 The first thing I was told in my sixth form wasn't "do you want to go to university?" it was "ok everyone, here's the date when we'll be prepping your UCAS forms." At the time, this all felt completely normal, because you don't question what you don't know. And for most of the less-brave of us, from figures of authority. No one on the Taylor side of my family had ever undertaken an education course past the age of 18, which didn't help when being told "here's the university application form. Let's fill it out".
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 Sometimes it might feel (rightly so, often) that our favourite tech is holding us back when it comes to coursework productivity or exam periods.
Go on, try to tell us you’ve never thought “I could work on Algebra, or I could check Insta stories…” or “I should really do this Physics past paper as exam prep, but after just one more episode of Game of Thrones…”  Chances are, at some point, you’re going to have to head out into the wonderful world of work. Cash in your pocket, and a rewarding career you enjoy. Win-win. But you have to earn that dream job, and the biggest hurdle is the interview.
Gulp. The “I” word is enough to fill anyone with dread, but don’t panic. To start, try to forget everything you think you know about interviews, and instead flip it on it’s head – sure, you want to impress, but you’re interviewing them to make sure the job is perfect for you.  Never heard of the Access to HE Diploma? It’s a Level 4 HND qualification specifically designed to help students who don’t have traditional qualifications like A Levels or Scottish Highers to get into university or other higher education.
 Easter’s way behind us, which means only one thing – Summer’s on the horizon. The pressure’s not off yet, but end of exams, coursework, revision, studying is nigh.
If you fancy a break from all the work, work, work, have a think about what you’re going to do with all that sweet free time once you’re finished. Whether you’re planning on taking a year out or just having one hell of a Summer, travelling on a budget is high up the student priority list. But it ain’t all sunshine and rainbows, trust us. Making a few hundred quid stretch you for three months in the Bahama’s is easier said than done. But not impossible, with a bit of planning.  Yep, another one. We know, it’s rubbish, but…
Deadline alert. If you’re planning to go to uni this Autumn, aren’t a secret millionaire, and you want to be able to pay your fee/have money to live on: Remember to apply for your student loan by the end of May. This is the cut off for guaranteed loans by the time your course starts in the Autumn, so jump on it. You don’t need a confirmed place at university or college to apply, just use your preferred choice and update it online if it changes. If you miss the deadline you might find yourself starting uni with only the change from down the back of the sofa so here's your reminder now.  Are you heading down the uni highway?
This month you can officially start applying to uni for 2020 entry. UCAS opens its website for people to register on 21st May. Don’t worry, the deadline is still a while away, but the dogs are now off the leash. Hopefully, if uni’s for you, then your ideas on what you might want to study have been gradually solidifying. If you’re not quite there yet, have a look at our Which Course? section for some help on working out what’s right for you.  If you’ve heard from all your unis, have made your decision and told them about it, then you’re done with application process for now.
Congrats. Breathe a tiny sigh of relief. Aaah. But don't take your foot off the pedal just yet. Now you need to get your grades or meet any other ‘ifs’ and ‘buts' your chosen unis may have asked for. You may not be in Year 12, but take a look at the revision tips above.  Choosing your uni is one thing, but getting in is a whole other ballgame. And until universities develop a Harry-Potter-style Sorting Hat, they’re stuck with a combo of personal statements and grades to tell them who deserves a place at the Gryffindor table.
So this summer, whether it’s A Levels, Highers or mocks, you’re likely to have exams. And what do exams mean? Sigh. Revision. This year though, don’t just work hard — work smart. Figure out what’s best for you personally: that depends on what style of learner you are. Are you a seer, a hearer or a doer?  A paid contribution by our friends over at Stitch the creative clothing company offering innovative clothing for the made-to-order, retail and b2b markets. We think this is a useful and interesting article for all our readers and are happy to publish.
After completing my studies at university this year, I sat down to tackle what every new graduate dreads - applying for my first ‘real’ job and dusting off my CV. I began with the qualifications and previous work experience which I thought was the most relevant, and then moved onto extracurricular activities that demonstrated organisation and initiative - something all companies look for in an employee. This proved to be initially daunting, as the job in mind was for an account manager role at Stitch, a company that creates custom clothing. This role was new territory for me as my past work experience was predominantly practical creative work, and I feared I lacked too much in office practise to successfully apply for an administrative position.  Everyone – and I mean everyone – has the ability to build wealth. It’s just a matter of developing the right strategy and mindset.
You are just one tactic away from having all you ever wanted. We live in a world where there is a magnitude of success coaches, transformation gurus, personal development specialists – promoting a huge menu of courses, conferences, motivational workshops, mastermind groups, and 1-to-1 coaching sessions – all aimed at increasing your wealth. Now, with this huge variety of choices available, you will derive great value from many of the experts and you will undoubtedly learn, grow, and move towards becoming rich as a result of what you learn from them and apply to your life. However, there is a huge caveat. These courses, teachings, and transformational interventions don’t come cheap. To afford them, you often have to be well on your way to wealth, or already be pretty rich! There is no denying that a one-day course with Tony Robbins is life-changing and will provide you with tools and a shift of mindset to develop a new you. But it comes with a huge price tag that isn’t realistic for most people.  A paid contribution by our friends over at Future Fit Training the leading training provider of Personal Trainers, Nutrition Advisers and Pilates Instructors in the UK. We think this is a useful and interesting article for all our readers and are happy to publish.
The numbers tell the story:
And with the demand for personal trainers and weight loss consultants outweighing the supply, there are plenty of opportunities out there for those looking to become a personal trainer.  So it seems like everyone and their mums are talking about uni, but what if that’s not for you?
Apprenticeships are a great route for those who prefer a little more flexibility and practical learning, but there are some common myths around them that might be putting people off.  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.  What course is the course for you?
So maybe 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 the first degree, but studying the relevant subject is definitely the equivalent of choosing trainers instead of flip flops when you’re running the hurdles.  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? |
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