One of the several highlights of a packed conference schedule organised by the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) in Stratford-upon-Avon last week was a session focusing on the changing landscape regarding universities and careers. On the distinguished panel were: Dr Sam Lucy, Director of Admissions at Cambridge; Dr Suzannah Lipscomb, Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History at the New College of Humanities; Professor Mark Peel, Provost of the University of Leicester and Stephen Isherwood, Chief Executive at the Association of Graduate Recruiters.

Young people today

One of the reassuring messages that the panel gave was that students today are harder working, taking their first year at University extremely seriously ('The first year is the new third year'). Undergraduates today are also far more focused on their careers than I remember my peers (and me) being in the early nineties, voracious and keen to bag a number of internships/work experience opportunities along the way.

An interesting piece of research that the HMC commissioned with the Girls' School Association (GSA), which was issued last week, confirms many of these impressions. Pre-university Sixth Formers have high hopes and expectations from their time at University.

Read the full blog here.