Let's talk aboutâ¦ - Oxcentric

2011–2012 

Let's talk about… 

Choices 18+ 

Advice and information for students in 

their first year of advanced level courses 

who are considering higher education 

• Deciding what and where to study 

• Applying for higher education 

• Student finance 

• Taking a gap year 

• Sources of help 

M www.connexionsoxfordshire.com / www.spired.com

Let’s talk about… 

Welcome to Choices 18+ 

At this stage there are probably two main 

choices in front of you – employment or 

higher education. 

Why choose employment? 

• You may be able to find a job that offers structured 

training leading to valuable work-related or 

professional qualifications. In the current economic 

climate, these opportunities are harder to find but 

there will still be some out there. 

• You get onto the career ladder earlier than those who 

go into higher education – everyone has to get a job 

sometime, so why not now? 

• You will be earning while you learn and you won’t have 

to take out a student loan or pay tuition fees. 

• You could always enter higher education later either 

full time or on a part-time basis. 

If this seems like the route for you, then see Let’s talk 

about …Jobseeking 2011-2012 at 

M www.connexionsoxfordshire.com, then click 

on ‘publications’. This gives loads of advice on job 

hunting, writing letters, CVs and going for interviews. 

Why choose higher education? 

• For some careers e.g. medicine or architecture, higher 

education is the only entry route. 

• It can be an important stepping-stone to a very wide 

range of careers. 

• It can give you the opportunity to study a subject that 

really interests you and fulfil your academic potential. 

• It will help you develop both personal and 

career-related skills. 

If this seems like the route for you, then you should 

find this publication, Let’s talk about…Choices 18+ 

2011-2012, helpful. It covers the issues you need to 

consider and points you towards other key sources of 

information. If you need further help or advice, talk to 

your sixth form/college tutor or adviser. 

Contents 

Thinking about higher education? 1 

What types of courses are there and what 

qualifications do I need? 2 

How are the courses structured? 3 

Exploring ideas for higher education courses 4 

Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art and Design) 6 

Studying abroad 7 

What do I do if I don’t know what to study? 8 

Applications calendar 9 

The application process 10 

The UCAS Tariff 11 

Information for students with 

vocational qualifications 12 

Information for students with disabilities 13 

Information for overseas students 14 

Completing your personal statement 15 

Interviews for higher education 16 

UCAS Extra, Clearing and Adjustment 17 

Student finance 18 

Sponsorship 20 

Taking a gap year 21 

The value of work experience 22 

What next after university? 23 

Sources of further information 24 

Useful websites 26 

Other sources of help 28 

for local info, help and advice, check out M www.connexionsoxfordshire.com

Thinking about higher education? 

Choosing which higher 

education (HE) course to take 

is a big decision. You are 

choosing not only a course 

to study but a way of life for 

the next three or four years, 

so take time to research it 

properly. 

What is higher education? 

Higher education means courses taken 

beyond 18, that lead to a level 4, 5 or 6 

qualification. 

Which course? 

Start by thinking about your skills, 

qualifications and interests: 

• Are there subjects you enjoy and are good 

at, which you might want to continue? 

• Do you have a career aim? Do you need to 

take a specific or related HE course for it? 

Are there alternative routes of entry into 

this career e.g. work-based training such as 

an Apprenticeship, that you might prefer? 

• Are there new subjects that interest you? 

• What are your predicted grades? Will 

they be good enough for the courses that 

interest you? If not, investigate similar ones 

with lower entry requirements. 

• Some courses expect you to have relevant 

work experience e.g. medicine, teaching, 

physiotherapy and some media courses. 

Make sure you have completed this before 

applying. 

Check out 

M www.ukcoursefinder.com It’s a useful 

tool to help you decide which course to take. 

Type of course 

Try to choose a course that will give you the 

best chance of success. Think about: 

• What level of course would be right for 

you? 

• Would you like some work experience or 

overseas study to be part of your course? 

• Do you want to do a vocational or nonvocational 

course? 

• Are you looking for a full-time course or 

would you prefer to study part time? 

• Courses can be single subject, joint subjects 

or combined subjects – which would be 

your choice? 

• Would you prefer a general first year 

followed by the chance to choose specialist 

course options, or a course that specialises 

from the start? 

Type of university 

Where you study can be as important as what 

you study when it comes to making a success 

of your HE. Universities vary enormously in 

terms of size, location, character and student 

population. 

Think about: 

• Do you want to be on a campus? 

• Are first year students guaranteed a place 

in a hall of residence? 

• What other accommodation is available 

and how much would it cost? 

• Do you have particular interests and 

hobbies you want to continue at university/ 

college? Are these available in the area? 

• Is big city life for you? 

• How easy would it be to get home and 

how much would it cost? 

Don’t just read about it – go and 

have a look around! 

Most institutions have Open Days where you 

can visit and get a feel for whether you could 

settle there. These are publicised in a number 

of ways: 

• University and college prospectuses and 

websites 

• Posters that your school/college may display 

on notice boards 

• Publication called Open Days (UCAS) 

• M www.opendays.com where you can 

book a visit online. 

For more information and advice on HE, 

register for your free UCAS Card at 

M www.ucas.com/ucascard 

You’ll then receive monthly emails with 

hints and tips, information from institutions, 

expert help from UCAS advisers and discounts 

and offers from many high street stores. 

Once you’ve applied to university you can 

join M www.yougo.co.uk, the free UCAS 

student network. Here you can meet people 

before going to university and make friends 

with those who will be doing your course. 

You can also speak directly to UCAS and the 

universities via their profile pages and get 

loads of advice. 

Q Which is the 

‘best’ university? 

A This is an impossible question to 

answer. What is best for one student 

is not necessarily best for another. 

However, you can obtain some really 

useful information from the M www. 

unistats.com website. It enables 

you to search, review and compare 

official information about subjects 

and universities/colleges and includes 

actual entry qualifications, student 

feedback on the quality of the courses 

they did and what jobs they went into. 

Before you start researching into HE, 

it’s a good idea to draw up a list of 

your own criteria for choosing a course 

and university. This should help you 

focus on making the right decisions 

for you. 

Don’t forget that your sixth form/ 

college tutor or adviser is there to help 

you too. 

got a question? Then email us at M askconnexions@oxfordshire.gov.uk 

1


What types of courses are there and 

what qualifications do I need? 

Degree 

• Degrees usually require at least five GCSE 

passes at A*– C. Particular subjects such 

as maths, English language and science 

are often specified. 

• You will also normally need a minimum 

of two full A levels/Applied A levels or a 

Progression/Advanced Diploma or a BTEC 

National Diploma or the International 

Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) or Pre-U 

Diploma or equivalent qualifications. 

• A minimum number of advanced level 

units are usually required, with a certain 

number specified at A2. The six unit 

Applied A level counts as one A level 

and the 12 unit Applied A level counts as 

two A levels. Students with an IB need 

a minimum of 24 points (UCAS Tariff 

260 points) with the more competitive 

courses asking for 35 points (UCAS Tariff 

501 points) or more. Use M www.ucas. 

com entry profiles to check the specific 

subject and tariff point requirements. 

Also see page 11. 

BTEC Higher National Diploma/ 

Certificate 

• Awarded in vocational subjects (e.g. 

engineering, business studies). 

• Certificates are normally studied on a 

part-time basis. Diplomas are studied full 

time and take two years, or three years if 

taken as a sandwich course. 

• Minimum entry requirements are 

usually four GCSEs at A*– C and one A 

level A*– E, a BTEC National Diploma/ 

Certificate, an Applied A level (six units) 

a Progression/Advanced Diploma or NVQ 

level 3. 

• Many further education colleges also 

offer HNDs, so you can study locally. 

• It may be possible to transfer to a degree 

course at the end of the first year if you 

do well enough. 

• Students successfully completing an HND 

can do further study to top this up to a 

degree. 

Foundation Degree 

• A vocational course combining academic 

study with workplace learning. 

• Lasts two years full time and can lead to 

a job or further study. 

• Can also be done over three or four 

years, where you learn through part-time 

day, evening or block-release attendance 

at college or university, distance learning, 

in the workplace, or via the internet. 

• Entry requirements vary. Check with 

individual institutions. 

M www.fdf.ac.uk 

M www.ucas.com/students/ 

choosingcourses/choosingcourse/ 

foundationdegree 

Specialist and diploma courses 

• Entry requirements for these types of 

courses vary. 

• Most art and design degrees require 

A level students to have completed a 

Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art and 

Design) course (see page 6). 

• Private dance and drama schools offer 

courses in acting, dance, ballet and 

technical theatre. Places at some of these 

are funded through Dance and Drama 

Awards. For more information visit 

M www.direct.gov.uk/ 

danceanddrama 

M www.drama.ac.uk 

M www.ncdt.co.uk 

M www.cdet.org.uk 

• A number of non-degree courses provide 

entry into specific careers e.g. Pre-entry 

Journalism. Visit 

M www.nctj.com 

Some may require previous work 

experience. These cannot be funded 

through the Student Loans system. 

• Access courses are a route into HE for 

those who left school/college without A 

levels or equivalent qualifications. They 

are offered by most local colleges but 

are not necessarily accepted by all HE 

institutions so you need to research this 

carefully. 

Diploma of Higher Education 

(DipHE) 

• A DipHE award is the equivalent of 

two years of degree study. Some are in 

academic subjects, others are vocational 

e.g. Diploma in Nursing, which unusually 

is a three year course. 

• Students are often encouraged to 

complete an extra year to gain degree 

level status. 

• Entry requirements are similar to 

degrees. 

International Foundation Courses 

• These are designed for overseas 

students, providing a combination of 

English language and a vocational 

area of study, prior to starting a degree 

course. 

Top Tip! 

• Seek advice if you are unsure about 

the status of a college, acceptability 

of a qualification or level of fees 

charged. 

• Always check the actual subjects/ 

grades/points required for specific 

courses. These are often higher than 

the minimum requirements. 

• If in doubt, check with the 

admissions and departmental tutors 

who will be pleased to answer your 

queries. You may be able to contact 

them by email. 

• If you have non-standard entry 

requirements you should consult 

prospectuses and admissions tutors, 

who may be more flexible than you 

might expect. 

2 

for careers info go to M www.connexionsoxfordshire.com, then click on eCLIPS

How are the courses structured? 

Single subject 

Study is concentrated on one main subject. There is often the chance to 

study other areas, particularly in the first year, but not to any depth. 

Joint subjects 

Two subjects are studied in roughly equal proportions. These subjects 

may be from different faculties. In general, if two subjects are joined by 

‘and’ (e.g. psychology and sociology) they are likely to be offered as a 

joint degree on a 50:50 basis. 

Combined subjects 

Two or more subjects are taken in varying proportions, (e.g. law with 

French), they are likely to be offered on a major:minor basis. 

Jargon Buster 

Modular 

Students choose from a wide range of different modules, building up 

credits towards a final degree. Depending on the modules taken, a 

student can achieve a single, joint or combined degree. 

Interdisciplinary 

A number of subjects are studied, all related to a particular theme or 

discipline. 

Sandwich 

Courses combining study with paid work placements. These can 

either be a ‘thick’ sandwich (a block placement of one year) or a ‘thin’ 

sandwich (several shorter placements spread out during the course). 

Sandwich courses are usually offered in vocational subjects, such as 

engineering. 

Extended year/ Year zero/ Foundation year 

Some courses, notably engineering, medicine and science, offer an 

additional first year to enable students who do not hold the required 

entry qualifications to study for them and then enter these specialist 

courses. These preparatory courses may have different titles in 

different institutions and should not be confused with the Foundation 

Degree. 

Top Tip! 

• There are many different types of courses so read through 

prospectuses and course leaflets very carefully. Don’t be 

misled by course titles – it is the content and structure that are 

important. 

BA 

BDS 

BEd 

BMus 

BNurs 

BSc 

BTEC HNC 

BTEC HND 

BVMBVS 

DipHE 

FdA, FdSc, FdEng 

Honours 

LLB 

MA 

MBA 

MB BS 

MBioc 

MEng 

MPharm 

MSc 

NVQ 

PGCE 

QTS 

Bachelor of Arts 

Bachelor of Dental Surgery 

Bachelor of Education 

Bachelor of Music 

Bachelor of Nursing 

Bachelor of Science 

Higher National Certificate 

Higher National Diploma 

Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine 

and Bachelor of Veterinary Surgery 

Diploma of Higher Education 

Foundation Degree 

To graduate with ‘Honours’ 

describes the class (i.e. grade) of 

degree you have. Classes of 

‘Honours’ are, in descending order, 

a 1st, a 2:1, a 2:2 and 3rd. Next 

grade down is an Ordinary or Pass 

degree without the ‘Honours’. 

Bachelor of Laws 

Master of Arts 

Master of Business Administration 

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor 

of Surgery 

Master of Biochemistry 

Master of Engineering 

Master of Pharmacy 

Master of Science 

National Vocational Qualification 

Post Graduate Certificate of 

Education 

Qualified Teacher Status 

for local info, help and advice, check out M www.connexionsoxfordshire.com 

3


Exploring ideas for higher education courses 

There are a huge number of courses available in HE, 

some you will have heard of but some perhaps not. The 

headings below are the main subject areas covered by A 

levels, Applied A levels, Progression/Advanced Diplomas, 

BTEC Nationals and the International Baccalaureate. For 

ideas about what to study at HE level, find the subjects 

you are taking now and then look at just some of the 

range of possible related HE courses. 

ART, DESIGN and CREATIVE SUBJECTS 

COMPUTER STUDIES/SCIENCE 

• 3D Design 

• Architecture 

• Art with History of Art 

• Arts Management 

• Computer Aided 

Product Design 

• Computer Animation 

• Design Technology 

• Fashion Design 

• Furniture Crafts 

• Film and TV Production 

• Fine Art and Business 

• Graphic Design 

• Graphics Packaging Design 

• Illustration 

• Interior Design 

• Jewellery 

• Media & Cultural Studies 

with Dance 

• Modelmaking 

• Photography 

• Special Effects 

• Textile Design 

• Theatre Design 

• Virtual Reality Design 

• Applied Information 

Technology 

• Business Computing 

• Computer Aided Design 

• Computer Animation 

• Computer Science 

• Computing and Sport & 

Exercise Psychology 

• Computer Systems 

Engineering 

• Cybernetics 

• Digital Media 

• E-Commerce 

• Ethical Hacking 

• Financial Computing 

• Forensic Computing 

• Games Computing 

• Intelligent Systems 

• Interactive Multimedia 

• Internet Engineering 

• Mobile Computing 

• Network Systems 

Management 

• Software Development 

• Web Development 

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES and CHEMISTRY 

ENGLISH and MEDIA STUDIES 

• Agriculture 

• Applied Chemistry 

• Biochemistry 

• Bioinformatics 

• Chemistry with 

Nanotechnology 

• Dentistry 

• Environmental Science 

• Equine Science 

• Food Technology 

• Forensic Science 

• Genetics 

• Land Management 

• Marine Biology 

• Materials Science 

• Medical Engineering 

• Medicine 

• Microbiology 

• Neuroscience 

• Nursing 

• Optometry 

• Palaeobiology and Evolution 

• Pharmacology 

• Physiotherapy 

• Podiatry 

• Sport and Exercise Science 

• Veterinary Science 

• Wildlife Conservation 

• Advertising 

• American Studies 

• Broadcast Media and Media 

Writing 

• Business Studies 

• Classical Studies 

• Combined Studies 

• Contemporary 

European Studies 

• Creative Writing 

• Cultural Studies 

• Drama 

• English Language 

• English Literature 

• Film Studies 

• Hispanic Studies 

• History 

• Information Management 

• Journalism 

• Law 

• Marketing 

• Modern Literature 

• Politics 

• Primary Teaching with 

English 

• Publishing 

• Social Sciences 

• Teaching English to Speakers 

of Other Languages 

• Theatre Studies 

BUSINESS STUDIES, ACCOUNTING and 

ECONOMICS 

GEOGRAPHY 

• Accountancy with 

Management 

• Advertising 

• Banking and Finance 

• Business with American 

Studies 

• Business Economics 

• Business with Geography 

• Business Information 

Technology 

• Business Law 

• Hospitality and Event 

Management 

• Financial Services 

• Human Resource 

Management 

• Leisure Management 

• Logistics 

• Marketing 

• Public Relations 

• Retail Management 

• Tourism Management 

• Adventure Tourism 

• Applied Geology 

• Archaeology 

• Business with Geography 

• Climate Change 

• Ecology and Conservation 

• Economics 

• Geographic Information 

Science 

• Geography with Transport 

Planning 

• Housing Studies 

• Human Geography 

• Landscape and Garden 

Design 

• Oceanography 

• Physical Geography 

• Planning and Property 

Development 

• Surveying 

• Sustainable Development 

• Third World Development 

4 

got a question? Then email us at M askconnexions@oxfordshire.gov.uk

HISTORY 

• American Studies 

• Ancient History 

• Archaeology 

• Classical Civilisation 

• East Mediterranean History 

• Economic and Social History 

• Egyptology 

• European Studies and History 

• Heritage Studies 

• History of Art 

• History of Ideas and 

Philosophy 


• Law 

• Medieval Studies 

• Modern Greek Studies 

• Modern World History 

• Museum and Gallery Studies 

• Politics 

• Social and Cultural History 

• Social Sciences 

• South Asian Studies 

LANGUAGES 

PHYSICS, ENGINEERING and TECHNOLOGY 

• Accountancy and Finance with 

European Study 

• African Studies 

• Arabic 

• Asia Pacific Studies 

• Business with Japanese 

• Central and East European 

Studies 

• Chinese and Philosophy 

• Classics – Greek and Latin 

• European Languages 

• European Marketing 

• European Studies 

• French with Banking 

• Hispanic Studies 


• Linguistics 

• Mechanical Engineering with 

French 

• Modern Languages 

• Public Relations and French 

• Russian 

• Serbian and Croatian Studies 

• Acoustics 

• Aerospace Manufacturing 

• Astrophysics 

• Building Services Engineering 

• Chemical Engineering 

• Civil Engineering 

• Computer Aided Product 

Design 


• Electronics 

• Geophysics 

• Mechanical Engineering 

• Medical & Surgical 

Engineering 

• Meteorology 

• Petroleum Engineering 

• Optometry 

• Physics with Particle Physics 

and Cosmology 

• Robotics 

• Structural Engineering 

• Sustainable Technology 

• Systems Engineering 

MATHEMATICS 

SOCIOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY and POLITICS 

• Accountancy 

• Actuarial Science 

• Applied Statistics 

• Architecture 

• Artificial Intelligence 

• Astronomy 


• Decision Science 

MUSIC 

• Electronics 

• Investment Analysis and 

Insurance 

• Mathematics with Finance 

• Mechanical Engineering 

• Operational Research 

• Surveying 

• Systems Engineering 

• Anthropology 

• Applied Social Sciences 

• Business Management with 

Psychology 

• Childhood, Youth and 

Education Studies 

• Criminology 

• Gender Studies 

• Housing Studies 

• Human Resource Management 

• Human Rights 

• International Relations 

• Marketing 

• Nursing 

• Philosophy 

• Public Services 

• Sociology and European 

Studies 

• Sociology and Popular Culture 

• Urban Studies 

• Acoustics 

• Business and Popular Music 

• Creative Music Technology 

• Event and Venue Management 

and Music 

• Folk and Traditional Music 

• Jazz and Popular Music 

• Musical Composition 

• Musical Instruments 

• Musical Theatre 

• Music Industry Management 

• Music Production 

• Music Video Production 

• Performing Arts 

• Popular Music 

• Professional Musicianship 

• Sonic Arts 

• Sound Engineering & 

Production 

for careers info go to M www.connexionsoxfordshire.com, then click on eCLIPS 

5


Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art and Design) 

A Diploma in Foundation 

Studies (Art and Design), 

also known as an Art 

Foundation course, is an 

intensive, one year course 

that aims to broaden 

students’ experience of 

art and design before they 

select the field they want 

to specialise in at HE level. 

During the year students 

prepare a portfolio of work 

for use when applying for HE 

courses. 

• When choosing an Art Foundation course 

check out: 

• the amount of tutor support 

• studio space and access times 

• access to other facilities e.g. 

computers and library resources 

• what past students have gone on to do 

• the reputation of the course amongst 

HE tutors. 

• Students who have taken an Applied A 

level (double award) or BTEC National 

Certificate/Diploma in an art/design 

subject may not need to take an Art 

Foundation course before going onto 

a degree. Check with the institution 

where you hope to study for a degree. 

• A few students with A levels including an 

art/design subject, are able to progress 

directly onto a degree/HND if they have 

a particularly good portfolio. You should 

always check with the HE institutions 

you are considering, whether an Art 

Foundation course is definitely required. 

• Entry requirements are usually three to 

five GCSEs at grades A*– C (normally 

including English language), plus one A 

level (or equivalent) and a portfolio of art 

work. 

• Applications are made direct to individual 

colleges. 

• The Art Foundation course is included in 

the UCAS Tariff. A Distinction is worth 

285 points, a Merit 225 points and a 

Pass 165 points. See page 11 for more 

information. 

• An Art Foundation course is a further 

education level course so check with 

individual colleges/universities about 

whether you have to pay any fees 

particularly if you are 19 or over when 

you start the course. If you are aged 

between 16 and 19 and face financial 

hardship while on the course you may be 

eligible for a bursary from your college 

but you will not have access to a Student 

Loan as this is not an HE course. 

• A few institutions offer a degree where 

the Diploma in Foundation Studies 

(Art and Design) is built in as the first 

year. Although this sounds attractive, 

it could prove more expensive as the 

whole course is treated as an HE course 

and is therefore subject to HE funding 

regulations. 

6 for local info, help and advice, check out M www.connexionsoxfordshire.com

Studying abroad 

Studying or working abroad as part 

of your course 

A period abroad as part of a degree is no 

longer just for language students. There are 

now hundreds of degree and diploma courses 

that allow you to complete part of your 

course, either working or studying, in another 

country. The following organisations offer a 

range of study and work experience abroad 

to students on UK university courses. 

• Erasmus 

This programme offers students the chance 

to study in a European country for 3 to 

12 months. Approximately 10,000 British 

students take part each year. If you are 

interested, find out which UK institutions 

offer an Erasmus option for your chosen 

course of study. Erasmus study is fully 

recognised by participating UK institutions 

as part of the degree. For more details see 

M www.britishcouncil.org/erasmus 

• IAESTE 

(International Association for Exchange 

of Students for Technical Experience) 

Science, technology and engineering 

students can undertake paid, course related 

work placements abroad. Most placements 

are between 6 to 12 weeks and take place 

during the summer vacation. Information 

on this scheme can be found on 

M www.iaeste.org.uk 

Studying all of your course abroad 

More students are now considering the 

possibility of studying for an entire degree 

overseas. There are lots of issues to consider 

e.g. funding may be harder to find and you 

may need a visa or to sit entry tests. 

If you are considering this, you need to begin 

researching into the possibilities 12 to 18 

months before you plan to start your studies. 

There are several websites that provide 

excellent information about studying abroad 

e.g. 

M www.ukcisa.org.uk 

which offers advice and has links to other 

websites. 

For more information 

• Exodus online database produced by 

Careers Europe. Subscription service 

available through Connexions and 

some schools/colleges. 

• Studying abroad websites see page 

26 

• For those interested in studying in 

Australia and New Zealand see 

M www.studyoptions.com 

• Students frequently enquire about 

study in the USA. Details are available 

from 

The US-UK Fulbright Commission 

Battersea Power Station 

188 Kirtling Street 

London SW8 5BN 

T 090 1488 0162 

Monday and Thursday 

1.30pm – 5.00pm 

(calls charged at 15p per minute) 

Fax: 020 7498 4023 

Email: advising@fulbright.co.uk 

M www.fulbright.co.uk 


7


What do I do if I don’t know what to study? 

Firstly try not to worry! 

Choosing what to study at 

degree level is easier for 

some people than others. 

• You could start by browsing through 

a reference book like Careers 2011 

(Trotman) or Jobfile 2011-12 (Babcock). 

This will give you an idea of the range 

of jobs that exist, and which degree 

subject(s) would be most relevant. 

Alternatively, visit 

M www.connexionsoxfordshire.com. 

Then click on eCLIPS for access to 

hundreds of careers information leaflets. 

• Use careers matching programs like 

Kudos, Pathfinder Live or Fast Tomato at 

school/college or through Connexions. 

These can help you identify broad areas 

of interest and generate job suggestions. 

Understanding your interests and looking 

at job ideas may help you choose a 

course. 

• There are also a number of computer 

programs and online tools which can 

match your interests with suitable 

HE subject areas and even individual 

course titles. Ask your Adviser if these 

are available in your school/college or 

through Connexions. 

- Pathfinder Live 

M www.pathfinderlive.com 

- Higher Ideas 

M www.careersoft.co.uk/ 

higherideas 

- Centigrade 

M www.coa.co.uk/centigrade (you 

can complete this online and have the 

results emailed to you for a small fee) 

- Coursefinder 

M www.ukcoursefinder.com 

- Stamford Test 

M www.ucas.com 

• For some careers you need to take 

a specific degree and some are 

very competitive e.g. physiotherapy, 

veterinary science, medicine. For these 

work experience prior to application is 

essential. 

• If you decide to study a degree in an 

academic subject such as English or 

history it is important to gain some work 

experience during your time at university. 

This will help show potential employers 

that you have developed useful skills for 

the workplace. It is also useful to think 

about your future options during your 

years as a student. Remember to visit the 

university careers service and look at the 

website for undergraduates 

M www.prospects.ac.uk 

• Universities offer a huge range of degree 

subjects, many of which do not ask for 

specific level 3 qualifications, so you 

could consider doing one of these. 

Visit M www.ucas.com to research 

what is available. 

• If you don’t want to commit yourself 

entirely to a new subject, or to just one 

subject, you could consider a joint or 

combined degree (see pages 3, 4 and 

5). Choosing Your Degree Course & 

University (Trotman) may also help you 

to think more about the range of subjects 

on offer. 

• Talking to your tutor, head of sixth form 

or adviser may help you sort out your 

ideas. 

• Many employers who recruit graduates 

do not ask for a degree in a specific 

subject, so if you don’t have a particular 

career in mind, then consider studying a 

subject you enjoy. 

• If you really can’t decide what to study 

by the time you have to apply, consider 

taking a gap year to give yourself 

more time to think about your options 

and perhaps try some relevant work 

experience. 

Top Tip! 

• Check out your career or course ideas 

with your adviser. 

• Remember that the main reason 

students drop out is because they feel 

they have chosen the wrong course, so 

try not to be one of them! 

What are the 

advantages of doing a degree? 

• Firstly, for some jobs it is essential 

(e.g. architecture, medicine). 

• For other jobs it is preferred or usual 

(e.g. marketing, human resources, 

journalism). 

• You can develop a range of skills that 

employers value – research, analysis, 

team-working – as well as allowing 

you to fulfil your academic potential. 

• For a few years you can experience a 

lifestyle other than the typical ‘9-5’. 

• You may be able to take part in 

activities such as rock-climbing, flying 

or debating, which you might not 

have access to outside university. 

• You can make friends with a wide 

range of people from other parts of 

the UK and overseas. 

• It gives you longer to decide on your 

career options. 

• It will probably enhance your job 

prospects. Over a career lifetime, 

on average, graduates earn higher 

salaries than non-graduates, and are 

less likely to be unemployed. 

However, all this needs to be 

balanced against: 

• The cost of going to university and 

how much student debt you may 

accumulate. 

• The chances of an HE course leading 

to the type of job that you are aiming 

for. 

• Increasing numbers of graduates 

(now around 274,000) mean intense 

competition for some jobs. 

8 for careers info go to M www.connexionsoxfordshire.com, then click on eCLIPS

✓ 

Applications calendar 

YEAR ONE 

January to April 2011 

c Check subject choice against 

any career ideas. Maths and 

English language GCSEs 

A*- C grades are required 

for most careers and courses. 

Re-sit GCSEs if necessary. 

c Arrange work experience 

to enhance your university 

application. Some courses 

require relevant work 

experience. Work shadowing 

and talking to a professional 

in the field is useful too. See 

page 22. 

c Apply for any relevant taster 

✓ 

courses e.g. medicine, law, 

engineering. 

c Plan ahead. If you decide 

you need help, talk to your 

teachers, tutors or adviser. 

c Research HE courses and 

universities. Use reference 

books, prospectuses, the 

internet and attend any local 

HE events. 

May to August 2011 

c Continue to research courses 

and/or employers, gain 

relevant work experience, 

attend taster courses, HE 

events and university/ 

department open days. 

c Start preparing your UCAS 

application especially your 

personal statement. 

c Begin planning your gap year 

if you want to defer entry to 

HE. 

c Look at sponsorship 

information. Contact 

companies as some may 

require you to apply to 

particular institutions. 

c CUKAS (Music Conservatoires 

UK Admissions Service) 

applications start on 1 July 

2011. The initial closing 

date is 1 October 2011; 

applications received after 

this but before 31 August 

2012 may be considered but 

only if there are vacancies. 

c Review your plans in the light 

of exam results. 

Top Tip! 

• Check whether your school/ 

college has earlier deadlines 

– remember they need time 

to write references and 

check everything is in order. 

YEAR TWO 

✓ 

September to 

October 2011 

c Finalise your HE choices. 

c You can submit your UCAS 

application from mid 

September 2011 (deadline is 

15 January 2012). 

c Oxford and Cambridge 

applications deadline is 15 

October 2011. 

c Medicine, dentistry and 

veterinary science/medicine 

deadline is 15 October 2011 

(apply by 15 October 2011 

for deferred entry too). 

c Apply direct to courses 

that do not have a central 

application system e.g. Art 

Foundation courses. 

c Apply as early as possible 

because popular courses can 

fill up quickly. 

c Check the progress of your 

applications by using Track 

on the UCAS or CUKAS 

websites. 


M www.cukas.ac.uk 

✓ 

✓ 

November to 

December 2011 

c UCAS art and design 

applicants should check 

carefully whether each of 

your course choices is using 

the 15 January deadline or 

the 24 March deadline and 

make sure you apply by those 

dates. 

c If you are also going to apply 

for jobs as well as HE, now is 

a good time to start preparing 

your CV. 

January to February 2012 

c By 5 January 2012 on-time 

CUKAS applicants should 

have received decisions from 

conservatoires and must 

reply by the date specified. 

c UCAS application deadline 

is 15 January 2012 except 

for applications to Oxford 

and Cambridge, medicine, 

dentistry, veterinary science/ 

medicine, and certain art 

and design courses. The 

application deadline for 

nursing diplomas is also 15 

January 2012. 

c It is possible to apply through 

UCAS after 15 January but 

check with universities 

and colleges first to make 

sure they will consider late 

applications. 

c If seeking employment, 

check out the jobs 

and Apprenticeships 

advertised on M www. 

connexionsoxfordshire. 

com, click on ‘search 

opportunities’. Also look 

for vacancies on M www. 

apprenticeships.org.uk, 

recruitment and company 

websites and in local and 

national newspapers. 

Contact employers you are 

interested in by sending 

your CV and covering letter. 

For advice on job hunting 

see ‘Let’s talk about … 

Jobseeking’ at M www. 

connexionsoxfordshire. 

com, click on ‘publications’. 

c From 24 February until 

the end of June UCAS 

Extra operates. This is for 

applicants who have used 

up all five UCAS choices but 

have not received any offers 

✓ 

✓ 

or have declined all offers. It 

enables them to make further 

applications (one at a time) 

without having to wait for 

Clearing. 

If universities and colleges 

still have vacancies, they list 

them on the course search 

section of the UCAS website 

M www.ucas.com marked 

with an X. 

March to June 2012 

c Some art and design courses 

have an application deadline 

of 24 March 2012. If you are 

applying for any of these, 

make sure you do so in good 

time. 

July to August 2012 

c Exam results are published 

and UCAS Clearing and 

Adjustment start. 

c HE vacancies are published 

in the Telegraph newspaper 

and on the UCAS website 


c Help with Clearing and 

Adjustment is available at 

your school/college. 


9


The application process 

UCAS is the central 

organisation that processes 

applications for full-time 

degrees, Foundation Degrees, 

nursing diplomas, Dip HE 

and HND courses at UK 

universities and colleges. 

• Through UCAS you apply for up to five 

courses between mid September and 

15 January. There are some exceptions to 

this – see below. 

• Universities and colleges do not initially 

see the other institutions that you have 

selected, but bear in mind that they will 

all read your personal statement which 

includes your reasons for wishing to 

study a particular subject. 

Medicine, dentistry, veterinary 

science/medicine and Oxford and 

Cambridge 

• The deadline to apply for all these is 15 

October. 

• The summer before applying through 

UCAS you may need to take an 

admissions test e.g. the UKCAT test for 

medicine or dentistry – see 

M www.ukcat.ac.uk; the BMAT test 

for medicine or veterinary courses – see 

M www.bmat.org.uk 

(There is also the LNAT for law – see M 

www.lnat.ac.uk). For more information 

about these and any other admissions 

tests you may be required to take, visit 

the UCAS website. 

• When you apply for medicine, dentistry 

and veterinary science/medicine you are 

limited to a maximum of four choices 

in any one of these subjects. You can 

then use the remaining choice for an 

alternative subject or leave the space 

blank. 

• You are limited to one course choice at 

either Oxford or Cambridge University 

and cannot apply to both. For more 

information see 

M www.ox.ac.uk/ 

admissions/undergraduate_courses 

and M www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/ 

undergraduate 

Art and design 

• Through UCAS you can apply for up to 

five art and design courses. 

• For some courses you must apply 

between mid September and 15 January, 

while for others you can apply between 

mid September and 24 March. 

• Courses which use the later deadline are 

indicated on the UCAS website. These 

allow you more time to choose courses 

and prepare a portfolio. 

• You can submit an application by 15 

January and then add more course 

choices (which have the 24 March 

deadline) later on. However the total 

number applied for must not exceed five. 

• Your course choices are considered 

simultaneously (not sequentially) by 

institutions. 

Apply 

• The UCAS application procedure is an 

on-line system called Apply accessed via 


• If you are in full-time education your 

school or college will give you more 

information about Apply. It enables you 

to make changes to your application at 

any time before you send it either to a 

co-ordinator in your school or college, 

or directly to UCAS (in the case of 

applicants who are no longer in full-time 

education who are not using their old 

school/college to write their reference). 

• If you have questions about Apply 

and are not in full-time education, the 

UCAS website has a Frequently Asked 

Questions section, helpful videos and a 

helpline. 

The ‘offers’ process 

• Through the UCAS system you will 

receive offers or rejections from 

institutions. You can follow your progress 

on-line via Track on the UCAS website. 

• Maximise your chances of receiving 

offers by researching your course 

selections very carefully. 

• Offers are usually ‘conditional’ which 

means the institution is offering you a 

place if you achieve certain grades or 

points. There are also ‘unconditional’ 

offers for students who already have the 

required grades/points. 

• No matter how many conditional offers 

you receive, eventually you can hold 

only two of them; one ‘firm’ offer which 

should be the course that most interests 

you and an ‘insurance’ offer which 

is intended as a back-up if you don’t 

achieve the grades/points for your ‘firm’ 

offer. If you don’t get the results needed 

for your firm offer but do get enough 

for your insurance offer, then you are 

committed to taking up the insurance 

offer, so choose it carefully. 

• A system called Extra is available 

for applicants who have applied to 

five choices and been unsuccessful or 

declined all offers. For more details see 

page 17. 


• UCAS 

Rosehill 

New Barn Lane 

Cheltenham 

GL52 3LZ 

T 0871 468 0468 

(applicant enquiries) 

Monday to Friday 

8.30am - 6.00pm 


Music conservatoires 

• The Conservatoires UK Admissions 

Service (CUKAS) handles applications for 

practice-based courses at seven music 

colleges in the UK and operates in a 

broadly similar way to UCAS. 

• The closing date for on-time applications 

is 1 October and auditions begin in mid 

October. 


• T 0871 468 0470 

(applicant enquiries) 


8.30am - 6.00pm 

M www.cukas.ac.uk 

We are grateful to UCAS for their help in 

checking and updating this information. 

10 got a question? Then email us at M askconnexions@oxfordshire.gov.uk

The UCAS Tariff 

POINTS 

GCE 

AS / AS VCE 

GCE / VCE QUALIFICATIONS 

GCE AS 

DOUBLE AWARD 

GCE 

A LEVEL / AVCE 

GCE / AVCE 

DOUBLE AWARD 

PROGRESSION 

DIPLOMA 1 

BTEC NATIONALS 

OCR NATIONALS 

AWARD CERTIFICATE DIPLOMA CERTIFICATE DIPLOMA 

EXTENDED 

DIPLOMA 

CACHE LEVEL 3 DIPLOMA IN 

CHILD CARE & EDUCATION 

ADVANCED 

EXTENSION 

AWARDS 2 

POINTS 

International 

Baccalaureate 

Diploma 

POINTS 

360 

DDD D1 

A 

360 

45 720 

350 

A* 

350 

44 698 

320 

DDM D2 / M1 

320 

43 676 

300 

280 

260 

250 

200 

BB 

180 BC 

A*A* 

A*A 

A 

B 

DMM M2 

240 AA 

DD MMM D M3 C 

240 

220 AB 

220 

C 

DM MMP M1 P1 

B 

D 

300 

280 

260 

250 

200 

180 

42 

41 

40 

39 

38 

37 

36 

654 

632 

611 

589 

567 

545 

523 

160 

CC 

MM MPP M2 / P1 P2 

160 

35 501 

150 

D 

150 

34 479 

140 

A* CD 

140 

33 457 

120 

AA A DD 

D MP PPP D P2 P3 

E 

120 

32 435 

110 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

AB 

BB B DE 

E 

BC 

CC C EE 

M PP M P3 

CD 

A DD D 

B DE 

110 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

31 

30 

29 

28 

27 

26 

413 

392 

370 

348 

326 

304 

40 C EE E 

P P 

D 40 

25 282 

30 D 

30 

24 260 

20 E 

M 20 

• The UCAS Tariff is a points system used 

for entry to HE. It establishes agreed 

equivalences between different types of 

qualifications. 

• There is no limit on the number of points 

you can accumulate but you cannot 

count the same or similar qualifications 

twice e.g. if you have an AS and an 

A level in the same subject, you can only 

count the points from your A level. 

• You cannot normally start an HE course 

having completed only the first year of 

an advanced course (e.g. AS levels). 

• To work out what your Tariff score 

is likely to be, make a list of all your 

subjects and the grades you realistically 

expect to gain. Now use the table on 

this page to add up your Tariff score. 

• Points score offers have the advantage 

of flexibility – you can offset weaker 

subjects against stronger ones to make 

up the requirements – but you need 

to check your offers carefully as some 

universities also ask for specific grades 

or points in certain subjects. Check in 

prospectuses or on the 

M www.ucas.com website. 

• The complete Tariff can be found at 

M www.ucas.com/students/ 

ucas_tariff and includes many more 

qualifications than can be shown here. 

1 Advanced Diploma =Progression Diploma plus 

Additional & Specialist Learning (ASL). See 

appropriate qualification to calculate the ASL 

score. ASL has a maximum Tariff of 140. 

2 Points for Advanced Extension Awards are 

over and above those gained from the A 

level grade. 


11


Information for students with vocational qualifications 

Applied A levels, BTEC 

National Awards/ 

Certificates/Diplomas and 

OCR National Certificates/ 

Diplomas/Extended 

Diplomas are recognised 

entry requirements for most 

HE courses, as are A level 

qualifications. 

Relevance of current studies 

Vocational courses will tend to lead to an 

HE course in a related subject area e.g. a 

National Diploma in media would usually 

lead to a Foundation Degree, HND or 

degree in a media related subject. However, 

you may be able to apply for HE courses 

that are not related to your vocational 

course if: 

• you apply for an HE course that does not 

require specific subjects for entry 

• you have out of school/college 

experience in other work or subject 

areas 

• you have studied A levels or other 

subjects alongside your vocational 

course 

• you have studied units as part of your 

course that relate to an HE course e.g. IT, 

communication, business. 

If you have chosen to study an HE course 

that is not directly linked to your current 

course, you should check that your 

qualifications are acceptable. (This is also 

true for A level students.) It is also advisable 

to provide evidence in your UCAS personal 

statement about how your qualifications 

and experience are relevant to your choice 

of course. 

Entry criteria 

• Does the HE course you are considering 

require high grades? 

• Does it require GCSE maths and 

English language at grade C or above? 

If you don’t have these, check to 

see if the institution will accept key 

skills in the courses you have studied 

instead e.g. application of number and 

communication. 

• Some courses require that a traditional 

A level in a specific subject has been 

studied alongside your vocational course 

especially where in-depth knowledge is 

needed. 

• Use M www.ucas.com to check the 

requirements. 

• If in any doubt, contact the university/ 

college admissions tutor for any courses 

you are considering to check the 

acceptability of your qualifications. 

Styles and assessment 

• You may be used to the continuous 

assessment approach but some HE 

courses may be assessed by unseen 

exams and essay writing. 

• Decide which method of assessment 

would suit you best and use HE 

prospectuses and websites to check 

which they use. 

12 


Information for students with disabilities 

Applications to HE 

• If you have a disability, you should ask all 

the usual questions when applying for HE 

courses but you also need to research into 

the additional help available to you. 

• Some disabilities have little impact on 

studying but sometimes there can be 

difficulties with personal care, special 

equipment, work load, accommodation, 

teaching styles, tutors’ attitudes or 

students’ attitudes. 

• Remember that you have the right not to 

be discriminated against in education and 

reasonable adjustments must be made to 

support you in your studies. 

Support 

• Every university and college has a Disability 

Coordinator or Adviser. You should contact 

this person early on in your research to 

talk about the support available. They, and 

experts such as occupational therapists, 

can help you work out what help you might 

need. 

• Support can include a support worker; a 

mentor; flexible deadlines; IT; specialist 

tuition support to organise your work; or 

advance warning of changes in routine. 

• Give them as much information as you 

can so that all the help you need can 

be put in place. You might find it helpful 

to contact specialist organisations e.g. 

RNIB, for advice. If you find the support 

arrangements are not meeting your needs, 

they can always be changed. 

Finance 

• If you face extra costs because you have 

special needs, you may be eligible for 

Disabled Students’ Allowances. These 

are paid on top of the standard student 

finance package, are not affected by your 

household income and you don’t have to 

pay them back. You may receive: 

- a non-medical helper’s allowance (up to 

£20,520 per year) 

- a specialist equipment allowance (up to 

£5,161 for the entire course) 

- a general allowance (up to £1,724 per 

year) 

- ‘reasonable spending’ on extra travel 

costs. 

(2011/2012 figures which may change for 

2012/2013). 

• If you are eligible for DSA your support 

needs will be assessed by a trained 

assessor at a centre near your home or 

university. 

• You may also be able to apply for, or 

continue receiving, benefits such as 

Disability Living Allowance, Housing Benefit 

and Employment & Support Allowance. 

Contact Jobcentre plus for advice. 


• SKILL 

(The National Bureau for Students with 

Disabilities) 

The SKILL helpline has closed but you can 

still obtain information from their website. 

M www.skill.org.uk 

• M www.direct.gov.uk/en/ 

disabledpeople/educationandtraining/ 

highereducation 

• Into Higher Education (SKILL – The 

National Bureau for Students with 

Disabilities) 

• Bridging the Gap: a guide to the 

Disabled Students’ Allowances in 

higher education. 

(Student Finance England) 

Can be viewed/downloaded at 

M www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance 

If you need a Braille, large print or audio 

version, these can be ordered by phoning 

T 0141 243 3686. 


13


Information for overseas students 

EU students 

Many EU nationals or children of EU 

nationals are entitled to take out a student 

loan to cover the cost of tuition fees. 

How much you get is not affected by your 

household income. If you have lived in the 

UK for three years prior to the start of your 

course, you may also be eligible to use 

the student loan system to help with your 

living costs. 

Other assistance may be available from 

your home education authority, so contact 

them direct to find out. 


• M www.direct.gov.uk/ 

studentfinance 

• EU Customer Services Team, 

Student Loans Company 

T 0141 243 3570 

Email: EU_Team@slc.co.uk 

M www.direct.gov.uk/ 

studentfinance-EU 

• Student Finance England 

T 0845 300 5090 

• M www.ukcisa.org.uk 

Overseas students 

If you have entered the UK on a student 

visa you will be classed as an overseas 

student. This means that you will not be 

entitled to financial assistance and must 

be able to pay your own fees and living 

expenses. Fees for overseas students are 

usually higher than for home students. 

Students from other countries should apply 

for university places through the UCAS 

system (see page 10). 

Refugee students 

If the Home Office has granted you full 

refugee status, you will be treated as 

a ‘home student’ immediately and are 

eligible to use the student loan system. 

Humanitarian Protection 

If you applied for asylum and have been 

granted Humanitarian Protection, you 

will also be treated as a ‘home student’. 

However, you will need to have lived in the 

UK as an ‘ordinary resident’ for three years 

prior to the start of your course before you 

become eligible to use the student loan 

system. This is usually three years from 

when you came to the UK and not from 

when you got your status. For example, 

to qualify for financial assistance for 

September 2012, your residency must have 

started before September 2009. 

Discretionary Leave 

If you applied for asylum and have been 

granted Discretionary Leave, you are not 

eligible for home fees and student support 

for an HE course in England. This change 

came into force on 9/02/11 for England, 

but doesn’t apply if you are studying in 

Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland or you 

apply for student support in one of those 

countries. 

Whatever your status, if you intend to 

study full time, you should first check how 

this may impact on benefits as you may 

lose some of your entitlements. 

N.B. This information is intended only as 

a guideline. If you have any questions or 

concerns relating to your eligibility to study 

in the UK, or applying for financial support 

to study, please contact the student 

adviser/student counsellor at your school/ 

college or the organisations listed on this 

page. 


• Studying in the UK – 

a Guide for International Students 

(Trotman) 

• UKCISA 

(UK Council for International 

Student Affairs) 

9-17 St Albans Place 

London 

N1 0NX 

T 020 7107 9922 


1.00pm – 4.00pm 

M www.ukcisa.org.uk 

Advice for international students 

• The British Council 

Information Centre 

Bridgewater House 

58 Whitworth Street 

Manchester 

M1 6BB 

T 0161 957 7755 

Email: general.enquiries@ 

britishcouncil.org 

M www.britishcouncil.org 

Contact for general information on 

studying in Britain 

• Refugee Council 

240-250 Ferndale Road 

Brixton 

London 

SW9 8BB 

T 020 7346 6700 

M www.refugeecouncil.org.uk 

Support for refugees and asylum 

seekers. 

14 for careers info go to M www.connexionsoxfordshire.com, then click on eCLIPS

Completing your personal statement 

This is one of the most 

important sections of the 

UCAS application form. 

It’s where you have the 

opportunity to impress 

admissions tutors. 

Points to cover in your personal 

statement 

• Why you have chosen this course. Mention 

any particular topics that interest you. 

• If you are hoping to take a gap year, say 

what you plan to do during it. 

• Outline your plans after completing your 

chosen course. Do you have a specific 

career in mind? 

• Include any background or experience you 

have e.g. work experience, voluntary work 

or involvement with activities such as sport, 

performing arts or travel. If these relate to 

your chosen course, so much the better. For 

some courses relevant work experience is 

essential. 

• Describe your interests and achievements 

e.g. sport and music. Are you involved 

in clubs and societies? Did you get any 

certificates or awards for achievements or 

activities in sixth form/college? Have you 

taken part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award 

Scheme, cadets or Young Enterprise? 

Some key principles 

• Make sure your statement is relevant to 

all the courses you have applied for. If you 

find this impossible to do, you may need to 

rethink your choice of courses. 

• Draft your personal statement and show 

it to family and friends for their opinion. 

Your tutor will want to see a draft of your 

statement too. 

• Don’t be tempted to copy anyone else’s 

personal statement because UCAS runs 

them through plagiarism software and 

if similarities are detected, you, and the 

institutions you are applying to, will be 

notified. 

• When you have completed your statement, 

think about the overall impression it gives 

– you should be as positive and truthful as 

possible. 

• Make sure you check for spelling mistakes 

and grammatical errors – get someone else 

to read it through for you. 

• Don’t repeat things that are written 

elsewhere on the form. 

• Keep a copy of your statement – you 

may want to refer to it when you go for 

interviews, as some of the questions you 

are asked are likely to be based on the 

information you have given. 

Not sure where to start? 

• Begin with a blank sheet of paper! Write 

down all the things you could include – 

your career plans, study interests, work 

experience, voluntary work, your interests 

out of sixth form/college, words to sum up 

you as a person. Perhaps ask others how 

they would describe you. Then organise the 

material. Start with a paragraph on why 

your intended course of study interests 

you, followed by relevant experience and 

activities, your future plans and then a little 

about you as a person. 

Top Tip! 

• Admissions tutors are looking for 

a high level of motivation. Try to 

put across your enthusiasm for the 

subject you want to study. 

• For advice on what admission tutors 

are looking for in your personal 

statement see 


How to Write a Winning UCAS 

Personal Statement (Trotman) 

Creating Your UCAS Personal 

Statement (Trotman) 

60 Successful Personal 

Statements: For UCAS Application 

(Cambridge Occupational Analysts) 

How to Write a Successful 

University Personal Statement 

Application (Apply2Uni) 

Writing a UCAS Personal 

Statement in Seven Easy Steps 

(How to Books) 

Heap 2012: University Degree 

Course Offers (Trotman) 


15


Interviews for higher education 

Institutions and departments vary in their 

policies over whether they interview or not. 

Some: 

• do not interview at all 

• see the majority of applicants 

• ask you to attend for interview when competition 

for places is high 

• interview to make sure you are the right type 

of person, e.g. for medicine or teaching 

• interview when all applicants are predicted to have 

similar high grades, so the interview will be the 

deciding factor in who is offered a place. 

At some institutions interviews are part of the open day. You need 

to be aware that there are two types of university open day; open 

days available to anyone, and open days specifically for those 

students who have been, or are likely to be, offered a conditional 

place. Attending the latter type of open day is important – it 

gives you the opportunity to view facilities and find out about all 

aspects of the course from tutors and existing students. Institutions 

generally have more than one open day, so if you miss one, there 

may be another you can attend. 

Preparation 

• It’s a good idea to keep up-to-date with topical issues in your 

subject area, e.g. keep articles from quality newspapers and reread 

them before an interview. Items relating to medical ethics, 

politics, education, social and legal issues regularly appear in the 

press. Also look at some professional journals that cover your 

study area or intended profession. Local public libraries may keep 

a selection of these. 

• Read through the prospectus thoroughly. Check if there is a 

departmental prospectus. Research additional information on the 

university website. 

• Make sure you read through a copy of your UCAS application – 

in particular, your personal statement. 

• Prepare anything you need to take with you e.g. art portfolio, 

coursework or essays. 

• Plan your journey – allow plenty of time to get there. 

• Decide what you are going to wear – you need to be smart and 

presentable, but also comfortable. 

The interview 

• Interviews can last from five minutes to over an hour. You may 

be interviewed by just one person, or a panel of perhaps two or 

three people. 

• The interview may also include a group exercise or discussion. 

Alternatively you may be asked to complete a practical test, 

exam or submit pieces of writing. You will be told in advance 

what format your interview will take. For example, if you 

apply for a journalism course you may have to take a general 

knowledge test or write a short essay. 

Remember 

• Interviews are two-way – it’s also an opportunity for you to find 

out if the course and institution meet your needs. 

• Interviewers appreciate that you may be nervous. Don’t be 

scared to ask them to repeat a question or re-phrase it if you 

don’t understand. 

• Avoid one-word responses. Try to give constructive answers but 

be careful not to waffle. 

• You may be asked why you have chosen your course. Prepare an 

answer for this prior to the interview. 

• Be prepared to talk about the things you have included in your 

personal statement. 

• Some interviewers will ask you about your interests and 

activities outside of sixth form/college. 

Questions you may be asked… 

• Why have you chosen this subject? 

• Why do you want to come to this university/college? 

• What are your views on…(a topical or controversial issue related 

to your chosen subject)? 

• Have you any experience to back up your subject choice? For 

some courses work experience may be essential – check this 

when you apply. 

• What do you hope to do at the end of the course? 

You might like to ask… 

• How is the course assessed – course work, continuous 

assessment, exams? 

• How is the course taught – how many lectures, seminars and/or 

tutorials? 

• What industry links does the department have? 

• What have previous graduates of this course gone on to do? 

But remember – don’t ask questions about things that have been 

well covered in the prospectus or in a talk given during the open 

day – otherwise it will give the impression that you haven’t read 

the information or didn’t listen. 

Top Tip! 

• Talk to friends and other students who have already had 

university interviews. 

• Get a teacher, relative or adviser to give you a mock interview. 

• See Heap 2012: University Degree Course Offers (Trotman) 

for ideas about the types of questions you might be asked. 

• Also see University Interviews Guide book and CDROM (JFS 

School) which may be available in your school or college. 

16 got a question? Then email us at M askconnexions@oxfordshire.gov.uk

UCAS Extra, Clearing and Adjustment 

Extra 

This operates from 24 February to the end of 

June. If by this stage you aren’t holding any 

offers from your chosen universities and have 

no outstanding decisions, then Extra enables 

you to make further applications (one at a 

time) so you don’t have to wait until Clearing 

to find a place. 

You can find out where there are still 

vacancies by visiting the Course Search 

section of the UCAS website. If you are 

eligible to participate in Extra, a special 

button will appear on your Track screen. You 

apply for vacancies through Track but talking 

to universities and colleges direct to check 

they can consider you is always a good idea 

before applying. 

Clearing 

If, after you have received your results in 

August, you are without a place, you can 

apply for any remaining vacancies through 

Clearing. If you are already in the UCAS 

system you will be notified automatically 

about Clearing. 

Maximising your chances of success 

through Clearing 

• You will need to make some important 

decisions very quickly so make use of the 

advice available at your school or college. 

• Most vacancies are filled within the first 

few days so don’t delay! 

• You will need to be calm and methodical 

despite it being a stressful time. Lots of 

people will be trying to contact universities 

and colleges so be persistent and patient. 

• Don’t rush into a decision without carefully 

researching the course and the location. 

If possible, go along and have a look 

around before making a final decision. 

• Telephone the course admissions tutor and 

be ready to talk about your application. 

Remember to have your UCAS personal ID 

number with you. 

• Show your interest and enthusiasm for the 

course. 

Adjustment 

If, when the exam results are announced, 

you find you have met and exceeded the 

conditional firm offer you are holding, 

Adjustment gives you the opportunity, if you 

wish, to make a new application while at the 

same time protecting the original firm choice 

offer. 

• Once the firm choice institution confirms 

your offer as unconditional, you have up to 

five calendar days to secure an Adjustment 

place. 

• You need to contact institutions direct 

to check if they have vacancies and also 

register for Adjustment with UCAS Track. 

• If you don’t find an alternative place then 

your original firm choice will stand. 

• If you obtain an alternative place, you will 

become ‘unconditional firm’ with the new 

institution. The new institution is responsible 

for confirming that you have met and 

exceeded your conditional firm offer and are 

eligible for Adjustment. 

• Applicants with insurance or original 

unconditional offers are not eligible to 

participate in the Adjustment process. 

• You can contact lots of institutions to look 

for vacancies but you are allowed to make 

only one formal Adjustment transaction. 

Top Tip! 

• Course vacancies are advertised in many 

places. The best ones to check are the 

UCAS website 

M www.ucas.com and the Daily 

Telegraph newspaper. 

• Universities and colleges advertise new 

and under-subscribed courses on their 

websites and in newspapers. 

• Make sure you are around at results time 

and for a couple of weeks afterwards in 

case you need to go through Clearing or 

Adjustment. 


17


Student finance 

Becoming a student may be 

the first time you have had 

to take full responsibility for 

your own finances. It’s really 

important to keep control of 

your money by budgeting 

as your expenses will 

probably include not only 

accommodation, food, 

books and transport but 

insurance, mobile phone 

bills, TV licence, clothes and 

social life. 

Managing your money 

It’s a good idea to open a bank or building 

society account if you don’t already have 

one, and there are loads of books on 

sources of funding, work opportunities, 

budgeting and financial survival. There are 

also websites that can help you calculate 

realistic budgets for student life – see 

page 27. 

If you feel you are getting into financial 

difficulties, act fast and talk to your family, 

student debt counsellor and your bank or 

building society. 

Sources of funding 

Government funding for HE students 

has been changing over the past few 

years. There are two main costs – tuition 

fees and living costs. Below is the latest 

information available for students starting 

their courses in 2012 but check M www. 

direct.gov.uk/studentfinance regularly 

for updates. 

A student loan is money lent to you to 

help with your tuition fees and living costs 

while you study, which you will have to 

pay back. You don’t have to pay back 

any grants, bursaries or scholarships you 

receive. 

• Tuition Fee Loan 

From September 2012, universities 

and colleges in England can charge 

new, full-time students tuition fees 

of up to £9,000 and new part-time 

students up to £6,750 a year. (There are 

no restrictions on how much private 

universities and colleges can charge). 

These fees don’t have to be paid upfront; 

instead you can pay them by 

taking out a Tuition Fee Loan. How much 

loan you receive isn’t affected by your 

household income. 

New full-time students (including fulltime 

distance learning students) can get 

a loan of up to £9,000. New full-time 

students on an approved course at a 

private university or college can get up 

to £6,000. 

If you are on a part-time course (which 

is at least 25% of a full-time course in 

each academic year) you can get up to 

£4,500. 

The Tuition Fee Loan is paid direct to 

your university or college. 

• Maintenance Loan for Living Costs 

Full-time students including those 

on approved private courses (but not 

distance learning or part-time students) 

can also take out a student loan to help 

cover living costs. The loan is paid into 

your bank account at the start of each 

term. 

The amount you get depends on where 

you live and study, and your household 

income. 

The maximum Maintenance Loan for 

students starting in 2012/13 is: 

- £4,375 if you live at home 

- £5,500 if you live away from home and 

study at a university/college outside 

London 

- £7,675 if you live away from home and 

study in London. 

• Repayment of Student Loans 

After completing their courses, fulltime 

and part-time students start 

repaying their student loans once they 

are earning over £21,000. (If you earn 

less than £21,000 you don’t make any 

repayments). 

You repay your loans back at a rate of 

9% of your income over £21,000. This is 

taken direct from your salary along with 

tax and National Insurance. 

Interest is charged on your loan at 

the rate of inflation plus a percentage 

relating to how much you earn. See 

M www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk 

• Maintenance Grant for Living Costs 

Full-time (but not part-time) students 

can apply for a Maintenance Grant to 

help with living costs. This doesn’t have 

to be paid back. 

If your household income is £25,000 or 

under, you can get a full grant of £3,250. 

If it’s between £25,000 and £42,600 you 

can get a partial grant. 

• Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards 

From 2012 there will be a £150 million 

National Scholarship Programme to help 

students from families with a household 

income of less than £25,000 a year. 

Each university/college will decide what 

support they are offering so check on 

their websites for details. 

• Childcare Grant, Parents’ Learning 

Allowance and Adult Dependants’ 

Grant 

Students with a dependent adult 

or children can apply for a range of 

allowances and grants. These don’t have 

to be repaid. 

Q I am not sure about 

going to university – it 

seems such a big step to 

take and I might end up 

with loads of debts. Am 

I right to be worrying 

about it so much? 

A Have you thought about going 

to a local university? An increasing 

number of young people are living 

at home while studying for their 

degree. You’ll probably save on 

rent, washing and food and you’d 

also be in familiar surroundings. 

Remember, however, that part 

of the HE experience is the 

opportunity to be independent 

and have total responsibility for 

your own day-to-day life. Living at 

home would clearly change this 

experience for you but for some 

students staying at home would 

reduce their worries about moving 

to a new place with new people 

around them. 

18 


• NHS Student Bursaries 

Many healthcare diploma or degree courses attract this type of 

funding – nursing, midwifery, operating department practitioners, 

audiology, chiropody/podiatry, dietetics, dental hygiene/therapy, 

occupational therapy, orthoptics, physiotherapy, prosthetics & 

orthotics, radiography/radiotherapy, and speech & language therapy. 

Those studying medicine or dentistry may be eligible for this type of 

funding from year 5 of their course onwards. 

For more information visit M www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students or 

T 0845 358 6655 

• Social Work Bursaries 

These are available for degree courses in social work. For further 

information see 

M www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students or 

T 0845 610 1122 

• Charities and Educational Trusts 

Students who meet specific criteria may be able to obtain small 

amounts of funding from charities and educational trusts. See useful 

resources and websites on pages 24-27. 

Also contact the Educational Grants Advisory Service via 

M www.family-action.org.uk or T 020 7241 7459 

Tuesday to Thursday 2.00pm – 4.00pm 

• Part-time work 

During term time many students take part-time jobs to earn extra 

cash. This doesn’t affect your entitlement to student finance. 

Universities often have their own student employment agency 

advertising jobs around the campus and the university’s careers 

service may have details of local part-time work. Many courses now 

include a sandwich year that will give you the opportunity not only 

of gaining valuable work experience but a good salary too. 

Top Tip! 

• Get a travel discount card. 

• Use the union facilities, as these 

may be cheaper. 

• Buy second hand textbooks or use 

the library. 

• Eat in rather than out. The cheapest way is to pool 

resources with your housemates and shop together. 

• Go supermarket shopping late in the day when 

fresh food is often reduced in price. Look out for 

special offers. 

• Cinemas and clubs often have cheap student nights. 

• Get a part-time job and work during your holidays. 

• Don’t forget the benefits of your NUS card – lots of 

shops offer discounts. 

Applying for student finance 

Applications for student finance are dealt with centrally by Student 

Finance England. You can apply online at the same time as you are 

applying for courses through M www.ucas.com, or via the 

M www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance website. This includes a 

student finance calculator, so you can work out how much you are 

likely to receive. 

It’s best to apply as soon as possible. You don’t have to wait until you 

have a confirmed HE place, just complete the application using your 

first choice course and then change the details later if necessary. 

If you have a disability or learning difficulty, you may be able to 

get extra funding to help with expenses incurred as a result of your 

additional needs – see page 13. 

Students considering applying for places at dance, drama and music 

colleges should contact the colleges individually 

for advice about the type of funding available. 

Most of their HE courses entitle students to 

receive student finance under the national 

scheme, although fee arrangements vary 

between courses – see page 2. 


• A range of guides, fact sheets and forms can be viewed/ 

downloaded at M www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance 

including: 

- A guide to financial support for new full-time higher 

education students 

- Student Loans: a guide to terms and conditions 

- Higher education student finance: how you are 

assessed and paid 

- Bridging the gap: a guide to the disabled students’ 

allowances (DSAs) in higher education 

You can get Braille, large print and audio versions of the 

guides, fact sheets and forms by phoning T 0141 243 

3686 or emailing M brailleandlargefonts@slc.co.uk 

• Student Finance England 

PO Box 210 

Darlington 

DL1 9HJ 

T 0845 300 5090 

T 0845 604 4434 textphone 


8.00am – 8.00pm 

Saturday and Sunday 

9.00am – 5.30pm 


19


Sponsorship 

Sponsorship is a way of 

receiving financial help 

during your HE course, often 

in exchange for periods of 

employment with a sponsor; 

this takes the form of a 

contract between you and 

the sponsor. 

Ways in which sponsorship may be 

offered: 

• an annual salary for the duration of your 

course 

• a salary for a specific year e.g. gap year, 

sandwich work placement or final year 

• a bursary payment during term time plus 

a salary for vacation work. 

Employers may expect you to join the 

company after your course and some insist 

you work for a minimum period once you 

finish training. However, sponsorships do 

not necessarily guarantee you a job. 

Who might offer sponsorship? 

Sponsorship is offered by a range of 

organisations including public and 

private companies, professional bodies, 

government departments, local authorities 

and the armed services. The main 

subject areas attracting sponsorship are 

engineering, pure and applied science, 

accountancy, economics and computer 

science. It is also possible to find some 

in retailing, finance and business. Some 

companies require you to attend a specific 

course or institution, whereas others are 

more flexible. It is possible to be sponsored 

on both full-time and sandwich courses. 

The latter are often more likely to attract 

sponsorship, as you can gain a year’s 

work experience alongside your academic 

studies. 

Advantages include: 

• extra money 

• potential paid work during the holidays 

• work experience and training 

• gaining experience of business culture 

• gaining confidence in the working world 

• the possibility of a job at the end of your 

studies. 

Disadvantages include: 

• making an initial career decision at 17 

• finding yourself on a course you wouldn’t 

have otherwise chosen 

• going to an institution not chosen by you 

• sponsorship may affect your entitlement 

to a student loan, depending on how 

much you earn 

• having to work during the long summer 

vacation 

• being committed to working for the 

company for a specified period of time. 

What do I need? 

Entry requirements vary but in general 

sponsors may specify: 

• certain advanced level subjects 

• number of UCAS points 

• relevant work experience 

• personal qualities e.g. an inquiring mind, 

creativity, ambition, enthusiasm 

• skills including teamwork 

and communication. 

When should I apply? 

The best time to apply varies between 

companies but you should start researching 

the opportunities during the first year of 

your advanced level studies. You apply for 

the course in the normal way but if the 

sponsor wishes you to complete a year in 

employment first, you may need to defer 

your university course for a year. 

Scholarships 

Scholarships are another source of finance. 

These may be offered by charitable trusts, 

a university department or a company, 

however these would not normally include 

the offer of employment. 


• M marketing@imeche.org.uk 

and request a copy of Engineering 

Opportunities 

• M www.scholarship-search.org.uk 

• Check out company, professional body 

and university websites as these can 

be a valuable source of sponsorship 

and scholarship information. 

• Guide to Student Money 2011 

(Trotman) 

20 


Taking a gap year 

More young people than 

ever are choosing to take 

a year out before moving 

on to HE or employment. 

Most university tutors look 

favourably on students doing 

this and the benefits to you 

might be life changing! 

Start researching your plans early in the 

first year of advanced level studies as some 

opportunities have application closing 

dates or an age limit. Some activities such 

as expeditions are expensive; check out the 

costs so you know how much you need to 

earn from part-time work or fund raising. 

When planning your year, think about: 

• what you want to do 

• why you want to do it 

• what you are hoping to gain from it. 

What could I do in my gap year? 

During the year you may have the chance to 

do more than one thing. You could: 

• Travel 

This could be independently or as part 

of an organised project. Make sure you 

research and plan carefully: 

• where do you want to visit and why? 

• how much will it all cost – travel, 

accommodation, food, health and travel 

insurance etc? 

• how will you finance it? 

• will you need visas, work permits and 

vaccinations? 

• Work – paid work, work experience 

and voluntary work 

A gap year is a great opportunity to get 

work experience (paid or unpaid) or 

voluntary work related to your course 

choice or career aims. It can be in the UK or 

abroad and will give you the chance to: 

• become more independent and selfconfident 

• develop your skills 

• gain experience 

• make contacts 

• possibly gain some work-related 

qualifications 

• earn and save money ready for going 

on to HE. 

• Take a course 

You could take a course to gain 

qualifications or improve your skills, e.g. in 

languages, cooking or computing. Courses 

are offered in the UK or abroad. It may be 

possible to obtain a scholarship to fund 

one of these courses but otherwise you will 

need to find the finance yourself. 

Returning to study 

Most students don’t have any problems 

returning to study after their gap year as 

it has given them a break and they look 

forward to returning to learning. However, 

your experiences during a year out may 

influence your plans for the future and 

prompt you to rethink your aims. 

Applying to university 

• If you have already decided which 

course you want to do 

Apply in Year 13 (or the second year of 

your advanced level studies) for deferred 

entry by the normal deadline – see page 

9. Before applying, check that your 

chosen universities or colleges will accept 

a deferred application and make your 

deferral very clear on your application. 

Make sure you are at home when the 

exam results are announced and Clearing 

and Adjustment are underway so that the 

whole application process is complete 

before you go off on your gap year. 

• If you are not certain which course you 

want to do after your gap year 

Apply a year later or when you come 

back, making sure you are available at the 

correct time to complete your application 

and attend interviews. 

• UCAS personal statement 

Write this carefully, explaining your reasons 

for deferred entry and your plans for your 

year out. If you are applying during your 

gap year, write about what you are doing. 


• Useful resources and websites 

are listed on pages 24–27. 


21


The value of work experience 

Universities and employers 

value students who have 

practical experience and an 

understanding of the world 

of work. 

• During your first year in the sixth form or 

at college you may be able to do some 

work experience or work shadowing. This 

could help you: 

• collect information for a particular 

project you are working on 

• find out more about a career area you 

are interested in 

• gain experience you can use to 

support your application for a job or 

HE course. 

• Your school or college may have staff 

who organise placements – find out who 

they are. They can guide you through the 

process of choosing a placement and 

how best to prepare for and get the most 

out of it. 

Agriculture/ 

Forestry/Horticulture 

Organise a year’s work experience on a 

farm, do work experience with a forestry 

company, garden centre or local authority 

parks department. 

Archaeology 

Go on archaeological digs, visit museums 

or sites. 

Architecture 

Get work experience with a firm of 

architects, a construction company or local 

authority architects’ department. 

Business Studies 

Arrange work experience in any size or kind 

of business, attend Industry Days, or shadow 

a manager. 

Computing 

Try to get experience using a wide range of 

computer programs, use the internet, get 

some work experience with a computing 

company or a firm with a large computing 

department. 

• As well as work placements, you can 

gain valuable insights and experiences 

through voluntary work and part-time 

jobs. Work-related experience doesn’t 

have to be done as a block placement 

e.g. an aspiring teacher could arrange to 

spend one afternoon a week in a local 

school or an evening a week helping at a 

local youth club. 

• The V Award is the national youth 

volunteering scheme for 16-25 year olds 

and is another good way to get work 

experience related to your career aims. 

Volunteers can work towards nationally 

recognised certificates and take part in a 

wide range of activities including sport, 

media, social work, web design, music 

festivals etc. 

For more information go to 

M www.vinspired.com 

T 0800 089 9000 

Engineering 

Attend an engineering “taster” course at a 

university, shadow a professional engineer. 

Environmental Science 

Do some voluntary work e.g. with BTCV 

(British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) 

and attend field courses. 

History 

Join a local historical society, get work 

experience or voluntary work with the 

National Trust or local museum. 

Law 

Shadow a solicitor or barrister, visit courts, 

do voluntary work with offenders. 

Media 

Write for your school or college magazine/ 

website or start your own, visit local 

newspapers, radio and TV stations, or 

shadow a reporter or producer. 

Medicine 

Shadow a doctor, learn first aid, do 

voluntary work in a hospital or residential 

home for the elderly or people with 

disabilities. 

• Planning, arranging and completing 

work experience, part-time or voluntary 

work shows your interest, commitment 

and level of motivation – qualities which 

employers and HE admissions tutors are 

looking for. They are always interested 

in applicants’ experiences of the world 

of work – from their point of view these 

are often as important as your academic 

achievements. 

• Some HE courses include periods of 

work experience e.g. business studies or 

engineering sandwich courses. Although 

this makes your course longer there 

are advantages in terms of pay, skill 

development, improved employment 

prospects – it may even lead to a job 

offer. 

• If you aren’t on a sandwich course you 

could still arrange to do some work 

experience during the holidays and gain 

valuable experience from joining clubs, 

societies and community action groups in 

term time. 

Ideas for work experience/work shadowing 

Occupational Therapy/ 

Orthoptics/Physiotherapy/ 

Radiography/Speech Therapy 

It is essential to visit a hospital department 

and shadow a professional before applying 

for any of these courses. 

Pharmacy 

Shadow a hospital or industrial pharmacist, 

get work experience as a sales assistant in a 

chemist’s shop. 

Teaching 

Do voluntary work or work experience in 

a primary school, help at a Summer Play 

Scheme or Youth Club. 

Veterinary Science 

Get work experience on a livestock farm, 

help at a cattery, kennels, stables or animal 

welfare organisation, 

shadow a vet. 

22 


What next after university? 

The What Do Graduates Do? 

survey of those completing 

degrees in 2009, shows that 

67.2% entered employment; 

15.3% went on to further 

study or training and 8.9% 

were unemployed after six 

months. 

Of those completing 

Foundation Degrees, 58.5% 

entered employment; 32.8% 

went on to further study 

(many of those converting 

to a degree) and 2.7% were 

unemployed. 

• In the current economic climate, new 

graduates, like everyone else, are having a 

tough time finding employment. A survey 

of graduate employers showed they are 

expecting about a third of the vacancies 

they have on offer for 2011 will be filled 

by undergraduates who have had previous 

work experience with their organisations 

such as internships, industrial placements, 

vacation schemes or sponsorships. 

• On the whole more employers are actively 

seeking to employ graduates. In normal 

years, major companies take around 20% 

of each year’s leavers, with the rest being 

taken on by small and medium sized 

employers. However, there can be intense 

competition for some opportunities. 

• Although some employers recruit 

graduates with specific degree subjects 

these account for only about half of all 

graduate opportunities. The rest will 

consider graduates in any subject, who 

have the necessary qualities and skills to 

make a contribution to the organisation. 

However, having a degree is no guarantee 

of a good job – you need evidence of your 

employability too. 

• Research carried out by the Association 

of Graduate Recruiters identified the 

following as the skills valued by most 

employers: 

• initiative, motivation and enthusiasm 

• people skills such as team-working 

and communication 

• flexibility and willingness to learn 

• problem solving and analytical skills 

• computer literacy 

• business awareness. 

• While at university you will develop skills 

through your studies but you should 

also look beyond your course for other 

opportunities. These could include courses 

run by the university careers service, extra 

curricular activities which involve taking 

on new responsibilities, work experience 

and voluntary work. 

• Remember, your degree may be only a 

starting point in terms of learning. Many 

graduates will do further study and 

training after graduating. 

Top Tip! 

• Many graduate recruiters use 

assessment centres and competency 

based recruitment criteria. 

• Your key skills will be carefully 

assessed, irrespective of what is 

written on your CV or application 

form. 

• To remain employable you will need 

to be flexible and learn new skills 

throughout your working life. 

• For further information, including 

examples of jobs entered by 

graduates from most main subject 

areas, see What Do Graduates Do? 

(HECSU/AGCAS/UCAS). Also visit 

M www.prospects.ac.uk/links/ 

wdgd 

• Make use of your university careers 

service – there will be a programme 

of courses and presentations geared 

towards helping you to develop 

your skills and make decisions about 

your future. 

• Research published by the Higher 

Education Statistics Agency showed 

that just three-and-a-half years after 

graduating, 81% of graduates were 

working in occupations classed as 

‘graduate occupations’ related to their 

long term career plans. 

• Some graduates choose to delay applying 

for graduate jobs until after they have 

completed their course, preferring to 

devote their energies to achieving the best 

results they can, before investigating their 

job options. Others take non-graduate jobs 

in order to fund travel plans. 

• Some employers, who have found it 

hard to attract applicants, offer financial 

incentives e.g. those planning to teach 

science, maths and modern languages 

can apply for training bursaries. These 

packages may even include paying off the 

student loan. 


23


Sources of further information 

Many of the resources listed below will be available in your school, college or public 

library. It’s very important to use the most up-to-date editions. 

Higher education 

• Applying to University: 

The Essential Guide 

Need2Know (July 2008) 

Free 2011 ebook update if 

you buy the 2008 book. 

• Choosing a Medical 

School 

Developmedica (January 

2010) 

• Choosing Your Degree 

Course and University 

Trotman (September 2010) 

• The Daily Telegraph Guide 

to UK Universities 2010 

Trotman (June 2009) 

• Degree Course 

Descriptions 

COA (September 2010, new 

edition September 2011) 

• ‘Getting into’ Course 

Guides – Art & Design 

2011 entry (June 2010); 

Business & Economics 

(February 2011); Dental 

School (February 2011); 

Engineering (May 2011); 

Law (February 2010); 

Medical School 2012 

entry (May 2011); Oxford 

& Cambridge 2012 entry 

(April 2011); Physiotherapy 

(February 2010); Psychology 

(February 2010); US and 

Canadian Universities 

(October 2008); Veterinary 

School (February 2011) 

Trotman 

• Getting into the UK’s Best 

Universities & Courses 


• The Guardian University 

Guide 2011 

Guardian Books (July 

2010) 

• Heap 2012: University 

Degree Course Offers 

Trotman (May 2011) 

• Higher Ideas (software) 

Database of higher education 

courses, with various search 

facilities. 

Careersoft 

• How to Complete Your 

UCAS Application 2012 

Entry 


• Insider’s Guide to Applying 

to University 


• Little Guide to Higher 

Education 2012 

UCAS (March 2011) 

• Open Days (and taster 

courses & education 

conventions) 

UCAS (January 2011) 

• Passing the National 

Admissions Test for Law 

Learning Matters (June 

2011) 

• Passing Oxbridge 

Admissions Tests 

Learning Matters 

(September 2008) 

• Passing the UKCAT and 

BMAT 

Learning Matters (April 

2011) 

• Pathfinder Live (software) 

Careers matching program 

with suggestions for higher 

education subjects/courses. 

Babcock Lifeskills 

• Practice Tests, Questions 

and Answers for the 

UKCAT 

Learning Matters 

(February 2010) 

• Practise and Pass: LNAT 

Trotman (August 2011) 

• Practise and Pass: UKCAT 

& BMAT 


• ‘Progression Series 

2012’ – Art & Design; 

Economics, Finance & 

Accountancy; Engineering 

& Mathematics; 

Journalism, Broadcasting, 

Media Production & 

Performing Arts; Law; 

Medicine, Dentistry & 

Optometry; Nursing, 

Health Care & Social Work; 

Psychology; Sports Science 

& Physiotherapy; Teaching 

& Education. 

UCAS (June 2011) 

• Prospectuses and 

‘Alternative’ Prospectuses 

(updated annually) 

Also available online 

• Step Up 2011 

Educate (June 2010) 

• The Times Good University 

Guide 2012 

Harper Collins (June 2011) 

• Top Universities Guide 

2011 (studying abroad) 

Quacquerelli Symonds 

(March 2011) 

Also available online at 

M www.topuniversities. 

com 

• The UCAS Guide to 

Getting into University & 

College 

UCAS (January 2011) 

• The Virgin Guide to British 

Universities 2012 

Virgin Books (May 2011) 

• Which Uni 

Trotman (October 2009) 

24 



• The Complete University 

Guide: Student Finance 

Right Way (July 2009) 

• The Daily Telegraph Guide 

to Student Money 2011 

Trotman (July 2010) 

• Debt Free Uni 


• Degrees with Less Debt 

Lifetime Publishing (June 

2011) 

• The Essential Guide to 

Paying for University 

Kogan Page (August 2009) 

• The Guide to Educational 

Grants 2011/12 

(previously called The 

Educational Grants Directory) 

Directory of Social Change 

(April 2011) 

• University Scholarships, 

Awards and Bursaries 


The world of work 

• Careers 2011 

Trotman (October 2010, 

Careers 2012 due October 

2011) 

• Careers with an Arts or 

Humanities Degree 

Lifetime Publishing (August 

2010) 

• Careers with a Science 

Degree 

Lifetime Publishing (August 

2010) 

• The Graduate Jobs Formula 


• Jobfile 2011-12 

Babcock Lifeskills (March 

2011) 

• TARGET GET Directory 

2011(Graduate Employment 

and Training) 

GTI Media /Target Jobs 

(2010) 

• The Times Top 100 Graduate 

Employers 2010 

High Fliers Publications 

(September 2010) 

• What Can I Do with an Arts 

Degree? 

Trotman (November 2009) 

• What Can I Do with No 

Degree? 


• What Do Graduates Do? 

HECSU/AGCAS/UCAS 

(November 2010) 

Gap year 

• The Gap-Year Guide Book 

2011 

John Catt Educational 

(November 2010) 

• Green Volunteers 

Universe Publishing (July 

2011) 

• Summer Jobs Worldwide 

2011 

Crimson Publishing 

(October 2010) 

• Work Your Way Around the 

World 

Crimson Publishing/ 

Vacation Work (May 2009) 

• World Volunteers 

Crimson Publishing/ 

Vacation Work (February 

2008) 

• Your Gap Year 

Crimson Publishing (March 

2010) 


25


Useful websites 

Higher education 

M www.careercompanion.co.uk 

Go to M www.connexionsoxfordshire. 

com and click on the Career Companion 

Online icon in the right hand menu. 

Reviews of, and links to, a wide range of 

websites. 

M www.direct.gov.uk/en/ 

EducationAndLearning/ 

UniversityAndHigherEducation 

Government website with information 

on HE and links to many other sites. 

M www.ucas.com and 

www.ucas.tv 

Essential for course information and 

applying to university. 

M www.yougo.co.uk 

To register for information and advice 

on HE. 

M www.hotcourses.com 

UK's largest database of educational 

courses. 

M www.ukcoursefinder.com 

Another good site for locating specific 

courses. 

M www.unistats.com 

Enables you to compare courses and 

universities. 

M www.bestcourse4me.com 

Shows the links between degree 

subjects and employment prospects. 

M www.oxbridge-admissions.info 

Advice from students who have been 

through the Oxford or Cambridge 

admissions process. 

M www.personalstatement.info 

Helpful for ideas on producing your 

personal statement, but use with 

caution! 

M www.studential.com 

Advice on writing your personal 

statement. Again use with caution. 

M www.open.ac.uk 

The Open University offers the 

opportunity to study for HE 

qualifications by supported distance 

learning. 

M www.unofficial-guides.com 

An alternative site for finding out about 

university life. 

M www.whatuni.com 

Another alternative site for finding out 

about HE. 

M www.thecompleteuniversityguide 

.co.uk 

League tables. Use with caution. 

M www.guardian.co.uk/education 

League tables produced by the Guardian 

newspaper. Use with caution. 

M www.accesstohe.ac.uk 

For people wanting to go into HE who 

left education without the usual entry 

requirements. 

M www.skill.org.uk 

Skill is the National Bureau for Students 

with Disabilities. 

M www.studylondon.ac.uk 

Official website for universities and HE 

colleges in London. 

M www.push.co.uk 

Guide to choosing and applying to 

university and student life. 

M www.studentuk.com 

Social networking site for students. 

M www.thestudentroom.co.uk 

Student forum. 

M www.russellgroup.ac.uk/informedchoices 

Advice on choosing the right A level, or 

equivalent, subjects for entry to HE. 

M www.hcstuff.com 

Aimed at 15-17 year olds planning their 

futures. 

Studying abroad 

M www.careerseurope.co.uk 

Their Exodus database provides 

information on studying, training and 

working worldwide. 

Subscription service which may be 

available at your school, college or 

through Connexions. 

M www.braintrack.com 

International university index including 

the USA. 

M www.fulbright.co.uk 

Essential information on studying in the 

USA. 

M www.studyabroad.com 

Useful research tool written from an 

American perspective. 

M www.studiesinaustralia.com 

Provides a comprehensive picture of the 

Australian education system. 

M www.studyoptions.com 

Essential for anyone wanting to study in 

Australia or New Zealand. 

M www.acu.ac.uk 

Association of Commonwealth 

Universities website. 

M www.uknec.org.uk 

Europass – help for those wanting to 

study, work or train in Europe. 

M www.studylink.com 

Database of courses in Asia, Australia, 

Europe and North America. 

26 



M www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance 

Links to Student Finance England. Will help 

you work out the financial support you’ll 

get, apply for finance and keep track of 

your payments. 

M www.scholarship-search.org.uk 

Provides helpful funding and budgeting 

advice. 

M www.nus.org.uk 

Source of information about funding. 

M www.slc.co.uk 

Student Loans Company. 

M www.studentcalculator.org.uk 

Advice on managing your finances. 

Gap year 

M www.gogapyear.com 

Essential advice for gap year travellers 

from the government’s Foreign & 

Commonwealth Office. 

M www.yearoutgroup.org 

Advice for young people and their parents/ 

carers about taking a gap year. 

M www.yini.org.uk 

Pre-university and undergraduate work 

experience. 

M www.gapyear.com 

Written by backpackers for backpackers. 

M www.gapyeardirectory.co.uk 

Gap year opportunities. 

M www. gap-year.com 

M www. greatgapyears.co.uk 

M www. gapwork.com 

M www. gapyearjobs.co.uk 

M www.bunac.org 

Offers summer camp, work abroad and 

volunteering programmes worldwide. 

M www.csv.org.uk 

Volunteering opportunities. 

M www.greenvolunteers.com 

Worldwide volunteering opportunities in 

nature conservation. 

M www.lattitude.org.uk 

Organisation specialising in volunteering 

opportunities for 17-25 year olds. 

M www.do-it.org.uk 

Over one million volunteering 

opportunities. 

M www.wwv.org.uk 

Lists over 2,400 organisations and 

1.6 million volunteering opportunities 

worldwide. 

The world of work and training 

M www.prospects.ac.uk 

Comprehensive careers and labour market 

information aimed at university students. 

M www.targetjobs.co.uk 

Graduate employment opportunities. 

M https://nextstep.direct.gov.uk then 

click on ‘Planning Your Career’, then ‘Job 

Profiles’, then ‘Job Market Information’. 

Careers and labour market information 

produced by the national Sector Skills 

Councils. 

M www.e4s.co.uk 

Student jobs, internships and graduate 

jobs. 

M www.careers-gateway.co.uk 

Portal linking to careers, courses and 

applying for jobs. 

M www..careersa-z.co.uk 

Portal linking to careers, courses and job 

information. 

M www.notgoingtouni.co.uk 

Alternatives to going to university e.g. 

Apprenticeships and other vocational 

training. 

M www.connexionsoxfordshire.com 

Click on eCLIPS and type in your school, 

college or home postcode. Extensive 

range of careers and lifestyle information 

leaflets. 

Top Tip! 

• Just because a university’s website 

is fantastic don’t assume it must be 

the place for you. Wherever possible 

follow up your research by visiting - 

see M www.opendays.com 

• British citizens planning 

to travel or live abroad should check 

the British Council‘s site at 

M www.britishcouncil.org 


27


Other sources of help 

As well as deciding what to do beyond 18+, there may be other issues facing you 

that you need help with. See T www.survivalguide.me for details of organisations 

that can offer information, advice and support – here is a list of some of the main 

ones: 

ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND SUBSTANCE 

ABUSE 

Addaction Oxfordshire, Abingdon 

Business Centre, 7 Nuffield Way, Abingdon 

OX14 1RL T 01235 468405 

M www.addaction.org.uk (covers whole of 

Oxfordshire) 

Brendon Miller, Banbury Detached 

Youth Team, c/o Bridge Bar, 67 Bridge 

Street, Banbury OX16 5QF 

T 07747 765397 (until 31/08/11) 

Base 33, 33 High Street, Witney 

T 01993 200682 (postal address – 

4 Welch Way, Witney OX28 6JF) 

Osmond Charles, Blackbird Leys Youth 

Centre, Blackbird Leys Road, Oxford OX4 

6HW T 01865 772886 (until 31/08/11) 

David Ricketts, Oxford City Detached 

Youth Team, County Hall, New Road, 

Oxford OX1 1ND T 01865 815054 (until 

31/08/11) 

Patsy Walker, The Vibe Youth Centre, Park 

Road, Didcot OX11 8QX T 01235 812332 

(until 31/08/11) 

Mike How, Eynsham Youth Centre, Back 

Lane, Eynsham OX29 4QW T 01865 

880630 (until 31/08/11) 

ASYLUM 

Asylum Welcome, Unit 7, Newtec Place, 

Magdalen Road, Oxford OX4 1RE 

T 01865 722082 

M www.asylum-welcome.org 

Bridging Project, Oxford & Cherwell 

Valley College, Oxpens Road, Oxford OX1 

1SA T 01865 551957 or 551584 

Children & Families Assessment Team, 

Knights Court, 21 Between Towns Road, 

Cowley, Oxford OX4 3LX T 01865 323048 

(for unaccompanied asylum-seeking 

children) 

HOMELESSNESS/HOUSING 

BYHP (supporting young people in housing 

need) 2 Chandos Close, Banbury OX16 4TL 

T 01295 259442 M www.byhp.org.uk 

Cherwell District Council Housing 

Services T 01295 221809 

Connection Floating Support, The 

Pathway Building, Dunnock Way, Blackbird 

Leys, Oxford OX4 7EX T 01865 711267 

The Elmore Team, Bullingdon House, 174b 

Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1UE T 01865 

200130 

One Foot Forward, 5 Iffley Road, Oxford 

OX4 1EA T 01865 794410 

Oxford City Family Service (housing for 

young parents) 113-117 Bullingdon Road, 

Oxford OX4 1QP T 01865 794899 

Oxford City Housing Services T 01865 

249811(option 5) 

South Oxfordshire District Council 

Housing Services T 01491 823325 

Stonham Floating Support (tenancy 

issues) 49a Castle Street, Banbury OX16 

5NU T 01295 272536 


issues) 213 Barns Road, Oxford OX4 3UT 

T 01865 335334 


issues) Ground Floor, 14 Church Green, 

Witney OX28 4AW T 01993 864936 

Vale of White Horse District Council 

T 01235 520202 

West Oxfordshire District Council 

Housing Services T 01993 861010 

MENTAL HEALTH 

Oxfordshire Mental Health Information 

Line, T 01865 247788 

M www.omhi.org.uk 

Samaritans 

Banbury T 01295 270000; 

Oxford T 01865 722122; 

National T 08457 909090 

28 


MONEY 

16 – 19 Bursary Fund (help if you are facing 

financial hardship while on a course or 

training). Ask your school, college or training 

provider for more information or 

M www.direct.gov.uk/moneytolearn 

Care to Learn Helpline (help to pay for 

childcare): T 0800 121 8989 or 

M www.direct.gov.uk/caretolearn 

Child Benefit Helpline: T 0845 302 1444 

or M www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit 

Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit 

Helpline: T 0845 300 3900 or 

M www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits 

Dance and Drama Awards: 

T 0800 121 8989 or 

M www.direct.gov.uk/danceanddrama 

Jobcentre Plus: for Jobseeker’s Allowance, 

Income Support, or Employment and Support 

Allowance contact your local centre who 

will refer you to Jobcentre Plus. (For Housing 

Benefit, they will refer you to the local 

council). 

M http://jobseekers.direct.gov.uk 

T 0800 055 6688 (benefits) 

T 0845 6060 234 (job search) 

To get in touch with any of the Jobcentre Plus 

offices listed below T 0845 604 3719 

Abingdon –Torus House, 38-44 Stert Street, 

Abingdon OX14 3QS 

Banbury – Crown Buildings, Southam Road, 

Banbury OX16 2EX 

Didcot – 130a The Broadway, Didcot OX11 

8DB 

Oxford – 7 Worcester Street, Gloucester 

Green, Oxford OX1 2BX 

Sharon Telford, Under 18s Benefits Adviser 

T 01865 445166 

Witney – Two Rivers Trading Estate, Station 

Lane, Witney OX28 4BH 

SEXUAL HEALTH 

Alec Turnbull Centre (contraception and 

sexual health) Raglan House, 23 Between 

Towns Road, Cowley, Oxford OX4 3JH 

T 01865 456666 

Banbury GU Medicine (sexual health) 

Orchard Health Centre, Cope Road, Banbury 

OX16 2EZ T 01295 819181 

Oxford GU Medicine (sexual health) 

Wellsafe Clinic, Churchill Hospital, Old Road, 

Headington, Oxford OX3 7LJ 

T 01865 231231 M www.wellsafe.org 

Terrence Higgins Trust (HIV and sexual 

health) 43 Pembroke Street, Oxford OX1 1BP 

T 01865 243389 M www.tht.org.uk 

SUPPORT, COUNSELLING and 

INFORMATION AGENCIES 

The Abingdon Bridge (can help with a range 

of issues) 27 Bridge Street, Abingdon OX14 

3HN T 01235 522375 

Barton Advice Centre, Underhill Circus, 

Headington, Oxford OX3 9LS T 01865 

744152 M www.bartonadvicecentre.org.uk 

Base 33, 33 High Street, Witney T 01993 

200682 (postal address – 4 Welch Way, 

Witney OX28 6JF) 

CAB (Citizens Advice Bureaux): 

M www.advice4me.org.uk 

Oxfordshire advice line T 08444 111 444 

(will put you in touch with your local CAB). 

Ethnic Minority Business Service, 2nd Floor 

Tyndale House, 134 Cowley Road, Oxford 

OX4 1JQ T 01865 794431 and 37 North Bar 

Street, Banbury OX16 0TH T 01295 269999 

Independent Advice Centre, 16 Market 

Place, Wantage OX12 8AE T 01235 765348 

KAs Counselling Service, Centre Site, 

Portway, Wantage OX12 9BY T 01235 

225789 

Nomad, 55 Market Place, Henley RG9 2AA 

T 01491 635737 

Oxford Friend (gay, lesbian, bisexual) 

T 01865 726893 

Oxford Young Carers Project, 174a Cowley 

Road, Oxford OX4 1UE T 01865 205192 

M www.coolyoungcarerscare.com 

Rose Hill & Littlemore Children’s Centre, 

The Oval, Rose Hill, Oxford OX4 4UY 

T 01865 716739 

SeeSaw (bereavement) T 01865 744768 

M www.seesaw.org.uk 

Young People’s Centres and Youth Centres 

For details and to find out where these are see 

M www.spired.com 

VOLUNTEERING 

Volunteer Centre Oxfordshire T 01865 

251946 M vol@ocva.org.uk 

Volunteer Link Up West Oxfordshire 

T 01993 776277 M office@vlu.org.uk 

for careers info go to M www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u 

29

Our Commitment to You 

We want to make sure that Connexions Oxfordshire meets your needs so if 

you would like to make a comment, compliment or complaint, please write 

to: 

Richard Savage 

Service Manager – Supporting Choices 

Integrated Youth Support Service 

Oxfordshire County Council 

County Hall 

New Road 

Oxford 

OX1 1ND 

T 01865 328908 

Fax: 01865 783199 

Email: richard.savage@oxfordshire.gov.uk 

M www.connexionsoxfordshire.com / www.spired.com 

Contact Information, Advice and Support for Young People 

M www.direct.gov.uk/en/youngpeople 

T 080 800 13 2 19 

07766 4 13 2 19 

If you need this information in another language, large print, Braille, Easy Read, audiocassette, 

computer disk or by email, please phone T 01865 328908. 

Connexions recognises diversity and is committed to equal opportunities. 

Every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication. July 

2011 

We are grateful to UCAS for their help in checking and updating material for this publication. 

Oxfordshire

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