Posted by Asel @ Bellerbys Brighton
Hello everyone!
I am delighted to become a new blogger for Bellerbys College Brighton! My name is Asel Mansurova and I come from Moscow, Russia. I am intended to study Law at the university. My passion for this subject has appeared recently, as when I arrived at Bellerbys I wanted to study History of Art. However soon I understood that it wouldn’t help me reveal myself entirely and I decided to change it.
Obviously I must thank Mr Peter Corcut, the Program Manager of A Level Department, who supported this idea and made it possible despite the fact that half of the term had already passed. So now I study Pure Maths, English Literature, History, German, French and once a week Philosophy.
As for extra curriculum activities, Bellerbys has plenty to offer. One of the most exciting things is Debating Society with Mr Lucas and Mr Gray, where they teach us to state our opinions about some important topics of the day, as absolute freedom of speech, age of majority, legalisation of cannabis and torture. There are always 2 proposers, 2 opponents and a chairman. My team has won the debate twice!
Another wonderful thing was Public Speaking Competition that was held in Hilton Metropole hotel. Our team consisted of three people: Tigran, the chairman; Rauan, the speaker; and me, the proposer of vote of thanks. This was unforgettable!
Obviously the discussed topic caused a resonance among the audience, as Rauan gave talk on "Why Borat Make Benefit for People of Glorious Republic of Kazakhstan". Most of the people have watched this film and they understand that it was very provocative, sometimes offensive and apparently extremely vulgar. However, the point was that, on the contrary, the Kazakhstan tourist industry has benefitted enormously after the 'Borat' film was introduced.
Though we didn’t take the first prize, we managed to perform better than some other English teams and moreover I have won the cup for the best vote of thanks! This was my first great achievement at Bellerbys, and hopefully not the last:) Nevertheless it is not entirely my achievement. I am very much obliged to Mr Lucas and Mr Gray for given opportunity to participate in this competition, their help and support throughout the whole stage of training. Not less I am grateful to Mr Russ, the Ielts preparation teacher, whose effort and excellent support helped me improve my knowledge of English and gain the victory over the native speakers.
Having said that, it is not my only achievement at Bellerbys. I have always wanted to take part in the Senior Maths Challenge, as in my opinion I’m rather good at Maths. However I couldn’t even imagine the shock that I felt when I saw the test papers. Moreover it was impossible simply to guess the correct answer, as for every incorrect one you lose marks. That’s why I had to toil a lot over it. Surprisingly, when the results were announced I found my name amongst 16 Bronze winners. It was so stunning, that at first I couldn’t believe my eyes!
Oxbridge meetings with Mr Corcut are essential for those who are thinking of applying to Top English Universities. There we give talks on topics related to our subjects. It is very difficult to prepare, as your talk should be illuminating, interesting to others and reflect your own position. As for me, unfortunately I can’t say that I am absolutely satisfied with the way I perform due to the lack of self-confidence when I speak in front of Mr Corcut, whose appreciation is very difficult to receive.
After every talk he sets some questions to the speaker. The difficulty lies in the fact that there is no definite answer to them. For example, “What is justice?” This question apparently placed me in a deadlock. But this is exactly what may happen at the interview, so it’s better to become a skilled hand at it. And I’m sure that these meetings will be very helpful, as well as a short course of Philosophy with Mr Stillwell.
Having already spent a lot of time here, I have understood how strongly Bellerbys appeals to me. I like every day spent here, as there is always something interesting!
Asel is studying A Levels at Bellerbys College Brighton
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