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Seven tips to smash your personal statement

Wed 17 July 2024 - 12:35

By UCAS in UCAS advice

Your personal statement is a key part of your application. It’s your chance to show the uni or college what kind of person you are, and how you’re suitable for their course. Here are seven top tips to help you write a killer personal statement:

  1. Start early – The deadline for applying to most undergraduate courses is 15 January, but don’t think you can start your personal statement the week before and casually hit ‘submit’ at 17:59 on deadline day. Your personal statement is the one section of your application that will set you apart from everyone else. Unsure where to start? Sign up for the UCAS Hub and get started with the personal statement builder!
  2. Write everything down – Your personal statement is limited to 4,000 characters, or 47 lines (whichever comes first). Remember, it’s 4,000 characters, not words! When you start off don’t set yourself any...

A guide to graduate careers in engineering

Tue 24 September 2019 - 09:22

By Ella Hendrix in UCAS advice

According to a report by Engineering UK, the country will need 265,000 skilled entrants into engineering through to 2024. That’s an annual shortfall of at least 20,000 people. The good news is, therefore, that as an engineering graduate you are well sought after, have great career prospects, and a wide variety of options in terms of career prospects in engineering.
 
Engineering recruitment agencies are a great place to start when you are looking for career options in the world of engineering, helping you find the jobs which best suit you, and which offer competitive pay rates across all areas of the industry.
 
Engineering – or creative science – as some people like to call it, is a genre that stretches across almost every industry that exists. We will always need innovative and...

Three tips to choosing the right course

Thu 19 December 2019 - 08:58

By UCAS in UCAS advice

Have you considered a career in music, dance, or drama? If so, check out what’s on offer with UCAS Conservatoires.

But how do you know which is the right course for you? Our tips will make sure you choose the course that best suits you.

1. Research courses in our search tool.
The first place to start will be our search tool. Once you’ve found a course and conservatoire that’s taken your interest, find out more about the course, the conservatoire, the entry requirements and the audition fees by clicking on the course in question.

2. Attend open days
Open days will give you the opportunity to check out the facilities, meet current students and staff and give you the chance to ask them questions. Search for open days by conservatoire on our...

Writing an undergraduate personal statement

Thu 11 July 2024 - 10:22

By Charlotte Stevenson in First year

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...

Decision, decisions… when are you likely to hear back from unis?

Wed 17 July 2024 - 15:36

By UCAS in UCAS advice

The wait for decisions on your application can be agonising. It’s a good idea to use this time effectively by familiarising yourself with the decisions the unis you’ve applied to could make, so you know what to expect and what to do when the time comes.

Each university and college will make their decisions at different times, meaning you might hear back before your friends do, or vice versa. However, there are deadlines by which they have to decide:
  • 16 May 2024 – if you sent your application by 31 January 2024
  • 17 July 2024 – if you sent your application by 30 June 2024

If a uni you’ve applied to doesn’t make a decision by the appropriate deadline, that choice will be automatically made unsuccessful.

Good luck with your application! 

Check out our advice on what you can do...

Career options for a maths graduate

Tue 3 October 2023 - 15:28

By Ella Hendrix in UCAS advice

There are many benefits to studying a degree in maths. You will have almost certainly gone into your maths degree with a flair for all things numerical, but perhaps less of an idea about what job you want to do at the end of it. Unlike many other degree subjects, that can be more vocational, one of the good things about maths is that it gives you a broad knowledge, and a base from which you can choose the best career path for you.
 
Studying for a degree in maths can give you a wealth of skills and knowledge, including:
  • the analysis, presentation and interpretation of data
  • the ability to carry out experiments and studies
  • problem-solving
  • information technology
  • presenting mathematical arguments
  • the ability to deal with abstract concepts
  • logical thinking
  • advanced mathematical thinking
  • communication skills
  • good time management
  • decision-making and...

The importance of completing your own personal statement

Wed 17 July 2024 - 13:11

By UCAS in UCAS advice

Writing your personal statement is one of the most important things you’ll do when applying to university – it should be personal, engaging, and most importantly, written by you.
 
It’s extremely important to write your personal statement yourself. This might sound obvious, but you shouldn’t rely on websites or other people to write one for you.
 
Remember, your personal statement is all about you, so you should use it to showcase your personality, experience, achievements, and future ambitions. Universities want to get to know you, and why you’d be an asset to the course – they don’t want to read something that’s written by someone else.
 
While it’s good to get inspiration from previous personal statements, make sure you don’t...

Ten places to get personal statement pointers

Wed 17 July 2024 - 15:41

By UCAS in UCAS advice

If a bit of personal statement inspiration is what you need, then look no further – here are the ten best places to pick up more than a pointer or two!
  1. The UCAS website
    Start your planning here. There are tips on how to get started and what to include. It also covers the technical aspects you need to bear in mind, such as the character count.
  2. Personal statement timeline
    Check out our personal statement timeline. It’s packed with advice on how to spread out the planning and writing stages so you’re not cramming at the last minute.
  3. Our blog
    A few years ago we asked uni admissions tutors to tell us what they’re looking for in the personal statement and the advice they shared has been so well received that it’s still our most popular...

Myths about organ donation

Tue 18 June 2024 - 10:25

By NHSBT in Support

Choosing to donate your organs is a generous and worthwhile decision that can save lives.
 

Thousands of people in the UK are waiting for an organ transplant, with their lives on hold while they wait for a phone call to say that a match has been found. Sadly, someone dies every day in need of a transplant due to a shortage of organ donors. 

Don't be swayed by misinformation. We've answered some of the common myths about organ donation below. 

Will doctors try their best to save my life if I'm registered as an organ donor?

Healthcare professionals have a duty of care to save your life first.

If, despite their best efforts, they are unable to save you, organ and tissue donation will be considered as end of life care discussions start with your family, friends, and next of kin. Only when end of life care planning is started is the NHS Organ Donor Register accessed by healthcare professionals and the...

Qualifications that may enhance your career

Tue 27 August 2019 - 12:02

By Ella Hendrix in UCAS advice

With the ever-changing world of work, it is more important than ever for you to have more than one qualification in any given subject. There are increasing numbers of people with an undergraduate degree, and many of them are looking to boost their CV to show that they have more to offer. 
 
Which extra qualifications you do will probably be dependent on the job that you are doing – or the job you want to be doing. For example, accountants or medical professionals will have specific skills which they can enhance with other qualifications.
 
However, there are also courses that can be done to enhance anyone’s CV – to make you more attractive as a potential employee.
 
1. NEBOSH qualification
Health and safety in the workplace is very important, and the more people who have studied – even to a basic level – the better. 
 ...

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