This weekend, the final St Catherine’s cohort of 2019 left campus, drawing the Catz programme for Summer 2019 to a close. It has been a sensational summer in Oxford, and this final session has captured all of the elements which have contributed to its success. Whether they have been working, playing or out on excursions, the students have put in maximum effort and gained maximum rewards throughout the past two weeks.
At the core of the programme has been the academic work which the students have done. Through their courses, they have gained some great insight and expertise on a huge variety of different subjects. This knowledge has come from both theoretical classes, such as those which the Global Issues students have had, or practical exercises such as the heart dissection which the Medical Biology class performed.
To further reinforce their learning, or perhaps add a new and exciting subject to their repertoire, the students have also taken part in some challenging masterclasses. These sessions have encouraged them to enjoy the process of learning, and provided them with a taste of fields such as forensics and trading, thanks to the CSI and Stock Market Challenge workshops. The whole group enjoyed these enriching experiences, and they got a lot out of them!
Far from being confined to a classroom, the students have had plenty of opportunities to enjoy city life. Sports, sightseeing and shopping have all had a lot of time dedicated to them by the students. As well as this, they have headed off campus for some excellent excursions, visiting London’s West End theatre district and explored Oxford with some great guided tours.
Spending so much time in each other’s company has been no hardship for the cohort, as everyone has got along with each other perfectly. The students have been friendly and respectful to one another, and smiled every day come rain or shine – which is very important given the nature of the British weather! As well as a harmonious atmosphere on campus, the students have mixed well with those from the other Oxford campuses, albeit with some friendly competition included.
All of this built towards a tremendous day of celebration at the end of the fortnight, as the students toasted their success with a graduation ceremony and then a party. The campus came together as one to honor the cohort, and there were lots of smiling faces as the awards were handed out. The party was a chance to say goodbyes, spend time with each other for one last time and cement the friendships which have blossomed during the programme.
When they look back over their time at St Catherine’s, the students should take an enormous sense of pride in what they achieved in Oxford. They have immersed themselves in the programme fantastically, and they will leave with much more than they arrived with. Whether it be the things they learned, the friends they made or the experience which they have gained, everyone has something which will be valuable to them in the future.