Applying to University

You’re probably tirelessly wading through University prospectus’ and looking at websites trying to figure out which University has a great reputation, good course content and of course; great social life – I’ve been there, and done that.

Applying for university can be quite a daunting task; getting it right isn’t as hard as you think. When it comes to writing a personal statement, its crucial to sell yourself as much as possible. A great thing to do is sit down and list all of your personal achievements. This will give you the confidence to make a start.

We’re coming round to that time of year that sends a good proportion of sixth form students in to a tizzy. Not only is the weather a complete downer, reaching highs of -4 degrees, but your parents and your teachers are starting to get on your case about the dreaded university application process. All university students know that perfecting personal statements is a bit of a drag, and narrowing down your choice of universities is mildly stress-inducing, but it shouldn’t have to be! Planning the next chapter of your life is an exciting thing! 

I had a lot of tough questions when it came to choosing the university path. In fact, it was these questions that put me off of going for 2 years and getting a full time job instead. I felt like I would never be ready and that uni just wasn’t my sort of scene. Whether or not I would make many friends was my biggest worry...

As I mentioned previously, making the choice to go back into education and taking up postgraduate study was one that took me a couple of years to do in the end. Whilst I was trying to decide where I wanted to take my life, I was working full time and doing some research alongside that into what benefits a postgraduate degree would actually offer me, as well as where exactly I would want to study for that degree. 

Hello again, I’m Paul, a postgraduate marine scientist studying on a part-time basis.

If, like me, you decided to take some time out of academia after your undergraduate studies it may be difficult to commit to full-time education again. These difficulties may arise from funding your study to finding a suitable programme in the first place.