Research on the life histories of teachers has primarily focused on qualified teachers across different age spectra and varied employment statuses as full-time and part-time teachers. However, research on the life histories of pre-service teachers is limited for various reasons, including they are not yet being considered as teachers. Through the life history narratives of eight pre-service teachers at two institutions in the Western Cape Province, this chapter explores their views, motivations and beliefs for joining the foundation teacher education programme and their preparedness to teach the subjects of Mathematics and Languages. We argue that pre-service teachers’ motivations for, and beliefs about, teaching are important as they impact both their likelihood of entering the teaching profession and their potential professional conduct and practices. Self-identity theory provided the conceptual lens through which to focus on the participating pre-service teachers’ motivations and beliefs for joining the B.Ed. Foundation Phase programme, and their perceived preparedness to teach Mathematics and Language subjects—both Home Language (HL) and First Additional Language (FAL). The chapter concludes by drawing lessons from the findings of the study and providing recommendations for developing policy and practice related to subject teacher preparation to both enhance the experiences and strengthen the motivations of pre-service teachers who have chosen to undertake the pre-service B.Ed. programmes.