Assessment blog- 16-17/12/2014
I was asked to write a blog for the UWC GB committee about the assessment process, so here y'all go- I don't remember much of the morning of the 16th of December- the trip from Scotland down to Wales is a complete blur in my mind. I do remember almost missing my train after favouring coffee over finding my platform, and then realising on the way down we had to give a presentation (I thought at that moment I had absolutely no chance) but luckily I had an eight hour journey ahead of me, and I managed to write my talk there (last minute, I know!) At Llantwit station we were picked up by the owner of the bed and breakfast my mum was staying in, who drove us up the long road to the castle. It was super dark and I was really nervous- the lady didn't help giving me a practice "interview" then telling me my answers were awful and that I spoke too fast; so seriously, the best piece of advice I can give is don't worry about what anyone tells you, just be yourself. I know it sounds like awful advice and I remember being so annoyed it was all I was ever told but it is the most essential thing to remember- UWC wants you to be you. On arriving at the Castle we were marshalled in by GB Committee members. They directed us to the great hall, through the portcullis of the castle looming above us and I 100% believed I was entering Hogwarts. In the Great Hall were a whole load of teens who didn't know each other standing about awkwardly, so I waved goodbye to my mum quite quickly and made an effort to introduce myself to all these scary, tall and intelligent looking people. (In fact, the first person I spoke to was Adrian- the other first year writing an assessment blog. Shoutout to you Adrian, you go Adrian.) Looking back, I'm really glad I made an effort to talk to everyone- I still keep in contact with some people I only ever met at assessment. Though they might have looked scary at first, when we actually got talking we realised how much we all had in common. Everyone was really friendly and obviously excited- I mean it when I say that absolutely everybody there was an amazing candidate- telling us that is actually how the committee started the days for us. Once everyone had arrived, we were sat in a big hall and the selections officers welcomed us and congratulated us on getting to interviews. What they made very clear was that basically everyone who applies through UWCGB would do amazingly at a UWC- there just aren't enough spaces, so not to be disheartened if our journey with UWC didn't go any further. (Remember- you can often apply again the next year!) After this talk, we played some games and headed off with all our bags to one of the student houses that I now know as Sunley to drop our bags off. We had dinner in the dining hall, played some games to get to know each other in the coffee lounge, including that one where you have to create a device that stops an egg from breaking when it is dropped (my group completely lost) then headed to bed- we were told to get a good nights rest (SERIOUSLY, HEED THIS ADVICE) Before sleeping, those I was sharing a room with and I practiced our presentations for the next day. I did mine on the continuing importance of feminism in today's society, and Olive, one of my current co-years at AC did an amazing presentation on visual thinking and fun fact: the dorm we slept in on assessment together is her dorm now- she even has the same bed! A quick note on presentations while we're at it- it can honestly be on anything you're passionate about. From my group I heard talks on philosophy and filmmaking, but one of my GB co-years here at AC did hers on her poncho which apparently went down very well! The next morning we were woken up pretty early, and sleepily sorted in to our assessment groups. In mine there were only girls, but it is to my understanding they are usually mixed. We had breakfast and then began the actual assessment. Our groups rotated around various activities from teamwork games to small debates. I remember being terrified all day once finding out my last activity was the actual panel interviews, but honestly- they are absolutely nothing to worry about. UWCGB splits the actual interviews into three groups- personal attributes, commitment to UWC ideals and intellectual ability and curiosity. They are not informal but not completely scary. They really just want to get a feel for your personality and ask a little about why you think UWC is for you. I had to hurry to catch my train as soon as interviews were finished, but I hear there were some talks for parents just after this. I left my assessment days feeling really happy- not because I assumed I'd done well- but simply because I massively enjoyed the experience. Make the most of it. Then it was just a waiting game that seemed to go on forever. A month and a half later though, I'd been offered a place at UWC Atlantic College and never felt happier. Last words of advice- smile a lot, talk to everyone you can, stand up for your opinions and again, be yourself! Be yourself! Be! Yourself!
