What to do in January....

What should I be doing in January?

Year 13

Those applying to University only :

· Enjoy the sense of achievement gained by your university offers as and when they arrive. Take a moment to say well done to yourself, as the applications took a lot of time and effort. Well done.

· There is now no rush to decide which offers to accept, 6th May is the first deadline for this, so just enjoy thinking about the different offers you have. Maybe chat to students on those courses using the UCAS hub and talk to people about the towns / cities you might end up living in.

· Do your best at your A level subjects / BTEC subjects. The focus has to be on getting the grades now. Pull out all the stops, after June you can have a well deserved rest.

· Work out a realistic timetable to ensure a good balance of work / relaxation. I would suggest having a complete day each week with no school work. Alongside your studies, I would also suggest that you start a revision timetable looking back at work started in Year 12.

Those also applying to Apprenticeships :

· January is traditionally the time for most apprenticeships to be advertised. Make sure you are signed up for notifications on Find an apprenticeship - GOV.UK.

· More details about apprenticeships are found on the UCAS website : Apprenticeships | Learn About Apprenticeships And Find The Right One For You ,

· If there are specific companies that you are interested in, it is worthwhile signing up on their websites too.

· Make sure that you have thought about the same three questions that the university personal statement ask:

o Why do you want to apply for this specific apprenticeship (why are you interested in this course / subject)

o How have your qualifications and studies helped you prepare for this apprenticeship (what skills have you learned / what have you most enjoyed).

o What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful? You could refer to work experience , but also to examples to show leadership, teamwork, independence, resilience, good communication etc.

· You will need to complete an individual application for each one, but these questions are a good start.

Year 12

· Think about what and where you would like to study

o It is around now that most schools and colleges will take you to a UCAS Discovery Event, where you can meet representatives from many universities and colleges and start to think about where you might like to study, and what subjects you are interested in. Make the most of these events, collect as many freebies as you can, but also I like paper copies of prospectuses. You can write comments, turn over pages, leave them around for parents to look at… You can collect a prospectus from the UCAS Discovery Event, from universities you might be interested in, or you can request one from individual universities online.

· Log onto UCAS hub and research options

o Set up your own account, and spend time just looking at all the courses on offer - there are careers quizzes, suggested courses to fit your combination of sixth form courses, chats with students, sample lectures, virtual campus tours… Log on and enjoy looking at what is on offer

· Think seriously about what you can do to stand out from the crowd

o There are so many options for you to begin to engage with in order to ensure your application this autumn helps you stand out from the crowd. Make sure you do some that you enjoy and are best suited to you :

§ MOOCs, (Massive Open Online Courses) are provided by universities on hundreds of topics. Many are free and you can sign up and gain valuable insights into career options with an engaging , interactive course. Many are available by searching on the web, or from the UCAS hub or futurelearn.com

§ Books, Documentaries, Lectures, online articles, radio programmes…. The list is endless, but if something sparks your interest in class, follow it up with a little reading.

§ Top tip – universities give reading lists for all their courses. If there is one you are interested in, have a look and read one of the books on their list.

· Find your “passion”

o Universities want to know that you love your subject. Spend time finding ways to enjoy your subject so you can evidence your enjoyment.

· Finally Transferable skills

o Universities want to know that you will not drop out in the first year, but that you are well placed to enjoy university life. Make sure you have evidence of soft, transferable skills such as leadership, organisation, resilience, independence, good communication, teamwork, taking responsibility and initiative.

Most importantly, enjoy the time you have at school and college and make the most of it. Having friends around during the day, and teachers and family around to support guide is a very special time of life. Make the most of it.