Written by Amélie, Year 10
Last Thursday, my year and I got to experience a day in the life of a Sixth Former- from trying new and exciting subjects to enjoying some of the benefits of the Year 12 and 13 life.
We started the day with our first taster lesson- an opportunity to see what our chosen subjects looked like at A level, as well as exploring those not covered at GCSE. I had a fascinating biology lesson where we carried out research on how the heart rate of Daphnia (water fleas) changes when they are poked, prodded and drugged. Although many of mine didn’t survive, I did get to witness a live birth through the microscope lens which was very memorable (though it did then also pass away).
Afterwards, we had a series of talks on future careers and additional research opportunities. I found it exciting to imagine possible universities and jobs but it was definitely quite daunting! We also learnt about the ERPs (Extended Research Projects) that you undertake at Sixth Form and considered some possible research questions. It was really interesting to see the huge variation in the project topics, from chemical engineering to the history of language.
However, the real highlight for many of us was at lunch, where we escaped to Summertown to eat, chat and relax in the blazing heat. We all definitely enjoyed a taste of freedom (and Lebanese food in my case)!
Next, we had more taster lessons where I loved exploring a feminist reading of a Red Riding Hood retelling in English, as well as attempting to set up a new system of government on a theoretical desert island in Politics. The day ended with a talk from some past and present OHS Sixth Formers which was really inspiring, especially for those in my year who were looking at the same uni courses the alumni were currently studying!
Overall, the day was motivational and thoroughly introduced us to our school’s Sixth Form- a sell, OHS, but certainly a good one!