“Suddenly you think there’s a possibility”

The pupils are in their first year of studying for their GCSEs and are starting to think about their options for A-levels. The Aspiration Day included the chance to quiz current students about their lives at Cambridge; a guided tour of the town and the College; and a series of subject talks including Engineering, Medicine, Archaeology and Natural Sciences, chosen to show how familiar school subjects act as the gateway to more intensive and in-depth undergraduate study. 

The day was organised as part of the collegiate University’s Area Links scheme, through which every college is linked to one or more regions of the UK and works to develop relationships there. The scheme is intended to help the colleges of the University get to know specific regions better, and to give schools and colleges a more personal and direct way of staying in touch with the University.

Peterhouse, the oldest and smallest of the Cambridge Colleges, works with Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the London Borough of Hillingdon.

David Poole, of Bishop Ramsey School in Hillingdon, praised the interactive nature of the day and the well-chosen subject talks. He said: “The students were really good at relating to the pupils, especially during the introductory sessions and the Q and A, which helped knock down some of the stereotypes about Cambridge.  Our pupils were able to see that the undergraduates were normal people who didn’t necessarily have to go to public school to get offered a place.”  

Pupils from West Bridgford School, Nottingham, also said that the day had been a really useful insight into life at the University. Fiona Garrahan came away from the day feeling more positive about her chances of studying at a top University: “"When I used to think about Cambridge it seemed just out of reach, but this day has completely changed that. The best part was having the admissions process explained - It has become a possibility now". 

Joe Culverhouse enjoyed the chance to explore the town as well as the College. “To get a feel for the whole place has been really worth it - the different style of teaching here, with the supervisions, would be great for any course but especially for something intensive like medicine. What really came over was everyone’s passion and enthusiasm for their subjects. Anyone can aspire to study here.” 

The purpose of the day was to break down some of the perceived barriers to higher education and provide relevant and up-to-date information to pupils who will soon be making their A level choices. Activities included spending the day with current undergraduates, visiting the Fitzwilliam Museum and King’s Chapel and experiencing some lecture style talks in College. These allowed pupils to get a real flavour for what life at university might be like. 

Carrie Boyce, Schools Liaison Officer for Peterhouse and co-ordinator of the day, explained: “We wanted to show that, while different from school, university is not necessarily as scary or daunting as pupils might have thought and can actually be fun! From the feedback we’ve had so far pupils seemed motivated to do well during the remainder of their school careers and more likely to consider a top university like Cambridge as a goal worth working towards.”