The academic scholars in Year 10 recount their day in Oxford, edited by Evie M and Holly M.
Our first lecture was given by inspirational Julie Arliss, a renowned author and teacher. We explored the themes of justice, truth, and beauty, analysing the connections between these dimensions. First, we considered the meaning of justice and its origin, linking it to the history of law. She explained Plato’s definition and thoughts: he argued that our view of justice could not be acquired by experience as we have never lived in a perfectly fair world, suggesting it is a quality of the soul. This is directly linked to how we envision the notion of truth – a moral instinct in ourselves, similar to beauty, the innate ability to judge someone or something.
The second exciting activity of the day was a lecture informing us on Oxbridge interviews. It was very interesting to see how the interviews were structured, and how much they varied from your expectations! They told us to prepare for the unexpected, such as French and Spanish students being asked ‘Can statues move?’. The presenter talked us through more unique angles you could answer the question, not just a ‘no.’ She explored examples such as ice sculptures melting, or the statues’ atoms moving around.
The Y10 students enjoying their day in Oxford.
After a short break, we were fortunate enough to receive a talk from Dr Christopher O’Neill a fellow of Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford, about the psychology of outstanding achievement. Dr O’Neill focused on four aspects that actually produce a life of outstanding achievement contrary to popular belief regarding genetic profile and IQ, including the ‘stickability and marshmallow effect’ – a person’s ability to persevere with something. He delivered the talk with great enthusiasm and passion, and we definitely feel inspired to strive in all walks of life, knowing that outstanding achievement is entirely within our control.
The debate began with introductory arguments from professional speakers who summarised the argument in support and opposition of the statement: “This house believes that it is never ok to comment on someone’s body”. The debate was then opened up to the students, who all had insightful and thought-provoking comments. Each student brought to the table their own perspectives, taking into consideration the experiences of not only themselves but their friends and family. The variety of complex answers and thoughtful responses were received positively by the community of students, who all came to the day with open minds and an eagerness to learn something new and expand their knowledge. These varied opinions helped to emphasise the importance of being able to adapt to new information and listen carefully to the perspectives of people in different positions from different backgrounds.
The very last talk of the day was Dr Mark Lewney. Dr Lewney is a physicist, but he teaches in a very distinctive way – using the electric guitar. It was like our own private concert as he discussed concepts such as string theory, the Big Bang, the speed of light and many more, through the power of music. Even though some of these are generally difficult to comprehend, the engaging and amusing way in which it was presented to us made it easier to understand. He rounded it off with a rendition of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody adapted to explain these concepts. The format, his sense of humour and educational aspect made it an unforgettable experience!
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the day as we felt it gave us a good insight into the different ways of interlinking subjects. In particular, the debate was incredibly engaging as it provided us with different perspectives from that of just our own school: a true example of academic collaboration. We would definitely recommend attending similar events as it was a unique opportunity for academic expansion.