Y12 trip to Wadham College, Oxford University

Last month, I had the opportunity to go on the sixth form trip to Wadham College at Oxford University, in order to explore the site and gain an in-depth insight into university life at Oxford.

We spent the entire day completing various activities, including academic taster sessions, a tour, an applications workshop, and a Q&A with both current students and alumni members, all of whom were incredibly enthusiastic about their studies and the general life at Wadham.

The day began with meeting an alumni member to give us an introduction to the day’s schedule, some important information about the university and the college, and her experience of life at Wadham. The most insightful session, and my favourite part of the day, was the humanities academic taster session which was focused around women’s autobiographical literature and life writing since 1910. This session gave me a truly valuable insight into what learning is like at a top university and at degree level. The intricacy of the topics covered in the taster course was fascinating and really sparked my interest.

We took part in a tour of the college which allowed us to see what it had to offer, and we were amazed at some of its aspects like the chapel and the three tiered library. To finish the day off, we explored what societies and extra curriculars are available at Oxford, followed by a Q&A session with four current students and an alumni member, and lastly, an application workshop covering the timeline for Oxbridge applications and some top tips on how to create a highly competitive application.

Overall, the trip allowed me to gain an in-depth understanding of what a future at Oxford could look like for me, and has given me increased clarity to aid my decision-making when it comes down to applications beginning in May. The experience allowed me to get a sense of the atmosphere at Wadham College and I must say that it was an extremely friendly and welcoming environment that I will definitely be considering in my future application. I think that anyone planning on applying to Oxford University should look around Wadham College.

Written by Millie B (Y12)