Access Programme 2020: 'Choose Your Subject' Day
OxFizz’s annual ‘Choose Your Subject’ event is designed to introduce students to the range of subjects on offer at Oxford and Cambridge, help them decide what course they would like to study, and get them excited about the possibilities top universities have to offer.
What is the ‘Choose Your Subject’ event?
For some Year 12 students, the university application process is daunting. Many have questions that a Google search won’t answer. How do university applications, particularly those to Oxford and Cambridge, actually work? What is it like to attend a top university? And how are sixth formers supposed to choose one subject to study for 3 (or more!) years?
OxFizz’s annual ‘Choose Your Subject Day’ event, run last Saturday at King Solomon Academy, is designed to answer these burning questions, help students decide what degree course they would like to study, and get them excited about the possibilities top universities have to offer.
“ I learned that I really enjoyed the Oxbridge teaching style which was great. It increased my fascination with my subject.”
How does the event work?
The event runs like an open day, with students each attending four sessions related to their areas of interest run by our 17 expert volunteers with personal experience of what it is like to choose, apply for and study subjects at Oxford and Cambridge. Each volunteer has prepared an activity for the students to work through so they all got a taste of the seminar-style teaching typical of Oxbridge.
This year, 174 Year 12 students attended talks in a broad range of subjects; from Biochemistry to Theology, PPE to Medicine, Music to Chemical Engineering.
As well as giving students a taste of how their A Level subjects might be developed at university, this day also introduced students to less well-known subjects they may not have encountered before, some of which are unique unique to Oxford and Cambridge.
These sessions engaged students in academic discussions on all sorts of issues including ‘What makes a nation?’, calculating poverty, and genetic diseases.
Did the event go well?
We are delighted with the overwhelmingly positive student feedback ‘Choose Your Subject Day’ received, with 92% of attendees agreeing that the talks they attended were useful and interesting.
Many students praised the volunteers for their engaging talks, and felt that the longer session length led to ‘open discussion’ with the sessions not feeling too ‘rigidly structured’. Students also commented the variation they experienced, praising the fact that ‘each session was different’ and ‘the way in which they got us to interact and expand on our knowledge.’
32% of students are now thinking of applying for a subject they were not considering before the event - suggesting that our volunteers helped students better connect with their motivations, goals, and passions.
Perhaps our favourite reflection on the day came from a student whose ‘fascination’ with her subject increased after having ‘engaged in really eye-opening discussions’ and being ‘stretched to the limit’.
What was it like to volunteer?
Our volunteers were also very positive about their experience of the day.
They reflected that they enjoyed being able to engage with a wide variety of students and found the experience of leading the sessions rewarding. All of our volunteers said they had enjoyed volunteering with us on the day and we were glad to hear their feedback on the “enthusiastic” and “well organised” OxFizz staff.
Will there be more events like this?
Last Saturday was just the beginning! This ‘Choose Your Subject Day’ event forms one part of OxFizz’s wider access scheme that runs throughout the year. Our aim is to support students throughout the application process, from these early stages through to interview season in December.
Last year our access programme provided 2849 hours of support to sixth form students – 75% more than in 2018 and significantly more than our target of 2000 hours.
We’re looking forward to welcoming these students back for 4 more events later on this year, the next of which will be our ‘Plan Your Application’ day on Saturday 28th March.