Caitlin Alumni

Subjects studied:

Chemistry, Biology, Psychology and EPQ.

What was your experience of Sixth Form lessons?

Lessons at Sixth Form were always productive and thorough, which made us students feel confident in our education. The teachers always ensured we felt comfortable asking for help or further explanation on tricky topics to guarantee we have a complete understanding and were always willing to go above and beyond to help us achieve this, through conducting in school and after school sessions. The thing I enjoyed most about sixth form lessons was how comfortable I felt sharing my thoughts and answering/asking questions in lessons as our classes were always very close, which helped grow my confidence in my own knowledge.

How was your experience of studying the EPQ?

I decided to take on an EPQ to further my knowledge on topics in dentistry, which is a field I dreamt of pursuing at university. Before my EPQ, I had little experience with planning, researching and essay writing due to my mostly science focused A-Levels and my lack of enjoyment for writing. However, my EPQ completely changed my viewpoint on essay writing. I enjoyed the independence of being able to pick my own topic and I gained useful skills which I will be able to take with me to university, like evaluating resources for relevance and reliability. It also provided me with experience on how to structure and build a complete essay from your resources and plan, which I found very satisfying.

How was your Thomas Paine Sixth Form social experience?

I found that one of the most important aspects of Sixth Form is the social side. A-Levels can be very stressful and overwhelming at times, so it is important to have a community of peers you are able to talk to and take breaks from studying with. Thomas Paine Sixth Form is great at providing its students with comfortable spaces for downtime and socialising, such as the common room. Many social events also took place, from conference sessions every week to sports day.

What information and guidance were you given regarding further education and opportunities after Sixth Form?

The process of applying to university first seemed overwhelming. However, the Sixth Form team provided us with regular sessions on the process and advice on our next steps, such as finance at university. During these sessions, we were given time to work on our applications with the Sixth Form team present to guide us and answer any questions, which made applying through UCAS and writing my personal statement much less daunting. They also provided me with support and advice with my university interviews which helped me secure my offers. Since leaving, I have used the advice from the sessions on finances to manage and budget my student loans for university.

What super-curricular experiences did you take part in at Sixth Form?

I was able to attend the pre-med work experience day at Kings College London, where I gained experience in the practical side of healthcare. I was able to examine human brain specimens and cadavers, then link their anatomical structures to disorders, which expanded my knowledge beyond my A-Level studies. I was able to talk about this experience in my personal statement for dental hygiene and therapy, discussing how it gave me an understanding of the importance of linking theoretical knowledge to clinical observations of patients.