How have you found the teaching and support staff?

I’ve found that teachers are always willing to help me whenever I’ve asked, whether that’s answering my questions in the lesson, replying quickly to emails and even taking time out of their lunch to sit down and go through a topic I found particularly challenging.

The Careers team also helped me a lot, when looking for work experience and writing my personal statement.

Tell us about any College Enrichment activities you’ve been involved in

The Aspire Programme was particularly valuable for me. My teacher helped me narrow down exactly what I wanted to do at university and research which universities would be the best fit for me.

The programme also gave me the opportunity to give presentations to the rest of my class about topics that really interest me, which allowed me to research them in greater detail and really grew my confidence.

The Biosciences Pathway and the group projects that I’ve done in it have been a great way of meeting people with similar aspirations to me.

What do you think makes Reigate College good place to be a student?

I think College bridges the gap between school and university really well. I managed to get into the habit of doing most of my work in the Independent Learning Centre (ILC) as it’s an excellent place to focus and work really hard. There are also plenty of spaces and opportunities to socialise and meet like-minded people, so I was able to settle quite quickly and have found College really enjoyable.

What’s your plan for when you leave College? 

I’m hoping to study Biochemistry at the University of Oxford. I’m not sure exactly where I want to go after that, but at the moment pharmaceutical research appeals to me. I’m also keen to potentially complete a PhD at a European university.

Matthew, 2026