The sun was shining down on the first arrivals of the Summer at Balliol College yesterday. The first day is always the scariest for most, with the daunting prospect of not only getting to grips with the packed schedule for the next two weeks, but meeting new people and making new friends from around the world.

After a meet-and-greet outside, the students got ready for the evening and headed to into the Great Hall. The Programme Dictector, Roy, got proceedings off to a great start with an introductory speech before handing over to the APD, Patrick, who had the room roaring with his stories and anecdotes. Everyone was also encouraged to be considerate and respectful of each other’s diverse culture and heritage.

After this, everyone wasted no time getting to know one another as the evening’s games commenced. They enjoyed Splat, Two Truths One Lie, Ping Pang Pong, Ninja and serveral other ice-breaking activities that quickly got everyone out of their shells.

There were some hilarious moments as the students tried out to out-think, out-wit and even out-lie one-another to victory. It was also noted how well students were meshing after such a short period of time; the evening at the hall was a perfect casual entry point into the course, and everyone seemed keener than ever to get into the curriculum.

There’s so much for Balliol’s first arrivals to look forward to over the coming weeks, from Masterclasses to Excursions and everything in-between. Here’s looking ahead to the start of lessons!