You can definitely tell when the tiredness starts to kick in! It was another early start, with breakfast being served just before 7:30am. A few of the lads squeezed in a gym session beforehand, joining the rest of us a little later than planned, before we all made our way to the lecture theatre to collect our packed lunches. As always, Darren and Steve had the coaches ready and waiting, and before long we were back on the road to our first destination of the day – the University of Huddersfield. We arrived right on time and were warmly welcomed by the student ambassadors before heading into a lecture theatre to hear an informative presentation from Natasha. A tour of the campus followed, giving our students a real flavour of university life. Although our visit was relatively short, it was packed with useful information and provided an excellent insight into everything Huddersfield has to offer.
Our next stop was Leeds Beckett University, where Ian, Emily and the team gave us another incredibly warm welcome. Ian's engaging presentation on applying to Higher Education and navigating the UCAS process was, once again, spot on, offering practical advice and plenty to think about when choosing the right course and university. The campus tour was as impressive as ever, with one unexpected highlight seeing a few competitive spirits emerge during some impromptu 60-metre races on the indoor athletics track in the Carnegie Building! A huge thank you to Ian and the team for another fantastic visit.
From there, it was across the city to the University of Leeds, where Rob, Joe and another brilliant team of student ambassadors were waiting to meet us. We split into two groups, with one exploring the campus while the other attended a presentation entitled "Why Apply to Leeds?" before swapping over. It was another excellent visit, with students asking thoughtful questions and leaving with plenty to consider as they compare the many different universities we've visited throughout the week.
After another busy day, it was time to head back to Edge Hill University to prepare for what many had dubbed the game of the year. With takeaway orders placed, everyone gathered in the lecture theatre in front of the enormous 300-inch screen to watch England take on Argentina in the World Cup semi-final. Sadly, it wasn't to be England's night. The final whistle was met with plenty of disappointment, and with emotions still running high, it was an unusually quiet journey back to the accommodation. Curfew certainly wasn't an issue this evening, as everyone opted for an early night. Despite the dampened spirits, we're ready to bounce back tomorrow. After all, one football result isn't going to spoil our visit to the wonderful city of Sheffield. On to Day 4!
