Visiting students seize the day and takeover campus during Explore ANU

During the annual two-day Explore ANU event, over 600 students in Years 10 and 11 visited campus from schools across NSW and ACT.  The students were given a taste of life as an undergraduate student with lectures on topics such as ‘Politics is a bloodsport’, ‘Connect, communicate and convince through literature, languages and linguistics’, ‘History-The weirdness of the present’, and ‘Archaeological Adventures: Jurassic Park to Gladiator’ to name a few.

CASS sessions and tours proved popular across all of the disciplines, in particular ‘Sociology-Drugs, alcohol, and criminal minds’, with just over half of the 300 visiting students in attendance. The students were also escorted to the various sessions, and mentored by ANU student ambassadors. The engagement with student ambassadors has been a particular highlight for the high school students in previous years.

Aimed at exposing students to the kinds of things they can study at university, as well as familiarising them with the ANU campus, many students enjoyed tours through the School of Art, and the School of Music, as well as a tour of the Classics Museum. Students, during one particular tour of the School of Music, requested a song of Georgia Pike, who gave a charming impromptu performance to the delight of the group.

Originally known as Explore Arts and Sciences, Explore ANU has grown to include all discipline areas across the University. It is designed to assist students to make informed choices about the subjects they study in Years 11 and 12, and inspire them to continue onto university study. It was fantastic to see so many students engaging with academics, and enjoying the beauty of the ANU campus over the two days.