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Latest from the blogs

My experience of applying to uni

Mon 16 October 2017 - 10:36

By Aimee in First year

The thought of university is such a daunting and difficult process - you're making decisions that can affect the rest of your life and you're trying to balance what you enjoy and what you're good at. It’s a difficult process so working out the best way to handle to suit you is vital. I didn’t manage it in the most conventional way but it worked best for me so it worked out well.
 
At the start of year 13 I was convinced I wanted to study music but very rapidly discovered that my real passion lay with psychology. I began by looking at...

The five reasons why you can’t sign in to your application (and how to overcome them)

Sat 14 October 2017 - 14:49

By UCAS in UCAS advice

We gets lots of phone calls and queries on Facebook and Twitter from people who can’t sign in to their applications.There are a few different reasons why you might not be able to sign in, but here’s how to overcome the most common sign in issues, in case you find yourself faced with this message:
1. You've selected the wrong type of application
There are four different types of application you can sign into – UCAS Undergraduate, UCAS Teacher Training,...

Getting involved in Freshers Week

Wed 11 October 2017 - 10:21

By Enia in First year

Last weekend, arriving at my university, attempting to find my room and get settled, I found the whole experience a bit overwhelming. It was a whirl of emotion, new faces and frantic unpacking. 
 
So, I guess Freshers Week was the last thing on my mind.
 
But, being perfectly honest, I would say I wasn’t really looking forward to Freshers Week. Meeting new people and attempting small talk often feels awkward and uncomfortable, at least for me.
 
That said, I ended up enjoying it more than I would have imagined. What I found quite amazing was how everyone’s tastes were generally catered for: those who wanted to go out could, but there were also options...

Erasmus Diaries: Semester 1, Week 5

Wed 11 October 2017 - 09:54

By Charlotte Stevenson in First year

October is now arrived and unpacked. With it, the world has made that transition into the golden leaf stage of all things autumnal. My cosy jumpers are now a full-time investment and my essays are in the final editing stage (it feels simultaneously all at once and like an ice age a million years in the making). Week 5 has been long, largely because it is neither here nor there. My work is almost at the point of submitting, I've already had some grades back (all firsts so far) and finals are only a fortnight away. This week has been the go between point where all of them have convened. I can practically hear week 2 gloating to Monday October 1st about the smaller reading pile that existed back then.
 
But as always, I am enjoying study. It seems to be a way of life for me once I have settled in; So many ideas that I want to get out all at once but instead have to make note of and work through over time. Especially once I had the epiphany around...

Oxbridge application tips

Wed 11 October 2017 - 09:50

By UCAS in UCAS advice

The early UCAS deadline for Oxbridge applications is fast approaching. For those of you who are considering applying to these universities, work will now be well underway regarding your personal statements, academic portfolio and finding suitable references. Representing yourself through so few words is one of the biggest challenges you will have faced throughout your sixth form experience so far, hence it is natural to feel overwhelmed and a little stressed by it all. Fear not – whilst the deadline is approaching, there is still more than enough time for you to complete everything necessary. It’s all in your approach.

As far as your personal statement goes, make sure that you have a clear structure as you read over everything. If...

Acting My Age

Thu 5 October 2017 - 14:23

By Sarah in Mature students

Going to University in my 50’s to study Drama was a big decision. Massive, huge, colossal…. you get my drift. Yet making that decision was curiously abstract, based on a love of performance art, boredom with my job and the desire to do something for fun rather than profit. Launching the idea with my friends and adult children was interesting to say the least. My children in particular tested it to destruction, in the belief that I was having a mid-life crisis. My friends were shocked but not altogether surprised. Happily, they are all hugely supportive now that I am here.
 
Starting University was a major event. A change of identity from NHS Director to undergraduate student, a change in lifestyle, a new environment, new technology (hello, virtual learning environment….) and more. After the first day, I felt shell shocked. What had I been thinking? How on earth was I going to relate to fellow students who are younger than my...

Five ways to cut the cost of a year abroad

Wed 4 October 2017 - 11:50

By Save the Student in Support

Top-up funding – plus everyday money saving – means a year abroad can be an affordable way to see the world and study while you’re at it.
 

1. Claim extra funding

There’s a bit of extra funding on offer for UK students who study part of a degree abroad. If you’re eligible for the Maintenance Loan, you could get a larger loan plus a travel grant while you’re away. Both are means tested – so how much you get depends on household earnings – but the grant doesn’t have to be repaid....

How to write a personal statement

Wed 4 October 2017 - 10:54

By Robyn in First year

A personal statement is what sets up an accurate portrayal of your character to universities. It’s one of the most important things you need to do, and it’s one of the things that your application relies on, but it’s not too difficult to make it perfect.
 
You don’t need to pour every single thing that’s on your mind into those 4000 characters, but it’s a good way of discussing where you are in your knowledge of your subject, where you want to take that knowledge and any past experiences you have had. And believe me, when you’re...

Getting to know Leeds

Wed 4 October 2017 - 10:52

By Robyn in First year

I've been in Leeds for 12 days now and it's given me an incredible chance to get to know my new city. Leeds is lovely in the sense that it is a huge melting pot of different cultures. The people are interesting, the shops are interesting and the city is laid out in a way that makes it simultaneously difficult and incredibly easy to get yourself lost.

On my second day, I ventured to the train station a few minutes down the street from me and the Aldi (which was a considerably longer trek). I met up with a friend at a local Wetherspoons and tried to find my own way back, which...

My first week at uni

Wed 4 October 2017 - 10:48

By Robyn in First year

I've successfully survived my first week at uni, and I'm absolutely exhausted from it. The first day was lovely and calm, when the people on my course and the tutors just sat in the main teaching room. We got free reign of the biscuits and the tea and coffee making facilities and we got to chat to everyone, figure out where we were all at and who specialised in what kind of photography. (Also we kind of figured out who our competitions were - which isn't a healthy business relationship). We got a long lunch, got lost a lot around the uni and found where we were meant to...

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