Student Profile: Nussaibah Younis

Nussaibah Younis

Modern History and English

As a mixed race Muslim woman from a state grammar school Merton did not stand out as the obvious choice of college when I was applying to Oxford. What drew me to Merton, however, was its strong academic ethos, its fantastic facilities and its strength in the subjects of History and English. Once I had determined that Merton was indeed the best college in Oxford, Merton's reputation as a male and public school dominated college no longer bothered me and luckily I found that the stereotype was mostly false!

When I first started at Merton I was rather taken aback by how friendly and welcoming everyone was and how normal everyone seemed! Even more surprising was the diverse range of people from different backgrounds, from all over the country and all over the world which has contributed to the rich tapestry of college life. I have found the common factor amongst people at Merton to be a strong dedication to their work and to making their most out of their university experiences as well as a willingness to support each other in those pursuits and I think that's going to make for an incredible three years.