Hello!
Sorry I haven't posted in a bit, I broke up from school on Wednesday and now its only 4 days until Christmas! I've been wrapping presents and sorting out all of my revision from last year as well as finishing drafting coursework and doing homework.
If you haven't sent off your UCAS application yet, there's still time, but remember that the deadline is January 15th! Also, there was a post on UCAS's blog that applications will be processed if you send it off over the holidays. It was also tweeted on Twitter, if you want to follow them - @ucas_online . Although, I doubt any offers will be given out as most Universities will have their Christmas break too. Here's a link from UCAS about their policies over the holiday - http://ucasonline.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/5-essential-things-to-know-about-your.html
Good luck to those who have modules in January and don't forget to revise over your break! I have 6 in mid to late January, so revision is unavoidable. Most of them are resits from AS which I am doing to ensure I get the grades I need come August to meet my offers... hopefully! I still have no idea what to firm and insure and I think I will see how January goes as the deadline for replying to offers isn't until 8th May - plenty of time!
Good luck and have a great Christmas break! Remember to have a little fun as well as revising for exams. Merry Christmas :)
Talk soon,
Clara
Friday 21 December 2012
Sunday 16 December 2012
The Wait for News
I sent my UCAS off on 12th
November, not thinking that I would hear anything back for a long time.
It differs for different Universities and different departments - those who interview will usually contact their applicants earlier. Some will not give out offers until after January - cue a lot of checking UCAS Track and worrying! If you are in this position, remember that no news is good news! Unless you have a rejection, you have no idea what the admissions staff at your chosen Universities are doing... You may be short-listed or the department are simply not going to make a decision until later. Don't worry! You will definitely hear back soon.
Also, some courses will not give out acknowledgement emails. I only got one email acknowledging that the University had my application and one letter with a 'guide for applicants' from another.
After I sent my application, I logged on to track - you can do this with your 'personal reference' number (type it in with no dashes), your username and password that you logged into UCAS Apply with. Remember that you do not have to log into this - check your emails regularly, but not all the time and UCAS send an email when your application changes in any way.
I got my final offer on 29th November, a little over two weeks after I sent it. It was my 'wild card' choice and the one that I had a feeling I would get a rejection from! One of my courses gave me an offer through the post and Track was updated a few days later.
As of now, I have no idea what courses I want to firm and make an insurance choice. Early next year I have applicant days for all of my courses, which I hope will make my decision easier!
TL;DR - If you are waiting for replies from your chosen Universities - don't worry. They will come! Some will take longer, some quicker, some won't even look at applications until after the January deadline. Keep focusing on your work - especially if you have January exams!
Talk soon,
Clara
It differs for different Universities and different departments - those who interview will usually contact their applicants earlier. Some will not give out offers until after January - cue a lot of checking UCAS Track and worrying! If you are in this position, remember that no news is good news! Unless you have a rejection, you have no idea what the admissions staff at your chosen Universities are doing... You may be short-listed or the department are simply not going to make a decision until later. Don't worry! You will definitely hear back soon.
Also, some courses will not give out acknowledgement emails. I only got one email acknowledging that the University had my application and one letter with a 'guide for applicants' from another.
After I sent my application, I logged on to track - you can do this with your 'personal reference' number (type it in with no dashes), your username and password that you logged into UCAS Apply with. Remember that you do not have to log into this - check your emails regularly, but not all the time and UCAS send an email when your application changes in any way.
I got my final offer on 29th November, a little over two weeks after I sent it. It was my 'wild card' choice and the one that I had a feeling I would get a rejection from! One of my courses gave me an offer through the post and Track was updated a few days later.
As of now, I have no idea what courses I want to firm and make an insurance choice. Early next year I have applicant days for all of my courses, which I hope will make my decision easier!
TL;DR - If you are waiting for replies from your chosen Universities - don't worry. They will come! Some will take longer, some quicker, some won't even look at applications until after the January deadline. Keep focusing on your work - especially if you have January exams!
Talk soon,
Clara
Wednesday 12 December 2012
10 Tips to Survive A Levels
1. Do not procrastinate. Try to get homework done on the day you get it, rather than leaving it until 10pm on the night before its due in.
2. Do not spend hours on Facebook when you should be writing an essay or doing homework! If you spend too much time online, do not switch your laptop/computer on if you don't need it, or block certain websites!
3. Work in your free (*cough* study! *cough*) periods.
4. Pick subjects you enjoy and find interesting, or else you will not want to do the work!
5. January mocks are important in Year 12. Work your socks off so you don't need to resit in June!
6. If you are doing an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) do not leave it until the last minute! Settle on an idea fast and do your research, then you will have time to write it all up.
7. Volunteer work/ work experience is a good idea, especially in Year 12. Not only is a great experience, it will also look good on your UCAS form!
8. Try to draft your Personal Statement early - after your AS June exams is a good time. It can take a long time to cut it down on UCAS Apply (trust me, I've been there!) and drafting it early, when you are not stressing about A2 work, makes life easier.
9. Get help from your teachers if you need it. Don't struggle with understanding the work and ask if what you can do to get the grade you want!
10. Don't panic. Try to stay on top of work, but leave time out too! You're only human - have breaks between work and have fun!
If anyone has any other tips, I would love to hear them! Comment below,
Clara
2. Do not spend hours on Facebook when you should be writing an essay or doing homework! If you spend too much time online, do not switch your laptop/computer on if you don't need it, or block certain websites!
3. Work in your free (*cough* study! *cough*) periods.
4. Pick subjects you enjoy and find interesting, or else you will not want to do the work!
5. January mocks are important in Year 12. Work your socks off so you don't need to resit in June!
6. If you are doing an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) do not leave it until the last minute! Settle on an idea fast and do your research, then you will have time to write it all up.
7. Volunteer work/ work experience is a good idea, especially in Year 12. Not only is a great experience, it will also look good on your UCAS form!
8. Try to draft your Personal Statement early - after your AS June exams is a good time. It can take a long time to cut it down on UCAS Apply (trust me, I've been there!) and drafting it early, when you are not stressing about A2 work, makes life easier.
9. Get help from your teachers if you need it. Don't struggle with understanding the work and ask if what you can do to get the grade you want!
10. Don't panic. Try to stay on top of work, but leave time out too! You're only human - have breaks between work and have fun!
If anyone has any other tips, I would love to hear them! Comment below,
Clara
Tuesday 11 December 2012
Choosing a University to Apply To/ Open Days
Hello!
As you may have noticed from the title, I wanted to write a post on how to choose a University to apply to. After you have decided on which course you plan on studying, the next hill to climb is choosing the University. After all, you will be studying there for three plus years, so you need to gather as much information on it as you can! I know, as a prospective student, I am not the person to ask about how Uni/student life is, but I wanted to share how I went about looking at Universities, and how I decided on where to apply to.
The biggest factors that influenced my choice were the course modules, my 'feel' about the University, student life and distance from home. I wanted to choose a University that wasn't too far from home, but far enough so I can gain independence while studying. The biggest factor, for me, was the course (see my previous post) I wanted to make sure that I would be interested in what I was studying, so the modules on offer were an important area in the decision making process.
Next, I looked at the University itself. At first, I was after a campus University, in a city centre with accommodation near the Uni. However, visits to Open Days soon swayed my mind. I like the idea of living in a busy city, as I live in a quiet village myself, and I wanted a University that was big enough to offer a range of societies and student events. I looked at prospectuses, Uni. websites, The Student Room and Unistats which gives information from the Student Satisfaction Survey.
After I found Universities that I was interested in, I went on their Open Days. I must have gone on around 7 or 8 visit days and 2 that I simply visited when I was in the city. Open Days started in June or July 2012 (I would imagine they would the same for 2014 entry) but there were some in September to November of 2012 too, which is useful as you will have had your AS grades then! I found the days to be a real help when choosing as they give you the 'feel' for the University. It was also helpful when looking at the courses as you can attend subject talks too - some were a lot better than others! Open Days also offer you an opportunity to go on campus and accommodation tours which was also very useful.
For myself, I visited York University's Open Day, thinking that it would be a real contender. I liked the idea of a campus University; I liked the location and the course too. However, I soon realised it wasn't for me - the campus was not in the city centre, the Economics talk did not inspire me and I wasn't in love with the accommodation. I want to stress that this is my opinion, it is have a lovely setting and the 'collegiate' system - often compared to an Oxbridge set-up - will suit some and the course was good, but a little too much Maths!
I think that is it for now - I can't think of anything else to add. Feel free to comment and ask any questions about the application process, UCAS etc!
Clara
As you may have noticed from the title, I wanted to write a post on how to choose a University to apply to. After you have decided on which course you plan on studying, the next hill to climb is choosing the University. After all, you will be studying there for three plus years, so you need to gather as much information on it as you can! I know, as a prospective student, I am not the person to ask about how Uni/student life is, but I wanted to share how I went about looking at Universities, and how I decided on where to apply to.
The biggest factors that influenced my choice were the course modules, my 'feel' about the University, student life and distance from home. I wanted to choose a University that wasn't too far from home, but far enough so I can gain independence while studying. The biggest factor, for me, was the course (see my previous post) I wanted to make sure that I would be interested in what I was studying, so the modules on offer were an important area in the decision making process.
Next, I looked at the University itself. At first, I was after a campus University, in a city centre with accommodation near the Uni. However, visits to Open Days soon swayed my mind. I like the idea of living in a busy city, as I live in a quiet village myself, and I wanted a University that was big enough to offer a range of societies and student events. I looked at prospectuses, Uni. websites, The Student Room and Unistats which gives information from the Student Satisfaction Survey.
After I found Universities that I was interested in, I went on their Open Days. I must have gone on around 7 or 8 visit days and 2 that I simply visited when I was in the city. Open Days started in June or July 2012 (I would imagine they would the same for 2014 entry) but there were some in September to November of 2012 too, which is useful as you will have had your AS grades then! I found the days to be a real help when choosing as they give you the 'feel' for the University. It was also helpful when looking at the courses as you can attend subject talks too - some were a lot better than others! Open Days also offer you an opportunity to go on campus and accommodation tours which was also very useful.
For myself, I visited York University's Open Day, thinking that it would be a real contender. I liked the idea of a campus University; I liked the location and the course too. However, I soon realised it wasn't for me - the campus was not in the city centre, the Economics talk did not inspire me and I wasn't in love with the accommodation. I want to stress that this is my opinion, it is have a lovely setting and the 'collegiate' system - often compared to an Oxbridge set-up - will suit some and the course was good, but a little too much Maths!
I think that is it for now - I can't think of anything else to add. Feel free to comment and ask any questions about the application process, UCAS etc!
Clara
Monday 10 December 2012
Choosing a Course
Hello again!
I wanted to start my blog off by taking you through
my thought process of how I settled on the courses I applied to, which is a mix
of Economics and History. First of all, I was set on doing Economics but then I
discovered I can combine Economics and History and I was sold! Economics was a
new subject for me when I started my AS Levels but History was a subject I have
enjoyed throughout my schooling and the two together seems to be a perfect
combination! A degree, I hope, will stand me in good stead for a graduate job,
as it will raise my marginal product revenue (a little Economics!) or my level
of skills. I hope a degree will make me more employable and so I'm hopefully
off to University next September!
My advice to anyone looking into courses at
University, is firstly, don't feel pressured into it. At the end of the day,
going to University is not going to be for everyone and, especially as the cost
of studying is now so great - a blog post on Student Finance will come much
later! - you need to be prepared to study hard. I've heard so many times that
going to University is not for the amazing student life and experience, but you
go for the education and the opportunity to come out with a degree. Do not feel
that just because your friends are going, or your school or family expects you
to study at University, that you need to. I will link a web page from The
Student Room here that writes about alternatives to going to
University.
I went about choosing the subjects I have applied
for by looking into different courses, the course content and researching
around studying a certain subject. I found The Student
Room forum to be particularly useful when looking at courses. There
are forums on the website where students discuss their courses, University, student
life and the application process in great depth. By looking at what real
student write, you can decide on a subject area that interests you.
Looking on sites such as Unistats
you can search how students on the courses rate them; along with the University
league tables (such as those from 'The Guardian' or 'The Times') which involve
graduate employment rates, student satisfaction and the like. However, I didn't
pay a whole lot of attention to league tables... For Economics and History,
there were very few Universities that offered the two subjects together in
Universities that I would be interested in studying at - but we'll get on to
looking at Universities later on!
Once you have decided on a subject, looking at
individual University's course structure and modules on offer is another thing
to look at. I found Universities varied hugely on their course content and,
especially in History, the modules on offer were very different. It pays to
search what you can study - some modules will not interest you at all and some
will. As I have studied the Nazi's rise to power and World War II about four
times at school, I wanted a change at University. I looked into courses that
offered modules that I hadn't studied before, such as American History or even
course structure that was very flexible. Some Universities allow you to study
different electives, like a language, alongside your degree, so this may be
something to look into.
The way Universities test their students will also
vary. Some focus more on examinations, some on course work, group work or
presentations. I think almost all of the Universities I applied to focus more
on examinations and presentations, but this will be different for all courses
and Universities. In the final year, some Universities mark students on their
dissertations, but for some, a dissertation is not compulsory. This information
will be found in prospectuses, on the University/UCAS web site or on Open Days.
The next thing to look at when choosing a course is
the course requirements. As a UK applicant, I study A Levels and offers for my
course were given in grades for my subjects or in points which was also based
on grades. A big thing to look into is what some courses require from their
applicants. Some will need certain subjects to be studied and all will need
their applicants to have (or be able to have) certain grades or points. For
example, I needed to have studied A Level History for some courses and for some
Economics courses, Maths A Level was needed. I could not apply to these
Economics courses, as I only have an AS in Maths. Course requirements will be
on University's websites or in their prospectuses (is that plural correct?!),
alternatively you could go onto UCAS's Course
Search were the requirements are stated.
Research will definitely be involved! The internet
was my main source - UCAS's page is very useful for course requirements, as is
Universities own websites. I also ordered a lot of prospectuses! For
2013 entry, prospectuses came out around May/June if I remember correctly and
they can be viewed online or ordered by post. I would image those applying for
2014 entry; prospectuses will come out in May/June of 2013. My Sixth Form also
has a large collection to look at, so it may be an idea to ask at your
school/college too. I think I must have one from almost every University in the
country! Or at least on from every city!
TL;DR - Going to University is a long process and
is a minimum of three years to dedicate to a chosen field, so look at what you
enjoy and what you find interesting and if you then want to carry this on to
University, start looking into courses. Some careers will need a degree, such as
medicine, but others will be more varied. Don't feel pressured by your peers,
parents or your school - go for yourself, after all, you will be studying
there!
Thank you for reading,
Clara
P.S. I want to also recommend The Student
Room website to anyone, from GCSE to A Level and beyond, it has really useful
information on exams, help on revision, guides to Universities to general
advice forums. Some also share their news on their applications, such as
offers, rejections and interviews which is also interesting!
Update - 10/12/2012
Hello!
So, it has been a very long time since I last updated - almost two months ago! - as I wanted my first post on the UCAS Blog site (UCAS Connect Blog site) to be my first post on here. Without further ado, a lot has changed with my UCAS application...
First of all, I have finished my Personal Statement, filled in UCAS apply and sent my application off. I have also recieved all five of my offers (which was a huge, but nevertheless an amazing, surprise!) and I am now in the process of revising for January modules and looking at University application days for my chosen courses. I was not expecting all five choices - one in particular was definitely a 'wild card' choice, but I loved the course and University so I went for it! Unfortunetly, the offer is one grade more than my predicted grades, so I'm in the predicament of firming it and hoping and praying that I make the offer come August, or chosing from my other four as to which one to firm.
In some ways, having all five choices is amazing (as said in my last post - at least I know some University wants me!) but it also means there will be a lot of tough decisions that needs to be made between now and 8th May, which is when I have to decide my 'firm' and 'insurance' choices on UCAS Track.
My thoughts on this blog is to go through the whole UCAS application process and write about my experience and any advice I have for any potential applicants. I plan to write right from the start - chosing a course and Universities, to visiting Open Days, writing a Personal Statement, filling in the UCAS Apply page and, then, offers and what ever lies ahead!
Thank you for reading!
Clara
So, it has been a very long time since I last updated - almost two months ago! - as I wanted my first post on the UCAS Blog site (UCAS Connect Blog site) to be my first post on here. Without further ado, a lot has changed with my UCAS application...
First of all, I have finished my Personal Statement, filled in UCAS apply and sent my application off. I have also recieved all five of my offers (which was a huge, but nevertheless an amazing, surprise!) and I am now in the process of revising for January modules and looking at University application days for my chosen courses. I was not expecting all five choices - one in particular was definitely a 'wild card' choice, but I loved the course and University so I went for it! Unfortunetly, the offer is one grade more than my predicted grades, so I'm in the predicament of firming it and hoping and praying that I make the offer come August, or chosing from my other four as to which one to firm.
In some ways, having all five choices is amazing (as said in my last post - at least I know some University wants me!) but it also means there will be a lot of tough decisions that needs to be made between now and 8th May, which is when I have to decide my 'firm' and 'insurance' choices on UCAS Track.
My thoughts on this blog is to go through the whole UCAS application process and write about my experience and any advice I have for any potential applicants. I plan to write right from the start - chosing a course and Universities, to visiting Open Days, writing a Personal Statement, filling in the UCAS Apply page and, then, offers and what ever lies ahead!
Thank you for reading!
Clara
Tuesday 30 October 2012
The Beginnning
Welcome to my journey to University! To be honest, I still
cannot believe that I’m actually applying and, hopefully, next September I’ll
be living away from home, studying in a new city, meeting new people, and, ultimately
getting a degree. So here’s my blog and I’ll be sharing with you all the
process of choosing a degree and then choosing a University and of course,
applying through UCAS.
My name’s Clara and I am currently studying A Levels in
History, Economics and English Literature. I’m applying for a mix of Economics
and History, or just Economics with History modules. This has been the hardest part - chosing the course! But I will share with you all later! So far, I have decided on
courses, Universities, written my Personal Statement (which was not as easy as may sound!) and trawled through the
UCAS Apply page. My application is paid for and sent and I’m just waiting for
my Sixth Form to check it and attach my reference, which will hopefully be done
after half term.
Then comes the scary part – do University’s want me? Will
they give me an offer that’s achievable and will I get the grades to get in? It’s
all starting to get very worrying, and I haven’t even sent my application off!
Talk soon,
Clara
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