Why did you apply for the programme?
I come from a single parent, working-class family on the Wirral. I don’t have any friends or family members who have been to university, so I wanted to learn as much as I could about being a student. I wanted to see if I could qualities needed to do well in a competitive university.
Did you have any worries before attending?
I was most worried that I would feel out of place because I had been told things like “They’re not like us there,” or “You don’t need to go to university”. As it turns out, I was around people who weren’t like me—but so was everyone else! There were people from all over the UK coming together, and that was one of the best parts of the summer school.
What were your highlights of the programme?
I enjoyed meeting the student ambassadors because they had information about university from a different perspective, and it was nice to hear about their personal experiences and advice. They were very engaging and joined in on the activities with us, so they helped to make the overall experience more fun and relaxed. Having taken the course, I’ve learned what lectures are like and the different ways that universities teach and test you. I understand more about how to live independently and settle into university.
What would you say to someone who is unsure about applying?
Go for it, you won’t have another chance to experience living and studying as a university student until you become one next year.