Chloe, who studied on the Chemistry stream of the Sutton Trust Summer School starts off our series of participant perspective blogs.

Hi! My name is Chloe and I live in South Yorkshire. I attended Imperial College London studying Chemistry as part of the Sutton Trust summer schools scheme. In the future, I plan to study Chemistry with Forensic Science at university.

I applied for the scheme for a variety of reasons but mainly because I wanted something to write on my personal statement… bad excuse I know but I never expected to have so much fun at something that was branded a “summer school”. Another reason I applied was to get an undergraduate level perspective on a subject I wasn't 100% convinced i wanted to study. I applied to Imperial in particular because of the amazing reputation it has within the country, and I’d never been to London before.

I never expected to get in and kind of put it to the side because of this, so when my offer came through i was elated but also pretty scared at the reality of such a big experience to tackle on my own. The support received before the event was enough to ease my nerves a little but i was still pretty scared about travelling to London independently and trying to navigate my way around, all before the socialising even began.

My journey to Imperial took 3 and a bit hours and honestly it was a pain, but it did give me a lot of time to think about and speculate on what we’d be doing when I finally got there. I was super excited but still nervous too. It was strange travelling all that way on my own but I did enjoy the chance to see some of the environment and become more independent.

During the summer school we received academic mentors and pastoral mentors as well as mentor groups. This really put me at ease because I received an instant friendship group and support system for the week. All of the staff were amazing! They were extremely approachable and were happy to help with anything. They were even willing to have a laugh. This really helped me feel happy within the group and allowed me to properly enjoy myself and make the most of the experience I had been given.

The academic sessions were very informative and interesting. We spent a LOT of time in the laboratories which gave a good insight into the intensity of the degree course at Imperial and also provided a great knowledge of the kind of techniques and methods that are taught at undergraduate level. The academic mentors and tutors were very friendly and this allowed us to become easily integrated into the work environment for the week. We worked in pairs to conduct multiple experiments like the synthesis of luminol, esters and polymers. In short, we made things that glow, things that smell and things that bounce!

The formal dinner has to be the highlight of my week! It was such a wonderful event with good food, company and music. It was lovely to socialise with everyone outside of the academic environment of the university site and have the opportunity to really bond over some amazing, and some not so great, dancing. I returned that night the happiest I’d been all week, music in my head and blisters on my feet. I’d built amazing friendships and had a fantastic night.

Being a part of the Sutton Trust Summer Schools this year at Imperial College has taught me so much. I've learned more about Chemistry and general life at university; become more confident and independent. I've found the answers to multiple questions I had about university life (thanks to the amazing community at Imperial). I had such a wonderful time! If you are thinking of applying to a Sutton Trust summer school I 100% recommend you to. Yes, it’s a week of your holiday that you spend working but it’s one of the best opportunities you'll ever experience! If you get the opportunity then go for it, you won’t regret it!