On Tuesday 10th March a group of 4th Form and Lower Sixth pupils visited St. John's College, Cambridge for a University Aspiration Day.

The pupils were well motivated for a 6:30am start to get down to Cambridge in time for the day. The first event was a tour of St. John's College, which is a remarkably beautiful college on the banks of the River Cam in central Cambridge. In many ways, it is the archetypal Cambridge college. Everyone admired the architecture, the college quarters, the quads, the dining facilities, the library, the junior common room and its beautiful chapel, not forgetting the beautiful expanse of grounds by the river. Pupils were blown away by the grandeur of the place as well as what the college offers to its undergraduate students.

After this, everyone attended lectures and a talk on how to make a strong application to the university. The collegiate system and what makes a Cambridge education so special was also explained. The lectures were very entertaining and informative. The Lower Sixth had a session on French Renaissance literature and the 4th Form learnt about linguistics. The linguistics lecture was especially entertaining and we learnt how to classify all the types of sounds used in speech, taking Sanskrit sounds as a specific example.

The day included a lovely lunch and a chance to walk around the city of Cambridge, soaking up its unique atmosphere, before beginning the long journey home (not forgetting a stop for a burger on the way back)!