Youngsters get a taste of university life

A collaboration between Leeds, York and Sheffield University, the conference was designed to inform students about university life, the benefits it can offer and how to decide whether it is the right choice for them.

Sessions were run by each university about choosing the right A-Levels, student finance and selecting the right university.

Youngsters from year ten had the opportunity to quiz current students questions about their time at university. Questions ranged from ‘Where is the nearest Costa coffee?’to ‘How much work is involved?’ and ‘How supportive are the lecturers?’

The day concluded with a chance for pupils to use all the information gained from each session and design their own student giving information about courses, finance including bursaries, societies and clubs, and types of accommodation.

Sarah Pickford, science teacher at Highfields School and responsible for coordinating the project, said: “Our students did a fantastic job and presented their work really confidently in front of other schools.

“I am very proud of the way they showed such curiosity and far sighted thinking. I believe these youngsters got a very real insight into university life, which will hopefully inform their decisions in a couple of years or so. 

“Highfields School works hard to offer the best opportunity to all its students and this higher education project is designed to target talented people in year 10 to encourage the broadest possible horizons.”

Year ten student Elliot added: “It was a fun and exciting day where I learnt a lot about university and later life after school.”

Fellow student Claudia agreed: “The part I enjoyed the most was working as a group to create a presentation.”