A Snapshot Into UCAS

With the deadline just passing for year 13 UCAS applications, it’s time for year 12s to think about their future. Whether it’s university, an apprenticeship or a job, it’s important to explore your options to ensure you choose what’s right for you. Of course, it can be daunting, but by researching and taking action early, you could find some clarity over your future and where you want to go next.

The first step is to think about a rough route you want to go down. Is there a certain subject which interests you? A certain industry which you’ve always wanted to be in? A certain route you want to take to ensure you get there? Nowadays, university isn’t the only option into a successful career, apprenticeships also exist and are very popular among younger people. The best way to find what path you want to go down is work experience - this can be arranged independently or via the Careers Hub at FXS to ensure you find effective placement. You never know, the experience could be the make or break of knowing what path to go down.

Research into broad degrees or apprenticeships you may be interested in. For example, if you’re interested in the media industry, you could look at degrees from journalism, to publishing, media studies and marketing. Industries are so broad which is why it’s important you gain some clarity early as opposed to a last minute application.

When looking at top universities in the UK for courses you are interested in, it’s always helpful to google via the Guardian website. For example, you could enter ‘The Guardian best universities for journalism’, and it would provide a long list of the top universities, and a reason why they are good. Have a look at some of these university websites: what does the course entail? Is the campus nice? Does the accommodation look suitable for you? Does the campus provide you with stand out opportunities which others may not? Most importantly, ask yourself whether you could see yourself studying there. Many universities do very similar courses, which is why it’s important to also think about the location, campus and accommodation, not just the course itself.

The best way to view this is to book a university open day. These are free and are great opportunities for you to view the campus/area, speak to faculty and ask any questions you may have. There are no limits to how many open days you go to, or how often, so it’s important to utilise this time to ensure you visit as many universities as you would like to. Before going to an open day, it’s beneficial to prepare a bit about what you may want to ask: are there any burning questions which you desperately want to know the answers to? Many open days feature multiple tours and talks, so it’s important to shortlist a few events which you may want to go. It is also vital that you think about what you want to get out of the day - you need to be going for yourself, not your parents or teachers, as it’s you who would be studying there, and it’s your future.

It’s useful to download a map or have a look online before you go at both the campus, accommodation and the general area, so you know your bearings and you have some sense of your surroundings should any questions arise. Whilst exploring the campus, you also need to explore the local area to see whether you could see yourself spending three years there.

However, it is important to note that transport can be expensive, so many universities offer online open days (virtual) for you should you not be able to attend in-person events. When booking any sort of open day, it is also important you chose the correct one, as many are course based meaning different days are for different courses. Accommodation open days are usually provided separately to view the accommodation, as most of the time this is not on the main campus.

Your mind will likely be running in loops, worrying about having to remember key points mentioned, whilst preserving your questions for later. So, as provided by UCAS, here are some questions to ask about the course, accommodation and some general enquires:

• How is the course assessed?

• How many students would roughly be on the course?

• Are there opportunities for placement years?

• What careers have recent graduates gone on to?

• What grades do you need to get onto the course?

• What are the recommended A-Levels / BTECs for this course?

• What extracurricular opportunities are available at the campus?

• What is the application process like? Will there be an interview?

• Will I need a portfolio?

• Do you have good links with employers for post-graduation?

• What is the percentage of students applying that make it onto the course?

• What are the accommodation options for first year students?

• How and when do you apply for accommodation?

• What are the different types of loans, and how would I apply for one?

• What extra facilities are available on-site of the accommodation?

• What accommodation is available off campus?

• What is transport like?

• How much would I have to pay for accommodation, and how regularly?

• Are there any on-campus jobs available?

• What’s the students’ union like?

• What does the local town/city have to offer?

• What support does the university offer?

It is important to talk with someone about different universities and what you are feeling, whether this be a teacher, parent, friend or sibling, it’s very useful to discuss and talk through your options.

Although this has been very university centric, it is important to note that there are other opportunities and routes you can take, such as apprenticeships and employment. However, it is recommended that you visit a few university open days and potentially apply for one, even if it’s a back up option for you to fall back on should you decide last minute to switch from an apprenticeship to university. You might visit an open day and realise university is the place for you, but you might visit and realise that’s not the route you want to take. It’s important to explore these different options to gain some clarity and take control of your future from an early part of year 12 - before you know it, it will be year 13, and you will only have a few months worth of open days before the UCAS window closes.

Look out for our brand new ‘Employer Insights’ section coming soon, where you can find different careers and explore the pathways into them, as well as what they entail.

By Grace Wells