POPPY McINTOSH attended an English Summer School at Eton College.
I applied to the Old Burians after gaining a place on the Eton College University Summer School. The competitive course was a chance for me to experience what it would be like to study English at an elevated level, as a taster for university. The £200 contribution from the Old Burians’ Charitable Trust allowed me to participate on the ten day course and relish in the great opportunity I had been given. During the Summer School I was taught by experts in the field of literature on a range of texts from Chaucer to Shakespeare. The course was extremely challenging academically and I was able to gain insight into what it would be like to study English Literature at a top university.
The Summer School was an incredible experience but came with a heavy and rigorous workload which pushed me intellectually. However, there were social aspects as well, with my highlight being a trip to the Globe Theatre to see ‘The Tempest’ together with a workshop by members of the cast. Alongside the lessons in English I was also able to perform in an adaptation of ‘Hamlet’, which we performed formally at the end of the week. The Summer School aided my application to university as well as broadening my knowledge of English Literature. The experience of living as an ‘Etonian’ for a week is something I will never forget and I would like to thank the Old Burians for the money I was given which made it possible.