After such a busy weekend during which everyone had worked hard on presentations and written submissions, it was time for the students to return to their lessons in readiness for the final jam-packed week of study. Although it took a little time for the students to get out of bed in the morning, after a good breakfast everyone was keen to get stuck into their programmes.
Our students on the Engineering Preparation programme got to put the theory they have learnt over the last week into practice as they were encouraged by their teacher Francis, to begin assembling devices and mechanisms for themselves using intricate components. Students on Broadening Horizons, studying Medical Biology and Neuroscience were working very hard to prepare themselves for the fascinating prospect of a heart and eye dissection on Tuesday, while students on our Veterinary Science programme left the classroom behind to go on a exciting field trip which encouraged them to put their knowledge to the test.
In the afternoon, students of a more imaginative disposition took part in some role-playing games led by Joe, one of our counsellors. Using only the power of their minds, they were encouraged to conjure up entire worlds of their own making, and the fruits of their labour were a testament to the indomitable power that human creativity still holds.
Later in the evening, another counsellor, Erin, used her experience of working in the field of university admissions to explain the bureaucratic process of applying to universities, offering our students an insight into the dreaded personal statement and then answering any questions they had on the next stages of their academic careers. As the programme begins to move towards its conclusion for our students here in Cambridge, many are beginning to think of their future opportunities and especially their drive to study in the UK, and all of Erin’s expertise was well received and incredibly useful.
The rest of the evening was leisurely and relaxed; students had plenty to prepare for on Tuesday, not least the excitement of a trip to London (and the theatre), one of the unmissable and unforgettable experiences at the heart of the ORA summer in Cambridge.