News / Brae pupils experience student life
Four Brae High School pupils joined a group from nine other Highlands & Islands secondary schools this week to take part in a five day residential ASPIRENorth S4 Student Life Experience event.
The aim of the week was to find out more about living as a student away from home.
Declan Harrison-Ames, Alice MacBeath, Ashley Manson and Ryan Ratter have visited a number of colleges and universities in Aberdeen to learn about the education options available to them once they leave school.
They have been staying at the Scottish Agricultural College’s student accommodation in Aberdeen to gain some insight into life as real students.
The group participated in campus tours, taster sessions and other on-campus activities to learn about the courses and facilities offered by different institutions.
Fifteen year old Ashley said she took part in the trip because she wanted to have a new experience and see what it would be like to be away from home.
“We’ve been to see universities and colleges, met new people and have been working in groups,” she said.
She added that she had been nervous about the idea of going away to study but the trip has given her more confidence.
“I can now go up to new people and introduce myself.” She now hopes to enrol at Robert Gordon University to study accountancy.
Elsbeth Neil, of the ASPIRENorth programme said: “It helps to prepare young people for student life. Many are naturally worried, especially if they have never been away before.
“The activity shows the pupils that post-school education is a realistic option for them all, whether they decide to continue their education in their local area or farther afield.”
Established in January 2006, ASPIRENorth works with S1-S4 pupils from 24 secondary schools across the north of Scotland to raise pupil awareness of post-school education opportunities in a bid to tackle the barriers which may prevent young people accessing further education.
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