Year 12 students were hosted on a trip to Greenwich University where they learnt more about the University, the Computer Science related courses offered, the services provided by the university and received an introduction into aspects of the different computing courses.
They began their day in one of the many lecture theatres on the campus where they were introduced to a Computer Science professors and a Greenwich University student who guided them around throughout their day. The students taught them about the three campuses offered by the university; Greenwich, Medway and Avery Hill. Each site has a slightly different main subject area, with the Greenwich Campus mainly for Computing related subjects.
Next they were given a talk on the Computing subjects Greenwich has to offer. These included Computer Science Masters and Bachelor’s Degrees in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security are also available to study.
One of the highlights of the day was experimenting with different types of cipher algorithms on a website, The Black Chamber, learning how to decode encrypted phrases using different methods and further learning where encryption was first used thousands of years ago and why it was created.
After finishing the activities and lectures they were taken on a tour of the university. The first place of interest was one of the computer rooms where two current students answered questions on what each unit of computing was like to study and discussed their university experience. The tour included the range of facilities Greenwich has to offer including a sizable foyer, an on-site leisure centre with a gymnasium, an on-site bar, a range of well-established laboratories, a concert venue and three campus libraries. They were also informed of the four student halls of residence within a short walking distance to the Greenwich campus and other public attractions in the area.
At the end of the day, they were informed about the university application process. They were taught how to write a personal statement. Some of the skills required included going over spelling errors and correcting them as well as ensuring their personal statements are written using only relevant information about why they want to study the subject of interest, ensuring off topic information is not present but only explanations on what makes each of them individually stand out, either through mentioning extra-curricular activities such as completing MOOCs or showing avid interest in the related topic. When applying to Greenwich University, extra-curricular activities such as completing a full EPQ is well valued due to the range of skills related to independent learning that it demonstrates.
Overall the trip to Greenwich was very informative and the tour around the campus was well organised in a way to provide students with the best possible experience and plenty of knowledge on the university and further opportunities they may want to explore.
Mrs Shergill
Ahed Gardaizi Year 12
