As a Fitzalan pupil studying French as one of my GCSE subjects, I recently had the opportunity to visit Oxford’s New College with my classmates. In my opinion the trip was incredibly educational and overall, a fantastic experience. We began with a welcome from the staff, which set a positive tone for the day. Our focus was on French female authors from the 17^th and 18^th centuries. I was particularly struck by how many of the women back then used male pseudonyms to publish their work, highlighting the significant barriers they faced. It was inspiring to learn about their resilience and creativity in such a challenging environment. Overall, the visit deepened my understanding of the literary history of this period and the important contributions of female authors. We read some of the texts that the women had written and tried to decipher what kind of letters or novels they were. This was one of my favorite things that we did.  Next, we had the opportunity to ask some university students questions about their experiences at the university. They offered us great advice for our next steps in choosing A-levels. After that, we enjoyed a tour of the campus, I personally loved the historic atmosphere. You could really feel the college’s rich history as we walked through. The guide shared fascinating details about various events held there over the years.  We then went on to experience the cuisine they provide at the college, and it was delicious. We later visited an exhibition on Franz Kafka. At first, I wasn't familiar with his work, but as I learned more about him, I found his life story fascinating. It's interesting how he became famous. After that, we attended a session on linguistics and its application in language, which was quite interesting. Overall, the trip was an incredibly enriching experience. It sparked my interest in potentially applying to Oxford in the future, despite my earlier hesitations. I discovered that while the university has a prestigious reputation, it is also a warm and welcoming environment for students. 

Winner (and written by) Muamba, 11JPH