From a pre-A2 History of Art student

I first heard about this course from an old History of Art teacher at my school. Planning to apply to university with this subject, I thought it would be a great course to do during the summer, with exposure to art in-situ - something I would have never been able to do in the classroom.

This whirlwind tour of the greatest (artistic) hits of Venice, Florence and Rome was probably one of the most exciting trips I'd even been on, also confirming History of Art was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. There's something wonderful about seeing a work you've studied in lessons in the flesh (or should I say canvas/marble?), it makes you realise that it isn't simply a grouping of facts you need to learn for your exam, but an actual image with a message that has influenced masses of people over the years. Furthermore, the content of the course is what is in my A2 syllabus, so this helps me consolidate the information for my exams.

I go to boarding school so independence isn't a new concept to me, but this course also helped me develop other skills. I decided to budget my meals (just for the fun of it) and ended up very successful - definitely something I'll put to use in uni! As a person with very bad navigation skills, all the free time we had in foreign cities meant I was going to have to work something out and in the end I'll say I did pretty well in not getting completely lost.

Best of all, the people I've met have made such a huge impact. The tutors were wonderful and I made such good friends. I know it may sound cheesy, but you may meet some of your closest friends on this trip and the memories I've made with them will most likely stay with me for life.

So if you're up for great art, food and company, I'd definitely ask you to check AHA out - I certainly do not regret doing so.