2015 School Magazine

CAMBRIDGE SARAH LAWLOR (11B)

Over the June/July holidays I travelled to the beautiful Jesus College, located in Cambridge in the UK. I participated in The Cambridge Tradition, a once in a lifetime experience that allowed me to create friendships with students from all over the globe as well as get a taste of college life and study. Throughout my stay in Cambridge the academic programmes that I undertook were Medical Science (major) and Espionage (minor). The medical science course was incredible as it allowed me to explore topics ranging from doctor-patient ethics to current topical issues in medicine today, opening my eyes to a possible future path as well enriching my passion for medicine. Additionally, the espionage course was incredibly insightful. We were taught how to sneak into other classes without being noticed and learnt about the history of spy agencies, cryptology and the current technologies used in spy corporations today, topics that are not covered anywhere else.

I feel extremely privileged to have studied at Cambridge University. It was an incredible opportunity for me to develop new skills, explore a new city and create unbreakable relationships across the world, an experience that will remain with me for the rest of my life.

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L’ACADÉMIE DE PARIS EILISH MCDIARMID (11M)

On the Oxbridge Academic Programme, I spent one amazing month experiencing life studying and exploring at L’Académie de Paris. It was one of the most life changing experiences; I learnt an incredible amount about studying after school, myself, travelling and much more. Every day kids and I from all over the world (Brazil, Mexico, Portugal, America, Germany to name a few) woke up in our dorm rooms, ate croissants around the breakfast tables and went to our respective major classes. We chose an area of interest for our classes, from Medicine to Photography and Fashion to Law. Personally, I learnt an insane amount about university life, philosophy and my perspective on Le Bien et Le Mal (the good and the bad) which was made life-like and interesting by visits to graves and important monuments during class. Then, we roamed the streets for lunch and most days came back for our minor classes, after which we had Paris at our disposal. The programme offered many tours, including a boat ride on the River Seine, climbing the Arc De Triomphe, graffiti in Belleville and tasting macaroons. I had an amazing experience and completely recommend this programme as it changed my perspective about the world and helped me to understand a lot about myself and the lives of others.

CO-CURRICULUM