Those who join us will undertake a broad range of leadership training, from military skills to adventurous pursuits, presentational skills to survival techniques, and fitness training to marksmanship. There is no obligation to join the Army, although about 20% of Officer Cadets join the Army afterwards.
 

Military Training

In the first year, cadets complete the Military Leadership Development programme Level 1 (MLDP1), which is equivalent to a soldier's basic training. It's an exciting and challenging year, and is a world away
from university studies.

The instructors are Regular and Territorial Army (TA) Officers and soldiers, and experienced Officer Cadets. On training nights (Tuesdays 7-9pm) cadets learn the skills needed to take part in the weekend
exercises. There is usually one weekend exercise per month. They are challenging mentally, physically or both - but always fun.

Towards the end of the second term, a final training exercise puts all the newly-learned skills to the test. This is probably the most arduous of the first year exercises - cadets are thrown into an array of situations from casualty evacuation to attacking an enemy position.

Annual camp is a two-week exercise in the summer holidays and is the culmination of the year's training. The 2009 camp was in Folkestone - the first week being spent brushing up old skills and being taught new ones - before 3 days of live firing, predominantly on urban ranges. There was also battlefield tour to Dunkirk. The second week saw the cadets deploying into the Army's urban training village and then farmhouses which represented 'forward operating bases'. Students faced a range of problems, from trying to win the 'hearts and minds' of the locals to responding to attacks on their bases, riots and detaining insurgent commanders.
 

Adventurous Training

In the first year, cadets can expect to conduct a one week adventurous training expedition, probably within the UK. In subsequent years, adventurous training exercises are more arduous, and more likely to be
abroad.

Previous expeditions have taken students scuba diving in the Red Sea, skiing in the Alps, and even jumping out of a plane in Canada.
 

Social Life

ULOTC organises a wide range of social activities, from a formal Annual Dinner, to less formal Company and Platoon dinners; a formal Annual Cocktail party; as well as informal evenings - and of course the
bar is open after all training.