Cambridge Inspires Fearnhill Students
A group of Year 12 Fearnhill students visited the prestigious Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, as preparation for their forthcoming university applications.
The trip gave an excellent insight into university life, an introduction into the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford as well as an opportunity to learn more about Russell Group universities and personal statements. The students also enjoyed a tour of Cambridge.
Year 12 student Franek reports: “ When we went to Fitzwilliam College we got to see what it was like to be a student not only studying but also living at one of the top rated universities – it was really useful to experience university life and see what made Cambridge (and Oxford) so special.
“It was interesting to see the distinct atmospheres of the Fitzwilliam campus and the older, more traditional Magdalene College and the history behind them as well as the students’ lifestyles.
“We gained a better understanding of the unique application process for Oxbridge and what we can do from now on to strengthen our applications. We were also surprised to learn about the variety of career paths that open up after doing a degree.
“Many of us are considering going to university and by the end of the trip some of us are now confident in applying to either Cambridge or Oxford.
“After the college tours, we got a tour of Cambridge’s city centre where we saw some of the city’s most iconic landmarks and oldest colleges such as King’s College and Trinity College where Isaac Newton studied.”
Students from year 10 also visited Cambridge University for a combined STEM and careers trip. Our students attended the Cambridge Schools’ Science Day at the Babraham Institute with Miss Cotter and Ms Balchin.
Students were given an introduction to the three key research areas at the institute before heading off to work on a bona fide lab project themselves.
Our students selected a range of projects; the impact of vitamins on metabolism, the role of protein tyrosine phosphatase enzymes, histone proteins as regulators of gene expression and a bioinformatics project analysing blood samples.
The Y10s had an amazing time getting to experience what techniques are used in biological research laboratories and were positively vibrating as they entered the careers lecture given by a current PhD student at the institute.
Lots of fun was had by all and the students came away considering their future career plans and what work experience could help them to achieve their aspirations.