Sabina's Diary: My Exeter University Summer Academy Experience
Day 1
- Arrived around 12 PM - mishap with the train
- Ate lunch
- Had a tour of Exeter campus
- Went to rooms
- Played badminton
- Ate dinner at a restaurant
- Went to the beach
The first day at Exeter was quite eventful. It started off a bit rough since I missed my train, but I eventually made my way to Exeter and met with the others. We began with lunch, sorted into groups, and our student ambassador, Emily, gave us a tour of the beautiful, green, but rather hilly campus. My group members were incredibly friendly, and we all got along almost immediately. After the tour, we went to our rooms to change for sports. I chose badminton, which was quite fun and helped me make a few friends. After badminton, we headed to the beach where we had dinner.
Day 2:
- Ate breakfast
- Grand Challenges - create group presentation
- Ate lunch
- Personal statement event
- Exeter event
- University course event
- Confidence event
- Scavenger hunt in town
- Bowling
- Dinner
Another fun, eventful day. It started off with a great breakfast. Afterward, we started an activity called Grand Challenges, where our group worked together to create a presentation on a specific theme: ours was on technical advances and their environmental impact. Initially, I thought it would be boring, but it became enjoyable and helped the group bond as a team. After lunch, we attended various events about personal statements, Exeter, and choosing a university course. This was followed by a confidence-boosting event that taught us how to effectively present in preparation for our Grand Challenges presentation. We then went on a scavenger hunt in town, seeing interesting parts of Exeter such as the ‘Narrowest street in the world’ and ‘the house that moved’. Though the journey was long, my team members made it fun and exciting. We then walked to the bowling alley, where we bowled in our groups. It was really fun, and it was my first time ever bowling. During this, we had dinner and then explored the arcade.
Day 3:
- Ate breakfast
- Grand Challenges presentations
- Ate lunch
- Presentation results and final goodbyes
The final day was not as eventful since we were all saying our goodbyes, but it was the day we presented our Grand Challenges projects. Though my group did not win, I still think we made a great effort, and it was a very useful exercise in collaboration. After that, we had lunch, received the results, and said our final goodbyes. It was an incredible experience, and I am grateful to the Elephant Group for offering such an opportunity. I am definitely planning on applying to Exeter University now that I know more about it and its beautiful campus.