This month thousands of undergraduates and postgraduates will be returning to their old schools as part of Back to School Week, a project run by the social mobility trust, Future First.

Alex Shapland-Howes, Managing Director of Future First, says that “more than 39 per cent of state school students don’t know anyone in a job they would like to do.” With many lacking a clear sense of direction, the initiative aims to provide relatable role models so they become “motivated to succeed in the working world”.

Over 50,000 students across the country have already signed up to their school alumni networks. They are involved in workshops and discussions with younger students from their previous schools, sharing experiences of university and work to encourage students to think about career possibilities and how the subjects they are studying may benefit them.

Cambridge alumni and students are no different at getting involved to improve access. Sarah Arnold, a former Biological Sciences student at Cambridge and now a research fellow of the Natural Resources Institute at Greenwich, described using her experience of the practical application of Maths to the case of a Caribbean farmer to demonstrate the relevance of the subject: “I hope that by using a case of a real person and a real problem (where solving the problem results in more chocolate as Jude is a cocoa farmer!), it could bring some additional appeal to students.”

Understanding how the subjects they study relate to degrees and careers helps motivate students and cultivate ambition. Arnold encourages them to “be aware of how different choices can open and close doors for you – for example, a maths A-level will open more options to you and make sciences at university much, much easier.”

As access and diversity remain key issues for Oxbridge, there are hopes that the project may present the universities as a more realistic possibility for state school students.

“Like many, I think the students assumed that the interviews would be impossibly hard,” says current History undergraduate Daisy Stevens, describing her role in facing the “inevitable” challenges and misconceptions that surround Oxbridge at her former school, Tendring Technology College. “They had questions about interview horror stories and myths. It’s important to dispel these myths so the students regard Oxbridge as a more achievable target.”

As a former student, Stevens believes that she is “in a good position to dispel any preconceptions, because I have been in their exact position and have gotten to Cambridge.”

There is, however, still scope for the project to develop. Both women advocate closer connections between current and prospective undergraduates, including one-on-one discussions and visits to Cambridge colleges.

If you would like to learn more about going back to school, please visit https://networks.futurefirst.org.uk.