Whenever first-year freshers arrive on campuses around the country, there’s a special time for them to learn about the history of their new school. And what better way to do that than through a sport? Here’s a look at some of the origins of classic sports that were born in universities.
What does it take to prepare for University interviews?
As with any interview, there are a few ways to prepare. It’s best to do some research so you know what questions the university interviewer is likely to ask. These can range from the usual “Walk me through your resume?” or “Where do you see yourself in five years?” to more targeted questions about why you want to study at that particular university. Be prepared for these types of queries and keep in mind what types of answers the interviewer would like to hear.
Make sure that you go into each university interview knowing yourself because understanding your strengths and weaknesses is key when answering questions about your academic prowess and extracurricular involvement. Candidates who seem unaware of their own skillset or don’t understand their reasons for wanting admission may not be appealing candidates. If being asked about your weaknesses, use the STAR technique (situation, task, action, result). This will help paint a picture of how you overcame challenges or obstacles during high school—a process that definitely shows maturity and responsibility!
Some people find it helpful to bring a list of questions they have for the interviewer as well; these can cover topics from common dilemmas faced by new students at that university (such as housing options) to more involved concerns such as whether there are support groups for students with special needs.
The importance of knowing your prospective uni’s history
Choosing the right university to attend is a major decision, and it is important to think carefully about many different factors. You will want to consider things such as where the school is located, what kind of programs it offers, how much tuition costs, and how easy or hard it will be for you to get in. Knowing more about these factors will enable you to evaluate your uni’s actual value before you invest your time and money in its programs.
Knowing your uni’s history also helps you understand how it got to where it is today and who helped make it that way. This will allow you to better understand the culture and values of your prospective institution, which will help you engage with it more fully when you become part of its community.
In addition, you can’t fall in love with a place without understanding its past: who it was founded by and why, how it evolved over time, who were its most distinguished graduates — you get the picture. It is like going on a date with someone without knowing anything about them.
And since sports is one such factor that can determine your love for your prospective uni, let’s take a look at some sports that were born in educational institutes. Keep reading; you might just find yours on the list.
Basketball, Springfield University
While many sports were invented before the turn of the century, basketball is one of the few exceptions. In 1891, James Naismith, a professor at Springfield College in Massachusetts in the USA wanted to find something that students could play indoors during the winter months. He came up with a game that used peach baskets as goals and soccer balls. Soon after he invented it, Naismith published a set of thirteen rules for his new game and sent copies of them on to Harvard University and other nearby schools.
Today, basketball is played all over the world by millions of people both young and old. It is an Olympic sport, which means that every four years athletes from all over the world compete in it during an international competition, making it one of the world’s most prestigious sports. tunai4d
Polo, Oxford University
Ok so Polo wasn’t exactly born out of Oxford, in fact the sport itself was first played in Persia. That being said, the Russel Group institution is well known for this upper-class sport.
Often referred to a the Oxford University Polo Club, while the campus isn’t equipped with stables, students can go to nearby locations to pick up the sport. Founded in 1874, Oxford is one of the oldest polo clubs worldwide and enters into an annual varsity match against Cambridge University Polo Club.
Ice hockey, King’s College
You may have heard that ice hockey was invented by Canadian students at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario in 1855. Well, it is true! The first organised game of ice hockey was played on Kingston Bay on February 3, 1855. There were no official rules for the match but there were two teams (from King’s College and the Royal Military College of Canada) and each team had nine players on either side.
The first officially recorded game of ice hockey was played by students at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec March 3, 1875. But it wasn’t until three years later that a student from King’s gave the sport its very first set of written rules we could recognise as similar to today’s game.
Known as “Hockey: Canada’s Royal Winter Game”, those rules included an 11-man team with a goalie and three 20-minute periods – not much different than today’s game!
The first college league was formed by King’s College in 1883 and included four teams: Queen’s (name changed to Golden Gaels), RMC Paladins (formed 1861,) Royal Naval College Varsity Blues (closed in 1910) and Osgoode Hall Law School (no longer has sports teams.)
As a fresher, you must be well-versed with the ins and outs of your University.
Being a fresher can be daunting, but knowing your prospective uni’s history, achievements, programs, courses offered, faculty members, student groups, etc., can make the experience a little less intimidating.
Do your homework on what the university offers outside of teaching too — from sporting facilities to student societies — and work out which bits are particularly relevant to your interests so that you can ask questions about them during the interview.
Prepare a list of questions that you want to ask during this conversation and make sure you practice them before your interview date arrives. Make sure you don’t forget any information or feedback that you want to share with them either because this is one of the most important parts of an interview – it shows that you are genuinely interested in attending this institution when the time comes! bundlenews
