On Tuesday 20th February, a group of ten students from Year 10 visited Gonville and Caius College.

Here are some reviews and photos from the day:

The trip to Cambridge was fantastic, and I had blast ! We spoke with first and third year university students, and I learned an enormous amount of knowledge from them. I discovered that stressful weeks can occur at least once or twice a term, if not more, and that they are extremely common. I also discovered that some people use university as an opportunity to leave their area and relocate to a place with lots of new people to make friends with and earn a degree. I also discovered that going to university involves more than just studies; you also need to learn how to manage your work-life balance. You'll have time to engage in other things as well as studies. You can get engaged with sports teams and societies at any university. There are options for students to volunteer at some universities. Overall Cambridge was a great place, especially its beautiful surroundings. I now have a clear understanding of whether I want to attend this university when I'm older thanks to this trip. I'm thankful I was able to take advantage of this amazing opportunity and experience, and I am glad I got to seize it.

- Rania 10H

I personally really enjoyed the trip. I thought it was very informative - for example, I did not know that "societies" exist, or that The University of Cambridge was made up of several colleges, with some sections from the 14th century. The design of the Gonville and Caius college looked almost like a castle on the outside, but on the inside, it had a complimentary mix of modern and traditional design, in both the events at the college and the interior design. The area of Cambridge itself has its own quiet charm - it isn't a big city like London, but people still seem to walk with the same sense of purpose. I would love to visit it again and perhaps see some other colleges and how they compare.

- Gina M 10G

On Tuesday 20th February, a lucky ten of us Year 10 students got the chance to travel for a day outing to Gonville and Caius college in Cambridge University along with three other schools from the borough.

After around an hour coach ride from school, we were greeted immediately with the greenery and architecture of Cambridge, and shortly began a walk towards Gonville and Caius, one of Cambridge's oldest undergraduate colleges out of 29. We were then greeted by the Schools liaison, who gave us a great presentation on topics ranging from what 'Oxbridge' is- Cambridge and Oxford- and what differentiates it from other schools (like its ingenious supervision/tutorial systems where you get to pick the brain of a world class academic weekly) to general uni life and advice on finding your major. During this, we were all allowed the chance to ask questions to 4 undergraduates with a few being if they ever feel overwhelmed with their schedule, why they chose Cambridge, and what to do to prepare for University in Year 12; providing valuable insight on University you couldn't get anywhere else.

Then we were lucky enough to get a tour from one of the undergraduate's, viewing the massive library, the common room and the famous plaque and office of Stephen Hawking, who was a fellow there for many years, asking her questions about her experience along the way.

We then went to have lunch in a beautiful hall, and then made our way to the museum of Zoology, where we examined everything animal from a massive whale skeleton to Reptilia and a woolly mammoth reimagining.

Following an eventful day, we once again boarded our coach back to school reflecting on life post sixth form or college, now with much more knowledge of our prospects than ever before.

- Serena 10W

The day out in Cambridge was a very good experience as they answered many questions I had and more. This experience was very useful especially as I was unsure of universities I would want to go to or whether I wanted to be on campus or in the city. The lecture and the Q&A with the university students helped me think of what I would like to pursue in the future. Additionally, the museum journey was very adventurous, and I learnt new information at the zoology museum. I learnt that university is more about independent study, but the lectures and seminars never leave you with unanswered questions. This trip did really help my confidence and is pushing me to want to aim higher so I could one day go to a prestigious university such as Cambridge or Oxford. Overall, my favourite part was the tour of Cambridge and seeing many interesting artefacts from several years ago. This trip was very motivational.

- Nujhat H 10S

The trip to Cambridge was very intriguing as it helped me get a better understanding of what life will be like at university. Firstly, we went to Gonville and Caius College to get a talk about the benefits of university, accommodation and many other topics. We had a tour around the whole of the college where we saw Stephen Hawking’s memorial stone, John Venn’s Venn diagram, the museum of zoology, and two giant libraries which altogether was an awesome experience. Overall, I enjoyed learning about the history of the university/college and recommend this wonderful experience.

- Aisha H 10G

The trip was very interesting. It helped me understand different approaches to studying, ways to pick your ideal university and the perks of Cambridge as it is a top university. We went to see the student accommodation, including Gonville and Caius College and learnt about different societies. There is a society for everything you can imagine including The Appreciation of Taylor Swift! After the discussion and tour we went to see where the students studied which was very cool. Overall, I think it was a good trip as it gave me insight into how university works.

- Klaudia R 10C

Two websites were recommended to help students research degree subjects and to assist with super-curricular ideas:

HE+ (myheplus.com)

Staircase12 - University College Oxford (Univ) - Staircase12

Super-curricular activities take subjects into more depth. They are not the same as extra-curricular activities.

Ms Robinson

Challenge Coordinator