To get a taste of life as a university student, two of our Sixth Form Year 12 students attended Masterclasses at Cambridge University. Freya and Emerald tell us more...

Emerald: 
I attended the Cambridge History Masterclass to gain insight into what it is like to study History and to experience being a student at Cambridge University. The event comprised of two lectures and an afternoon session about applying to Cambridge.

The lectures were incredibly interesting, I experienced both a new style of teaching and two topics which are never covered in school History curricula. ‘Frenemies: Ottomans and the Europeans in the Early Modern Period’ included a wealth of information about aspects of the empire including trade, religion and diplomatic relations, and ways in which the Ottomans have influenced our society. The second lecture, ‘Getting to the Top: Mountains and Mountaineering, 1750 to the present day’, showed how mountaineering can reflect the imperialist intentions of nations including Japan and how the representation of mountains in historical sources can teach us about seemingly unrelated concepts, such as the spirit of the Renaissance period.

The session about applying to Cambridge offered an opportunity to speak to current History undergraduates and ask questions about the application process. This was very useful as it debunked some of the myths surrounding the application process. Overall, the masterclass was both fascinating and valuable. It affirmed my intention to study History or History and Politics at university and provided a glimpse into the life of a university student. I would recommend masterclasses to anyone who is undecided about what they would like to study at university, or to anyone considering applying to Oxbridge.

Freya: 
Being interested in Biochemistry, the masterclass enabled me to get a taste of the subject, aid my A-level studies in this area, and attend lectures with other like-minded A-level students. It was an excellent opportunity to experience life as a Cambridge Natural Sciences student!

Over the course of the day, I attended lectures on the dark side of mitochondria, antibiotic resistance and the Cambridge Natural Sciences admissions process - all of which were incredibly interesting and informative. While in Cambridge, we also met up with Ella, former Head Girl, who is currently at Pembroke College reading Middle Eastern Studies. Ella gave us a short tour of her college and outlined Cambridge's collegiate system along with all the pros and cons of each college. Overall, the day was very enjoyable and I will definitely be attending a selection of the other masterclasses throughout the academic year. I would highly recommend them, not only to students who wish to attend Oxbridge, but also to any potential university student who wants to gain an insight into a subject they may wish to study.