UVI Classics Trip to the University of Cambridge
13 October 2026 - Sixth Form
On Saturday 3 October, UVI pupils studying Latin, Greek and Classical Civilisation travelled to the University of Cambridge with Miss Pemberton to visit the Classics Faculty and Newnham College. Some of us had been tasked with planning Classics-related activities for the coach trip, leading to some fun and competitive rounds of “imposter: guess the myth” and a quick-fire challenge to name as many ancient authors as possible in chronological order.
Before we knew it, we had arrived at the Classics Faculty for a tour of the Museum of Classical Archaeology where we were greeted by Professor Caroline Vout, Director of the Museum and Director of Studies at Christ’s College. We felt privileged to be taken around the cast gallery personally by Professor Vout, who called upon us to partake in scholarly debate throughout the tour. We were pushed to shed our biases that Classical sculpture was ‘better’ than Archaic sculpture and encouraged instead to see the power and purpose of each artefact within its context. Engaging in such a nuanced and rigorous academic discussion with a leading expert in the field was an invaluable experience, and one that will undoubtedly aid us in our upcoming university interviews.
After our tour, we sat down with Dr Shushma Malik, Director of Studies at Newnham College, in the beautiful setting of Newnham gardens. As Dr Malik is an expert on the Roman emperor Nero, those of us studying his reign as part of our Latin A level enjoyed asking questions about her research and – a big question for Roman historians – whether Nero was a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ emperor. Dr Malik also offered advice about application and interview processes at Cambridge as well as insights into the realities of college life.
A highlight of the day was meeting three Seniors who are all studying Classics at the University of Cambridge. Esme (Butler, 2026) and Aubrey (Airlie, 2026) have just moved in, and it was so special to catch up with them. Milly (Wendover, 2025), now in her second year, talked to us about how she is finding the Classics course and the extracurricular activities she does alongside her studies.
We are so grateful to Professor Vout, Dr Malik, Esme, Aubrey, and Milly for sharing their expertise and experiences with us, and for Miss Pemberton for organising such an incredible trip.
Catherine, Eletta and Mia
UVI Classicists
Keep up to date with further news from Wycombe Abbey on our social channels.