Mid-IB at a glance

    The summer vacation is the time to strengthen your learning and prepare for the year ahead. In July and August Oxford Study Courses will once again hold its Mid-IB Summer School for students half way through their IB Diploma（国际预科证书）.

    We'll be back giving another generation of IB students a unique opportunity to sample a way of life enjoyed by students at famous universities.

    Students who have completed the first year of their IB Diploma can join us and we can help them prepare for their important second year.

    Students can choose how many subjects they study. Each subject is studied for one week. You can attend up to 5 weeks.

    The Mid-IB Summer School is held at Cambridge University in the UK （between June 20th and August 1 st） and at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology （MIT）in Boston, USA （between July 6th and July 25th）.

Student comments

◆ “The classes have shown me new approaches to learning. I have also learned how to approach exam questions and now feel confident in doing so.”

◆ “It was cool creating tight and close relationships with other students from around the world, realizing we all had a connection to each other.”

◆ “I really enjoyed the level of independence, although I felt like people were watching out for us. I also felt like an Oxford student!”

◆ “I have enjoyed the learning style and the course work has been extremely beneficial academically.”

Enjoy the summer

    Our Summer School gives you an action-packed social scene with visits to the fun places in the area, organized sports and social events, and advice on how to enjoy your free time in these amazing cities with your new friends. Welcome to contact us at ose@ose-ib.com or on +44（0）1865 521802!

    In no particular order, here are some songs on the Music app of my phone:

On a Sunday Afternoon by Lighter Shade of Brown—A student of mine introduced this rap song lo me all the way back in the early 1990s, when 1 was teaching Spanish at a local university. The story in the song takes place not too far from where I live in Los Angeles. It's a good "driving" song, nothing complicated or "deep".

    Say Something by A Great Big World—A more recent song about a couple losing contact with each other. The piano part is very little playing but beautiful.

    American Pie by Don McLean—Another song from my youth in the 80s, very popular with almost every American of my generation. It retells some of the key events of the middle 20th century, a song of happy memories of the past and wanting to return to those better times.

    The Weight by The Band—Another old song, originally made public in 1968, but one I didn't hear until I was in high school more than 10 years later. I don't understand the words to the song completely, but the feeling of the song is very comforting to me.

Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers—This Los Angeles group wrote a song that 1 used to listen to when I first moved to LA more than 25 years ago. I didn't know anyone here when I first arrived. When I got bored, I used to drive up and down the major streets that cross the city from east to west, listening to this song about the "city of angel" being as "lonely as I am. (Don t worry! I have plenty of friends now.)

Festivals in Wales this spring

    There's lots to see, do and experience in Wales this spring. And now it's time to embrace all things new and get ready to be entertained in the spring, come rain or shine.

    Wrexham, 10-12 May

    The annual festival showcases over 200 acts consisting of music, comedy, film and more. Since its opening event in 2011, Focus Wales has done a lot for emerging（新兴的）musicians across the country, and 2018 sees Welsh Music Prize winner The Gentle Good and Y Selar Best Band winners. Candelas, take the stage.

    Aberystwyth, 19-29 May

    Whether you prefer Hill Climbs or Sportives, the AberCycle Festival allows you to take all of it in from the saddle（鞍）of a bike, enjoying the world's most beautiful scenery. However, all work and no play makes us all dull boys and girls, so while you're in town be sure to pop in to one or two of the plenty of pubs in Aber（as the locals call it）for a nice, cold pint of Brains beer. You'll need it after all that cycling!

    Hay on Wye, 25-28 May

    The world's biggest music and philosophy festival returns in 2018 with its unique mix of tunes, talks and trapeze（吊杠）（yes, there are even circus performers!） Based in the magical surroundings of Hay on Wye, this four day festival takes place at the end of May and is perfect for everyone who likes a side of intellectualism（理智主义）with their traditional festival experience.

Lawrenny, 25-28 May

    In late May in the heart of the Pembrokeshire National Park, the Big Retreat Wales takes place. Essentially the festival is about wellness, but it's also so much more than that. Join in this May for four days of “fed good”, leaving your usual routine behind and diving into a delightful mix of workshops, activities, music and sustainable food produce.

    A walk through the galleries of Quebec's Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) places individuals face-to-face with some 43,000 artworks ranging from Chinese ceramics(陶瓷制品) to Inuit sculpture.

    While the visiting is an incredible cultural experience, a group of local physicians will soon be able to prescribe(开处方) museum visits as treatment for some illnesses.

"We know that art contributes to neural(神经的) activity," said MMFA director Nathalie Bondil. "What we see is that being in contact with art can really help your well-being."

Hélène Boyer, vice president of a Montreal-based medical association, explains that museum visits have been shown to increase levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter(神经传导物质) known as the "happy chemical" which helps to lift mood.

    According to Boyer, the small increase in hormones(荷尔蒙)associated with enjoying an afternoon of art is similar to that offered by exercise, making museum prescriptions ideal for the elderly experiencing pain that prevents them from regularly joining in physical activity.

    The museum visits are designed to improve traditional methods. As Bondil notes, spending time in a peaceful environment can provide a welcome distraction. "What is most important is this experience can help them escape from their own pain," she says. "When you enter the museum, you escape from the speed of our daily life."

    "I am convinced that in the 21st century, culture will be what physical activity was for health in the 20th century," said Bondil. "Some people would do well to recall that just in the 19^th century, sports were believed to do harm to the body. Just as doctors now prescribe exercise, they will be able to prescribe a visit to the MMFA."

    Sit down, close your eyes and relax. Think about your childhood and the memories you created. What was your favorite childhood memory and what was your favorite as a child? Or what your favorite Christmas present or your favorite candy bar when growing up? Answers may come easily for some people but for others, it may take more time to think about.

    Mary Jo McCarthy of Pequot Lakes wants to help others document their childhood memories which could be treasured by current families and for generations to come. McCarthy, 64, a short story author and retired columnist (专栏作家) for the Lake Country Echo weekly newspaper, began hosting a writing seminar (研讨班) titled "A Time to Remember". The closes are limited to 12 people and are conducted in the nursery at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Nisswa and the registration fee is $25.

    McCarthy said what led her to start the writing seminars was writing others' biographies(传记). A retired businessman asked her to write his biography as a ghost writer. She said others from her church in Pequot Lakes had also asked her to write their biographies because they didn't know how to write them. She thought hosting a class to help people write their own biographies would be more beneficial to them.

    McCarthy said people had busy lifestyles those days and didn't have a chance to sit down and write down their memories that they might forget and never remember. She said writing down the memories would document the person's life, so other family members, especially future generations would be able to read about them.