'It's been a long journey': student learns English to achieve top university place (From Enfield Independent)

'It's been a long journey': student learns English to achieve top university place

10:02am Thursday 16th August 2012 in News By Hermione Wright

A student who could only speak one word of English when he moved to Enfield ten years ago has earned a place at a top university.

Winchmore School student Salman Momin picked up an A in psychology, a B in chemistry and a B in biology this morning to meet his offer from King's College London.

The 18-year-old moved to the borough from Afghanistan on August 27 2002, and is eagerly waiting starting his six-year medicine degree in September.

After reading his results at the school in Laburnum Grove, he said: “It’s just about sunk in – I’m okay now, I’m happy.”

He added: “It has been a long journey, a very long journey. When I came to Enfield almost ten years ago to the day I couldn’t speak English. On my first day, I went into school and some bullies took the mickey out of me so I used the only word I could say in English – ‘stupid.’

“When I was at primary school my teacher used to speak to me in Hindi – she used to do double lessons so when I look back; it has been a long journey and a very interesting one.”

Mr Momin, who would like to specialise in heart surgery once he has finished university, spent ten to 11 hours a day revising for his exams during study leave to make sure he was prepared.

Although he always worked hard at school, he said: “It was different this year, when you hit 18, it is time to take things more seriously.”

The Russell Group university, which has more than 24,000 students, is one of the top 30 universities in the world and its medicine department is one of the UK’s most established centres for medical research and training.

The student, who moved to Kilburn a year ago, said he feels a huge sense of achievement for his grades and is excited about starting university in the new term.