Meet Sofija
Sofija joined Headington as a full boarder in L5 from an international school in Vilnius, Lithuania, her home country. It was her first experience boarding. She is currently studying for A Levels in Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Spanish and an EPQ. A Science Ambassador, Sofija is also a member of MedSoc and takes singing lessons at school.
On boarding at Headington
It was a big change when I came, a new environment, new culture and new people, but I found that the boarding staff members and my peers made it a very welcoming environment and I adapted quite quickly and found a new rhythm. I like that I am on school grounds so I can invest more time in extra-curricular activities and I get to spend a lot of quality time with my friends too, I also get to access the brilliant studying facilities like the Cube too.
It has been a bit of a rollercoaster being a boarder through Covid. In my first year, I went home in November to my family in Singapore and didn’t return until April 2021. The time difference definitely affected remote learning but I think we were well supported, we would have virtual house meetings and the boarding staff checked in on us and I also had easy access to my teachers, who were always an email away. Once I returned to school and things were closer to a normal boarding experience, my love for boarding definitely rocketed!
On the jump to Sixth Form
The obvious difference is more freedom which is quite a big one! In terms of subjects, you get into it a lot more depth, which I really enjoy. You also get to know the teachers a bit better as class sizes reduce.
On STEM at Headington
I think the Science Department is absolutely brilliant, the teachers are definitely experts in their areas, they are great at making sure you get help you need on things like exam technique as well as the subject knowledge. Part of the reason I fell in love with the Sciences is the teachers, as well as the subject content. When I came to Headington, I was quite open as to what I might do, I loved music and theatre so at the time I was learning towards a career in the Performing Arts but throughout the GCSE years my initial interest in Sciences was sparked further.
On Headington
It’s a very diverse and special environment. You get to build connections and bonds that I am certain will last you a lifetime, as well as the knowledge that you will hopeful be able to take with you in the future.
On her ambitions at Headington and beyond
I hope to pursue Medicine as a career, either here in the UK or perhaps in Spain, but if that doesn’t feel like the best fit for me, Biochemistry really interests me as well. By the end of my time here, I am hoping to have achieved some leadership roles and I am also keen to advance in my subject areas, particularly Chemistry and Biology. I’m definitely interested in joining some of the singing groups or choirs in school too.
