Skip navigation

Latest from the blogs

Five tips on breaking the ice with new housemates

Thu 3 September 2020 - 09:59

By UCAS in International students

If you have chosen to share a flat or house with new people when you start university, or are moving into student accommodation and are feeling a bit anxious about getting to know new people here are some tips to help you get started.

Introduce yourself 
When you move in make sure you introduce yourself. If you are moving into student dorms, then leave your room door ajar. This will signal your moving in and people can pop their head in and say hello! Equally you will see people and can make the first move by introducing yourself.

Remember everyone is nervous and some people are shy so be brave and make the first move!

Make a cup of tea
We have a saying in the UK that a cup of tea makes everything better, so offer to make everyone a nice “cuppa” with a side serving of biscuits and you’ll be well on your way to making new friends. This is a gentle way of sparking a conversation because you can ask how people...

Six things you should do during fresher’s week

Thu 3 September 2020 - 09:54

By UCAS in International students

Freshers Week is the ultimate introduction to student life in the UK. The first week is a great way to meet new people, trying new things and sign up for activities. 
 
Here are six things you should do during fresher’s week:
 
1. Attend the freshers fair
If you only go to one event during fresher’s weeks, it should be the freshers fair. This fair will have representatives from student societies, local businesses that offer jobs, companies that offer products, and services that you might be interested in as well as local voluntary groups that you can join. 
 
Have a look around and collect information on things that will be useful and of interest to you. It can be overwhelming, with lots of people asking you to sign up with them and lots of information thrown at you. Take the leaflets to read when you get home, they will all contain social...

10 things you need to know about apprenticeships

Tue 9 July 2024 - 09:19

By UCAS in UCAS advice

1. An apprenticeship is a real job with training. 

As an apprentice, you are expected to work hard, and are given real responsibilities, a contract of employment, holiday, and sick pay – exactly the same as any other member of staff! You will also gain a qualification, and valuable skills and experience. 

2. You will work towards a qualification. 

You will be supported by a training provider (a university or college), that will help you achieve your qualification and make sure you complete your apprenticeship. 

3. An apprenticeship usually takes between one and four years to complete.

It depends on the level of apprenticeship/qualification you are taking, and what you have achieved so far. 

4. Apprenticeships have changed. 

They’re alternatives to traditional, full-time university or college courses, and there is a wide range of Modern Apprenticeships...

Four reasons why you should do a placement year

Thu 25 July 2024 - 09:31

By UCAS in UCAS advice

A placement year may be an essential part of your degree or optional. Current placement student, Emily Fox from De Montfort University, recently completed her year in industry and details four reasons why you should consider one too.

Placement years usually occur between your second and final year of study at university and at many institutions, count towards your overall degree. Often, they can help you to explore potential career paths and provide you with valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future. 

1. Enhance your career prospects 

Placements are useful to help you develop professionally. Not only do they strengthen your CV, they help you stand out from the crowd when applying for competitive graduate jobs. With a year’s worth of experience, employers will see that you are proactive and passionate about your...

How to apply as an independent applicant

Mon 22 July 2024 - 11:48

By UCAS in UCAS advice

Completing a UCAS application as an independent applicant is simple. So, where do you begin?

Getting started
Before you can start your application you need to create a UCAS Hub account. When you register you’ll need to answer some basic questions about yourself. We’ll give you a username and you’ll also be asked to create a password.

Start an application in your Hub
Once you're signed in, you’ll be able to click 'Start a application'. Firstly, you'll be asked if you are applying through a school or college. If you are applying independently, you can click 'No' and you'll then be taken straight into your application, where you can start completing your details, entering your qualifications etc.
 
Getting a reference
You need a reference before your...

Nine money saving tips to cut the cost of your food shop

Thu 11 July 2024 - 12:33

By money.co.uk in Money

1. Create a budget
The best way to help make sure your food shopping doesn’t leave you skint is to create a monthly budget of your outgoings and incomings. Factor in how much you spend on food and stick to your budget when you shop. It’s easy to go over by a few pounds each week but over a year this really adds up. Subtract money from your budget every time you pick up anything to eat while you’re out and about to get a handle on how much you’re actually spending on food - you might be surprised by how much you’re actually spending on takeaway food.

2. Take a shopping list
Before you head to the supermarket, write down everything you need and work out if you’ve got enough in your budget to buy it all. Shopping without a list can be lethal – you might end up with goods on offer that you don’t really need and you’re far more likely to blow your budget.

3. Plan your meals for the week 
If you plan what meals you’re going to make in...

My life at the University of Surrey

Thu 4 July 2024 - 10:32

By UCAS in UCAS advice

Hi everyone! My name is Issy and I’m a second year Business Management student at the University of Surrey. I am also a Unibuddy Ambassador for Surrey, meaning that you can contact me through the easy to use UnibuddyApp and ask me any questions that you might have! It’s such a valuable service as you an hear from an actual student, studying the actual course and attending the actual university! It’s also really handy to talk to someone of around a similar age as I have only just gone through the experience that you’re about to go through too. It is a fantastic, no judgement space where you’re free to ask anything – no question is silly! I’m going to go through some of my most frequently asked questions so that you can get an idea of the types of questions asked and answers received. Remember, so many people are going to be in the same boat as you asking...

UK University Scholarships for Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Mon 28 June 2021 - 09:43

By UCAS in Support

Over 70 UK universities offer scholarships for refugee and asylum-seeking students to allow them to study. Student Action for Refugees (STAR) encourages and supports universities to create and maintain scholarship programmes, and helps to advertise these opportunities to applicants. In this blog you can find out why they are needed and how to apply, as well as how UCAS and STAR are supporting refugee and asylum-seeking applicants on their journey to university.

People who are seeking asylum in the UK are often locked out of university. Most are classed as international students, meaning that they are charged higher fees. On top of this, most are ineligible for student loans...

Where your sports sciences degree can take you

Fri 20 March 2020 - 10:41

By Ella Hendrix in UCAS advice

Sports science is a subject that has become more and more popular over the last few years. To be able to have an in-depth understanding of the science around sport and the way that the body moves, allows us to get the best performances out of our sportsmen and women, help them to prevent and recover from injuries, and also help other people who aren’t necessarily sportsmen or women to deal with injuries that they have sustained.

By studying for a degree in sports science you have many career options open to you – from directly working with athletes, to teaching, or working in the background. Some people also go on to use what they have learned in their degree as a platform to study sports psychology, teaching, sports journalism, or other careers.

Although there are many careers open to you – some more obvious than others – here are just some that you could consider if you have a sports science degree:

Sports equipment developer
The area...

Green Career Options for a Brighter Future

Mon 24 February 2020 - 09:09

By UCAS in UCAS advice

The fact that the world is beginning to really acknowledge the need to look after our planet has meant that we are seeing an increasing number of careers available in a number of ‘green’ areas. These can range from developing new technology to helping businesses and consumers go green, and if you are passionate about the future of our planet there are plenty of career options available to you – according to your strengths and preferences.

As a graduate, you will already be armed with a plethora of skills in your chosen field, and being able to apply these to something that you feel is important is a great way to not only start a career that you feel is worthwhile, but also help to save the planet.

There are many ‘green’ career options out there for graduates, and here are a few areas that you could consider working in:

Green businesses

Regardless of what your skills are, getting a job at a ‘green’ business is one of the best ways...

Pages

Sponsored articles
UCAS Media Service