Finding Our Flow: Rockley College Year 1 Students Reflect on Their First Term
Real voices from our first-year students as they dive into life, learning, and adventure at Rockley College.
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For Helena, the decision to join Rockley College was made long before she filled out an application form. She first discovered Rockley in Year 9 at a sailing careers event, the kind of event that opens your eyes to what’s possible beyond the classroom.
“It sounded way too good to be true,” she remembers. But when she visited the college the following year, everything clicked.
There, at an open event, she met Freya, another sailor with the same spark of excitement for what Rockley offered. The two exchanged Snapchats, kept talking, and soon realised they were on the same path.
“I only applied for Rockley,” Helena laughs. “It was my only choice.”
Discovering a College That Feels Nothing Like School
Helena loves the practical side of the Outdoor Adventure programme. With two full practical days each week, her college “classroom” ranges from beaches to woodlands to bike trails.
“Being on the beach on a Wednesday or Thursday… it doesn’t feel like college,” she says.
She loves the sense of community too.
“Everyone bonds really quickly. We’re all friends with everyone.”
It’s a small year group, which means teachers know each student personally. One instructor learned all their names on the first day, a small thing, but meaningful.
Trying New Sports, Building Confidence
Although Helena arrived as a sailor, she’s discovered a whole new side of outdoor sport.
This year’s unexpected favourite? Mountain biking.
She admits she wasn’t sure at first, but it quickly became a highlight of the course.
Looking Ahead: A Future at Sea
Helena already has a clear vision for where she’s headed.
First, she wants to become a watersports instructor, and then build her career toward working as a deckhand on yachts.
Her confidence in that path is strong, and Rockley is her launching point.
Her Advice to Younger Students
“Don’t stress about exams. They aren’t everything.”
She spent most of Year 11 revising because she was determined to get into Rockley, and she did.
Now, she’s living the college experience she dreamed of: outdoors, active, connected, and full of opportunity.