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How to ace a job interview

Wed 25 November 2020 - 14:22

By Anna in Applicant

Nobody likes them. Everyone has to do them. Dreaded job interviews: the joyful prospect of sitting across a table from a future employer, being grilled on questions you’ve never thought about before, trying to smile without crying and praying that you’re saying all the *right* things.

The key? Preparation. That’s where this post comes in. This isn’t just for grad jobs – it can be applied to part-time work, uni, or work experience interviews/chats too. I’ve probably had around six interviews in my time, for jobs in everything from a swimming instructor to a waitress in the grubbiest restaurant going. They’ve all been completely different – for one, I had to wait for an hour to be interviewed whilst I waited for the manager to finish chatting to his mate – another...

Preparing for interviews at a University

Wed 11 November 2020 - 12:33

By Tabitha Hempshall in Applicant

The prospect of having to do an interview is nerve-wracking. For many it involves singing your own praises, answering unknown questions on the spot and having your personal statement pulled apart, all of which push people out of their comfort zone. Here is a list of a few key ideas, which I have found helpful in preparing for interview and that have made me feel more confident!

- Research questions based on topic

Just Google “interview questions for [insert course]” and you will find questions that cover key topic areas. I found the best way to use...

Replying to offers: give yourself enough time

Tue 21 January 2020 - 14:01

By UCAS in Applicant

You’ve waited anxiously for your university choices to make their decisions. You’ve logged in to Track to check thousands of times and now you’ve finally received all your offers. You’re probably thinking “What a relief, the wait is over!” but don’t relax just yet, as once you get to this stage there’s a big decision to make: which offers will you accept?

Know your reply deadline
Although you might still be weighing up your different offers, there’s one thing that’s certain, and that’s the deadline you need to reply by. If you’re wondering when it is, it all depends on when you received the universities’ decisions. The first deadline is 5 May, which is for those who received all decisions by 31 March, but Track will display the right deadline for you so make sure you check.

...

Unwinding before your New Chapter

Mon 15 July 2019 - 15:00

By Sophie Gibbons in Applicant

So, by now you would have finished you’re A level exams, your coursework and completely finished college. What are you now planning on doing with all this spare time that not so long ago was primarily revolved around your studies? This is a question I have frequently been asking myself since leaving college two weeks ago.

I have roughly 2 and a half months until I begin University, and within that time I most definitely want to relax and for a minority of the time do absolutely nothing and go on a Netflix binge! But deep down I am a sort of person that does weirdly feel somewhat guilty if I do nothing for too long (my parents would 100% disagree with that statement hahah), so during this Summer I have begun to organise some things I have always wanted to do but have never necessarily had enough time to do whilst being at college because that was my number one priority.

For example, I picked up my Shorthand studies again due to myself being a future Journalism...

Deciding on your A levels

Thu 19 December 2019 - 09:48

By Charlotte Stevenson in Applicant

Recently I have discussed the transition from GCSE to A level, and also what to consider when aiming for your degree - what to choose then, so I figured it was only fair to write about the in between stage which is, if anything, one of the more important aspects of the transition. The whole two years of sixth form is intense studying which in the end can be seen for how brief it really is, so it is important to make the most of it in the subjects you choose. When choosing your A levels, remember that they are probably going to affect what it is that you are able to apply for and study at university. When I was choosing my A levels, I knew that I wanted to study music and knew which subjects I needed to do and which others I wanted to choose because I already held an interest in them and had some level of knowledge maintained from GCSE level. Remember this when you are choosing, and choose wisely:

1. Find a college which has a good reputation
If you know your...

Moving from GCSE to A level - what should I know?

Wed 30 October 2019 - 10:46

By Charlotte Stevenson in Applicant

Moving from a school where you have been for a considerable amount of time can be quite intimidating on it's own, but this can be made much easier by visiting and getting to know the new area and environment you are going to be studying in. This, of course, will be how you decide on your new school. But if you want to know more about what it is like in terms of the change in work load, in the long term, this post might provide a little more information. When moving from GCSE to A level, some of the things you should be aware of are...

1. Time
The amount of time you are going to have to put into your studies now is like revision for GCSE's on a regular basis, except on only three or four subjects. It might sound like a lot, but the reason you will have less subjects is because the content is so specialist and detailed that you need to have as much time to balance your life with your work and the work can be really hard at times. I have studied History, Music and...

Wondering what to pack?

Thu 19 December 2019 - 09:50

By UCAS in Applicant

Before you know it, it’ll be time to pack and get on your way to uni. Here’s a quick guide on what to pack.

Must-haves:
  • Clothes – there’s no need to pack your entire wardrobe, especially if you’re going to head home at the end of term!
  • Bedroom bits and pieces – duvet, sheets, pillows, hangers, and towels. You might want to think about ear plugs if you’re going to be in a lively area, or a mini fridge for your room if you’ll be in shared accommodation. 
  • From the bathroom cabinet – toiletries, glasses, contact lenses, medication, and a small first aid kit.
  • Laundry – washing products, laundry bag, and drying rack.
  • Electronics – laptop, tablet, printer, extension leads, and chargers. You may need an adaptor if you’re coming from outside the UK.
  • Kitchen essentials – check what is included at your accommodation. As a minimum, you’ll need enough cutlery, crockery, glasses, pots...

Get to know universities as an international applicant

Thu 19 December 2019 - 09:56

By Coral Kim in Applicant

You’ve decided to apply for a university in the UK. You’ve figured out (hopefully) the UCAS application system, you’ve chosen a course, and you’ve stumbled upon the various university rankings. But now you need to pick a university, where you’re probably going to spend three (or more) years of your life. How? How can you tell which one suits you best? Which one has the student life that fits you?

'Come to our open day.'

Sadly, that’s not an option. As much as you want to visit, you simply cannot afford (either in terms of time or money, or both) to do so. It’s a situation most international students face — I did, too. Then how on earth did I choose five universities, out of the countless options that the UK offers, without even being able to visit them?

1. Vlogs or blogs

Many universities have students that are active as either vloggers or bloggers — all five of my choices did! Lots of them...

Three Tips For Your First Open Day

Thu 19 December 2019 - 10:09

By Rebecca Thompson in Applicant

When you get to the age where you can’t hide away from the fact that your future is on its way and you need to start choosing universities, you start looking into courses that interest you, and start visiting the universities for open days. Going to uni open days are quite important because if you are making the commitment to go to university, you surely want to know where you may spend the next few years. I went to my first open day a little bit ago, and these are the things I wish I’d have known before going.

1) Be prepared

Make sure you know you can go, can get there, and what you want to see when you are there. This means, make sure you book going on the day (you can find the instructions on how to do this if you need to on the university's website). Make sure you can travel there, so transport or maybe you can go with your parents who can drive you! Lastly, have a look at what times the talks you want to see are and maybe make a...

Revision tips for the New Year

Thu 21 March 2019 - 15:37

By Tabitha Hempshall in Applicant

School loves to taint the Christmas holidays with the looming deadline of January mocks, so here are my top tips (that I actually use myself) for the coming weeks to help you revise no matter what the topic!

Tip #1: Textbook Checklist

This may sound incredibly obvious but one of the best ways to stay on top of revision when there are so many different topics to revise for each subject (especially at A-Level) is to make a checklist. I make a simple grid with each chapter and section from the textbook down the left hand side and 3 or 4 columns to the right of it. 

Simply print it off (or keep it digital if you wish) and fill in the date when you are going to revise each topic up until the test date. This creates a revision plan and ensures you cover each aspect of the subject. When you have revised simply highlight. If you plan in advance, you can even go over your weaker areas several times.

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