“I studied my first year at Peter Symonds College and then I moved here and started all over again. The reasons for my switch were that Peter Symonds was really far away, and also my brother used to study here and he really liked it. He said all the teachers made an effort to get to know every student and that they were really helpful. And it’s true. If you’re asking for help or if you want to know more new things, then they’re always there for you. They push you if you want to be pushed, but they don’t push too hard if you don’t, so it’s flexible.”

“I went to Noadswood School and then Peter Symonds before coming to Brock.”

“I’ve always been really interested in the sciences. I really like art as well. I did Art GCSE and I really enjoyed it, but I felt that art was more of a hobby than what I want to do career-wise. As a result, I decided to go down more of a ‘sciencey’ route. Biology and Chemistry have always been my favourite science subjects. Chemistry I’ve always found really interesting and exciting because there are new concepts arising all the time, which is quite cool. However, in my opinion Biology is just so amazing. There are so many new things to learn about. For me, Biology is one of those lessons where I go in and I’m never looking at the time as much as in other lessons. Also, I’ve got two uncles who are doctors, so I was really interested in medicine from an early age. I always felt I was academically capable of going into it as a career.”

“Definitely my friends. I’ve made a lot of new friends at Brockenhurst. I knew a lot of Noadswood students came here, so I thought when I got here maybe all the Noadswood people would stay together. But actually, I’ve made many new friends, and some of them will definitely be friends for life. Also, the teachers at Brock are really helpful. My Personal Tutor, Rachael Fowkes, has been so amazing.”

“I joined the Hockey Academy in my first year and also did an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). Hockey was really amazing. Going to different places and competing at other Colleges, sometimes universities, was really fun. I didn’t take it incredibly seriously from a competitive point of view. It was more like a fun break from my studies. Extra-curricular activities can definitely help prepare you for university because they help you develop socially.”

“I was looking at student satisfaction as well as the grades past students had recorded at each of my shortlisted institutions, and Brighton and Sussex Medical School had both the good grades and the high student satisfaction factor. It actually ranked second in the country for Medicine, after Oxford I think, so that was positive. I also liked the way they interviewed. Some of the other interviewers I met at other institutions didn’t seem as friendly as those Brighton and Sussex. Before the interview I was able to talk to current students, which helped me feel more relaxed. Also, you could tell the interviewers were trying to get the best out of you, which I believe is the way interviewers should be.”

“All my teachers have been great. I found the Physics department really friendly. There are only two teachers in Physics, Hugo and Alex, but nevertheless it is a very strong department. Hugo also teaches me for Maths. Both teachers are so supportive. Before I had my university interviews, I asked Hugo, Alex and (my Personal Tutor) Rachael for advice and they each gave me some hints and tips, some dos and don’ts… Even though my interviews were for Medicine, which is not a speciality of theirs, they still helped me a lot with the application process. Rachel Hughes and Rachael Fowkes also helped me by staging mock interviews, which were really beneficial.”

“I’ve always been really interested in cardiovascular surgery, which is an area in which I might wish to specialise. But it’s early days right now, so I’m keeping an open mind.”