James Walsh Alumni Profile

TRS Learning from 2018 – 2023 

Congratulations on your Oxbridge offer! Can you tell us which course you applied for and what inspired you to choose it?
Engineering at Cambridge. I’ve always had passion for how things move and work and the technology behind them. I’m particularly interested in aerodynamics, thermo dynamics and electronics.

What was your reaction when you found out you had been offered a place?
Elated. This was a culmination of many years of hard work. It was my dream to study Engineering at Manchester since starting at TRS. Even when leaving in Y11, I hadn’t even thought Cambridge could be a possibility .

How did your time at The Radclyffe School help prepare you for A-levels and your Oxbridge application? What subjects did you study at GCSE, and how did they influence your A-level choices?
I am now studying 4 A Levels in Physics, Maths, Further Maths and Electronics and my GCSE options of Triple Science, Computer Science and Product Design Woods (Design & Tech) perfectly complimented these. As much as studying Geography, as my final option, interested me, it didn’t help contribute towards my A levels or future Engineering degree but it did give me a broader prospective of the world .

What advice would you give to learners coming up to their final 2 years at The Radclyffe School who are making decisions about their future?
Work hard both in school and at home and even harder at the subjects you struggle with. The teachers are willing to help you at break, lunch and after school. Use their time, experience and wealth of knowledge to help you achieve the best results that you can. Especially if you have a subject that you are weaker in, stay to as many clubs that are offered, it is vital to ensure you don’t have to resit Maths or English at college. Read around different areas of your subjects and cover further things that are not on the syllabus. Getting to college was freeing, I now only study the subjects I’m passionate about and is therefore, much easier.

What are some of your favourite memories from your time at The Radclyffe School?
There are too many to mention, but in years 10 & 11, I particularly enjoyed my English lessons, I had great teachers and was sat with a friend . It was during this time that it became clearer that I could pass what is my weakest subject. Together we achieved great GCSE results.

What excites you most about the opportunities ahead?
Being able to study at a world leading University and being taught by Academics at the pinnacle of their respective disciplines and working in a field that I am both curious and passionate about.

What are your future career ambitions?
After completing an Engineering Masters Degree, I may continue to a PhD, but I will certainly be working somewhere in the world within the Engineering field.

If you could go back and give your Year 7 self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Always set high aspirations. Embrace the challenges and keep pushing forward. Sign up for every opportunity and club available, but most importantly work hard . If you are weaker in a certain subject , it does not define you and will not stop you achieving great things, as long as you always try your best and work hard but don’t beat yourself up when something goes wrong.

Describe your time at The Radclyffe School in 3 words?
Foundation for opportunities.

Read the full article from James here.