Summer School in Oxford

After arriving at the OXSS Summer Course with my bag and arms full of textbooks, I stood awkwardly at the door feeling like an unwelcome stranger, but was greeted with smiling faces and open arms from everyone around me. I bonded instantly with my roommate and connected through a shared interest in academics, as well as the anxiety of being in a new place all alone. When it came time for lessons, instead of the bustling, cramped halls I feared, I encountered wide, quiet corridors filled with focus and quiet rooms with people who understood the need to improve and had the desire to work, which was sorely lacking in most schools I attended. We built camaraderie by laughing about badly drawn diagrams and melting ice cream. The teachers I met were kind and receptive, understanding the importance of balancing humour and work with detailed notes and scribbled drawings. This environment fostered conversations and strengthened concentration, creating a space of both hard work and enjoyment. As a result, I was able to progress further than I ever imagined in just a week, breaking down limits and expectations, while still finding time to relax and recharge. This combination gave me one of the most enjoyable and productive weeks of lessons, exceeding my own expectations and those of the course, and made me believe that maybe my GCSEs will be manageable after all.

My educational journey has been far from an easy ride. My dyslexia has brought me many challenges leading me to be placed in a remedial class. The fact that I had a difficulty spurred me on to not only catch up my peers but also to dedicate my free time to writing poetry, of which I performed and won prizes. I have always been more adept at maths and physics, which is where I believe my vocation lies, working on interplanetary expansion and colonisation. More recently things have become less easy where I have taken on the challenge of 4 A Level subjects (A Level Maths, A Level Further Maths, A Level Physics and A Level Biology) but still continued with my loves of art and performance being in a marching band and writing tandem poetry and music. In my school I have been encouraged only to abandon my fourth A Level and stop trying. My education in the sciences is paramount to me so I have decided to spur on. I’m working hard and have taken some weeks at the OXSS Summer Course to help my academic performance. Being surrounded by new teachers who are more positive and experience all different styles and explanations, I am much more confident and believe I will achieve the grades I aim for in order to achieve a place at a top university to continue my education further and make strides towards achieving my dreams in having a career that will make the experience of all humanity better.