Student in Spotlight: Zuhayr

Zuhayr, a Year 12 student at Cherwell College Oxford, he reads A-Level Maths, Biology and Chemistry, and aspires to a career in Medicine. Being an active participant and contributor of the student-led Science & Research Club at Cherwell College Oxford, he also serves as the Activities Prefect within the College and works closely with the Activities Coordinator in arranging a balanced term card for the student cohort, incorporating elements of sporting and cultural activities during term time. 

In a brief report, he reflects on his role as the Activities Prefect and also talks about things in general and what it takes juggling different responsibilities!

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Activities Prefect role sounds like quite an easy job but only on the surface. As I progressed into the role, it became evident that I needed to improve my organisational skills  to manage my academic and extra-curricular responsibilities. The responsibilities which came with the role showed me that I need to become more structured in execution of my duties and also increasingly aware of the needs of the student cohort. The role showed me what it means to be responsible, as I have slowly transitioned into the role and embraced my new responsibilities. 

I have also learned that leading by example is a key factor and that I need to make sure that I’m a good example myself! The responsibility factor of the Prefect role is a lot bigger than one would assume. I need to make sure that I am aware of all of the students in the College who are supposed to attend a set activity, and also disseminate information about activities via posters etc. I understood that having a good communication system would be very important for this kind of task, so I made sure to let everyone know of the activities I was doing to ensure everything runs smoothly.

By virtue of studying science subjects, such as Chemistry and Biology, I’m also a member of the Science & Research Club, which meets weekly and discusses ideas, current trends, and how science meets modern technology. We are sometimes challenged to come up with an innovative idea during such meetings, and I have thought of many different areas where science can be aided by modern technology. 

One of them is simple but can be regarded as a ‘time-saving machine’ that helps surgeons to become sanitised quickly, and efficiently. Before surgeons perform surgery, their hands and arms must be completely sanitised and because of this, they must go through a rigorous hand washing process up to three times. Moreover, if they accidentally touch anything, they need to do it all over again. A machine designed to completely sanitise their hands and scrape through their nails would be a perfect addition to save time and make sure that sanitisation has been achieved in an effective and efficient manner. I aspire to become a medical professional in the future and because of this, I am on a lookout for things which are time-consuming or troublesome and may benefit from a different approach or an innovative idea. 

I do have a very high interest in the sciences like Biology and Chemistry. However, I am aware that many students struggle with understanding parts of the theory and learning key words as I was one of those students. My learning became a lot tougher because of this and it impacted my overall studies. I am planning to start a Science Study Club to help any student struggling with any topics. I feel it is extremely important to make sure my fellow peers are doing as best as possible, and help them out in topics which can be strenuous. In my eyes, it is one of the best ways to help!