Last-minute ideas for the summer
Posted in Gap years, Uncategorized
Tagged summer, gap years, travel
Options for School Leavers
Exams are over and the sun is out! What else could you want for the end of your school days and the start of your summer holidays? After all the excitement, however, it is important to remember the summer won’t last forever (we only wish!) and that a bit of planning is needed for what comes next. There are many different options for school leavers and the right option is different for different people so do your research and see which path you want to take.
Further or Higher Education
If you decide that you want to continue your education then this doesn’t have to just involve staying on at school to study for your A Levels. A Levels can be studied at further education college as an alternative to school, which would give you the opportunity to study in a different learning environment. Colleges often have the advantage of excellent specialist facilities to make your study even more exciting and act as a great step between school and the work place.
If A Levels aren’t for you, perhaps an apprenticeship might be the right choice. Apprenticeships help students develop specific skills for the trade of their choice, whilst earning a bit of money too – winner! These can also be studied at colleges in conjunction with employers.
Those of you who are applying to university this year will already be a fair way through this process so will have already made that decision of what to do next. If you didn’t decide in time this year, university will still be there as an option for you next year so don’t think you’ve missed the boat.
Employment
Some of you might be itching to get straight into employment and earning those pennies. That’s great if that’s the right thing for you – perhaps you have done an apprenticeship and hope to take this into a full time job. Or are you considering university but need to save some money by working before hand? Whatever your reasons for wanting to work, it is advisable to apply as early as possible – either when you finish your exams or if you are about to jet off on holiday then when you return. Our helpful job and CV section is here to help you make sure your application stands out from the crowd!
Gap Year
Oh yes, there is a third option – take a gap year! For comprehensive advice and some interesting tips, head to our Gap Year section.
When you’re deciding which of these options are for you, remember to talk to lots of different people about what might be best – colleges about courses they offer, gap year companies about different trips or employers about the sort of vacancies on offer. And with that, we wish you a happy and safe summer and the best of luck on your next step!
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged university, study options, gap year, studying
Another tip for international students
In our last blog post we looked at how international students who are coming to study in the UK can lay the foundations of a really successful study experience by taking steps to make sure their English-language skills are up to scratch, and we also suggested that at the same time as doing this they could also get ready to study their chosen academic subject by listening to and reading things in English about it. A classic piece of killing two birds with one stone, as we say here (if you don’t know that expression, international students, make a note of it!).
But mastering the language you’ll be learning in and brushing up your knowledge of your chosen subject are only part of the battle to get yourself ready for studying in the UK. In fact, one of the biggest problems that many international students have when they come here isn’t that they don’t speak English well enough, but rather they haven’t learnt how to learn like people in the UK do. Which bring us on to:
Today’s tip: Learn about the demands of the UK higher-education system
It’s a common misconception that wherever you go in the world university is university is university. The fact is that different universities across the world–and even between countries that speak the same language–have very different approaches to learning and teaching at the university level. So while in some parts of the world university is about memorising information at a fantastical level of intensity and takes the form of hours upon hours of lectures, in other countries the lecturers and professors are not there to feed you information, but rather to prod you towards thinking for yourself, taking as they do this what appears to be a much more relaxed approach of not forcing you to do anything.
Still need more convincing that the university study culture in the UK will probably be very different to that of your own country? Okay, think of it like this: by choosing to come and study in the UK rather than in your own country, you’re proof that these learning cultures are different. Because if they weren’t there’d be no need for you to come to the UK for your degree.
Unfortunately, not accepting that there is a big difference in terms of how you are expected to learn and how you will be taught between the UK and other countries really catches out many international students. They do things like not do the reading assignments they are given before seminars, thinking that the seminar will be about the lecturer telling them the information that they were supposed to get themselves from the reading. Then the lecturer gets angry because without this information, they can’t participate in the seminar discussion. And angry lecturers equal worse grades.
You can avoid this unpleasant situation quite easily simply by getting hold of an English for Academic Purposes book now and going through it before your arrival. The university where you are studying will probably also have a guide about your future learning environment.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged international students
Tips for international students coming to the UK
Every year at around this time, thousands of international students who had applied for a place to study at a UK university some months ago finally start to get their heads around the idea that in a few months they’ll be getting on a plane and setting out to start a new life–and get a great education–in a completely different country.
Now is generally the time when international students start to book their plane tickets, and sort out the necessary visa paperwork that’ll get them into the country. Many international students also make their final decisions about accommodation around now. With studying in the UK having for so many months seemed like a distant dot on the horizon and manifesting itself only in the form of UCAS statements and university websites, things now start to get real.
And with so much to be done, it’s no wonder that many international students start to feel a bit overwhelmed by what before had just made them feel excited. With so much to do in so little time, many international students only just manage to get the absolute essentials done to prepare for their arrival, such as the aforementioned tickets, visas and accommodation.
But although it’s tempting just to settle for getting yourself over to this island, like so many things in life your experience as an international student will be much improved–not just in terms of how your studies go, but also how much you enjoy life in the UK–if you get yourself organized and put in a bit of prep work.
So, if you’re an international student who’s just starting to get to grips with the big move, here are some tips we’ve put together to help you hit the ground running when you arrive, rather than just stumbling through your first months here.
Today’s tip: Brush up on your English and your subject at the same time
The majority of international students who come to the UK are native speakers, and many of these have also never studied in English before (as opposed to just taking English language classes). If you’re in this group, ask yourself this question: Do you feel ready for the challenge of listening to lectures, participating in seminars and writing complex coursework, all in English?
Actually, whether you answered yes or no to this question doesn’t matter. The fact is that whether you feel ready or not, you’ve really got nothing to lose–and a lot to gain–by spending the time between now and when you leave getting your English up to scratch. Because even if you aced the IELTS exams, if you haven’t been using English regularly before your arrival you’re going to be a bit rusty to start with, and probably also not prepared for the difference between how people speak English in a language classroom and how they speak it in real life.
So get onto Youtube and start watching videos in English; and get reading English-language websites and magazines right now. And what sort of things should you be listening to and reading? Well things about the subject you’ll be studying, of course! Not only will this help you to learn a lot of 100% relevant vocabulary, but it’ll also get you engaging with the subject you’ll be immersing yourself in later. Think of it as a virtual trial run for what’ll be thrown at you in a couple of months.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Studying in the UK, international students, learning English
Short of Summer Plans?
Are you short of summer plans? No, we didn’t think most of you were! But remember to make the most of long summers like these between school or university years because you are unlikely to get holidays like it again once you are in a job! After a chaotic academic year and probably countless exams, a lazy few summer months will no doubt seem very appealing!
And don’t get us wrong, we are also big fans of lying in the sun doing not much at all…we just think it’s best to strike a good balance between this and gaining some more, shall we say, active experiences that might impress prospective employers! After all, all those music festivals, days out with friends and cinema trips have to be paid for somehow.
Volunteering is a great idea for summer holidays while you have the opportunity to give some of your time. Why not have a look at our volunteering section for some ideas that will not only be great experience but great fun too! Besides volunteering, gaining some paid work experience isn’t a bad idea – even if you’re not working full-time all summer, it looks great on your CV to show you made good use of your time off…and the money all helps! Perhaps contact your school or university to ask if they know of any summer positions either with them or with local businesses. Let’s be honest, the sunshine probably won’t last long so you won’t be missing out on a tan!
We don’t want to be accused of being boring and spoiling your fun, so why not combine working with something more exciting…like travelling! Depending on your time and financial restraints, take a trip to Europe or maybe even down under in Aus and work while you go. A few shifts in a beach bar sound a lot more appealing than office work in England, don’t they?! Phrased in the right way, employers can be impressed by students who have travelled the world while working to pay their way. Whatever you do, have fun and stay safe!
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged summer, travelling, work experience, students, volunteering
Should I go through clearing?
The month of June is in some ways a strange lull in the undergraduate university application cycle. With the regular deadline for applications having passed way back in January, students have nevertheless been able to submit applications throughout the year, the only difference being that universities were not obliged to look at these applications. This, however, was not necessarily such a big deal earlier in the year, as many courses would still not be full, meaning that admissions officers would still be keen to hear from suitable applicants.
By June, however, things are looking a little different. Over the past five or six months many more courses will now be full, meaning that submitting a brand new application now would perhaps not yield many takers.
At the end of the month, however, everything changes. Because at the start of July, clearing opens. Clearing is often seen as some sort of manic dash for places, entered into either by people who didn’t get the grades they had hoped for or those who have decided at the last minute that they want to go to university. Really, though, it’s simply another stage in the admissions process, during which applicants can deal a bit more directly with universities and within which there are slightly fewer course options available.
Whether you put in a UCAS application months ago and don’t think you’ll get the grades you need for your offers (or having second thoughts about your original range of choices), or are now thinking you’d like to head off to university this September having not previously made an application, clearing can be a great way to find yourself a place at university. It is not, however, the best choice for everyone, and a little bit of careful thought is required before you decide whether or not to take a place through clearing.
Essentially the question you need to ask yourself is this: Could I end up on a better or more suitable course or going to a university I like better if I bide my time and apply next year instead?
If when you look through the clearing listings you see loads of courses that you’re itching to apply for, then great; clearing is definitely for you. But if you find yourself looking through the list of courses on offer through clearing and you catch yourself engaging in quite a bit of wishful or optimistic thinking to make what you see fit what you had in mind, stop what you’re doing, step away from the clearing lists and go and have a look at the university websites themselves. If on these sites you come across courses that instinctively appeal to you much more strongly–and moreover are ones you’d have a realistic chance of getting into–but are not available through clearing, the chances are that you’d be better off waiting for a year and putting in an application at the beginning of the next UCAS cycle.
This way, you’ll be among the first crop of applicants for the courses that you actually want to do, rather than accepting a course that really is of less interest to you and whose only advantage is that it gets you into university a year sooner.
The downside of making this braver choice is of course the prospect of a year out of education, for which you’ve made no plans, while all your friends swan off to uni or take gap years in exotic destinations. But you need to think in the longer term; one year of your life is not a great deal of time, whereas being lumbered with a degree you didn’t really want will last forever (even if the debt from it only lasts a couple of decades!). And we’ve got plenty of articles on gap years over on our site that can give you inspiration on what to do if you do choose not to go through clearing.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged clearing, ucas, university applications
Last Minute Revision Tips
We thought it about time to give you some last minute revision tips as a helping hand with all your revision woes! Many of you lucky students will be reaching the end of those dastardly exams, but for those of you who are having to stick in there for the last few we have put together a few tips for your last minute revision.
First up, use all of your handy revision tools to go over the basic facts from your revision. Looking at prompts and diagrams will help you consolidate what you already know and may well mean these facts come flying to the front of your mind when you’re sitting in that exam hall (well, you never know do you?).
If time is not on your side (is it ever when you’re revising?!), then concentrate on consolidating your existing knowledge rather than trying to learn a new topic in 10 minutes. As tempting as it is to flick open those fresh pages of unrevised content, it’s not the best use of your precious time at this point! I know it’s a terribly overused clich, but if you don’t know it at this point you never will!
Equally, at risk of sounding like your mother, now is not the time to be staying up all night to squeeze in some more hours of revision. Being overtired during your exam will more than cancel out the extra work and who knows what you might end up writing on the day! Switch off your laptop, turn off the light and jump into bed at a reasonable hour to ensure you are feeling fresh and rested ready for the exam the following day. In fact, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to be doing this for at least a week leading up to your exams – but as these are last minute revision tips, we suppose it’s a bit late to be saying that to you now!
After your beauty sleep, make sure you are hydrated – just to clarify this is with water and not any other beverages that might be lurking about your room. Eat a healthy breakfast, stay calm and ace that exam (don’t forget your pen!).
Here at Leaving School we wish you all the best of luck for your exams and hope these last minute revision tips help you achieve your full potential.
Tagged revision, revision techniques, exam preparation
Alternative careers in healthcare: speech therapist
Building on the profiles of alternative healthcare careers we’ve been blogging about over the last couple of weeks–all part of our plan to help you good folks see that if you’re interested in helping people but don’t think you’d be suited to the life of a doctor or nurse there are other options out there–today we’d like to tell you a bit about the work of the speech and language therapist. It’s a job that allows those who do it to make a hugely positive difference to the lives of the people they work with, as well as develop real expertise in a fascinating area of the health sciences.
Let’s first look at the question of what a speech therapist does. There are a wide range of speech disorders that people can suffer from–some are psychological, some are due to physical issues, and others are the side effects of other health problems such as suffering a stroke or deafness–and it’s the job of the speech therapist to work directly with patients who suffer difficulties in speaking as a result of any of these things with the goal of managing and helping them to overcome or recover from their condition. In some ways, however, the job title is a little misleading, as speech therapists also treat conditions that inhibit people’s ability to swallow, eat or drink, all of which, you don’t need us to tell you, are vital functions for any human being.
So it’s a career that offers real opportunities to help people regain some of the most valuable bodily functions they have, which in turn has the potential to transform their quality of life. And the bulk of the speech therapist’s work involves working directly, on a one-to-one basis, with sufferers of these conditions. Usually a speech therapist will initially assess a new patient, before then developing a treatment plan based on that assessment. The patient and the therapist then regularly meet for treatment sessions. Because many speech problems are a result of other conditions, speech therapist have plenty of opportunities to work with other healthcare specialists, both in terms of liaising with them regarding individual patients and providing advice, for example, to care workers in environments in which speech problems can develop, such as care homes for the elderly.
Considering that this is a career that involves developing substantial healthcare knowledge and carrying out treatment, people are often surprised to learn that the entry requirements to train as a speech therapist are not so heavily science oriented as you might expect. Qualification comes through completing a degree in speech and language therapy/science that has been accredited by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. Although some universities offering this course specify one science A Level, this is not the case across the board, meaning that if you don’t have a science-heavy A Level set then you’re by no means excluded from this profession.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged careers, healthcare, speech therapist
How to choose the right university for you
We’re glad to see exams and revision haven’t kept all you students off the internet these last couple of months (yeah right!). This post is here to help those of you who are off to university choose the right university for you – whether you’re lucky enough to have more than one university offer to choose between or just thinking ahead to next year’s application, we hope our advice here will help your years at university be very happy ones!
Everyone knows that the whole idea of university is to study but, as I’m sure you don’t need reminding, study isn’t everything. This is especially true when choosing the right university. If you love the hustle and bustle of city living and never having to walk for more than five minutes to get to the nearest pub, club or bar then we suggest that the Royal Agricultural College might not be the one for you! However, if open space, horses and agriculture (it’s in the name!) are your passion, then it may well be your ideal match.
An important distinction to make between universities is whether they are campus based or not. Campus universities, like The University of Bath, have a very different feel to universities like The University of Sheffield that are dispersed across the city or town they are based in. Campus universities could be likened to a little town which is self-contained with everything you need in one place: shops, restaurants, cafes, teaching and learning facilities, accommodation and sports facilities. For some people, living in such a student-oriented atmosphere suits them perfectly. However, other students might find this sort of environment claustrophobic or a little stifling and so might prefer alternatives (usually found in major cities like London and Edinburgh).
Talking of Edinburgh, a common oversight of students choosing universities is the distance between the university and their home. We realise this probably won’t be most students’ priority but travelling from one end of Britain to the other every time you want to go home could put an even tighter squeeze on not only your financial resources but also your time.
So in a nutshell, we suppose the most important things to think about when choosing the right university for you are whether the university is offering the course you want to study and teach it in a way that suits you, whether you want a campus or city based university and finally, how far you would have to travel home and how much each journey would set you back. If you do decide The University of Edinburgh is perfect for you but you live in Penzance, you can always check out our student deals to make your pennies go that bit further once you’ve bought your travel tickets!
Posted in university
Tagged university
Alternative careers in healthcare: emergency calls handler
A week or so ago we started looking at careers in the healthcare sector that fall outside of the most famous ones–your doctors and your nurses especially–for the benefit of the many young people out there who want to work in this most noble of industries but whose skills and talents may well be suited better to one of these less well-known roles.
Today we continue examining this area by profiling the roles of emergency call handler.
The men and women who take calls round the clock from people who’ve suffered accidents or injuries are often overlooked by the public–perhaps because we never see them–but unquestionably perform a hugely important role. Getting the vital information from the person in distress or the member of the public calling on their behalf and then passing that information on to a paramedic team is something that, if done calmly, quickly and accurately can be the difference between a life saved and a life lost.
There are two key strands to this role. The first main duty is fielding calls from members of the public, during which the operator gets all the crucial information from the caller, and use this information to give further advice to the caller.
The information gathered is then used to carry out the second duty of the role, namely making a decision on what type of assistance needs to be sent out, and taking the steps to get it sent out there. This is a more complex task than it may first sound; the dispatcher has only a limited amount of information, and needs to make sure the level of help sent out is neither too little nor too much. In other words, sending out a paramedic helicopter for a person who’s fallen down in the street probably isn’t going to be the most appropriate response.
Sometimes a single individual carries out both of these responsibilities, whereas in other cases they either just handle calls from the public or decide what response to send out.
As you’ll no doubt have guessed from this outline of the role–and especially if you’ve ever experienced a serious medical emergency–this is not a role for people who crumble under pressure. It requires being able to calmly offer advice and be able to communicate with people who are in extreme distress.
On the other hand, this is one of the few careers within the healthcare sector that involves both working directly with patients–unlike the many administrative jobs in healthcare–but does not require scientific qualifications. So if you’ve always wanted to help sick people but haven’t quite got on well enough with chemistry and biology, this could be a good career choice for you. In fact, there isn’t really a set post-GCSE qualification required for this career, though that doesn’t mean it’s a job that doesn’t require skills or expertise, with computer proficiency, clear communication, handling pressure and an ability to quickly analyse information and make decisions are all being central elements of this career.
Tagged healthcare, careers, jobs