YEAR nine students at Weydon School were pleased to welcome Hannah Rolley from St Hilda’s College, Oxford, to speak to them about going to university.

Hannah, St Hilda’s recruitment and schools programme officer, explained that they were now in an extended period of decision-making regarding their futures and gave them an overview of the options before them. She then focused on applying to university.

Hannah explained the many advantages of going to university such as studying their favourite subject, being independent and getting a degree that will increase their employment opportunities and earning potential.

The average starting salary for a graduate in a professional position is £22,855 compared with an average starting salary for a non-graduate at £14,710.

The students learnt that university allows people to develop skills and trains them in areas they enjoy and are good at. Hopefully this will lead to a job they will enjoy and careers that will be fulfilling.

Students learnt that Oxford University is not the right university for everyone. It does not offer the range of courses that can be found elsewhere and Hannah explained that students should research the courses they would like to study before deciding on which university to go to.

Hannah’s advice for anyone wanting to go to an Oxbridge university was to demonstrate their passion for the subject they want to study through their extra-curricular interests and activities.

If you decide that Oxbridge is the route you want to take you will have access to world-class academics, resources and facilities and the opportunity to make friends with people from all around the world.

Finally, Hannah reassured students that money should not be a barrier to higher education. She explained how the student loan system works and encouraged them to take advantage of this funding.

In addition Oxford also offers some very generous bursaries to assist students with their living

expenses.

Weydon careers co-ordinator Alison Molan said: “The students can now start planning for their futures armed with the information they need to make good choices that suit their own personal needs and expectations.”

Inspired by teaching techniques used in top universities, the English curriculum area at Weydon School has launched an eight-week enrichment seminar for ambitious year 11s in order to extend their literary understanding.

During the course, the students have learned about the theories of various critical thinkers and philosophers, such as Karl Marx and Aristotle, and applied them to their English literature texts.

The teaching has promoted debate and more critical discussion during the meticulously planned tasks, which have focused on more complex aspects of the texts, with extended reading assigned throughout the week.

“This seminar has been really valuable,” said Louisa Yapp, one of the students. “I feel much more confident starting my A-levels now.”