How Extracurricular Got Me An Offer

It was at a very young age that I decided I wanted to become a geophysicist, and all my GCSE and A Level choices reflected that goal. Though I had (and still have) a passion for writing and performing arts, sciences and geography had to be my main focus, especially when it came down to A Level subjects.

So, when I decided last Christmas I wanted to drop the geophysics course I had started in the September and join a journalism course in the following year, there weren’t a lot of options available. A lot of courses wanted English or Media A levels, I had two sciences, maths, and geography. Many courses didn’t, but I was unlikely to get the place on the course over someone who had more experience in the field than I did.

Which is how extracurricular activities saved me.

When I was twelve I made the discovery that universities liked it when you were in clubs. I then decided to join a lot of clubs: science club, drama club, the steel pan band, the school eco council, student librarian…

When I got to university, studying Geophysics, I carried on this passion for extracurricular activities, joining societies and working on other opportunities I was offered (specifically, a website following the FIA Formula E series).

And when it came to applying to study journalism, these things were all put in my personal statement. It was the website and performing experience from drama club that were talked about when I was at the interview for the place I eventually ended up accepting. It was these things that got me the offers and onto the course I wanted.

Results Day

Results day is a pretty nerve racking event. A Level results day this year is the thirteenth of August, and GCSE results day is the week afterwards. Years of hard work and studying ended about a month before with the end of exams and now it’s time to see if that’s going to pay off.

What to expect GCSEs:

It has been a few years since my GCSE results day (which happened to be on my sixteenth birthday). At my school, there were two separate times for year 10 students and year 11 students to collect their results and it is definitely worth checking what time your results will be available for you.

In year 10, results day was fairly simple. Go to the desk, pick up an envelope with your name on it, read the results.

In year 11, things were a little more complicated. As my school was a sixth form as well as a school, those planning on attending the sixth form had to take their results to another part of the school so they could enrol at the sixth form. As I wasn’t staying at my school sixth form, I didn’t have to do this, but I know it involved a very long queue.

I had to enrol at the college I was planning on going to. I was given a time to enrol at and I showed up at college, had a meeting with the man who was going to be my tutor to make sure I hadn’t changed my mind about what I had applied for, then sat with a teacher from each course I had applied for to discuss my enrolment. Because I was a nerd and got the necessary grades, that was straight forwards. If I hadn’t quite gotten the grades needed, that would have been a chance to change the minds of the course teachers and actually get on the course.

What to expect A Levels:

Collecting my AS results was very much like collecting my year 10 results, with one minor difference. In year 10, I continued into year 11 no matter what my results were, I just needed to know how much work I needed to put in in the second year of GCSEs to get the grades I needed. Failing my AS year, or doing poorly in my AS year could have meant having to retake the year.

Collecting the results was pretty simple. Go in, to the desk, get you envelope, open the results. Reenrolment happened in a couple of weeks’ time when I would go through the same process as when I enrolled at college.

A Level results is the biggie. This is the one that will tell you whether you are getting into your chosen university or not.

First of all, I already knew I was in the university when I got to the college. I knew when I was having breakfast that I had gotten the results needed for Southampton University to accept me on their course. UCAS tracking gets your results before you do, and I think it was around eight in the morning that I was able to log on and see that I had an unconditional offer.

So really, collecting my results was a formality for me. Those who weren’t quite lucky enough to get the needed results didn’t have it quite so easy. For a friend who got into his insurance university but not his firm choice, it meant phoning up the firm choice university to see if he could get a spot there instead. For people who didn’t manage to get into any of their choices, it meant sitting with staff from the college and phoning up universities in the hope that they might have a place. Every college and sixth form will have people to go to if you happen to not be in the position you thought you would be in after results. Don’t panic!

NatWest Student Account Experience

It is a good idea to check out different banks when it comes to getting a student loan. Some, like Santander did this year, offer things like rail cards for customers, whereas others might have benefits such as a big overdraft.

I can’t speak of the benefits of different banks because I didn’t go to them (though, looking back now, that rail card from Santander would have come in useful this year), but I can talk about my experience with NatWest.

First of all, they were very, very nice. I was told beforehand that I would need my confirmation letter from UCAS to open a student account, but that turned out to not be necessary because they could go online and see I’d gotten into my uni (I don’t know if this is standard practice, it’s always best to check). As I already had a building society account at the city building society, they offered to move any direct debits coming out of that account to this one (which I declined) and were generally really helpful when I set up the account.

Then it came to moving money into my building society account when the loan (eventually) came through. Again, the people helping me were really friendly and helpful and suggested I set up an easy access savings account to put away some money for the rest of the term. They offered me advice on saving and managing my spending and that really helped for the rest of the year.

NatWest were really friendly and helpful whenever I had to go in branch to speak to them. As I didn’t expect to need things like rail cards or a large overdraft (the overdraft for a NatWest account increases the longer you’re with them I do believe. Again, this is one of the things I’d recommend asking about when getting your account), ease of access and simplicity, as well as having a positive reputation, were what I opted for, and I got that with this bank

This Time Last Year…

This time last year, I was studying for my A Level exams. Three A2 maths, two A2 geography, two A2 physics, two A2 chemistry, and one AS maths resit exam. Not the most enjoyable time of my life, I have to admit. Even though I’d spent all of Christmas break revising like a mad person, I didn’t do as well as I was expected to do in my mock exams. At the beginning of A levels I was predicted three As and, to get onto the course I started last September, I needed an A and two Bs.

By this time last year, revision was already well under way. Learning case studies for geography and trying desperately to remember trigonometry rules for maths (rules I still don’t know). I remember having a huge, hand made poster about Simple Harmonic Motion next to my bed, and a littler one showing the development of a Temperate Deciduous Woodland next to it. I had a box (I still have the box, actually) of flash cards, hand made dominos and jigsaws which I used to revise, laying them all out on my bed and going through packs three or four times a day.

My chemistry course still hadn’t finished all the content I needed to cover at this point, which was pretty scary. I don’t think my physics had either. Chemistry ended up being my worst subject. I got a C overall, but it was remarked and I ended up with a B. I knew I was going to have trouble with it because there was a lot of fact learning and a lot of maths and there was no one specific thing you could revise and you would be sorted. The same is true of Geography, but my Geography teacher was so good at preparing us for our exams I wasn’t really worried about it.

This time last year, I cried at least once a week. It was a stressful time. Between the pressure of exams, the pressure I was putting myself under, and the fact one of my maths teachers was a complete and utter douche bag, it was very uncommon for me to not be crying. My back up university required the same grades as my first choice (everywhere wanted that kind of grade, except Edinburg, who wanted three As) and, with my mock exam results coming back A, C, C, E, I knew I needed to do a lot better.

I think revising for A Levels was the most stressful period of my life so far. More stressful than GCSEs, even if I was doing fewer subjects. I was so relieved when it was over and am now relieved I never have to go through all that again.

I got the grades I needed to. Just. The scary part for me is that, if I was to go through all that again, I would have to do things the same way in order to get the grades I needed. I would have to push myself to the point I spent more time crying than not in order to get onto a course (where I again spent more time crying than not, but that’s another point).

This time last year was a long time ago, and I’m glad it’s over.

Pros and Cons of Revision Methods for Exams

Because everyone has different learning styles, everyone will find different revision methods work for them. What you might rely on might be awful for your best friend. This is how I found different revision methods worked for me:

Past Papers:

Pros:

• It’s exactly what you can expect in the actual exam
• For short answer questions, the answers can usually be easily found

Cons:

• Limited number
• Essay type questions can’t be mark quite so easily.

Mind Maps:

Pros:

• Good for visual learning
• Easy to update
• Puts bullet points in a more visual format

Cons:

• No practice of exam questions
• Not so good at consolidating information

Flash Cards:

Pros:

• Good for kinetic learners
• Shortening the information helps consolidate it

Cons:

• No practice of exam questions
• Can take a lot of time to make
• Not so easy to add things to

Revision Quizs:

Pros:

• Can be tailored to the type of exam questions you will be
• Having to come up with an answer scheme consolidated the information

Cons:

• Can take a long time to make
• Difficult to add to
• Only have as many as you make

 

Questions to ask at open days

1. What are the library opening times? Do they change during the exam season?

2. Have you ever had any problems in your halls?

3. What services (laundrette, computer room, gym etc.) are there at the halls you’re looking at?

4. What support services are there (advice centre, money help, student services)?

5. What other computer/printing facilities are there on site?

COURSE SPECIFIC

6. How easy is it to find course material in the library?
7. How many contact hours/how many hours do you spend doing homework a week?
8. What are the tutors like?
9. What extra support could you get leading up to exams?
10. How many people are there on your course?

REALLY IMPORTANT

11. How many times have you been out at three in the morning due to a fire alarm?

Exam Day Tips

It’s getting closer to that time of year again, when all your learning, revision, and preparation over the past year (sometimes longer) is assessed. It might be one of the most important hours of your life and, no matter how much preparation you’ve done and how well the teachers have explained the exam, it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous.

Some tips for your exams:

Before the exam:

It is ok to be nervous. And, no matter how well prepared and cool some of your classmates are, they’re probably just as nervous as you are.

I was one of those annoying kids who arrived half an hour early with their pencil case already out and sat chatting to my friend about music or something. You would think I didn’t have a care in the world about my exam. Wrong. This was just my way of coping. Don’t feel bad because you’re doing last minute revision or relaxation techniques. It’s ok to be nervous.

That said, last minute revision is probably not the best thing to be doing before your exam. It might be the case that, if you don’t know it by now, you’re not going to know it at all. Maybe having a little flash card of the most important information might be a good idea, but going through a textbook worth of material is only going to do you more harm than good.

Have all your equipment ready. Pen, and a spare pen, and another spare pen (make sure they’re all black, as a lot of exams ask for only black ink), a pencil (a mechanical pencil is a good idea, as you won’t have to waste time sharpening it if it breaks), a sharpener, rubber, ruler, colouring pencils, a calculator (if allowed). Your school or college may have the equipment already, but there’s nothing wrong with having your own.

Don’t bring your phone. Leave phones at home, or in a locker if those are available, or in a cloak room if possible. It saves so much time after your exam. If that isn’t possible, and it sometimes isn’t possible, you will have to hand your phone in. Believe me, it is so much better to be safe than sorry. Even turned off, at the bottom of your bag, it could still be a problem and it is not worth the risk.

During your exam

Manage your time well. Don’t spend fifteen minutes on a question that doesn’t call for fifteen minutes. Those fifteen minutes could be spent perfecting an answer for a longer questions or picking up a couple more marks elsewhere. Allocate your time wisely, knowing where you should be up to at half time and keep one eye on the clock.

If allowed (and it sometimes isn’t allowed, so make sure at your school or college) it may be a good idea to keep a watch on the desk, in case you find it difficult to see the clock (you probably won’t, they’re usually fairly big, but it’s a possibility). Having the watch on the desk will reassure you.

Write down important formulae you’re likely to need if you’re not given a formulae sheet. Those are probably the things you’re going to have on your flash card, right? Get them down quickly, before you forget about them.

After your exam

Don’t go and find the mark scheme. There is no point in doing this, though a lot of people do. You can’t change your answers and you’re likely to get caught up on the questions you got wrong. It’s much better to put the exam in the past and focus on the future.

That’s it. The exams over. There’s nothing more you can do now.

Who to Accept

Just over a week since I sent off my application, I’ve received responses from all but one of the universities I’ve applied to. Success! Now I, like many teenagers, have to face the decision of picking my firm and back up choices.

Last year I knew for sure where I wanted to go. I did the whole preparation: going to see the university the summer before, reading every detail on the website, visiting accommodation. Southampton was going to be my firm choice. That was a certain.

My back up choice was a little more difficult. Normally, it’s important that your back up choice has lower grades than your first. This is because the point of the back up is that, if you don’t get the grades needed for your firm choice, you have the back up to fall back on. All my offers last year requested ABB (with the exception of Edinburgh, who wanted 3 As and there was no chance I was getting that). Really, choosing somewhere with the same conditions as Southampton meant I didn’t have a back up, but I put down a university anyway (UEA) in the hope that they might let me in with lower grades should I fail to get my A.

A lot of people know what university they want as their firm choice, but less are sure of their back up. It does matter though. The last thing you want on results day is to face the fact that, not only are you not going to your dream university, you’re going somewhere you’re going to hate. The same amount of research has to go in to your back up as your firm.

This year, however, I haven’t had the luxury of months of open days and research. A look on the website has been all I’ve had.

At the moment (with two universities still not with a decision) I haven’t made the choice of where to go. The three offers I do have are unconditional (well, Southampton Solent would like to see my certificates, but that’s it), so if I pick any of them as my first choice there is no need for a second.

Until the last two decisions have been made, I don’t want to make a choice. There will be research until I have all five replies and, hopefully, by that point I’ll have a good idea where I’m going.

 

 

University Interviews And Applicant Days

Thursday was the deadline for UK university applications (sort of) and now comes the stressful time of waiting to see if you’ve done enough, if you’re grades are enough, and if you actually remembered to put down all your qualifications.

Some universities give offers (conditional or unconditional) based simply on the UCAS application they have received. Others require applicants to go to an Applicant Visit Day. Usually, this means that you have the offer as long as you show up for the day. Last year, I attended one for UCL. This is more a chance for you to get to know the university, so you have no regrets about attending come autumn, and is similar to an open day, but directed specifically at you and the course you are interested in. It’s a good place to ask questions. You already have the offer, now it’s their turn to try to impress you and get you to chose their university over the others you have received offers for.

Make sure the university is right for you: the course, the location, and the extra activities that may be available. It’s all very well and good the university being the leading researcher in your degree area, but if you’re not happy living in the middle of a busy city, maybe one located there isn’t the best for you (one of my main reasons for not accepting UCL (that and the dead body)).

Inverviews are a little different. Your offer is more likely to depend on how you act in the interview, though some universities set interviews just to ensure students are enthusiastic about the subject rather than to test knowledge. A lot of the time, the interview will be based upon your personal statement. This is the best reason to not lie on your personal statement (other than dishonesty being greatly frowned upon by universities). You are going to look like an idiot if you do not know anything about playing the flute if you have clamed to be a top level flute player. The interview isn’t there to make sure everything on your personal statement is true, just to find out a little bit more about you and to see if the university thinks you are suitable for the course.

Like the Applicant Visit Day, this is also an opportunity for you to ask questions about anything and everything related to the course and university. It is your chance to find out every piece of information you have. Do not pass it up.

Some universities may ask for something specific in preperation for your interview. For example, I was asked to do a small talk on a geophysics related subject for an interview at Southampton University. Again, this wasn’t to test my knowledge, but my enthusiasm for the course. It is always a good idea to check and double check if you need to do a presentation, talk, or another piece of work for your interview. They are not always needed, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Other tips for both applicant days and interviews is to arrive on time and to know how you’re getting to your interview before hand (both mistakes I have made).

But keep calm. The chances are, if you’ve made it this far, they’re interested in you.

Some UCAS Advice

It’s the time of year again when students frantically strive to get their UCAS applications as shiny as they can be and send them off to prospective universities. Many students have already sent off the form, with only a few weeks until the applications are closed.
This time last year, I had everything done, or almost done. Personal statement written, almost all my qualifications listed, and a pretty good reference from my tutor. But, as it seems I will be starting the UCAS process again now, I’m doing some tips on getting UCAS sorted.
On what authority? Last year I got offers from all five of my chosen universities and, even though I didn’t meet the grades for at least one of the universities (not one I accepted).
So here are five tips for those still facing the confusing process:
1. Do not forget to put down any of your qualifications.
Especially if it’s an important qualification. When I applied, I forgot to include my English Language GCSE before I spent it off. I then had to email all my universities to make sure they all knew I could speak English.
It wasn’t until after I’d let them know that I received any offers. It was a stupid mistake, and not one I’m planning to make again.
2. Get as many people as possible to read your personal statement.
A lot of people will tell you that the personal statement is unimportant, only there for interviews, but I disagree. It did come in very useful in the only interview I had, but it was good enough to get me an offer from a university who expected grades much higher than the ones I was predicted to get.
Getting people to read my personal statement, especially the teacher most closely related to the subject I wanted to do, helped point my statement in the right direction.
3. Don’t lie in your personal statement.
This might seem like a given, but it’s important. There’s exaggerating connections between irrelevant subjects to make them seem less like a waste of time, which is good, and there’s lying.
4. Try to include as much as possible into your personal statement.
What may seem completely irrelevant to your course can be twisted around to your advantage. Being in the school band. Being a writer. Studying politics. These were all things that I put into my personal statement when I applied to study geophysics, and the first two were talked about in my interview. If you write about things from the right angle, you can include pretty much anything. Dedication. Commitment. Hard working. Any extra-curricular you do is an example of all these things.
5. Read all the advice UCAS has put out there.
There are video explanations on how to do different aspects of the application, which are actually surprisingly useful.