Yesterday was a busy day on campus as our new cohort of students converged on Jowett from all around the world!

There was some typical British sunshine waiting to greet them at the gates along with our friendly counsellors! All the staff were incredibly helpful as they handed out lanyards and room keys and helped our new students get their suitcases up to their rooms.

In between trips up the stairs with luggage, there were refreshments out on the lawn for parents and students to enjoy. As some of them had been travelling a long time, it was a very welcome sight! 

Then it was time for a short welcome talk by the assistant programme director. They reminded the students that while they needed to work hard they should also make the most of all the opportunities that the historic city of Oxford has to offer! He also encouraged them to widen their cultural knowledge by making friends with students from as many countries as possible!

Afterwards, the students said emotional goodbyes to any parents left and headed off to dinner. Our wonderful counsellors were on hand to ensure that nobody felt too lonely and they helped spark up enthusiastic conversations between students during dinner.

By the time the evening icebreaker activities began, the students were already beginning to come out of their shells. After a couple of traditional British ice breaker games like ‘duck, duck, goose’, the cohort were all laughing together and beginning to really make friends. Seeing everyone getting on so well on day one is a really encouraging sign!

Tired after a long day and looking forward to a jam-packed session, our students headed off to bed early to get some crucial sleep!