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How to choose an Independent Education Counsellor
Last week, we looked at how best to work with your school’s university counsellor. Many of you will have one at your school or college, so if you do, please have a look at last week’s article.
Many of you, however, won’t have access to expert advice and support in your school or college. This will mainly apply to those currently at schools outside of the UK, but even some of you in the UK might feel that the support you are receiving is not quite enough for you.
If this is you, then read on.
Top 10 things I learnt at the University of Oxford Open Day
At the start of the summer, I was staying with my brother in London, and his niece had booked to attend the University of Oxford Open Day. “Would I like to go along with them?” they asked.
In my 30+ years working in universities, I’ve visited Oxford numerous times, and I’ve shared a stage with University of Oxford admissions tutors even more often. But I’ve never been to an Open Day there, and I’ve never been right inside any of the individual colleges. I couldn’t resist the opportunity!
How to work best with your university counsellor
Depending on where you are in your journey, you may or may not yet have worked out that UK Higher Education is complicated. And if you haven’t already, you are soon going to find out that the same is true of the application system. So naturally, you’ll want to find someone to help you navigate it, right?
Your first port of call should be your school or college…
Having a last minute change of heart? How to change your course after results day
A-level results come out on Thursday, and alongside the results, UCAS Clearing will get into full swing. Clearing, as you’ll doubtless be aware, is the process by which applicants without a university place can quickly secure a place on one of the many courses still available.
You might be surprised, however, to know that Clearing is not just for those who didn’t make their grades. Last year around 20,000 students made the decision to go into Clearing themselves, declining their firm choice place and finding a new course. Not because they had to, but because they wanted to. If this is you, read on to find out how to do this, and some of the risks and pitfalls you might want to consider.
Warren Buffett’s advice on finding your perfect career
In a recent shareholder letter, Warren Buffett, one of the world’s most successful businessmen, wrote about regular talks he has with university students. "I have urged” he says, “that they seek employment in (1) the field and (2) with the kind of people they would select, if they had no need for money.”
“When they find that sort of job” he goes on to say “they will no longer be working”. He recognises that “economic realities may interfere with this quest”, but urges students “to never give up on the quest.”
Embrace the chaos: Nietzsche and choosing a university
Ever read any Nietzsche? Nope? Me neither! But I have read a little bit about Nietzsche, and one of his ideas particularly resonated with me when it comes to choosing a university. The quote that caught my eye was this:
“You must still have chaos in you to be able to give birth to a dancing star”.
Careers, courses and ikigai
I, along with many westerners, first came across ikigai as a career decision-making tool; a Venn diagram with four overlapping qualities in the ideal career: what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. I’ll come to the Venn diagram in a minute, as it’s brilliant, but I would like to start with an explanation of what ikigai really means to the Japanese.
When is a top university not a top university?
Back in the spring, I used to keep seeing an advert on Facebook suggesting I should study for a British Masters degree at the “9th Best University in the UK”. The university in question was Liverpool John Moores University.
Now, I mean no disrespect to Liverpool John Moores, but it is not a university that has troubled the top 10 in any of the major league tables, so I was naturally curious about this claim to be ninth best? By what measure were they making this claim?
Well, the small print on the advert gave the source…
Personal Statements: Not ‘I have to…’ but I ‘get to…’
Every so often I come across an idea so simple and so brilliant, that it changes the way I look at almost everything. For me, this is one of those ideas. And for you, I hope it helps you take your first brave steps in writing your UCAS Personal Statement.
Writing your UCAS Personal Statement using ChatGPT
I’m writing this during a week when hundreds, if not thousands, of schools world-wide will be holding university application weeks for their year 12 students. Right at the centre of these events will be kick-off sessions for writing your UCAS Personal Statements. I wonder how many of these sessions will focus around how to make best use of ChatGPT, and how many will just conveniently ignore it?
What exactly are super-curricular activities, and why should I be bothered?
You’ve all heard of extra-curricular activities; things like sport, games, clubs and community activities that you do outside of your studies. But what about super-curricular activities? Perhaps you’ve heard about these from teachers or advisers, but aren’t really sure what they are all about. If so, read on…
Taking careers advice from Dave Grohl
Yep, I’m talking about Dave Grohl, him from Foo Fighters.
Undeniably successful, he is a talented musician who excelled at his chosen skill, worked very hard, got some lucky breaks and went on to be about as successful as a rock musician could possibly hope for.
Top 20 Personal Statement tips Part 2: Countdown from #10 to #1
As part of the launch for my new guide “How to write your UCAS Personal Statement” I’ve been counting down my top 20 tips over on Instagram.
In Part 2 of this article, we check out tips ten to one, and examine them in just a little bit more detail.
Virtual open days vs. Physical open days: Which are better for you?
It’s coming up to open day season at UK universities, with most universities offering the chance for you to visit their campuses during June, July, September and October. These events can attract anything from a few hundred to a few thousand visitors and are designed so you can get a feel for their university, learn about their courses, facilities and student life, and generally help you make informed decisions before you apply.
Top 20 Personal Statement tips: Countdown from #20 to #11
As part of the launch for my new guide “How to write your UCAS Personal Statement” guide. I’ve been counting down my top 20 tips over on Instagram.
In this article, I look at them in just a tiny bit more detail.