommunications@contacts.bham.ac.uk.