Robin Harding, the Asia Editor of the Financial Times, shares insights on the often romanticized idea of university life and personal growth. Reflecting on his experience at Cambridge University, Harding emphasizes that students should not feel pressured to find their ideal selves during their time at university.
Harding, who graduated from Clare College in 2000, describes his early days at Cambridge as overwhelming. He recalls, “I was a shy and unworldly kid when I first arrived at Cambridge.” This sentiment echoes the experiences of many students, including fellow journalist Gillian Tett, who also felt out of place during her formative years at the university.
Growing up in Durham in a household of academics, with his mother serving as the Keeper of Oriental Books at Oxford and his father a professor of Archaeology, Harding was surrounded by a culture of learning. Yet, upon his arrival at Cambridge to study Social and Political Sciences—later switching to Economics—he found himself grappling with self-doubt. “My school didn’t have a lot of people who’d been to Cambridge,” he explains, which added to his feelings of uncertainty.
Harding highlights a more authentic student experience that transcends the notion of glamorous university life. “I read a lot. I probably drank more than was good for me […] I made great friends, lifelong ones,” he says. His journey was marked by confusion, a common experience among many undergraduates. “A good half of everyone is sort of fairly bewildered, and just trying to find our way through, but that’s fine,” he notes.
After his graduation, Harding followed a typical path for a Cambridge economist, which included internships and graduate schemes in investment banking. He recalls his time in finance as eye-opening, stating, “It’s quite disillusioning when you encounter the reality of finance.” While he experienced the allure of the finance sector—such as an extravagant internship dinner at the Natural History Museum—he ultimately found it unfulfilling.
Harding’s career took a pivotal turn when he left the finance industry to pursue journalism. He spent a year at a public policy think tank and later earned a Master’s degree in Japan before a brief stint at HSBC. His career change was catalyzed by the Peter Martin Fellowship, which provided him with an opportunity to intern at the FT. “I was really excited by journalism,” he says. Quitting his banking job was not a reckless decision; instead, it was a calculated move towards a profession that aligned with his passions.
His first assignment as an intern was particularly memorable: “On day one, as an intern, I wrote an editorial for the FT that was published the next day […] and it completely blew my mind.” Reflecting on his prior experiences, Harding acknowledges that the skills he developed in other fields were instrumental in shaping his career as a financial journalist.
Harding’s journey illustrates that the undergraduate experience is not solely about achieving a polished identity but rather about embarking on a personal development journey. He concludes that university life serves as a foundation for growth, stating, “Our time as an undergraduate is about starting the long, meandering work of moulding ourselves into someone we can grow into.”
In a world that often pressures students to have their futures figured out, Harding’s story serves as a reminder that the path to personal and professional fulfillment is rarely straightforward.
