How to Ace January Modules

1. The first and most obvious, is to have revised. Make sure you know the content of the exam like the back of your hand, or, like one of my CGP revision books states, 'like you know your own navel'.

2. Know the exam techniques for each exam. From personal experience; don't waste time in the exam writing about things that won't be given credit for - know what examiners are looking for and make sure you do just that! If the question only asks for a definition (as one of my Economics units does) do not  write a huge paragraph, sometimes a few lines/sentences will do, so check the mark scheme - they can be found online or with your teachers.

3. Have a look at an actual exam paper and familiarise yourself with the layout. There's nothing like sitting in an exam room panicking that the topic you've learnt isn't the first question on the first page when you turn over. Check where abouts your topics will be (this will also stop you from wasting time) and make sure you answer the right questions as well as all questions you should be answering. 

4. Look at an answer book and try doing a past paper with it. I can't remember where answers for GCSE were written in, but as I've found with Maths modules, there are boxes for answers. Its a good idea to try doing a question in them - usually they are tiny and if you have giant handwriting like me, its a pain to fit it all in! Remember, you can ask for extra paper/an additional book and make sure you declare any extra paper you have used on the front of the answer book.

5. Make sure you have enough black Biros to last an exam. I doubt there would be anything worst than finding your pen had run out and you didn't have another. You may be able to ask an invigilator, but if yours are anything like the ones at my school, they take forever and its much quicker if you have a few spares! (I literally have about 6/7 in my pencil case...) If you're doing a Maths/Economics/Science/anything where you'll need a calculator - it might be a good idea to take a spare or one with a new-ish battery, but remember not to take the lid in! 

6. A watch is always a good idea in an exam, particularly if you're eyesight is bad - like mine! - and you end up at the back of the exam room. Also, check how long each module lasts and do some timed past papers - practise makes perfect!

7. Last, but not least, always always always include working out! You will get marks for it so make sure you do any working out in the answer book and not on the question paper!


I hope this was useful to some of you! Comment below with your tips for January modules and good luck to all those doing exams :)


Clara

Happy New Year!

Hello!

So I'm a grand total of 3 days late with this post but never mind! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year with your friends and family and I hope you got everything you wanted!

I would reveal my New Year's Resolutions to you, but I haven't made any this year apart from to get the grades I need to get into Uni (which I still have no idea which to firm and insure on Track), work hard and, of course, enjoy my very last year at Sixth Form and the school I have been to for 7 years! It still seems so strange that I'm actually 18 and in my last year of school and next year I'll be (hopefully!) in University!

On the application front, there's not much to report apart from some 'Merry Christmas' and 'Happy New Year' emails and I still don't really know what my firm is - its a toss up of 3 at the moment! My two favourite courses and Universities along with the 'wild card', which is the course that I would need a grade higher than I'm predicted to get on to... But the Uni and course look amazing - decisions, decisions!

After January modules (which I have SIX and I'm absolutely dreading them!) I'm going to all 5 Applicant Days so that will hopefully make my decision easier. I'm looking forward to visiting the Universities again and going to taster lectures, which will be very exciting! Some offer tours of the accommodation too, but may be useful helping me decide too! I'll do a post on Applicant Days when I've been on them!

Thank you for reading and if you like my blog, please vote for me in the 'Blogger of the Month' on the UCAS Connect page! I would really appreciate it :)


Until next time,


Clara

Christmas Holidays... and revision!

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

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
 

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

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

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!