Another arrivals day went off without a hitch yesterday at Hugh’s. The staff have really got the hang of things over the last two sessions, so are prepared for every possible problem and question!

Over the afternoon the students trickled into the college one by one and searched out their rooms with the help of our counsellors. Both students and parents were excited to read through their Student Induction Booklets to get more of an idea what the next two weeks might hold for them!

Once everyone had settled into their rooms, it was time for a quick talk from Sammy, the Programme Director. Sammy made sure to tell the students how delighted the staff were to have them here and to encourage them all to try as many new things as possible during their stay. A vital final note which everyone took very seriously reminded the students to be sensitive to the diverse views and opinions of their new international classmates.

The parents were waved off with some excitement-tinged sadness and then it was time for some dinner. Though at first there was a little awkwardness between the students, with the help of a couple of energetic counsellors everyone was soon tentatively chatting together.

An evening of icebreaker activities further brought the students out of their shells and soon the students were showing their more sporty side and challenging each other to games of frisbee and badminton.

The games were friendly but certainly fierce – it looks like we have a competitive cohort with us this session! As the week goes on and the students become more confident we might even see a small sports league develop!