Oxford University – Magdalen College
“On Thursday 25th January, myself, four other Year 10 students and our Director of Learning, Mr Singh, met at Baker Street station to make our way on a coach to Magdalen College at the University of Oxford. On this trip we had eye-opening conversations, saw beautiful architecture and gained some amazing knowledge about the history of the University.
After we arrived, the first thing we did was have an introduction to the university. Throughout this conversation we learned many interesting facts such as the University of Oxford being made up of thirty-nine colleges, the many fun societies they have (even a hummus society), the variety of courses you can take, financial information and more. Next, we received an insightful tour where we got to see the huge campus of the college while also learning about its interesting history. We then had an intense debate on topics such as “is war ever a good thing?”, “would it be better if everyone spoke the same language.” We learned about different opinions of complex topics. Afterwards, we got a tour of the actual city of Oxford which gave us a feel of what daily life would be like if we were to attend the university.”
Sophia Hamdan C10
Cambridge University – Jesus College
“Visiting Jesus College, 1 of 31 colleges which make up the University of Cambridge, was an incredible, thrilling, and memorable experience. Being able to tour the constituent college helped give me insight on what typically happens when applying to universities, a usual day of a student attending Cambridge University, and the many degrees which Cambridge has to offer.
When we arrived at Jesus College, we were welcomed and introduced to a member of the Admissions Team. Our first session of the day were icebreakers which allowed us to engage with and connect with other schools. Afterwards, we were greeted to two Student Ambassadors who would guide us around. I enjoyed the tour around Jesus College with the student ambassador the most, as she informed us about the history and significance of every place we briefly visited, and answered the questions I asked. Following that, we had an academic taster session which gave us an example of university-style teaching. The professor kept everyone engaged, thinking, and interested, overall, I loved the academic taster session. The last session of the day talked about post-16 choices and how to put ourselves in a good position when it comes to university applications. This was a great chance to ask questions about anything we were interested about, and how we could stand out from other student applications.
To summarise, I am glad that I was invited on a trip to Jesus College. I was able to admire one of the colleges which contributed to making one of the most prestigious universities, learnt about student life after Highschool and what to expect when applying to universities.“
Corneliuz John Baquirin B10