Tuesday was busy for our new students at Queen’s. Having now had a little time to adjust to their surroundings and the routine of being here in Oxford, it was time to treat everyone to a fun and intellectually stimulating afternoon with the ORA Masterclasses.

The day began as usual, with a good breakfast in the hall, before everyone headed for their morning classes. Most of the students have now got to know their way around college better, however there were a few who needed the guidance of the counsellors. With so many staircases and quads, it is definitely easy to get a little lost in the colleges!

In Journalism classes, part of our Broadening Horizons programme, students were beginning to put pen to page as they developed their skills in fast note taking. Elsewhere, those studying on Political Science and International Relations were discussing the future for global politics, looking at our current leaders and investigating their strengths and weaknesses.

Following a busy morning, it was finally time for the ORA Masterclasses. Our students from Queen’s teamed up with those from St Catherine’s and Balliol to take part in these challenges. Half of the students chose to do the Stockmarket challenge, immersing themselves as brokers and attempting to triple their original investment. It was very competitive and there are certainly some business-savvy minds in our midst. The other portion of the students chose to do the CSI Crash Course, where they used finger prints and blood samples to act as detectives.

Queen’s prepared for the Great Debate on Sunday with a workshop in the evening back in college. Then it was time to chill out and relax with some board games and card games before bed.