Are you heading down the uni highway?
 
Uni applications have now officially opened for 2019 entry. The virtual floodgates were raised on May 22nd, but don’t worry, it always starts with a trickle. The deadline is still a while away. But the dogs are now off the leash, the horses are out of the gates and the, erm, hamsters are out of the hutch.
​
Hopefully, your thoughts about what you might want to study have, like chewing gum on the pavement, been getting firmer.

​We all know there's a variety of ways to get things to stick in your head: texts books, spider diagrams, post-it notes, mind-palaces, reading out loud, singing your revision and even sleeping with your notes under your pillow (note: we have no proof of the last one...).
 
If you have a basic understanding of how memory works you can incorporate this into the way you revise. 

​So, it’s getting to the time of year where everyone’s asking the same, awful question: what are you going to do with your life?
 
Yuck. What a quick way to ruin the annual family barbecue.
 
If you’re panicking about the answer, or really just don’t know what you want, you’re not alone. Just remember that it’s your life, and your choices, so be certain that whatever you decide comes from a well-researched place. This is not the time to make a last minute panic decision, or just go along with whatever everyone else is doing or telling you to do. 

​Studying abroad isn’t for everyone.
 
For one? It ain’t cheap. There are lots of options to help with the cost, but one way or another you’ll have to be saving your pennies in the summer up to your time away. You’ll really regret it if you don’t.
 
It’s also not easy, and requires a lot of dedication. The process is a little smoother if you want to study in Europe, but places like North America and Asia have strict visa regulations, and that almost certainly means making the trek to London to visit an embassy. Not much fun, there. 

​Did you know that all of your senses can be helpful when you revise for exams?
 
Some studies have found that if you always suck on Polos while revising the ins and outs of Biology, or wear the same perfume when thinking about French sentence structure, it can help encode what you're memorising. This is because all our senses are linked and they all make pathways into the process of remembering.

​This, however, should only be used alongside your regular excellent study skills otherwise you'll be sat in your exam popping Polos and praying to a confectionery god. Not a good look for anyone.

If you’re anything like the rest of us, it’s not a stretch to say you’ve probably sat around at some point thinking – what makes me unique? How do I stand out from the crowd? These existential questions particularly rear their ugly heads when you’re faced with a personal statement for college or uni, or a cover letter for a job.
 
And it’s tough. Everyone’s their own biggest critic, but when it comes to singing your own praises, especially as to why you’re a better choice than anyone else, it can feel like an impossible task.
 
Yeah, we know you’re all pretty amazing. But to really stand out from the crowd of other applicants for a job or course, you need to have something else on offer besides the same GCSEs, A-Levels or degree as everyone else you’re up against.

For year 12s

Are you heading down the uni highway?

This month you can officially start applying to uni for 2019 entry. UCAS opens its website for people to register on 22nd May.

Don’t worry, the deadline is still a while away, but the dogs are now off the leash.

Hopefully, your thoughts about what you might want to study have, like chewing gum on the pavement, been getting firmer.

The next question is where to study? Sometimes this isn’t just about where it is in the country, but about what the place is
really like – the atmosphere.

No two unis are the same. The surroundings and building affect how it feels, but so too do the people, the students. Some
unis are posh, some are full of students from the area, some are ethnic melting pots, some are arty, sciency or businessy. Some are none of those things.

​Now that we’ve talked all about how essay mills are out  it would be pretty unfair of us to leave you high and dry when it comes to getting down to the nitty gritty of essay writing.
 
Before we start, have a look at Edinburgh Uni’s PhD student Tim Squirrell’s blog – it’s full of great insider tips on writing a top-class essay. He even has a handy TL;DR version:
 
For the terminally lazy:

1. Find 10-20 relevant books and articles from the reading list and/or Google Scholar searches. Well referenced Wikipedia or Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy articles are your friends for both understanding and writing about a topic (read and cite the references, not the articles themselves. Obviously.).
2. Skim the relevant sections for relevant quotes.
3. Write down those relevant quotes.
4. Have a think, put the argument and essay together.
5. Your essay is done.

For the full version, which is jam-packed with fab first-hand tips, head to Tim’s blog.

​School is no walk in the park. Neither is college, or uni for that matter. Things can be even harder for a lot of us who focus, learn, and engage in different ways. Disorders such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD are treated far more seriously in the classroom now than they ever have been, but that doesn’t mean that the education system is perfect. Finding things difficult? Not only can you ask your parents, teachers and tutors for extra support, but there are loads of online resources available to you to help you understand your best learning style and how to adapt your studies. 

​Are you a budding musician, singer or songwriter?  Thinking the uni route is the one for you, but you’re not sure how useful an academic course would be in such a hands on, experience-based industry?
 
Well, Manchester Met might have the dream course for you.

Let’s face it, we’re a nation of social media addicts. It has its ups and downs – there are only so many angles you can shoot avocado toast from. At the end of the day though, most of us wouldn’t be without it, the beautiful time waster that it is. 
 
But what if we were to tell you that there’s a social media platform that, actually, is really quite productive? A platform that cuts out all the unnecessary relationship status updates and dog ear filters, and that is really quite useful when it comes to developing your future career?

​As a nation of young people raised on social media and the spotlight surrounding its many “influencers”, it’s no wonder that social celebs have made household names for themselves. They’re trusted. And they know it. So it’s no wonder that social media celebs have come under fire over the past few weeks because of some shady ad endorsements. 

9It seems like only yesterday we were welcoming you back to school and wishing you a Happy New Year, but here we are, weeks away from Easter.

But just before we let you run riot and commit yourself to a self-induced chocolate coma, have a look below to make sure you've covered everything you need to for the month. You can reward yourself with extra chocolate if you have.

Year 12:

Location, location, location

How are you fixed for September 2019? If you've already taken some time to weigh up your options and decided on uni, we hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s the easy bit over. The next question is which uni to go to. A good way to start is to figure out where you might want to be.

Are you a maths whiz, an economist of the future, a budding blogger, and a sixth form student? The Financial Times have teamed up with the Bank of England to run a competition: write a blog of up to 500 words on anything related to the future world economy.

Currently, there's no standardised minimum quality for apprenticeships across the UK, but this could soon be changing following calls to improve.  

Under current regulations, Kevin Rowan from Trade Union Congress argues that too many apprentices are still earning below minimum wage, and employers aren't being properly prosecuted for breaking rules when it comes to pay. Only 3% of those in breach have faced legal action.

Thinking about being an apprentice once you leave school? The BBC has come up with a list of the things you need to know about apprenticeship schemes in the UK this year, so read on to get an idea of the current situation for new apprentices.

Sheffield Hallam University has received £500k funding to create a Centre for Excellence for Degree Apprenticeships. This will provide specific high quality learning for apprentices looking to earn a degree alongside apprenticeship-style practical experience.

Sheffield Hallam is already a leading institution for degree apprenticeships, but this extra dedicated funding will offer a huge boost. The university's partners in the area currently include Wipro, Barnsley Met Borough Council, Sheffield Forgemasters, Tonic Works and L&P Springs, but the list is ever-increasing.

So, what does the M-word really mean? You might have heard the term 'mindfulness' thrown around by lifestyle bloggers, Insta yoginis and emblazoned on covers of pocket books in your local bookshop. It's becoming so popular that it's almost the new hygge. 

Applying for uni, but worrying about how far the pennies in your pocket will stretch? Maybe you fancy the idea of an apprenticeship or further study, and want to be a little more financially independent? It can be a scary prospect and you're not alone, finances are a concern for many young people.

The Times have has compiled a list of some of the top budgeting apps on the market right now. Check them out if you need a little guidance when it comes to how much you can really spend on that inflatable crocodile you absolutely need for your "new" kitchen in halls.

​There's also a few apps approved by Money Saving Expert's Martin Lewis in there too, so you know you're in good hands.

Trust us, everyone from your parents to your pals will be blown away by your newfound money-managing prowess. The best part? These apps are all free.

Year 12

What course is the course for you? You go to uni to do a degree. But which one?

There’s over 17,000 different subjects you can study and more than 70,000 individual courses. You can start with what you want to do as a career. To be a doctor, you have to study medicine, for instance — which most people would agree is better than having people doing surgery just because they studied needlework.

There are some other careers where you have to study something in particular — to be an architect or vet, for instance — but they’re the exception. For some others — like law or social work — it’s not a career killer to start out by studying something else and getting the right qualifications after a first degree in something else, but studying the relevant subject is definitely the equivalent of choosing trainers instead of flip flops when you’re running the hurdles.

Then there are other careers that don’t require you to study anything in particular. In fact, here we’re talking about most careers. Sure, some subjects may give you a headstart, but getting that job will be more down to you being the right person than your course being the right one.

Some courses may look like they’re the passport for a particular career, when actually, your best route in might be something entirely different. For example, chemistry is generally at least as good a qualification to become a forensic scientist as forensic science itself.

Similarly, politics, English or languages may well get you into a job in media or journalism more directly than media studies.

​However, most of us don’t have a career, a family, a mortgage, a pension and a funeral plan all sorted. That’s not a problem. All in good time. In that case, study what you love. At uni, you’ll need to be devoted to your studies to give them your best shot.

No one will be giving you a good talking to for not turning up to lectures or putting you in detention for a late essay. It’s down to you to succeed, so it really helps to study something that really shakes your pineapple. You'll study harder, study better and probably get a better result and in the end.

Best of all, you'll find yourself qualified for a career you like.

That applies even if you want to be a doctor. If you don’t enjoy studying medicine, being a doctor for the next 45 years is going to be a total splat. Choose a course you love because if you do what you love, you’ll love what you do.

Having decided on the right course for you, here are three quick tips:

1. If you’re thinking of doing a course which asks for a portfolio or examples of your work, now's the prime time to make sure you’re going to have a good selection to show.
2. Every uni wants students who're dedicated to their subject. Show your commitment by doing some volunteering or work experience placements that are relevant to your studies. Or at the very least, some reading.
3. If you've got questions about a course, phone the uni department to ask. Not only is it a good way to get the answer, it's a chance to show your enthusiasm.

​If you’re still drawing a blank on what exactly you might want to do, take a look at bestCourse4me which will give you all the info you need on what job certain degrees might lead to and what kind of money you could expect to make. Alternatively, if you know what job you want, but you're not sure how you can get there, bestCourse4me can help with that too.

Once you’ve got your course down, it’s only a hop, skip and a jump to a site like Which? Uni which has everything you need to help you decide where might be best for you to study based on all kinds of wonderful things like location, grades, living costs and the social scene.

What about apprenticeships?...

From this April, big firms are going to have to put a whole heap of cash into apprenticeships, so many people predict a volcanic boom in what’s on offer and how they’re regarded by employers and the public.

Some employers and unis have even teamed up to offer apprenticeships where you get a degree at the same time. (They're helpfully called Degree Apprenticeships.) You study some of the time, but you also work and even earn money on the job.

There are apprenticeships all over the UK (especially England). They range from working in the RAF, training in accountancy to work in many of the main banks in this country.

We even found some that you might not expect to see. How about being an Aerospace Engineer, building and maintaining vehicles or satellites in space? Or a Fashion Studio Assistant or working on video games to check and fix them before they go live?

Even if you’ve decided uni's not for you, but you like the idea of moving away, apprenticeships in larger cities like London, Manchester, Leeds or Bristol might be a chance to get away. You get all the same perks of leaving home, just without the student debt.

Remember, though, you'll be paying rent which is a big cut out of your first pay cheque, which, when you’re on an apprenticeship may not be huge to start with.

A ray of light in the uncertain times surrounding news of Carillion, construction giant's liquidation: the government has announced that the 1,400 apprentices left without a job or course security will be supported in search for employers to continue their placements with.

Many young people were left unsure of their futures since the news that Carillion, the UK's largest construction apprentice employer, was dissolving, but things are now looking up.

If you read anything in a tabloid newspaper, you'd think that the young people of today are nothing but delicate little "snowflakes" – offended by everything, right down to the ever-rising price of avocados. 

You only have to talk to a real-life young person to know that's not the case. An entire university study has been dedicated to the idea of Generation Snowflake, and you won't be surprised to find that it's an exaggerated, over-generalised load of nonsense. 

Okay, maybe not the avocado part. C'mon, we've got to have some nice things. 

Researches from the University of Leeds' Institute for Teaching interviewed 55 undergrads as part of their study into student resilience, and had another 185 complete survey questionnaires. 

Students were asked what they thought about the snowflake generation - students who were "quick to take offence and too emotionally vulnerable to cope with views that challenge their own", and also the idea of 'trigger-warnings' - where individuals are notified of potentially distressing content before being exposed to it. 

Surprisingly, large numbers of students hadn't even heard of the term 'snowflake generation' or even 'trigger-warnings', and if they were aware of the concept, it wasn't usually in terms of education and more in terms of internet use. 

Rather than the negative associations, where 'trigger-warnings' are viewed as a form of censorship, the participating students largely agreed that the warnings allowed them to be prepared for potentially disturbing content, rather than choosing not to engage with it at all. 

Overall, the participants "were likely to say that they could see some truth in ['snowflake generation'], but that it was an unfair, sweeping label for an eclectic group of people."

We're sure over the past year you’ve heard the abbreviation VR thrown about at just about any announcement of a new tech device. VR stands for Virtual Reality and it’s starting to creep into our lives whether you want it to or not. Now the question is, will virtual reality change how we gain soft skills?