The Joy of Working on Personal Statements

This is such a fantastic time of the year to be working as a career advisor because I get to work with teenagers who are looking for help and guidance in writing their university application personal statements.

In doing this work I have the privilege of joining these young people as they think about
- what they like studying,
- where their specific skills lie,
- what career they'd like to pursue and
- what they'd like to study at university.

I am lucky enough to hold in memory my own apprehension and concern balanced alongside excitement and hope when I was writing my own UCAS personal statement. Many people forget these feelings as they age, but twenty years on they're as fresh for me as they were then. This is a benefit to have, since I can help the young people accept these feelings and hold them as they progress, reassuring them that everyone feels that way and it's very very normal.

I suppose I could apply for another course myself, but working with these young people comes just as close; I learn about new subjects and careers, hear from this generation about the hopes and dreams and journey with them as they progress.

My hope is that after working with me these young people might have even a slight aspect of joy from the process, I do.

Time to think about personal statements

I know what you're thinking,
there's no rush,
it's not even the end of the academic year yet
there's plenty of time to think about applications to University

And yes, you're right
But.....it'll be September before you know it and then the race to submit applications will be upon you.

My advice:
start thinking about courses
start researching your options
start knowing your strengths and weaknesses
start jotting down ideas for your personal statement

It's never too early to start.

how do I apply for university?

It may be more than six months before UCAS forms start being submitted for the September 2012 University intake, but it is never too soon to start thinking about how the application works.

The first three steps which you can start on now are:
1 - decide which course you would like to study
You will be studying your chosen course for between 3 and 5 years, make sure it's something you are interested in and have a natural affiliation with.

2 - short list which universities you would like to attend
campus or city?
relaxed or formal?
near to home or further away?

Start to think about how you feel about those options and perhaps visit a few universities to get a feel for what they are like.

3 - register with UCAS
You need to register with UCAS if you want to apply to university, they handle all the applications.