When it comes to getting a place at university there are three key areas you need to focus on outside of your studies, these are the application process, your personal statement and student finance. Guidance on each of these areas can be found below.
Open Days
How do you decide which university you want to attend? There's only so much a prospectus and website can do to show you what university life is like at each institution - this is where Open Days fill the gap! Open Days are events hosted by universities to show you the facilities, let you meet current students and staff, and also to get a feel of the space and campus. A complete database of upcoming open days can be found on the Open Days website here.
UCAS Exhibitions
UCAS Exhibitions are events that take over 100 universities, colleges and apprenticeship employers, and put them all in one space for you to interact with. The events give you the opportunity to ask about different options and pathways, listen to live expert talks and get the latest advice and information on different career choices. To see when a UCAS Exhibition is coming somewhere close by, or to sign up for an online session you can look on their website here.
Jargon Buster
Jargon is a selection of words or expressions used by professionals in a certain group that are difficult to understand if you are outside the group. You might find that some of the wording used by universities is confusing or unclear - and this is okay! This resource helps you to understand exactly what higher education establishments are trying to communicate. You can find the resource here.
Personal Statements
Your personal statement is the part of your application that shows personality, passion and drive to the universities you apply to, it is an integral part of your application but also perhaps also the most challenging. We have found two resources to give you some support in writing your personal statement, the first is from Loughborough University and can be found here, the other is from UCAS and can be found here.
Student Finance
The world of student finance isn't the easiest to navigate for someone unfamiliar with it, this resource will help you to gain a better understanding of what you can borrow, what you will need to pay back and when you will need to pay it back. You can find the resource here.
