Pasqualina Marcucci

When faced with the decision of where to study A-Levels and further my education, I have to admit I felt quite apprehensive. However, I went to an OCVC Choices Evening and felt completely at ease. The people were extremely welcoming and were all happy to answer any questions I had. Each of the lecturers I spoke to that evening were all specialists in their subject and exerted a great passion for learning.

I definitely made the correct choice as I, like many, faced the dilemma of choosing whether to go to sixth form at my secondary school or go to college.

College is a great stepping stone on to university. It allows you more independence and teaches individuals key skills such as how to ‘manage your time', which is vital for any future development regardless of your professional path.

College contains several great facilities such as a library, which is full of excellent resources whatever your subject. There is also a ‘Careers' centre, which gives advice and guidance on a number of topics, which helps to advance ones learning and ability.

College is very different from a school environment, we address lecturers, for example, by their first names. This assists in creating a respectful, adult-like atmosphere, which would be expected at university and furthermore, in a workplace.

College is a great experience and I already feel I have advanced massively academically. Also, I consider my confidence has grown, as I now feel more self-belief when meeting individuals for the first time.

Gifted ‘A’ Level Students Find Solutions for Local Company

Four A Level students at OCVC have been rewarded for their success after taking part in a national scheme designed to enable students to progress their careers in the fields of Science, Engineering and Technology.

Students Boon Ng, Josh Wilson, Ole Torresdal and Yang Xinyi were presented the results of their hard work at a formal Celebration and Assessment day at the CCLRC Rutherton Appleford Laboratory last month.

The National Engineering Education Scheme is designed to offer quality opportunities to young people by encouraging a commitment to professional engineering as a career.
A professional engineer from a link company liaises with and advises the team of chosen students and their link teacher over a six month period. The company sets a live brief to solve a real industrial problem for which the company needs a solution. The scheme involves a launch event, a residential university workshop and the Celebration and Assessment Day of which all four of the OCVC students took part.

Under the support and guidance of Physics lecturer David Osgood, the team of students were partnered with Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Reading and briefed on the project entitled ‘Water Leakage Prevention’. The project involved the students researching and designing a solution to prevent unplanned water leakage from water storage systems.
The final solution was presented at the Celebration and Assessment Day where the team had to give a formal presentation to a panel of professional engineers as well as set up a display of their work and a working model of their final solution.
The alarmed leakage cut off system designed by the team has been so well received by AWE that they have built a proto-type and plan to produce the product and use it in their water storage systems.