It might be early in the week, but ORA students at St Catharine’s have already been exploring the city of Cambridge and showing their intellectual prowess with a quiz night.

City Tour

To help our new students get used to their gorgeous new surroundings, a tour of Cambridge was arranged. Strolling down cobbled streets full of history, pupils marvelled at the spectacular architecture surrounding them.

Passing colleges and university buildings highlighted just how varied the architectural styles are in Cambridge and many students took it in turns to pick their favourite college. Some favoured traditional approaches whilst others gawked at the more innovative and modern buildings, admiring their patterns.

The tour took pupils past many world-famous sites, including the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Bridge of Sighs and the Mathematical Bridge. Wandering over the beautiful River Cam made many of our students get excited about punting, an activity they will do later in the week.

With a better knowledge of their surroundings, everyone returned to St Catharine’s College to relax before the evening’s activities.

Quiz Night

Having rested and refreshed their minds, students gathered excitedly for the quiz night. Forming small teams and creating inventive ORA-inspired names (such as ‘PandORA’ and ‘d’ORA the ExplORA’), everyone settled down to test their general knowledge.

The rounds varied from Geography and History to TV and Literature, challenging pupils to dig into the back of their minds to find the answers. The demonstrations of teamwork were exceptional, with many calm discussions taking place when there were disagreements. Though the competition was fierce, there could only be one winner and PandORA took the prize! The best team name went to d’ORA the ExplORA, who were commended for originality. It was a great evening and it was clear to see students feeling more relaxed around each other.

This week has lots in store for ORA pupils at St Catharine’s, including Sports Day, Masterclasses and a trip to the breathtaking Fitzwilliam Museum. Check back regularly to get updates on their activities.