Brasenose College Visits Year 10

Potential High Achievers on Year 10 took part in a workshop this week which looked at a Higher Education.

Led by Ben Holden, the Outreach and School Liaison Coordinator at Brasenose College Oxford, the workshop gave the students a clear overview of the things to consider should they wish to undertake a degree course in the future.

Ben began by explaining that an undergraduate degree course is usually focused on a single subject, but there are some courses which offer combined subjects and that these are called Joint Honours degrees. He told the students that an undergraduate course was usually 3 or 4 years in length, and that some of these offered an integrated master's.

The students looked at the benefits of continuing their studies post-18, which included moving away from home to gain independence, the life-skills that are learnt through managing finances, and the luxury of immersing themselves in a subject they enjoy for three years.

The students were encouraged to take a look at the courses available on UCAS, because along with the Geography, Medicine, Law and Psychology degrees the students may expect to find, there are also courses available for Contemporary Circus with Physical Theatre, Brewing and Distilling, Surf Science and Technology and Dairy Herd Management! Ben explained that if you are interested in a subject, there's pretty much a degree course available somewhere in the UK which teaches it!

Attention was then turned to Oxbridge, and the way that both universities operate a collegiate system. Students apply to and live in a college, but also belong to a faculty which manages the subject being studied. Each college is a separate community with its own societies, library, accommodation and sports teams, and the students within each college generally eat and socialise closely.

Ben explained that although people have preconceived ideas about life at Oxford and Cambridge, some of the myths were untrue. Examples he gave included:

MYTH - Oxbridge is really expensive

UNTRUE - Both universities generally offer college accommodation and catering for the full term of a student's undergraduate degree, and both are heavily subsidised.

MYTH - Oxbridge is only for those who are privately educated

UNTRUE - 70% of those studying an undergraduate degree at Oxbridge are from state schools, and Brasenose is proud of the fact that 80% of their students were not privately educated.

MYTH - Oxbridge is boring

UNTRUE - Both universities have a myriad of clubs and societies covering everything from Orchestra and Football to Harry Potter and Salsa!

We would like to thank Ben for delivering such an engaging workshop and Mrs Phipps for organising the event. We hope that the insight into Higher Education has inspired our students.