Year nine pupils from schools around South Wales spent three days at UWIC, living the life of a student both educationally and socially.

The experience is set up as a degree would be, with day one being the equivalent of Freshers’ Week where pupils are split into groups to mix with youngsters from other schools and enjoy a series of welcome activities. They are then put into their course groups and study for the next two days, before a enjoying a graduation ceremony at the end of the stint.

Annie Davies, First Campus Officer at UWIC said  “This Residential programme has been running for the last five years and we want participating pupils to develop knowledge of HE and what is available to them. We also want them to gain confidence in their abilities; lots of young people don’t feel they are capable of achieving in HE.”

The pupils had a variety of subjects to choose to study from which are all actual degree subjects offered in universities across South East Wales and included ceramics, fitness testing, dance, ethical catering and music composition.

UWIC representatives delivered the courses, and there were also lecturers from the University of Glamorgan and Cardiff University involved, with pupils on some of the courses given the opportunity to visit these institutions.

The experience was made as interactive as possible, with the ceramics pupils able to take home their own pots and music composition pupils being given a CD containing the music they had composed. And it was not all work and no play; in the evenings discos and quizzes were organised to remind pupils that a large part of student life is the social aspect.

Parents were invited to the graduation ceremony which Jane Hutt, Minister for Children, Education, Life-long Learning and Skills, also attended.

Ms Hutt said: “We must encourage and support our young people to ensure that they achieve everything they can in education, and making our universities open and engaging for everyone is part of this important process.

“I want to thank everyone in the First Campus partnership and at UWIC, and also the parents for letting their children take part in this taste of university life.  I commend the young people for fully embracing the programme as well.  My message is to aim high and go for it - you can achieve anything.”