Image of A photo of Sonita Alleyne, Master of Jesus College, giving a talk to Year 10 students.

Register now for our Year 12 subject taster sessions!

This summer, the outreach and admissions team are working with our amazing student ambassadors to bring a programme of subject taster sessions to Year 12 students from across the UK in July and August.

Our taster sessions are designed for current Year 12 students, from UK state schools, who will be applying to university in the next academic year (2021-22). They're ideal for students looking to apply for courses at highly selective universities. We'll give priority to students from our link areas in Tyne and Wear, Brent, Ealing, Westminster and Peterborough, but we hope to be able to accommodate everyone who applies.

To register for any of the taster sessions, please fill out our registration form. Information about individual subject taster sessions can be found below.

History and Politics: cultural encounters across the Indian Ocean

3pm on 7 July 2021, via Zoom

The ways in which ideas play out in different contexts and locations is an important part of both history and politics.

In this taster session, third-year History and Politics student Posy will look at how nationalism and cosmopolitanism interacted in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, in the world of the Indian Ocean. She’ll examine how people moving across the ocean and encountering 'others' in port cities and plantations helped shaped the twentieth-century idea of the nation.

English: Shakespeare's silenced women

3pm on 14 July 2021, via Zoom

We look at Shakespeare’s women far more often than we listen. How can we foreground their voices?

In this taster session, third-year English student Lucy will examine women’s songs in Hamlet, Othello, The Two Noble Kinsmen, Henry IV Part 1 and The Merchant of Venice. Using these plays, Renaissance musical texts and modern productions, she’ll demonstrate close reading and dramaturgical analysis and consider how alternative ways of listening might help confront the issue of women’s voices going unheard onstage.

Geography: pollution and house prices

3pm on 21 July 2021, via Zoom

As the world confronts the climate crisis, will increased pollution levels in cities mean lower house prices?

In this taster session, first-year Geography student Bella will talk us through on her coursework on the link between public perceptions of air quality and house prices. She’ll focus on skills such as how to critically read academic papers, referencing and writing academic essays, choosing appropriate methods, analyzing potential link and trends, and presenting your conclusions.

History: Roman women in Hollywood religious epics

3pm on 28 July 2021, via Zoom

Any act of cultural production has multiple, often contradictory agendas. The meanings of artistic sources depend on the various subjective positions from which they’re viewed.

In this taster session, second-year History student Ellie will examine the presentation of women and religion in twentieth-century films and TV shows about Ancient Rome. She’ll explore how Hollywood’s presentation of these themes in films and TV reflects on the society in which they were produced, examine the traditions of the genre and situate these productions in a wider context of influences and impact.

Medicine: Intrauterine development

3pm on 28 July 2021, via Zoom

Can changes in the intrauterine environment in which you develop affect your future health as an adult? 

In this taster session, second-year Medicine student Libby will explore whether certain environmental exposures during fetal development may increase your likelihood of developing conditions such as cardiovascular disease, as well as how this relatively recent information can inform clinical practice.

Education: continuous provision

2pm on 31 July 2021, via Zoom

Learning through play is a fundamental part of early childhood development.

Children in early years and reception use continuous provision on a daily basis to embed and further their learning, but these benefits are not just restricted to the Early Years Foundation Stage. In this taster session, PGCE student Imogen will discuss the importance of continuous provision, its benefits in KS1, and how to implement it in the classroom.

Veterinary Medicine: anatomy and development disorders

3pm on 4 August 2021, via Zoom

Calling all future vets!

In this taster session on health issues caused by animal anatomy, first-year Veterinary Medicine student Bella will talk about why veterinary care is often about helping owners too, even though animal welfare is your top priority. Using the example of urinary incontinence, she’ll speak about the underlying development disorders which cause abnormal anatomy, how this differs from normal anatomy, what we can do to treat animals like this, and why we may want to.

Engineering: the science and design of heat exchangers

3pm on 11 August 2021, via Zoom

Thinking about applying to an engineering course?

In this taster session, second-year Chemical Engineering student Andrew will focus on the design of a heat exchanger, and how it uses concepts from across general, mechanical and chemical engineering. He’ll talk about topics including fluid mechanics, heat transfer, dimensional analysis, thermodynamics, and conversion of units.

Modern and Medieval Languages: nannies and maids in Latin American storytelling

3pm on 18 August 2021, via Zoom

Can watching films help you write better essays?

In this taster session, third-year Spanish and Portuguese student Juliette will explore the presentation of live-in nannies and maids in Latin American films and urban legends. Analyzing the ways in which film clips and texts depict and commodify this domestic labour, she’ll demonstrate how to draw comparison between different sources, build an argument and present your conclusion.

Computer Science: AI in healthcare

3pm on 21 August 2021, via Zoom

Can a computer make better healthcare decisions than a doctor?

In this taster session, third-year Computer Science student Chuen will present on the practical applications of machine learning with real world data. He’ll take us through how learning about the use of data science in the real world lead him to write a dissertation on using machine learning to improve healthcare predictions. 

Natural Sciences (Biology): plant immune systems and pathogens

3pm on 25 August 2021, via Zoom

Plant disease causes a yield loss of around 20-40% in crops, which costs the global economy $220 billion each year. This poses a major risk to global food security, especially given the increasing population.

In this taster session, second-year Natural Sciences student Tamy will focus on plant-pathogen interactions and the plant immune system. She’ll explore the ways in which the complex plant immune system differs to the human immune system taught in secondary school and how we can harness the power of gene editing tools to create pathogen-resistant crops. 

To register for any of our summer taster sessions, please fill out our registration form.