Newmarket College

1
Newmarket College

• What happens next?

2
What happens next?

• Do you want to go to University?
• Or get a job as soon as you leave ?
• Or try to combine the two?

3
What happens next?

• If you dont have a clue
• Keep your options open
• Consider all the possibilities
• Book a Connexions interview
• Try the Kudos careers software

4
Choosing a subject

• If you dont know, try Kudos again!
• Or the Stamford Test at www.ucas.com/students/be
  foreyouapply/whattostudy/stamfordtest . Youll
  have to register first.
• www.ukcoursefinder.co.uk is excellent and quick!
• Centigrade is more detailed, but will cost you
  10. See the link on the UCAS website.
• Remember that Joint Honours degrees allow you to
  combine very different subjects.

5
Choosing the course 1

• Will you get the grades? Find out your estimated
  grades. Theres little point applying to a
  university asking for 360 UCAS points if you are
  estimated 280, but make sure your 5 choices cover
  a big enough range of points to cover every
  likely eventuality.
• Does the course contain those aspect of a subject
  that you want to study? Courses with the same
  title at different universities can have very
  different course contents (and vice versa).

6
Choosing the course 2

• Is the course taught (lots of lectures or
  independent study?), and assessed (coursework or
  exams?) in ways that suit you?
• How much flexibility and choice is there?
• Consider work placements, sponsorship, job
  prospects, study abroad?

7
Choosing the course Useful websites

• Check out Unistats http//www.unistats.com/ It
  contains student satisfaction surveys, stay-on
  rates, employment statistics and other useful
  stuff.
• On www.ucas.com you can search for the course of
  your choice. Use the Entry Profiles.
• http//www.geog.qmul.ac.uk/studentguide is meant
  for geographers, but has some good all-round
  advice.

8
Useful websites 2

• Many newspapers publish league tables try a
  web search. Make sure you know how their ranking
  works.
• www.universityoptions.co.uk is aimed primarily at
  parents, and claims to be impartial.
• Again www.ukcoursefinder.co.uk is excellent.
• www.hero.ac.uk is extremely useful

9
Choice University environment

• Big City, small town or countryside?
• How far from home?
• Do you need access to art galleries, theatres
  etc?
• Access by road or public transport?

10
Choice Accommodation

• What is provided and where is it?
• What happens after the first year?
• What suits you best in hall or self-catering?
  How independent do you want to be?

11
Choice Costs

• Fees the biggest expense of all.
• Accommodation What is provided and how much does
  it cost?
• How much will it cost to travel home?
• Opportunities for part-time jobs can you take
  yours with you?

12
Your leisure time

• What facilities are there for sports youre
  interested in already, or might want to take up?
• Do you need to be near the sea or mountains for
  your sport?
• Music and drama opportunities
• Are you looking for student radio or magazine
  experience?

13
Open Days

• Now that few universities interview students,
  open days are a great way to find out if a
  university is for you. We ask you to limit your
  time off school to two days.
• Look at www.opendays.com.
• Go with your gut feeling. Where did you feel
  comfortable. Are the teaching staff stuffy or
  friendly? What about the students you met?

14
Admissions tests

• Find out about
• Law- LNAT
• Medicine etc, BMAT and UKCAT.

15
Gap Year

• This idea is increasingly popular, but do
  something with your time, dont leave it to put
  off making decisions.
• Do you want to work or volunteer? In the UK or
  overseas? Travelling independently or with an
  organisation?
• Research www.yearoutgroup.org www.gapyear.com
  www.gap.org.uk will get you started.
• You need to think about budget, safety and the
  effect on your career prospects.

16
Finance 1

• Its never been more expensive to go to
  university.
• The good news is that you will not have to pay
  for any of your fees while you are a student, and
  that student loans are unlike any other in that
  they are not designed to make money out of you as
  the interest is only linked to inflation.

17
Finance 2

• About 50 of students can expect to receive
  something by way of a non-repayable grant. These
  are means-tested, i.e. depend on parental income.
  
• We will provide more information about grants
  nearer Easter when application packs become
  available.

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Finance 3

• Fees differ between universities. Check and
  compare prices. Also look for what the university
  can offer by way of scholarships, bursaries and
  hardship grants.If you are put off uni because
  you are worried about how to pay, then you are
  exactly who these are designed to help.

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Finance 4

• http//www.studentsupportdirect.co.uk government
  site with tips and advice on tuition fees,
  financial aid and loan applications.
• www.slc.co.uk Student loans company. Includes a
  student loan calculator to help estimate what you
  are entitled to receive.
• www.studentmoney.org/ Includes a useful budget
  planner and wage predictor.

20
Registering with UCAS

• click on www.ucas.com/students/apply/ Choose
  Register/Log In to use Apply 2009, then choose
  register.
• The rest is pretty obvious except when you get to
  log in choose Through my school/college. Our
  buzzword is newmarketcollege (all one word).
  Then choose your tutor group. HL becomes PS, HK
  becomes LR, and HS remains HS.

21
Writing the Personal Statement

• Return to the sixth form website to download
  advice and examples of this vital stage of the
  application process.