Zizhu Academy is jointly organised by Zizhu International Education and the Second Affiliated High School of East China Normal University, which is one of the top four key high schools in Shanghai. It mainly offers IGCSE, A-Level, IBDP, American High School, AP and other mainstream international high school courses.

During the two-week Oxbridge training camp, Huaer's students and Blue's tutors conducted a number of projects to prepare students for an Oxbridge application. These included lectures, small class learning, one-to-one special tutoring and so on. 

Course content included:

- Improved reading list

- Personal statement one-to-one revision

- Oxbridge written test tutoring

- Interview coaching, one-to-one mock interview and detailed explanation of real questions

- Academic knowledge development

- Review of leading courses and A-level knowledge

- Oxbridge learning experience sharing lectures, etc

 

In addition to the Oxbridge application, the tutors also shared with the students how they chose their subject, what studying in the UK was like, and what it was like to attend Oxbridge. The two-week camp was a huge success, in no small part due to the full support of the school and the discipline of the students. Below some of Blue's instructors have recorded some of their experiences and observations from the camp to help provide a better picture of events.

Engineering/Physics: Mr. Chen

Engineering, Wadham College, Oxford University

"I am very glad to have spent two busy and fulfilling weeks with students preparing them for the Oxbridge Physics/Engineering Entrance Examinations. I helped them gain a better understanding of the interview process at top British universities, and helped the students sort out the ideas of their personal statements. 

 "During this period, I saw the efforts and progress of each student. I cooperated with them more and more in class and mock interviews. In this new application season, I hope you find what we discussed useful as you work to go to your ideal university next year."

 

Chemistry: Miss Shi

Natural Sciences, Cambridge University

"During the two-week camp I took the students through most of the Chemistry knowledge they will need for the AL stage and we progressed into some of the first year chemistry content studied at university. In additon we also practiced the Maths questions that appear in interviews. 

"During the two weeks I watched as the engagement of the students gradually rose as they began to see studying abroad as a real option. 

Biology: Miss Li

Biochemistry at Oxford University

"Teaching at a summer camp such as this was a new experience for me. I discussed applications with the students, brainstormed ideas on how to improve their Personal Statements, and lectured students who were interested in biology about university content. My hope is this will take their knowledge beyond A-Level and prepare them for what they will face in the interviews"

"Sometimes I feel that there is a much greater amount of pressure placed on university applications than when I applied. On the other hand, I am proud that I was able to contribute to my student's applications in some small way. I am eternally grateful for the support provided by the teachers of HUA 2 and the other Blue consultants, wishing the best of luck to all students applying this year"

 

Math: Miss Jiang

Mathematics at Cambridge University

"Throughout the camp, I worked with the students to analyse how best to solve problems on the MAT exam, explained some of the core concepts of number theory, and helped prepare the applicants for the interview questions. As I worked with them on their personal statements and mock interviews, I gradually felt the deep love they help for Mathematics. They were able to concentrate on difficult questions for an impressively long time.

"As the students and I became accustomed to one another, they gradually shifted from passively absorbing knowledge to actively asking questions and sharing their ideas, some of which were unorthodox yet intriguing perspectives on difficult subjects. I hope they will continue to work hard to improve their thinking abilities and that they will achieve their desired goals in the summer."

We also collected some feedback from the students who went on the summer camp:

 

Bruce:

"In two weeks, we expanded our chemistry knowledge together with Shi. We learned what we needed to master in high school and even college. The teachers fully understand the content of each class and carefully prepare each lesson, which makes the class content full and lively. We explain a lot of abstract problems by starting with what we've learned so far."

 

David:

"The teacher's teaching is deeply rooted in people's hearts, very responsible! In particular, he provided a lot of targeted suggestions on my essay writing. He even helped me revise my essay at 11 PM. He was very dedicated. The simple and easy to understand teaching method gave us a deeper understanding of the PAT and quiz questions, which gave me confidence to apply for a UK university."

 

Eric:

"The teacher is very careful in lesson preparation, PPT and reading materials are accurate, we will timely answer the questions we do not know, very gentle speech, there is no sense of pressure in class, PS suggestions will make many aspects, the course progress is fast."

 

Jason:

"I would like to express my sincere thanks to miss Chen, for giving me an in-depth understanding of the core knowledge points of A2 physics in just two weeks. While explaining theories, she also interspersed a lot of A-level exams and real PAT questions, which further improved my understanding and application of knowledge and made me familiar with the style and question type of PAT exam. Interview workshops and Mock interviews every afternoon also play an important role in preparing for college interviews. They gave me an intuitive sense of the structure of the interview and made me aware of my strengths and weaknesses in the interview. This is very helpful for me in the future interview preparation. In these two short weeks, I have gained a lot. Thank you again for her efforts during this time."

 

Wendy:

"The teacher was very patient in class, and students would stop to communicate with each other in a timely manner when they were not familiar with things. She gave me many useful suggestions in the PS explanation, and the Mock Interview model also made me know a lot about my shortcomings and what I need to prepare for. The teacher's advice and application planning also helped me."

 

Once again, Blue would like to thank all the teachers of Huaer Zizhu for their support and cooperation with the students. We also achieved a lot in this summer camp and we wish you success in your application!