The week is flying by already, and it is brilliant to see the students enjoying themselves both in and out of the classroom this summer!

A particular highlight for Clare College this week was their punting activity. It was the most quintessential afternoon for students in Cambridge, enjoying a trip along the river under the evening sun, while sharing stories and laughter after working hard in classes all morning. Punting is always a popular activity around Oxford and Cambridge, particularly in the summer months, and so students were lucky to get the chance to experience this unique experience, which was a first for most students!

The sun has also been shining in Cambridge, where students staying at Clare College and St Catharine’s College have experienced unparalleled teaching and superb extra-curricular activities as part of their programme. As well as catching up on homework on the college lawns, students got their artistic and creative juices flowing in a drawing workshop led by their dedicated counsellors. Students at Cambridge will have the chance to show off their more athletic side soon, also, with the Cambridge sports day coming up at the weekend.

One excursion in Oxford which always brings delight to ORA students is a visit to the Mini Plant, which is owned by German car maker BMW and is the central assembly facility for the Mini range of cars. The students staying at Jowett Walk got to experience the production of these cars and take a look behind the scenes with BMW experts! The tour guide was wonderfully passionate about the MINI and highly entertaining, providing students with a lot of detail about the plant, production, and history of this famous car.

During social time at St Andrews, students had a wander around this stunning city to soak up the historic sites and atmosphere, you can see some of the beautiful photos below!

As part of the Animation workshop over at St Peter’s College, students worked together to produce a short film using their own animation techniques- but more about this in tomorrow’s spotlight blog!

The ambience is really building up across all campuses so far, and we are excited to see the students let their hair down after an intense week, both academically and socially, with their Friday night parties tomorrow!