Villiers Park?

Hi everyone

My teacher mention a Villiers Park course to me the other day, and I was wondering if anyone has heard of them or been at all? Are they good/worth doing?

And I'm posting on here becasue a) I was told they're often geared towards people aiming for oxbridge, thus thinking people who have been to one may well be on this board, and b) I dont know where else it would go.

Anyone at all with any kind of experience would be great...

Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

physicsgirlie

6

I went on a week long one called How the Universe Lives and Dies and it was immense. Villiers Park is a really nice place to stay, great rooms, v. nice food, quaint little village etc. And I don't think I've ever learnt so much in such a short space of time! It's a great way to make friends with people who are interested in the same thing. And it looks good on your UCAS form. Usually there's a trip out on one day - one evening we went to the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge uni, which was great.

About the money side - I was able to apply to my college for a grant (cos I get EMA) to cover most of the cost. They're not too expensive, especially considering they're heavily subsidised.

I would also add that most of the people I met were planning on applying to Oxbridge!

Reply 2

Supergrunch

10

I've been on a course there called "How chemical reactions happen" or somesuch. It was great, gave me a taste of university level teaching.

Reply 3

Lidka

13

Villiers park is AWESOME! Went on a poetry course there last summer, met some amazing people whom I'm still in touch with and learnt a lot. I was (still am...) finding 6th form really boring, and it gave me hope academically too. My school funds its students to go, but many of the others I met there had had to pay their own/half of the fees. It looks very good on your UCAS form, and thought as people have already mentioned, it hardly guarantees you an Oxbridge place, the people who go will almost certainly be aiming for Oxbridge. From my group of particular Villiers friends, 5/6 of us got to Oxbridge and the sixth to Edinburgh, which is not bad going. :smile:

DO go if you can, even if it means funding yourself - it's such a great opportunity to learn new things and meet people with the same interests, and good preparation for how university life works. Plus you get to go on trips, stay in/near Cambridge (which is beautiful) and the food's ace! :smile:

Reply 4

man_in_black

I agree with what everyone else has said. I went on a one day master-class on the brain and thoroughly enjoyed it. The speaker was a hundred times more engaging than any of my school teachers and the pack they gave us was really detailed yet easy to read - unlike the kind of handouts I'm used to getting from school. Venue was excellent, food was excellent, I just wish they ran revision courses :frown:

Reply 5

Feefifofum

16

Yep, I agree. Go.

Of course it doesn't guarantee you a place at Oxbridge, but it's not going to harm your application either.

More importantly, the courses are excellent, and the people are a lot of fun. You won't regret it.

Reply 6

tigrrmilk

11

Yeah, I got given a form today about one there for English Lit. It's pretty expensive, but I think it looks like it might just be worth it.

Reply 7

Consie

15

meh, i missed out on it and some girl got to go instead. Who got the offer though?!

Who d Daddy?

Reply 8

Lidka

13

tambourine

Yeah, I got given a form today about one there for English Lit. It's pretty expensive, but I think it looks like it might just be worth it.

Go go go!

And make sure you take some money to buy one of their awesome mugs! :biggrin:

Reply 9

Supergrunch

10

Lidia

Go go go!

And make sure you take some money to buy one of their awesome mugs! :biggrin:

Now I feel sad for passing them by... :mute:

Reply 10

Lidka

13

Supergrunch

Now I feel sad for passing them by... :mute:

How could you? Well, a friend of mine who went on a science trip there has two (the geek); perhaps he'll be kind and give you one. :p:

Reply 11

Anonystude

Lidia

Go go go!

And make sure you take some money to buy one of their awesome mugs! :biggrin:

They didn't have those when *I* went (way back in 2002)!

Reply 12

Lidka

13

Anonystude

They didn't have those when *I* went (way back in 2002)!

Perhaps when you went they were focusing more on the education part and less on the money :p:

Reply 13

Feefifofum

16

They ran out at my course. I missed out. :frown:

Reply 14

Deathly Hallows

yeah go on this course its brilliant. I went on the Creative Writing course. In a word = worthwhile and fun.

Always good (well my subject was) the area is beautiful. it has forests and we also went on a theatee trip. The foodwas really nice and all the free water you could want. Its expensive but worthwhile.

I would recommend it to anyone

Reply 15

xatm092

I went on a week course on "Chaos or Clear Cut", it was basically higher level maths. It was very good, met loads of new friends, and owned at poker using smarties as chips.

I now have lots of new friends on myspace!!!

...

...

...and I got a mug :wink:

Reply 16

crankycaz

2

I went on an English lit course last September. It was good fun and good preparation for uni so I'd recommend it! Also, the puddings are really nice! Lidia, I think you may have been on my course! Great Expectations and gothic lit among other things?

It was good fun anyway, I'd do it. They take place in school time though, which kind of affected my physics but it was still worthwhile for my English.

Reply 17

Lidka

13

crankycaz

I went on an English lit course last September. It was good fun and good preparation for uni so I'd recommend it! Also, the puddings are really nice! Lidia, I think you may have been on my course! Great Expectations and gothic lit among other things?

It was good fun anyway, I'd do it. They take place in school time though, which kind of affected my physics but it was still worthwhile for my English.

My course was in July, not September (it was a poetry based one, no gothic lit as I recall!). I think I did look at a September one, but didn't go on it - seemed a bit greedy. :p:

I was lucky in terms of timing - my college had decided to have a 'reading week' (what a joke!) that week, so I didn't miss anything.

Reply 18

crankycaz

2

Ah shame...there was a girl called Lidia on my course (or maybe it was Lydia...probably) so I thought it could be her!

Reply 19

Lidka

13

crankycaz

Ah shame...there was a girl called Lidia on my course (or maybe it was Lydia...probably) so I thought it could be her!

My spelling's weird 'cause it's foreign :smile:

It's not a common name though, even with a 'y' in. Hm, I feel really nostalgic for Villiers now... :frown:

Villiers Park?

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