Regent’s University London has opened its doors to over 50 students and teaching staff from City of Westminster College and other local schools to offer students a taste of university, ranging from experiencing life on a busy campus, through to writing CVs and even learning to speak Chinese.

The event on Monday 16^th October 2017 was the first School’s Fair Regent’s has hosted in partnership with the charity ‘One Westminster,’ which helps bring communities together to lead fulfilling and self-sufficient lives. It also supports Regent’s ongoing Outreach Programme, designed to help young people from local schools learn more about higher education and career opportunities.

Comments from City of Westminster College students included:

‘Tyrese’ (16): “I’ve really enjoyed learning about a variety of university subjects, including time-lapse photography and slow motion filming. We also practised mock job interview and how to answer questions effectively. It’s been great to experience Regent’s and look around.”

‘Iyah’ (17): “Our class normally focuses on applied science, but the different courses on offer at Regent’s have opened my mind to the idea of other subjects. I had no idea what to expect from visiting a university and I’m now very interested in the idea of studying psychology and all of the options that come with it, as well being able to learn a new language.”

‘Precious’ (17): “We’ve been working with teachers on different subjects including media, cinematography and looked at options for going to university. We’ve also practised job interviewing and I’ve learnt how, if I’m asked about a downside to my skills, to turn it into a positive. I haven’t been to a university before and this has helped me think about and be prepared for the future.”

Patricia Carini, teacher at City of Westminster College, added: “The Regent’s lecturers have really encouraged our students and got them thinking about business, media and university life. They’ve also placed a great focus on what makes you an entrepreneur – we’d love to come back in the future.”

Rachel Bush, Student UK Recruitment Officer at Regent’s University London, said: “I think going to university is a very good step for young people’s futures and it’s always positive to have a skillset in the area or industry you’re interested in. Universities help students meet different groups of people from other countries while they learn and Regent’s does this particularly well.”

Daniel Fuller, Corporate Partnerships Officer at One Westminster, explained: “The purpose of today was to give Year 12 students an insight into a local university, with an emphasis on the type of careers they can go into. There are so many choices for young people to make about their futures and this has been a real success.”

Caroline Waterfall, Outreach Manager at Regent’s University London, concluded: “We want to engage with as many schools as possible from the local community and help students see what university is like, what subjects they can study and, if they don’t want to go into higher education, think about what types of careers they might want to explore.”