Life at Bellerbys College

The Dreaming Spires!

Posted by Autumn @ Bellerbys Oxford

Hello beloved readers!

Guess what? I'm finally BACK!

It has been so long since I last logged on to this blog, to be honest, and I sincerely apologise for my tardiness.

After posting the last post, I comfortably went back to my country and enjoyed my summer whole-heartedly. It was boiling hot in my tropical home country but the scorching sun was not a strong enough deterrent. I did spend days in the sun hanging out with my old classmates.

However, I also spared some time to read the pile of books that I brought back home, in order to prepare for my most important year of A levels. And I am so glad I did that. Not until I returned to the cool and serene Oxford did I realise that there was such a giant leap from AS to A2.

Yes I said it! A2 is much more difficult than AS and I'm no longer able to procrastinate. The course is more demanding and tough, and I have to put more effort into studying.

However, I do believe that there is a positive correlation between the difficulty of the course and its fascinating nature. My subjects are getting more and more interesting every day, especially Economics and Politics. We are currently studying Socialism and Marxism, which is of particular interest to me, as I was born and raised in a socialist country.

The past month was extremely hectic for me and my fellow aspiring Oxford applicants. We had to cope with the seemingly sudden huge amount of work and prepare our UCAS application simultaneously. All we did after school was researching universities, and all we discussed at lunch was about the application process.Personal statements were drafted and torn into strips and redrafted.

We were always in a hurry, which resulted in anxieties surfacing on an hourly basis. Time seemed to fly at a neck-breaking speed, and before we were even aware of it, the deadline was looming on the horizon. Everyone simply freaked out.

The constant pressure we withstood was intense. We held our breath when pasting our personal statement into UCAS Apply, hoping that we hadn't gone over our word limit. We frantically ran down the corridors, looking for our tutors and teachers and asking them to take a look at our most-recently-updated-drafts-of-personal-statement.

I personally had more than 13 drafts saved on my laptop and kept changing the tiniest details every night (I was so sure that my tutors must have been really tired of reading my personal statements, yet they were still so patient with me!).

When I clicked 'send', I heaved a sigh of relief.

In retrospect, the whole application process was unbelievable. We have pushed (and been pushed) ourselves to the extreme to climb one more step up the ladder of success, to take one more step towards our dream of the dreaming spires of Oxford.

We have learned and mastered the skills necessary to effectively deal with academic pressure and tight schedules. The tremendous support we received from our teachers and tutors is invaluable. Applying to Oxford is truly one of many unforgettable experiences I have had and will have at Bellerbys Oxford (although I doubt that anyone would want to relive it!)

Now it's time to cross our fingers!

 Posted by Autumn, studying A Levels at Bellerbys Oxford

Sunny Day (For Once!) For the Charity Bike Ride & School Photo

Posted by Autumn @ Bellerbys Oxford

Thursday 2^nd June was one of the most exciting days of my life and time in Bellerbys College Oxford. The day was packed with events, none of which were lacking in excitement and festivity.

The day started out as normal as a Thursday could, with students sleepily attending class and teachers busying themselves with essays and assignments. Few if any noticed the disappearance of two of our favourite teachers.

As the first couple of lessons finished, the fun began. Most the students had been recommended to be at the car park at 11 am sharp (oh the prime time of Bellerbys College, most events starts at 11!). The music was blaring; cameras were flashing (slightly exaggerated here, but all for the sake of rhyme!); and all the students and staff was chatting animatedly. We were all here to cheer and clap and see off in style our dedicated staff, who were getting ready to cycle from Oxford to Didcot as part of the Cycle Challenge.

The National Cycle Challenge is a fund-raising event, where ‘staff and students from all over the UK are cycling from Stirling in Scotland to Brighton on the south coast of England linking all of our colleges together. We hope to raise £20,000 at least to help build the new Building Futures school in Niger, Africa’. And Bellerbys College Oxford was as enthusiastic as ever to take part in such an event.

The two aforementioned missing teachers, Ian and Jo, were also part of the cycle team. (Surprise much!) They started even earlier, as their destination, Guildlford, is much further.

      

The Cycle Challenge day also coincided with Bellerbys College Oxford annual school photo. At 1.45pm, everyone, as in hundreds of students and many many staff, gathered at the car park once more for the school photo to be taken. I was amazed at seeing for the first time how big Bellerbys College Oxford has expanded.

Due to technical problems, the photo session lasted almost an hour. It sure was no fun standing in the sun for an hour or so, but the innovative and fun-loving students here in Bellerbys College spent that time effectively on posing and taking great photos of their own.

Following the photo session was a fantastic barbecue, where staff and students queued for mouth-watering food.

At 15.30, Bellerbys UK Managing Director, Mr. James Pitman - who had cycled miles from WALES - reached Oxford. A wonderful end to a great summer day. (It was sunny, for once!)

Posted by Autumn, studying A Levels at Bellerbys Oxford

A (Free) Trip To Brighton

Posted by Autumn @ Bellerbys Oxford

Hello Bellerbys blog readers,

The first thing I want to say after neglecting my privilege of contributing to this blog for so long is that.... I HAVE FINISHED MY EXAMS. Such a wonderful feeling it is! This post-exam period may well be my most fantastic time ever.

During the exam periods, lots and lots of things happened, and it was such a pity that I was unable to spare some time to share with our readers my invaluable experience. Now that I can safely put those admittedly nasty papers behind, I cannot wait to start blogging again.

This first post-exam post is to describe my (free) trip to Brighton.

I was honoured to be chosen as the Oxford candidate for the Richard Ryde scholarship, and was invited to an interview at Bellerbys College Brighton. Therefore on Tuesday, 31 May, I set out on my first trip ever to Brighton.

I had an early start, but the excitement of being a candidate for this prestigious scholarship kept me from grumpiness and boredom during my 3-hour train journey from Oxford to Brighton. (Not to mention that it was free: the school reimbursed my train fare). It was truly an honour to be taking that train to Brighton on this particular day as a scholarship candidate, as there are so many wonderful and capable AS students currently studying in Bellerbys College Oxford.

I arrived at Bellerbys College Brighton at around 10.45 am, 15 minutes before the interview officially commenced. I was warmly greeted by the principal of Bellerbys Oxford, Ms. Julia, who amiably asked me about my train journey. The other three candidates were already there, chatting with their respective principal and/or academic directors. And as it was my first time in Bellerbys College Brighton, I decided to utilise my time there to have a quick look around.

Being the main branch of Bellerbys College where all the executives have their offices, the study centre is huge. It is way bigger than our college here in Oxford. It combines both Bellerbys College and our sister, Embassy College. The atmosphere there is so different from what we have in Oxford: a little more professional, more dynamite but not as relaxing and familiar.

At 11 am, the interview started, and I, Oxford candidate, was selected to go first. I entered the interview room totally freaking out. According to the information that Ms.Julia had kindly provided me, the candidate was to be interviewed by five executives, a quite intimidating prospect. That explained well my nervousness.

The interview went better than I expected, as the interviewers were all so amicable and not-at-all-scary like I had previously surmised. Each of the interviewers asked me one simple question and I tried my best to answer every question (hopefully) with grace. The questions were set for me to express my opinions, my world view and my ambitions. They were not at all tricky, but they compelled me to think deeply about myself and what I wish and can contribute to the society.

The interview lasted around 20 minutes, and I was ushered out. As the London candidate went in, I spent my time befriending the other two candidates. The Brighton candidate, a Hong Kong girl with the lovely name Crystal studied the same subjects as me, while the Cambridge candidate, Niki from Iran, was a budding scientist. We chatted about a wide range of things: from the upcoming exams to the medical problems arising from wearing high heels. The girls were so charming and affable.

When all the candidates were interviewed, we were invited to have a free lunch in the cafeteria. Too bad the London candidate had to leave early! After that, we spent some time visiting the Brighton Pier, with Crystal as our tour guide. It had been a long time since I last had chance to visit a beach, so the experience was absolutely fascinating.

At around 2pm, we parted ways and started the journey back to our respective college.

Eventually, I did not win the scholarship. But I was not extremely disappointed, as my whole experience in Brighton was fabulous, to say nothing of the new friends I have made.

Posted by Autumn, studying A Levels at Bellerbys Oxford 

Visit to UniFIS 2011

Posted by Autumn at Bellerbys Oxford

It has been a long time since I last posted. Exams are coming and everyone is simply freaking out. But it did not stop us from enjoying ourselves and having an extremely good time at the very informative UniFIS 2011, University Fair for International Students, where we were given the chance to 'meet some of the UK's most prestigious and popular universities'. (direct quote from UniFIS website!).

It was raining when we assembled at the rail station on Saturday, 07 May, 2011, to set out for London. The sky was gloomy and the rain was not helping at all, but we were still able to kid around, excited about the trip. The coach arrived at 9am, and off we went; our destination was Covent Garden, London.

The uneventful trip took around an hour and a half or so, and I spent most of the time chatting with my classmate about everything we could come up with. It was great to have a break after all those painstaking review sessions.

If the weather hugely disappointed us, the fair compensated for it...and more. The fair was held at The (super-cool) Grand Connaught Rooms. We were greeted warmly at the reception, where we all registered and waited for the opening time.

At 12pm, the fair officially started. We quickly divided ourselves into small groups of 2-3, and started wandering around.

As I had actually highlighted some of the universities that I want to apply for beforehand (surprisingly), I did not feel particularly lost and overwhelmed by so many university stalls there.

I headed for Durham University, which was on the top of my list at that moment. The lovely representative of the school eagerly welcomed me and my friends and we earnestly bombarded her with lots and lots of question, regarding a variety of topics like courses, tuition fees and accommodation to name but a few. The lady answered all our questions with grace, and offered us the prospectus and brochures.

The most popular university seemed to be Oxford University. When we reached the stall of the university, it was crowded. The representative of the university was surrounded by students and parents, who were all so interested in this prestigious university. The questions were mostly about some of the most popular courses offered by Oxford University such as Economics and Management, and Philosophy, Politics and Economics, etc.

The representative, who himself was an Oxford alumni, answered every question in great details, providing us with some insights into how course were taught and by which way the students were expected to study at Oxford University.

At about 3pm, when I had more or less visited all the stalls, we left the fair for lunch and a brief tour around Covent Garden. It was a Saturday afterall, and the place was crowded with shoppers and tourists.

At 4pm, we all gathered at the meeting spot and the coach left the capital for Oxford half an hour later.

The fair was fantastic and so informative. I did manage to collect quite many prospectuses and brochures, and a lot of valuable information. Now it's time that I worked hard to get the best grades possible and to apply for my dream university.

Posted by Autumn, studying A Levels at Bellerbys Oxford 

Spring Song - Recap of My First Six Months at Bellerbys Oxford

Posted by Autumn @ Bellerbys Oxford

Hi there, my beloved Bellerbys blog-readers,

As I am typing this article, the Spring term at Bellerbys College Oxford is coming to its (wonderful) end. Over the past few months, I have achieved a lot, have tried many new things and have acquired great knowledge of a range of many subjects, including the most random ones. I have gained experience that I would never have a chance to otherwise, I have seen and admire many intriguing, fascinating things, and I have met people that have broadened my horizons considerably. I just want to jot down here a few things I have done that undoubtedly play an important part of my life here in Oxford.

1. I succeeded in passing all my January exams with acceptable grades.

The results I got demonstrate all the effort and hard work I have put into my studying. It showed me that as long as one is adamant to chase after one's goals, one has the ability to realise them. It also greatly encourages and motivates me to get an equally good result in June.

2. I attended day trips to visit two universities: University of Oxford and University College London. 

These trips are essential for any students who intend to pursue higher education. They provided us with valuable overviews of the universities to which we want to apply, as well as inform us of what to expect when starting our university life.

3. I participated in Clubs and Societies

 .....namely Magazine Club and Building Futures. Taking part in such clubs offer me opportunities to develop my soft skills such as team work and leadership. The Oxford Building Future groups organised many fantastic events to raise fund for our projects. We had a lovely Valentine week, a rocking Karaoke night, and an appetising Cake sale.

It is really hard to believe that I have spent almost 6 months in a foreign city, studying and socialising with friends from many parts of the world. And such an amazing time it has been, full of excitement and laughter. My Easter holiday, which is full of new surprises I am sure, starts tomorrow. And I just can wait to make the most of it.

PS: Spring Song - composed be Felix Mendelssohn - a sweet "song without word" that bring about the vernal atmosphere!

Posted by Autumn, studying A Levels at Bellerbys Oxford 

Special Report 2: An(other) Extremely Brief Introduction to University College London...

Posted by Autumn @ Bellerbys Oxford

Welcome again to Autumn's extremely short introduction. Our destination this time is University College London, University of London.

UCL is a world-leading university. Its worldwide reputation cannot be denied, and is a "true academic powerhouse". (UCL website). As many of our students here have expressed their ambition of applying to UCL, Bellerbys College Oxford has organised a school trip for AS level students to visit UCL on 9th March, 2011.

The only drawback of the trip is that it started too early. All of us had to arrive at the rail station, where the coach was waiting before 7am. Complaints, of course, were made. However as we all understand the importance of a university trip, which would eventually aid us in deciding to which universities to apply, all of us were there on time. And we set off uneventfully.

The trip from Oxford to London took a little bit more than an hour and a half. At around 9h30am, we arrived at UCL, on a perfectly sunny day in London.

Situated at the very centre of London, UCL has a very convenient location. Bus stops, Tube station and Rail station are all located around the area, allow the students to commute there easily. As we were early, we were invited to visit the cafeteria to have some refreshments and coffee before the tour officially started.

UCL buildings are different the colleges here in Oxford. They have different architecture, and are centred on one street. The buildings were quite empty when we came in, given that it was still not time for school. We rested for a bit in the cafeteria, enjoying coffee and (in some cases) having breakfast. At 10am, we moved to our main avenue.

Like any standard university trip, ours began with a informative and educational presentation. We were provided with an overview of UCL: how the school was founded in 1826, how it earned its now-too-well-known name, and why UCL is one of the best university and research institution in the world. We were also informed about the requirements of UCL, and about some of the changes in tuition fees and modern languages requirements for 2012 entry.

After the 45-minute presentations, we were introduced with UCL ambassadors, a group of current UCL students (mainly Law and Politics and Medicine students, I noticed) who had volunteered to guide us around UCL and answer our enquiries. Due to my interest in Politics, I and my Politics classmates grabbed Aisha, a pretty Politics and Eastern European Studies third-year student. (It's a pity that my clumsiness prevented me from taking a photo of Aisha).

Aisha guided us around the campus. We visited the Main Library and UCL Union Building, as well as the accommodation for students (well, we weren't allowed inside the building, though). Aisha also introduced us Jeremy Bentham, whose embalmed body is kept on public display at the end of the South Cloisters in the main building of the college. (Fun Fact: for the 100th and 150th anniversaries of the college,he was brought to the meeting of the College Council, where he was listed as "present but not voting" ~wikipedia.com)

While making our way around the university, Aisha explained her undergraduate course and highlighted the key factors of the course and what to expect. She also enthusiastically gave us some advice on student academic and social life in university. What a kind and energetic young woman!

At the end of our tour, after receiving the UCL undergraduate prospectus for 2012 entry, we said goodbye to UCL and hurried back to the coach in order to make it in time for the afternoon lesson.

Posted by Autumn, studying A Levels at Bellerbys Oxford

Special Report: An Extremely Brief Introduction to University of Oxford...

...that was delivered to me last Saturday, 19 February, 2011.

Posted by Autumn @ Bellerbys Oxford

There are quite a few Vietnamese students, both undergraduates and postgraduates, studying in the University of Oxford. In order to unveil the mystery shrouding the famous university and their application process, as well as recruit more Vietnamese students for the next academic year, a Vietnamese Open Day was grandly organised by the dedicated and enthusiast Vietnamese students in University of Oxford.

The Day was planned a good few months ahead. In December, while we were enjoying our awesome holiday, the seniors busied themselves with preparations for the big day. Posters, banners were spread around on the internet, a proper website was put up and links were shared on Facebook. Daily!

After days and days of planning, discussing and advertising, the big day came.  And it was raining cats and dogs that day...

...which was a little bit unfortunate, but the fickle weather of UK didn't stop me, or any attendees from enjoying Oxford Open Day.

We were supposed to gather at either the rail station or the coach station. A member of the society committee would be there to greet us and lead us to the main venue, St.Catherine College. It was really great to see my peers, coming to attend Oxford Open Day for Vietnamese from faraway places.

At 11am, despite some tardiness and and confusion, we finally arrived at St.Catherine. The President of Vietnamese society was already there to welcome us, and lead the way to the meeting room, where the presentation was to be held. At the entrance, we alll were given a booklet and an Oxford prospectus.

After we had settled down, the presentation began.

To sum it up, the presentation gave the attendees a short overview of University of Oxford at a whole. We were informed about how to apply to University of Oxfors, the range of colleges, how the teaching style was here in Oxford and how Oxford students, or Oxonians, as they are called, socialise.

After that, we had a Q&A session with Oxford undergraduate and graduate students.

I luckily met an Economics and Management graduate, who was so nice and kind. I asked her about lots of things, concerning the application process, whether or not the university is suitable for me and whether or not I am suitable for the university. Our kind lady has given me lots of advice.

Oxford university is quite academic-oriented, unlike other university. The knowledge one gains from the university is so academic that there is no actual application for some of them practically. But the key thing that one can obtain from Oxford is how to think properly and distinctively.

A free lunch in St.Catherine followed the session. Then we were divided into two groups to start our tour around Balliol and Worcester, two magnificent colleges.

 

Both colleges looked moderately small when we first entered. But the main entrances soon proved to be greatly deceptive. The whole college is so big to the point of being mind-blowing, especially Worcester. My feet hurt after the 2-hour tour. 

At 4pm, we parted. The Oxford Open Day ended nicely.

Oxford, the city of dreaming spires....

...which can present us a incredibly broad outlook from their windows.

Posted by Autumn, studying A Levels at Bellerbys Oxford 

 

Those Were The Days

Posted by Autumn @ Bellerbys Oxford

Time flies when you are having fun.

It's my sixth month here leaving and studying and enjoying myself in Oxford. Half a year has gone by.... and I haven't written a single post for almost half a term. With so many exciting things to do (e.g. January exams [how interesting that was...] etc.), I complete forgot about my honourable post as a Bellerbys blogger. My earnest apology!

My Spring term started with two Maths exams. What an impressive and nerve-wrecking way to begin a new term, one is inclined to think. On 10th January, I woke up after a dreamless sleep, prepared to face the first big challenge since the day I set foot on British shore. I arrived at Trajan House much earlier than usual, and saw my friends already there, doing the last revision. The atmosphere was tense. Everyone was nervous. This was so far our first A Level exam, and none of us had the slightest clue of what lied ahead. But we were also excited. This exam was the first hurdle that we needed to clear. The time had come when we were finally able to demonstrate what we had learned in the first term studying A Level. We were to make our teachers, our college, our family and, more importantly, ourselves proud of what we had eventually achieved. We went to the exam room silently, wished each other good luck before taking our seats. The clock stroked 9am, and the exam started....

Those who have gone through such intense emotions can also understand how overjoyed we were when the invigilator collected our last January paper.

The Lunar New Year occurred on the 2nd February, On this special occasion for Chinese and Vietnamese, the Vietnamese students gathered together and threw a huge party. Even though we are far away from how, we spent the first moment of new year together, "our extended family", as one said. Being with friends so nice and kind, one couldn't help forgetting one's own homesickness.

The first two weeks of February also witnessed an important event of Trajan House. It's the Official Opening Ceremony of Bellerbys Oxford Study Centre!! (weird, isn't it? Considering the fact that Trajan House has been used since October...)

I was among some students who were invited to contribute to this special event. We were advised to dress in our national customs while in the event.

At 3h30 pm, 9th February, I, in my "ao dai", Vietnamese traditional custom, was helping to prepare for the event. We were taught how to carry a tray of refreshments and snacks as well as how to open a bottle of Champagne by a very amiable chef.

When the event started, we were asked to carry the trays to wait on and chat with the guesses. Another group of students were singing and playing musical instruments in the background. The event was so merry and exciting. The event was highlighted when our elite students lifted the curtain, officially opening the school. What a fantastic moment!

The event went on, while we were busy helping ourselves with our cooks' fabulous dish. 

After the Opening Ceremony, another, no-less-wonderful, event is being held in Trajan House. It's the fund-raising event, organised by our school charity club. We are selling chocolates, cards, hand-made roses and Trajan Mail's love issue to raise funds for Building Futures and to celebrate Valentine's Day. we managed to sell out all the first 50 copies of Trajan Mail on the first day, thanks so much for the inexhaustible support of our lovely students and teachers.

My Spring term started in such a marvellous way. I have experienced new things, have made more friends and have created more memories to cherish. Those happy days will forever be valued. ;)

 The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time - Bertrand Russell 

PS: Those Were The Days - composed by Boris Fomin

~Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way.~

Posted by Autumn, studying A Levels at Bellerbys Oxford 

Happy New Year!

Posted by Autumn @ Bellerbys Oxford

Hello, Bellerbys Blog readers, and Happy New Year :) (better late than never :p)

First of all, I sincerely apologize for my procrastination. I got so engrossed in enjoying my first White Christmas ever, that before I even noticed, more than a month had gone by since my last post.

And such a fantastic time that month is. So many things have happened and I can’t wait to share all of my experience with my beloved readers.

After the wonderful bowling night mentioned in my previous post, my first term at Bellerbys College Oxford ended in as classiest a way as possible. Students and staff celebrated the last week of the term with fabulous Christmas parties.

The student party was held on 15^th December, in a lively bar named Bar Baby Love. Being fashionably late that day, I and my friends arrived at the venue when the party was already in full swing.  The DJ was playing popular dance music and without further ado we joined the crowd and stirred up the dance floor. The party lasted till 11h30 that night, and on the following day, lateness was inevitable. Fortunately, we have many sympathetic and compassionate teachers, who thoroughly understood the situation and forgave us for our tardiness. 

The term officially ended on Friday, 17^th December. Right after receiving my holiday homework and promising to finish them on time, I hopped a train to London. A friend put me up for the holiday, and we spent a great Christmas together.

Being far from home for so long, all of us Vietnamese miss the taste of our fine cuisine. That’swhy during Christmas, we bought ingredients and cooked our local specialities and threw huge parties almost every night.

On Christmas Eve, we, mostly my friends, cooked ourselves an appetizing traditional Christmas meal, with stuffed turkey and mince pies and mulled wine.

It was so enjoyable being, cooking and having fun with our friends. It considerably eased the homesickness we overseas students all have to endure sooner or later. 

Visiting London without going shopping would be a huge loss. Oxford Street and Regent Street at Christmas time is a blissful heaven for shopaholics (like me :D ).

The streets were decorated with lights and garlands and posters and ornaments, all of which enhanced the air of festivity in this big capital city. Shops and stores opened till later than usual. The streets got more crowded and crowded every minute. Christmas shoppers filled the streets, carrying bags and bags. The jovial atmosphere made joining the line in front of the cashier irresistible.

After 2 weeks partying in London, I went back to Oxford and started revising for the upcoming exams.  My first 2 exams this morning went pretty well, and I hope to do even better in the exams next week.  

In comparison to London, Oxford is small and quiet. The place is not as big, bustling and crowded as London.  The streets are not as wide, and the shops are not as elegant. However, it’s this placid, simple beauty that makes Oxford charming and attractive.

A new year has begun. I would like to send the best wishes to our blog readers, to families, friends and teachers at Bellerbys College. May you have a happy, healthy and successful 2011.

PS: Happy New Year -  ABBA

“May we all have a vision now and then
Of a world where every neighbour is a friend

...
May we all have our hopes, our will to try

If we don't we might as well lay down and die”

Posted by Autumn, studying A Levels at Bellerbys Oxford 

 

 

Le Festin

Posted by Autumn @ Bellerbys Oxford

It’s the beginning of December.

Hello my beloved readers,

Winter has finally arrived in Oxford. The icy winds are coming, blowing the remaining leaves off the trees. The days are getting shorter and shorter. There is less and less sunlight. People dress in the thickest winter coats and walk as fast as they can to avoid the bitterly cold gales. It’s winter!

This freezing season also brings about the warmest period of time. The county comes to live as we prepare for Christmas.

Christmas trees have been set up. Houses have been decorated with garlands and lights and ornaments. People are shopping for the perfect Christmas gifts.  Christmas carols are heard everywhere, in shops, in restaurants, in the city centre, and in Bellerbys College Oxford. It’s the festive season!

We students in Bellerbys CollegeOxford are celebrating our winter in the most pleasing and interesting way.

At the end of November, a fantastic International Food Night was held.  Attended by our staff and students, the Night were expected to offer us a marvelous chance to share with others our own traditional dishes and specialities and to spread the holiday spirits by participating in fund-raising events that were organised by Building Futures (a project of Study Group).  

And the International Food Night, unsurprisingly, turned out to be a massive success. I was able to enjoy a variety of food from many countries (such as Russia, Iran, Korea, Pakistan, New Zealand, etc.) which were all cooked by our staff and students.  

The Vietnamese students here in Oxford also contributed our special “sticky rice” to this grand banquet. After months eating English food, the familiar taste of our home country’s dish did partly ease the homesickness from which we were all suffering.

The school’s own band, “Marcus Learns to Rock” had an amazing performance that made my evening even more enjoyable. What talented students and staff Bellerbys College Oxford has! 

On Friday November 26^th 2010, Oxford officially started the-season-to-be-jolly with the sparkling Christmas Light Night.  The glittering lights that the Night gave off did not fail to impress me deeply.

The night began with a wonderful lantern procession made up by local children, whose lanterns were made from recycled materials. Following the resplendent parade, we arrived at Broad Street in time to enjoy an excellent feast of performances. The dancing was fabulous, the singing was beautiful.  The Night marked the beginning of a season full of wonders and merriment in our cherished city. 

My first term at Bellerbys College Oxford is coming to an end. In the midst of past papers and mock exams, staff and students here at the college never miss a chance to have fun and spend some great time together.

On the 8^th of December, the Maths department at Bellerbys College organised a bowling trip for AS students and their enthusiastic teachers.  A couple of cabs took us to Bowlplex, a recreation centre. The first game started as soon as the teams were equally divided.  It was quite a surprise for us to witness our teachers, such good mathematicians and economist, displaying so many skillful bowling techniques. I am a mediocre player and I did rather badly that night, but this terrifying truth did not succeed in preventing me from having a great time of my life. 

I come from a tropical country. That’s why my tolerance to cold is extremely limited.  However, I never allow it to affect me. I simply cannot stand the idea of hiding under the blanket, running away from the terrible cold. Wrapping myself in layers and layers of clothes, I choose to step out of the house and join the parties, knowing that the warmth I will receive from friends, teachers and family is enough to protect me.

PS: Le Festin – performed by Camille/composed by Michael Giacchino.

“Let me free, I’ll astonish you; I’m planning to fly
I won’t let this party just pass me by

The banquet is now underway, so…
Bring out the bottles; a new tale has spun
In clearing this table, my new life’s begun
I am nervous, excited; (oh) just read the marquee!
A lifetime of hiding; I’m suddenly free!
My dinner is waiting for me”

Posted by Autumn, studying A Levels at Bellerbys Oxford