We felt very privileged to welcome four former Calne girls back last night to talk about their experiences of studying German after leaving St Mary's and sharing the lecture with other schools across Wiltshire and Oxford.

Marguerite, who worked as an au pair in Germany during her gap year, spent the year looking after three boys and a newborn baby boy while studying at a German university. She attended Latin lectures and fully embraced both home and university life. Marguerite also travelled extensively across Germany and Austria. During breaks from university lectures, she even spent some time working on a farm, expanding her German vocabulary with agricultural-specific terms. Although it took a while to understand the farmer and his wife, she eventually mastered the challenge.

Lydia, who has just completed her first year at Oriel College, Oxford, provided us with a candid account of her experiences, offering valuable insights into what life is truly like within the university's walls. She shared her newfound passion for translation and expressed gratitude for paying attention during her A Level studies at Calne, which helped her discuss Merkel's views on Fukushima in her cultural classes. Lydia also discussed her love for books, societies, and clubs, offering practical tips for preparing for the Oxbridge application process, including MLATs and interviews. She debunked the myth that Oxford's social life is awful and shared some of the university's traditions, such as drinking from shoes and signing a 100-year-old book at matriculation, as well as participating in clubs like quidditch and punting!

Izzie, currently in her third year at UCL studying German and English Law, talked about the inflexible German legal system, which is based on a constitution and requires every law to be written down and strictly adhered to, in contrast to the flexible English legal system, which can make it complicated to ascertain the law's specifics. She expressed excitement about living in Germany for an extended period of time, emphasizing how much her German language skills improved. She had the opportunity to study at one of Germany's most prestigious universities in Munich and her time as a Young Goethe Ambassador, flying the flag for the German language. Izzie highlighted the offerings provided by the Goethe Institut in London, various scholarship opportunities, and work experience options.

Mya, who has just returned from her year abroad in Berlin and is now entering her fourth year at Exeter studying History and German, shared her enthusiasm for the combination and diversity that this program offers. During her time in Berlin, she worked as an intern for a tech startup company, contributing to the development of an educational app that launched just before the pandemic. Most schools in Germany now use this app as a learning tool and Mya played a crucial role in helping to set up the UK platform. Despite having no prior experience with coding or programming, she quickly learned the ropes and also enjoyed the benefits of working for a German company, particularly the Christmas bonus! Mya spoke about her love for Berlin, the challenges of finding accommodation, and dealing with the infamous German bureaucracy. She experienced a reversal of culture shock when returning to the UK and expressed her determination to go back to Berlin, potentially to study for a Master's degree.

We wish all four of them a very successful start to their new term at university and hope to remain connected with them in the future as they complete their academic studies and venture into the world of work.

Mrs Annika Falconer, Teacher of German