‘Aim High!’: A ‘day in the life’ of a university student for Key Stage 3 pupils

Released: 13.02.20

Over 100 Key Stage 3 pupils from across Devon visited Plymouth Marjon University for the University’s annual ‘Aim High!’ event, which sets its sights on addressing and removing obstacles that may inhibit young people considering Higher Education.

The day is designed to help students look to the best version of their future; to envisage a life at university and all the possibilities that come as part of the package. By having this realistic, immersive taste of a university future, it is the hope that students will have a clear sense of the types of opportunities that await them.

Marjon’s Widening Participation and Outreach Officer, Kari Eilertsen, organised the event and was delighted with how well it went.

“Aim High is aimed at Year 7 and 8 students, to give them a good idea of what university can be like.

“The students are at a stage where they are open to different ideas, and they’re not a world away from choosing their GCSE’s, so I think it’s important that they’re at least equipped to make the right decision for them.”  said Kari.

Some of Marjon’s Student Ambassadors planned and led sessions on the day, including workshops on Strength and Conditioning, Education, Sport Development, and Psychology.  Drawing from their experiences on courses at the University, the Student Ambassadors were able to both improve their own skills as well as share their interest for a subject area with groups of Key Stage 3 pupils.

Kari continued: “It’s great to see different sessions being delivered from our students each time. Some of the Student Ambassadors started the day feeling really nervous about delivering, and to see two classes of 30 students enthralled by their session is amazing.

“A lot of the students that I meet don’t realise their potential, and I want to be able to help them to build their confidence in making the right decisions for themselves, so that they can do what they want to do in their careers.”

The Outreach Team delivers a variety of workshops and events across all the Key Stages. To find out more visit www.marjon.ac.uk/outreach or email us at outreach@marjon.ac.uk