Punting was on the cards on Thursday for students at St Catherine’s and with the promise of a relaxing river ride in the afternoon, students were focused in the morning.

As we near the end of the first week here, it’s been great to see how much this cohort have developed, both in their classes and outside of them! They have made good friends so far and we hope to see these friendships consolidate and grow as we head into the second week.

Classes started bright and early as usual, and although everyone has shown great enthusiasm for their programmes, the students are looking forward to having a couple of free days to explore more of what the city has to offer.

Following the end of classes, there was a chance for students to gain insights into the world of higher education at the university fair. They got to speak to representatives from UK universities about the application process here in the UK, as well as being able to get advice on more specific course-related questions.

Then it was time for the punting! With this being the first time for most of the students, it took a little time to get the hang of the tricky technique. As the pole is quite heavy, it can be hard to manoeuvre the boats, but this group seemed to settle into it quite well, and before long they were gliding down the river Cherwell!