Lancaster University visit gives pupils Higher Education insight
Secondary school pupils from Rawtenstall were given a taste of what they can expect from higher education when they experienced a day in the life of a university student.
Organised by Future U, the visit saw a group of 90 pupils from All Saints’ Roman Catholic High School paying a visit to Lancaster University.
The day began with a talk on the theme of ‘moving towards university’ where they learnt all about entry routes, clubs and societies and included a quiz in which they had to identify real course names from false.
Pupils also had the chance to interview a panel made up of Future U student ambassadors currently studying at the university. Questions ranged from what it’s like to live away from home to the hardest part of university life.
The day was rounded off with a workshop which explored studying a business course at Lancaster, and involved pupils participating in an activity linking specific skills to jobs, before enjoying a tour of the campus.
Caerys Hawkins, Outreach Officer at Future U, said: “This experience gave the pupils an amazing opportunity to visit a university and see what life is really like as a student. The pupils had a great day learning everything you need to know and particularly enjoyed grilling the student ambassadors.
“The team at Lancaster did a great job of welcoming All Saints to the university, they made themselves available for any questions and made the workshops great fun for the pupils. At the end of the visit, many of the pupils said they now wanted to study at Lancaster.
“We are pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to the school and continue to work closely with the pupils. We look forward to sending more of their pupils to a HE institution very soon!”
A pupil at All Saints, said: “We took part in some sessions and had the opportunity to ask questions covering a lot of different topics. It can be scary thinking of the money side of university but the day overall reassured us that loans, bursaries and support is available and that the university experience is worth more than the money.”