Wednesday, 14 July
Wednesday started well, as the students headed off to their third day of classes to continue with their academic projects. We were blessed with beautiful weather and blue skies, which promised to be the perfect setting for our afternoon activities.
Following their classes, students had the opportunity to experience a traditional Cambridge punting trip. This quintessential mode of transport, popularised in Oxford and Cambridge over a hundred years ago, allowed us to see into some of the biggest and most famous colleges situated along the river. Our punt guide told us stories of ingenious students who suspended cars from bridges and balanced umbrellas on chapel spires. We also saw the site of the original Roman bridge over the River Cam, the origin of the name of Cambridge. Students returned to the punting dock armed with new knowledge about the city and excited to try out punting for themselves next week.
Later in the evening, mentors and students gathered on the grounds of Jesus College for the fireside chat. Students heard about some of the mentors’ experiences of studying at Cambridge and were able to ask them about everything from lab sessions to college bops. The mentors imparted wisdom about the Oxbridge application and interview process, recounting stories of curveball questions thrown at them by admissions tutors. The evening gave the students and mentors a chance to find shared interests, and by the end of the session, everyone had gotten to know each other better.
Overall, the day was filled with an array of learning opportunities and adventures. Students went to bed excited for the following day, with the promise of a trip to the University Botanic Gardens and a murder mystery to come.
Alex, Mentor at Jesus College (13-15), Session 2