First week of November
Entering Concord College on the 1st November marked the start of a new half term for all students but marked the begin of a busy week for most UCAS 1 students. Students were busy catching up with each other, all with stories to tell. Many of these stories include experiences and adventures outside of Shrewsbury, with the vast majority of these escapades occurring in the city of London. For many of the students, this break served as a recharge point as students reunited with family members or enjoyed life beyond the Concord walls.
However for over 80 6.2 students their focus was not on about the half term break but on the admission tests at hand. Many of these students spent their half term preparing for these examinations. On the Monday and Tuesday, faces were buried in books or in pillows. Rest was a vital part of preparation. I remember as I walked into school on that Monday morning thinking this is “the calm before the storm”. And what a storm it was.
Monday and Tuesday passed by in a flash, minutes passed like seconds and hours passed like minutes. On the chilly Wednesday morning, I saw determined faces standing outside the sports hall, ready to reap the rewards of their hard work. If the hours on Monday passed like minutes, the hours during the examination passed like seconds. As we walked out of the hall, regardless of how well the test went, all of us shared a moment of relief.
Thursday was another hectic day as UCAS 1 students had Rotary interviews to attend. The interviewers, members of the local Rotary Club, were made up of very knowledgeable and intellectually challenging men and women. I found my interviewers to be very stimulating people. A question that was posed to me was, “What do these numbers represent to you: 11 11 11?” Since this Friday marks the 97th anniversary of when the Armistice treaty was signed, it only seemed fitting to bring this up.
Saturday signaled the end of a very busy week. Saturday Tests was followed up by the Interview Preparation workshops for many 6.2 students. For many other students, the first week back after the break felt a bit longer as they began to settle down back into classes again. The Saturday ended with a brilliant firework display as all students gathered together to celebrate their efforts of a very tiring week. With the End of Term examinations around the corner, I wish good luck to all students in their preparations.
Jordan Chan 6.2