Freddie Fisk, 22, has just graduated with a double first in History from Cambridge University. He is now working as a tutor of History and Politics to students at GCSE and A Level, as well as prospective Oxbridge applicants. He is also one of my former tutees.
During the late winter and spring of 2017, I made regular Sunday journeys to Freddie's home in Surrey to help him prep for his A Level in English Literature for which he scored an A. Although he had received several offers to study History at university that year, he chose to take a year out to complete an additional A Level in Politics and, in 2018, took up a place at Robinson College, Cambridge.
I caught up with Freddie to discuss tutoring and learn more about his time at university.
What are the advantages of receiving home tutoring?
Most learning occurs outside the classroom, once the essential information has been absorbed; the home tutor is in a prime position to help a student consolidate and interpret this information in the best way.
A tutor can and should bring a fresh perspective to the subject you’re studying which goes beyond what has been discussed in class. A tutor should offer something that you’re not receiving in class, whether that be new content, or most commonly and perhaps most importantly, stronger exam technique (often the aspect of learning most rushed in schools).
Finally, the most significant benefit of home tutoring is that it’s one-on-one, so the student is always given the opportunity to sculpt their tuition time to best focus on those areas with which they need most help.
Tell me about your approach to providing tuition.
Well, it very much depends on who the tutee is and what they want to gain from their tuition. Above all, tutoring has to be fun and buzzy; the first step to doing well in a subject is to enjoy it, and to enjoy the challenges it poses. So, if they’re finding studying a chore, my first job is to fix that.
Would you recommend studying at Cambridge?
110%! Within so many subjects, you are surrounded by world experts and fellow students who are just as nerdy about your subject as you are, and that can generate a real buzz. You have a lot of intellectual freedom as an undergraduate - that can be both a blessing and a curse. It’s not for everyone. But, if you enjoy academic study, being curious and shaping your own learning, it can be very rewarding.
There is also an amazing extra-curricular scene. You don’t need to be locked in the library 24-7. Beyond one’s studies, there is a wealth of weird and wonderful societies run by people whose enthusiasm for their club, however niche it may be, is equally infectious.
What advice would you give a prospective university applicant?
In one sentence: keep reading and keep asking questions. Read actively about the things that interest you. As you’re reading, practise talking about the subject in question; ask yourself what is significant and what is perplexing about the material, how it might link to other things you’ve read. If you have any interesting ideas, write them down. This will stand you in good stead for the interview.
In the arts and humanities, think of the admissions process like the best kind of test, where you can discuss what you’re most curious about.
If you’re aiming to study a more practical subject, practise doing that subject. If it’s architecture, draw and discuss your drawings with anyone who will listen. If that subject is a science, practise answering problem questions.
What did you find challenging about studying History?
Structuring your own time and developing your own approach to study is certainly a challenge. Each week you are given a reading list and an essay question, but as long as you produce an essay by the deadline, the rest is up to you. It’s easy to lose focus, or to go on tangents, so disciplining yourself is important.
Most people end up learning this the hard way. The plus side is that in your first year at least you’re not faced with ‘be all and end all’ exams. The examiners at Cambridge are much more flexible in what they consider to be a good essay than A-level examiners, and usually your first-year marks don’t count towards your final year grade. So, you have the freedom to explore different styles of writing and alternative ways of structuring your argument … and, ultimately, you have the freedom to fail too.
Was studying English at A Level useful for your choice of degree?
Definitely! English is, ipso facto, the subject which teaches you how to analyse texts closely. If you’re doing anything text based, which is a large part of my degree and most arts and humanities subjects, then having studied English is invaluable. In History, these are particularly important when you have to interpret and contextualise meaning within primary sources.
The other fantastic thing about English is that it’s a creative subject where you have a lot of autonomy over what you choose to write about and how you structure your work. In this vein, English A Level is the closest you may get to studying an arts or humanities subject at Cambridge and the freedom of manoeuvre that comes with it.
In your experience, did you notice any personal qualities common to successful applicants?
Generally, a love of one’s subject, inquisitiveness, open mindedness and a willingness to think critically and flexibly. Most students at Cambridge are also relatively resilient and ready to take on regular challenges.
You have to be able to communicate well verbally and, at least in the arts, in written form too. The supervision model of teaching requires you to be comfortable discussing academic work on the spot and out loud, so those qualities tend to be common in successful applicants.
Beyond these broad characteristics, there is no ‘platonic’ ideal of a Cambridge student. Everyone’s quite different and quirky in their own way, people have different strengths, so I’d advise that you follow your nose and play the game that you're good at.
I don’t believe in offering a strict curriculum or prescribing a single ’method’ for passing exams, but I do believe it is helpful to hone certain intellectual tropes which the tutee can deploy at their discretion. These could be: how to write a convincing argument; how to think critically; how to analyse texts; how to embrace nuance etc. Ultimately, these tropes are the key to doing very well in an exam and a tutor’s job should be to equip the tutee with the best set of finely honed skills they can.
What aspects of History and Politics do you particularly enjoy teaching?
Well, strangely enough, I enjoy discussing exam technique because that’s about reason and argument and the whole rulebook by which we are able to debate the subjects that we love. I enjoy discussing what historians have said, or what politicians and political theorists have said about their subject. You might call that historiography, thought or theory.
In terms of content, I adore talking about political ideologies of any creed or geography. I also adore nineteenth and twentieth century European history: social, economic, and political – the broader the better.
At university, in addition to the above, I specialised in Tudor political history, Anglo-Russian relations from 1900 and the rule of law in Britain from the Middle Ages onwards.
What are your future plans?
This year I’m tutoring History and Politics (can you tell?), alongside studying for a law conversion. After that, I will begin life as a solicitor based in London!
Freddie can be contacted at frederickfisk@outlook.com
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