Maybe you have the next thirty to forty years of your life mapped out perfectly, with a clear career goal in mind. You go, Glen Coco. We’re impressed.

Or maybe you don’t. That’s just as exciting — no one’s expecting you to have your life dreamt away by this point anyway.

Either way, a great way to cash in some of your free time is to look into volunteering. The big ‘V’ is bounced around a lot when it comes to unis talking about what they want from students, advice from careers advisors and glamorous-looking ads for gap years in exotic destinations. ​

But what can it mean for you? Well, it can mean just about whatever you want it to.

If you’ve been raised on high quality cooking from the Michelin-star kitchen of mum and dad, the idea of going out into the world (and supermarket) on your own might be a scary one. With a little bit of planning and some help from your pals at Push, it really doesn’t have to be.​

The diet of a student or young person living away from home doesn't need to be all about takeaways and meal deals. For one, that’s pretty damn expensive on the regular, even with student discount and Two for Tuesdays. It’s also not too kind on your insides.

There are some great healthy living life hacks to stay fit and well-fed on a student budget, and it doesn’t involve getting the train home every weekend for a roast and a week’s worth of frozen meals.

If you’re in year 12 or 13 right now, chances are you’ve got a lot of exciting things heading your way. Uni, work, apprenticeship, college, travelling, your opportunities open to you once you’ve finished your A-Levels or Highers are pretty endless.

With all that great stuff ahead of you, now’s the perfect time to put a little investment into your future.​

We don’t mean you need to clue yourself up on the stock market, or spend all your loose change on the latest cryptocurrency. Unless that’s your thing. Nope, we mean you should think about learning to drive.

Thought you were done with open days by this point? Think again.​

By now, you've probably heard from most – if not all – the unis you applied to. If not, don’t worry. They're supposed to let you know by 31 March, but if you just can’t wait until then, it won't hurt to give them a call.

Now, while we’re sure that you made an effort to see all 5 of your choices before applying, we also understand that sometimes life gets in the way and you might not have had time for them all (err... or any of them).

Oops.

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.

The prospect of having to network as an intern can be terror-inducing. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be. With the following tips in mind, you’ll be a top-rate networker in no time!

You’d have to have your head in the sand to not know about the incredible climate change protests that young people throughout Europe have been spearheading over the past few months.

The Youth Strike 4 Climate movement, initiated by then 15 year old Greta Thunberg’s solo protest outside the Swedish parliament has spread like wildfire. Now, around 70,000 students and young people each week are holding rallies and protests across 270 towns and cities throughout the world. ​

Not too shabby, for a bunch of meddling kids.

The ball is finally in your court.​

This month you’ll probably be getting some offers from universities. You may have some already. It can be exciting — like getting several Valentine’s cards all at once.

It can also be unnerving: frantically hitting refresh on the UCAS website for hours on end and feeling like the only Valentine you’ll get might be from your mum.

It doesn’t have to be stressful though. If you haven’t heard back yet, calm down. Unis are supposed to let you know by March 31st, though they may take a little bit longer in some cases. Delay is not necessarily a bad sign.

You might have heard in the last year or two sportswear giants like Nike were making controversial waves by releasing the first forward-thinking, breathable sports hijabs for female Muslim athletes.

The special hijabs, though innovative and a positive step forward in terms of inclusivity in sport, came with a fairly steep price tag. ​

That’s why Brunel University have been praised for the new addition to their university sports kit - the ‘Brunel Blue’ sports hijab, in two sizes. And at £15 a pop, they’re almost 40% cheaper than the kit sold by Nike.

La La Land! Wait…
​
For lots of people, an offer for a place at Oxbridge (either Oxford University of Cambridge University), two of the most highly esteemed educational institutions in the world, would be reason to be up shouting from the rooftops.

But here at Push, we’re the first to say that there is no “perfect” university, no uni is the “best”. Trust us, ignore the league tables.

It’s all about what’s right for you as a person, how you learn, what type of city or town you’d like to live in, whether you care about sport societies or film societies or pole fitness, Doctor Who or Quidditch.

Every university offers something different, and student Anoushka Mutanda Dougherty has found just that. Anoushka, interviewed by the BBC over her uni search and applications, was offered a place at Cambridge University to study History.

If you’ve read around our site, dipped your toes into our blog posts or attended any of our live sessions, you’ll know we like to harp on about the importance of soft skills.

And that’s because they’re important! They’re a huge slice of the pizza that makes you a rounded person, and they’re exactly what employers are looking for. They’ll help you in all walks of life, from careers to relationship building and hobbies.

They are what make you malleable and adaptable, and can help you shine no matter the task or situation, or whether you’ve been exposed to it before.

One of the most important career-driven reasons for being adaptable and having strong soft skills is that the future is hurtling towards us at breakneck speed - we’re already moving into a world of AI, VR, driverless cars and space tourism. ​

Just imagine what the next twenty years might hold?

Contributed by our friends over at HFE the UK's leading provider of personal training courses and fitness qualifications...

In 2018, it was reported that the UK's health and fitness industry was worth an approximate £5bn and the number of gyms reached over 7,000 for the first time. It's also estimated that 1 in 7 people in the UK is a member of a gym. All these figures point to one simple fact: the best time to get into the fitness industry is right now!
 
Of all of the possible roles for young people available in the fitness industry, there's one that stands head and shoulders above all others in terms of appeal and mainstream popularity and that's of a personal trainer. There's no doubt you'll have a picture in your head of a personal trainer and you've probably seen a fair few when you've ever been to a gym. Now the common stereotype is that PTs just stand around and don't do very much. They've probably got a clipboard (or iPad if they're fancy), a stopwatch and they just spend time watching clients exercise. If you’re lucky they might even chime in every few minutes with words of encouragement. 

The UCAS deadline has now passed. Hopefully you can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing yours was submitted ages ago. If that's the case, here are the four possible responses you could be getting in the next few months:

School and college is pretty heavy going. You start when you can barely walk or talk, then it’s full-throttle all the way until you hit 18, and are set free into the big bad world.
 
For lots of people, it makes sense and feels right to go straight into university once A-Levels or Highers are finished. For others, it doesn’t. And that’s just as groovy.
 
Maybe uni is on the cards, or you fancy the idea of some sort of higher education in the future, but now’s the time to take a break and try something different.
 
And why not? 

Money never seems to stick around for long, as a student and there's so many myths about student finance it's hard to know what to believe.
 
Whether it’s bills, books, burgers or booze, there’s always something you’ll be whacking out your contactless card for, and avoiding checking your bank statement because of.
 
That’s why we’re here to help with a few tips and tricks to make your cash last just a little bit longer. 

​New Year, same beautiful old you. But if you haven’t been working in the past, 2019 could be the year you make your way into the world of work and bag a part-time job.
 
Obvious perk? Cash. You earned it, no one can tell you what you can/can’t/should/shouldn’t spend it on. Want to blow a week’s earnings on a massive Dominos order? Do it. Those chicken strippers will never taste better.
 
(Not that we recommend you make it a regular decision, but if you’re going down this route, remember you get a pretty nice 35% student discount < https://www.dominos.co.uk/blog/students/>)
 
Besides the financial independence though—because what could be nicer than having a few spare pennies to rub together—are all the extra benefits.
 
Like… 

So you’ve just started uni and the student loan is rolling in. Maybe you just got a part-time job and are finally making some hard earned cash. Maybe you’ve landed an apprenticeship and are now in control of your own money for the first time.
 
Becoming financially independent is a pretty incredible feeling, but it also comes with some downsides. Namely, there are some pretty nasty people out there looking to take your cash from you.
 
In the digital world we live in, email scams have become commonplace and they’re not always as easy to spot as you might think. 

UCAS already?
 
If you know you want to apply for uni then you have nearly a year until your UCAS application deadline for 2020.
 
But if you're clever (and we’re sure you are), you'll want to be as on-the-ball as Cinderella’s godmother and get your application right at the front of the queue. That means getting it submitted by around half term this Autumn.
 
Still think you've got ages? Just think about all the lessons, summer exams, Saturday jobs, parties, holidays and procrastination you've got to fit in. Blink and the year will be gone...

You’re probably looking forward to the festive season. But as you know it can be a stressful time as well as a happy one.
 
If you’re a student, then returning to the family home after a period of independence is challenging. Plus the most wonderful time of the year is also the most expensive!
 
What’s the best way of avoiding pressure at Christmas, whilst taking the strain off your bank account? Our guide is here to light the way.
 
From wrapping presents to warbling carols, our Santa’s sack is full to the brim with tips. So what are you waiting for? Let’s go-ho-ho…

In the world we live in, it’s increasingly more valuable to be as internationally minded as you possibly can.
 
And no, we don’t mean that you should be mixing up your weekly tikka masala order, and would be better off getting the occasional Chinese or Italian takeaway instead.
 
Being internationally minded - where you’re open to different cultural behaviours and attitudes, and can embrace new ideas from beyond your bubble - is a crucial and invaluable attribute. 

​Studying abroad in Rome, taking a year out to backpack Asia, working a placement in New York - the chance for young people to get out and see the world is just as popular as ever.
 
And why wouldn’t it be? Now’s the perfect time. No obligations, no career commitments, no pesky mortgages to pay.
 
Once you’re free from the grips of school, the world really is your oyster.
 
But there’s something that anyone hoping to trot the globe has to worry about, and that’s how to fund it. 

If you asked a handful of under-10s what they want to be when they grow up, chances are at least one of them is going to say astronaut. You might get a few more who’d come out with YouTube slime reviewer or professional Fortnite dancer, but space explorer is a timeless classic.
 
We’d be lying if we said it doesn’t still sound like one of the coolest careers out there.
 
But out of everyone who’s ever dreamed of piloting their own rocket, how many people actually ever wind up with the elusive job? Not many – but maybe not for the reasons you might expect.