I can imagine that you are getting pretty fed up of the extremely long and boring talks you are getting from your teachers about how to write a good personal statement so I’ll summarise some key points for you in a short and snappy blog post.
Firstly I’m going to emphasise the name of this ‘personal statement’. Therefore make it completely and utterly personal and when doing so, make a statement - stand out!
You’ve got to show passion. You’ve got to show charisma. You’ve got to show love. You’re doing a subject that you love and/or find interesting (if you’re not then seriously consider spending the amount you are paying for something you don’t enjoy).
When I started mine, I thought about what led to my interest in the subject which, for me, was a TV program (it can literally be anything). I...
I had to re-write my own personal statement in order to re-apply for my literature degree. Going about doing this on my own was quite tricky, as I didn't have the same amount of advice as I had in sixth form due to already being at university. Also, second time round I was writing for a more academic institution opposed to a performance based one (conservatoire).
In my second personal statement, I was able to veer away from the specialist music performance element I had to focus on when writing for a conservatoire directly. This was interesting as it meant although the academic side of things was not too different (I talked about my A levels, how they tied together with useful links and resources), my hobbies included not only my music education and extra curricular but also my interest in writing, being published in the school newspaper and hiking. It was quite surreal really...
Summer is well and truly upon us. For some of you, the preparation for moving into your new house for second or third year might be underway. For others, you might be looking at your bedrooms at home, wondering what’s going to make the cut and come with you to your halls of residence in September.
Either way, both privately rented accommodation and university halls are not exactly stylish. Yes, this can mean when you open your bedroom door, you will find a dull, empty room. It also means you have a blank canvas to make your own (well, you know, within the guidelines of the contract).
You might think decorating a bedroom on a student budget is impossible, but it’s not. Here are some tips, advice, and suggestions to help you make the most of your new space while saving as much money as possible.
1. Fairy lights
Fairy lights are your go-to. They’re homely, cosy, and great for evenings when you want to snuggle up and watch a movie. They’re also cheap...
This could be on any device, including a TV, desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, games console, digital box, or DVD/VHS recorder. If you do any of the above without a valid licence, you risk prosecution and a maximum penalty of up to £1,000, plus any legal costs and/or compensation you may be ordered to pay. You will also still then have to buy a TV licence if you need one.
There are lots of different ways to buy a TV licence. Whether that’s through weekly cash payments, using your nearest PayPoint outlet, spreading the cost with monthly, quarterly, or yearly...
It might seem somewhat early to cast our minds ahead and think about the (hopefully!) glorious summer which awaits us, especially when assignments are due and upcoming exams occupy our thoughts. Last Easter was a blur of exam revision, countless essay plans and Lindt chocolate (Easter would not be the same without a Lindt bunny!) for me as I prepared for my then-upcoming A-level exams, which began even earlier than for most students because I had to sit my French oral exam at the end of April.
Although the pressure of being a university student is remarkably less than being a prospective student reaching the end of Year 13, coping with the last few weeks and months of the academic year at university is still stressful. OK, I might be slightly procrastinating by writing this post instead of writing another essay, but there is nothing wrong with stepping away from your books and revision notes to dive into a more pleasant subject – your plans for the summer...
As you may already know, university is significantly different to sixth form or college, which also applies to term dates. Although the academic year is somewhat shorter – often beginning in late September/early October and ending in May/June – universities do not have a half-term holiday, an aspect of sixth form that I really missed when I first began my studies last year.
However, some universities, including my own, have ‘reading weeks’ which, in other words, are like a half-term break. Usually situated in the middle of a semester, reading weeks serve the purpose of enabling students to get a head start for the work and reading in the remaining weeks until the longer holidays (and exam period!) begin.
Given that the workload at university can feel so daunting at times, a reading week is often strongly appreciated because it allows you to breathe for a little while without worrying about time constraints as you might experience during the semester. I...
University interviews can be especially stressful, and even more so if you can’t find anything a little more specific for your subject choice. So, if you’re applying to Journalism courses, here are some useful tips!
Re-read Your Personal Statement
Make sure you re-read your personal statement on the way to the interview, that way if they ask you anything about what you’ve written, you’ll remember! Especially if you’ve written about books, blogs, or podcasts, you might remember them and give them a quick flick through or listen. Also, it might just be able to keep you that little more calm in the middle of the questions.
Brush Up On Your Journalism
It’s always good to know a little more about what you’re applying for, and when it comes to journalism, you might want to be aware of the current news (world news if it’s your interest) and have some journalists you look up to. Some journalists you might want...
As the demand for STEM subjects seemingly increases in our society, often students who are interested in pursuing a more artistic (and certainly less scientific!) route may feel neglected in terms of discovering what ‘arts’ degrees are like. One of these degrees is English Literature, which I am currently studying as a single-honours degree, although I will change to a joint-honours course with French (another ‘arts’ subject) from September. And what better way is there to discover what studying English is like than by hearing the thoughts of a current English student?
Be prepared for a lot of reading
Yes, it goes without saying that every degree requires a significant amount of reading – especially independent research which extends beyond what is covered in lectures and seminars – but English is definitely one of the most reading-heavy (if such a term exists!) subjects that you can study at university!
Since the House of Commons’ ruling on accelerated degrees, it is becoming likely that all universities could soon offer two-year degrees.
Yes – a fully accredited degree in just two years.
Where I study, at the University of Buckingham, they have been offering this alternative for over 40 years. Since the Commons’ announcement, people have been giving two-year degrees a bad rap, with one educationalist calling them ‘gimmicky’. This couldn’t be further from the truth. As a student who’s halfway through a two-year degree, I thought I had to shed some light on the concept of accelerated degrees, because there are many misconceptions out there.
For many young people, including myself, freshers’ week can be a daunting and nerve-wracking thing to think about. There are many worries that freshers may have about uni life – this is very normal, and includes fears around how they are going to cope with new surroundings, the workload, and the financial responsibility they will now have to face. This blog will shows new freshers that there is nothing to worry about, with a few tips along the way.
One of the main fears new students have is their first few weeks at university. This is to be expected – some students will be walking into classrooms with people they have never met before, which can cause some anxiety. My university had a great induction programme which helped me settle in and get to know others. This also helped me develop confidence that I was good enough to be on the course – one of my personal fears, as I thought I was not smart enough to be at university. However, this fear was quickly eliminated during my...