Punting day!
At last, honestly the Cambridge experience isn’t complete without a journey over the River Cam in a punt, steered by a tour guide who tells you the history of the colleges and bridges as you pass them. The sun was shining, the willows were bent over the banks. There was a serene atmosphere as we all grouped up, at least one supervisor per punt, to discover parts of other colleges we hadn’t yet seen.
After breakfast, classes started as usual for the second week of the program, alongside taster courses. After lunch, the punting began! The river was sparkling as groups of geese swam alongside the punts in an effort to keep up. A group of little ducklings passed by with their mother too. Punting is a great way to get closer to the more hidden parts of the river and the bridges you often see only from a distance on the streets of Cambridge.
The tour guides pointed out the colleges as we passed by them. Close-up looks were allowed of the most iconic and respected colleges: Kings, Trinity, and St. Johns. Famous alumni of the colleges were discussed. We even passed by the exclusive Clare College gardens, where David Attenborough would have spent a lot of his time as a Clare student. Fun fact: many decades ago students played a prank by hanging a car off of the Bridge of Sighs (pictured below). We passed under the bridge twice on our tours, and arguably it is the prettiest bridge in Cambridge (it was named after the Bridge of Sighs in Venice!).
After dinners in the colleges, the evening lecture delivered by Holly Smith was titled: ‘Around the World in 60 Minutes’. An expert in her field, and having worked with international university applicants across the world for many years, her knowledge was valuable to any prospective international uni student. Holly highlighted the differences in the application process between the UK, US, Canada, European and Asian universities. She also informed students of what universities are looking for in their applicants, as well as giving advice on which universities to choose, such as based on the kind of campus and student body the university has.
Afterwards, students could either have an arts and crafts nights, painting tote bags, making postcards, and decorating t-shirts, or they could practice for the upcoming Reach Talent Show….
…. break a leg!
