ZNotes’ inspirational founder, driver vs. passenger, taster courses at East Anglia, and Somerset’s lesser known university.
😊 Welcome
This week, something completely different! In what I hope can become a regular thing, I interview someone who is making waves in the world of education.
Zubair Junjunia founded ZNotes a little under 10 years ago to help international students the world over to revise for their A-levels. Now ZNotes is the largest community of high school students in the world. His story is as inspiring as it is informative.
We also dig out an article from last year which will help you decide whether you are a driver or a passenger in your university application journey.
We hear about some useful new Personal Statement guides launched by UCAS just last week.
And we take a trip to Bath to find Somerset’s lesser known university.
✍️ Interview: Zubair Junjunia, Founder and CEO of ZNotes
Last month I met with Zubair Junjunia, the Founder & CEO of ZNotes; a revision platform and online community for school students studying international qualifications.
We had an amazing conversation, digging deep into the what and the why of ZNotes and into Zubair’s own background and university choices.
Undoubtedly one of the smartest people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, Zubair is nevertheless humble, honest and open and is building something a bit special with ZNotes.
For anyone looking to learn about the importance of community, anyone thinking of setting up their own business, or anyone looking for inspiration about their own university choices, this is a fantastic read!
And of course, if you are looking to find out how ZNotes can help you, or your school, you’ll find it all here…
🗄️ From the Vault: Making your university choices - are you a driver or a passenger?
I’ve spent recent weeks focusing on students who are applying right now, hitting the UCAS deadline and hopefully getting some offers. This, however, is for you if you are right at the outset of your journey. Perhaps you are in year 12 at school, with parents, teachers and advisers trying to get you engaged with the process of applying to university.
Lots of students might think that if they go to an independent school, with great career guidance, they are somehow more in control of their choices. Others, who go to schools with less guidance might feel that they are just being swept along by the process.
Well… I don’t think it’s quite as simple as that.
Instead of making assumptions, ask yourself four questions. You’ll soon see if you are a driver or a passenger in your own destiny!
💡 Did you know? UEA Taster Courses
The University of East Anglia have an incredible range of online taster courses available from right now through to mid-March. Spanning the full range of academic disciplines there are more than 20 taster courses available, and you can join as an individual, or as a class. These are interactive classes, so they won’t be recorded.
They also offer a whole bunch of webinars, covering everything from sports to accommodation, plus sessions specifically for groups such as commuters or those with disabilities.
Finally, there is also a range of free MOOCs (online courses) available in a range of subjects. These are typically three week courses, which give deeper insight than the one-off taster courses.
All of these are ideal for students applying to university or preparing for study.
UEA Subject Taster Courses, Webinars and MOOCs
📸 Snapshot: Bath Spa University
Became a university in: 2005
Student population: 17,335 (2022/23)
Location: Main campus just a couple of miles outsideBath, plus several other sites around the city.
Subject areas: Business, Art, Design, Media, Music, Education and the Humanities
Admissions: BBB to BBC, BTEC DDM to DMM, with interviews, auditions and portfolio requirements for most creative, performance or teaching courses.
Bath Spa may only have become a university in 2005, but as with many so-called new universities, its history is much longer. It can, in fact, be traced back to 1852 and the creation of the Bath School of Art.
Nowadays the university describes itself as ‘professionally creative’ - a rather nice term for a university with a wide range of art, design and performance courses that sit alongside degrees in teaching, business, science and humanities.
That's all for this week, so thanks for reading!
Jonathan
🎯 In case you missed it
The most popular page on Better Uni Choices over the last week has been UCAS Essentials, which has six short videos that explain the basics of each stage of the application process. Right now you might be particularly interested in the one that covers interviews, or the one the discusses finalising your firm and insurance choices:
