Year 10 Visit to St John’s College, Oxford
Wednesday 31st October 2018
On Wednesday 31st October, a group of 20 Year 10 students visited St John’s College, Oxford. The aim of the day was to give these students some insight into what it’s like to study at Oxford University. The day began with drinks and snacks, followed by an introduction to the university, including its history and information about courses on offer and the application process. The programme for the day also included workshops on critical thinking, ancient manuscripts and calligraphy. It was also great to work with three students currently studying at St John’s College, one of whom was Jahnavi Kalayil, a past pupil at The Sacred Heart, who is currently in her second year studying engineering. It was truly inspirational for our Year 10s to meet Jahnavi, who herself went on a similar trip to Oxford while at The Sacred Heart.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of visiting St John’s College and am incredibly grateful for the opportunity. The trip was extremely useful as even from the first moments we discovered that the number of pupils from state schools who were accepted into Oxford was much higher than we first thought. Meeting a girl from our own school who now studies at Oxford inspired us greatly to also aspire to achieve such goals.”
Molly Sullivan 10T
“Shortly after our arrival we tested our knowledge in an Oxford quiz that provided us with interesting facts regarding the past graduates of the university and the diverse mix of courses that are offered. The we got an opportunity to question some current undergraduates about their life at Oxford University. I found this extremely interesting because it gave us an insight into the day to day life of a university student, everything ranging from the amount of homework they get to what they do in their free time.”
Samantha Mbogo 10H
“Afterwards we were able to enjoy lunch in the dining room with paintings surrounding us. This was followed by a tour around the college where every element was a small part of history. It was interesting to see how it had advanced over time, however due to the picturesque areas many of us were far more interested in getting the perfect picture.”
Lawrensia Tuder-Ranjith 10A
“Following on from the tour, we were welcomed by the college librarian who presented us with more history on the medieval manuscripts (dating back to late 13th century) and we had a go at writing our own manuscripts using calligraphy markers and brush pens. We were given the chance to feel the parchment paper, made out of sheepskin, which would have been used at the time, as well as the quill pens. Overall it was a very enjoyable experience which improved our knowledge of the application process and how the college system works at Oxford.”
Natalie Botros 10T