help from students please

[tris-]

in my personal statement i wrote: what course i was intrested in, why i was intrested in it, what part of it was most intresting, what kind of experience i had, then wrote about what my interests, what i enjoyed doing etc, anything "lifechanging" (ie moving country ) and that kind of stuff... got told to avoid using words like "outgoing" and "sociable" as uni's apparently think it = lazy

also dont use words like difficult, hard, tough etc, but challenging and interesting

my personal statement was a pile of shit if i remember right.

got me into only 1 of 3 unis in the uk that do the course though.

somethings people say seem more like urban legends than anything else.

 

[Ormorof]

my personal statement was a pile of shit if i remember right.

got me into only 1 of 3 unis in the uk that do the course though.

somethings people say seem more like urban legends than anything else.

true, some people dont like theirs, i spent ages on mine though (because i fucked up my AS big time so, decided i needed all the help i could get and had to prove i wasnt some dumbass, was kinda lucky to get in at all ) in the end my personal statement got me a hand written letter (from the admissions tutor)along with the offer from my first choice uni so i was quite happy about it

 

[Ezteq]

true, some people dont like theirs, i spent ages on mine though (because i fucked up my AS big time so, decided i needed all the help i could get and had to prove i wasnt some dumbass, was kinda lucky to get in at all ) in the end my personal statement got me a hand written letter (from the admissions tutor)along with the offer from my first choice uni so i was quite happy about it

Nice1 Orm, d'you know if you have to do all this if you take a distance learning course too, i mean the uni is still taking you arn't they?

 

[Tilda]

Ez, when you apply to any uni for whatever course through UCAS you need a personal statement.
Basicly when you apply, UCAS get send your grades, your predicted grades, a reference by your tutor or someone and your personal statement.
Then once they get it, they copy all the information and send it off to everywhere you apply to.

Personal statement is vip.

 

[Ezteq]

but they will tell me excatly what they need from me wont they, i mean when i apply will they send me a list of stuff to do or do i have to get all the stuff together before ieven apply and send it all off with the application?


p.s really appreciate this so much, thanks for taking the time to help

 

[Tilda]

There is the UCAS form you fill out, as long as you fill in all the sections you should be fine.
However, that may mean getting your tutor or whoevers teaching you to write a reference beforehand. At my school people were assumed to be applying to uni, and so teachers wrote references to for everybody, however if its a mature persons thing like night school kinda thing, you might need to ask whoevers teaching you.
This site has some basic tips: http://www.deafandcreative.ac.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=113

To see a UCAs form, go to www.ucas.com and log on (assuming your registered, if not, do so) and then you can "apply" online, although i'd suggest you use it initially to look at the questions etc

What is it you want to do?

 

[Ezteq]

i want to be a librarian (when i grow up) so i need to do a full time access course at college then if im accepted do a library/information course at uni (to be a full on librarian you need a degree).

but seeing as this is all new to me its really boggling, i guess it would have been easier if i'd gone on straight from school.

 

[Tilda]

Ok.
Do you apply to the college for the access course? And how long does it last?

Assuming you get on the access course with your natural charm and wit, and that it lasts a year, mention to whoever takes the majority of your classes that you'd like to apply to a uni for library studies or whatever its called.
They should be far more familiar with the applications procedure and should be able to tell you when to do things.
If your course finishes next summer, you want to apply in november/december of this year for your uni course, with all your personal statements, references etc etc

 

[Ezteq]

excellant i remember someone telling me that i should be looking at which uni i need to go to at the same time as i apply for the college course, it will last a year and its like a mixture of several GCSE's (because when i was 16 i didnt realise the importance of education and let people put me off school so i didnt get any) and is basically a course designed to get you in to uni i.e if you pass this then you have everything you need to get in (and me being an old duffer helps too).

one thing that might help others looking at this is i've spoken to this lady at the college i think shes a guidance advisor and she was excellant, sent me all the form and stuff for college. If you can find one of these and get the contact details they really help.

 

[Outlander]

The last degree I did at Uni I didnt go through UCAS, I wrote straight to the department head prof detailing my qualifications and interest in the course.(spose this would be personal statement)

Anyways got an email back from his assistant a few days later, went in for interview and was enrolled there within a fortnight.(Newcastle University)

This was however as a late entry hence why decided to contact the department directly, to increase chance of placement. It worked.

There was also two mature students there(bloke in 50s and woman in 40s) and they had approached the department direct also. Seems showing your interest to the people running the courses can help a little
(see Im not as dumb as you all think)


Edit: you could always get jubblies out that would defo ensure a place imo

 

[Ezteq]

good call outie, tbh i think i'll get in touch with the uni anyway and see whats what, i dont like leaving stuff all to other people.

 

[Blackjack]

i want to be a librarian (when i grow up)

grow up? damn uncle Black doesn't want to go to jail for engaging in sexual activity with underaged librarians. That's right people and i have teh proof! i ate her cherry!

 

[Ezteq]

 

[Blackjack]

 

[Mikah75]

rofl

 

[Vladamir]

xDD

 

[Shadoo]

I finished my ucas a while ago, if your doing it through that theres basically several sub headings you need to fill out.

Just things like Details etc and any details of any job you have atm, grades, personal statement, what unis you want to goto and the course codes etc.

You need to pay for ucas to be sent off aswell!

I have only read half the thread so i have probably repeated my self!! I can still log onto my ucas i think so if you want any piccies of the layout just ask!

 

[Ezteq]

ace cheers shad

 

[tris-]

you dont pay for ucas, surely? im at uni now and ucas never seen a penny of mine. unless they did, and i have forgotten

 

[Ezteq]

i think its like £15- or something for admin fee's, but i could be wrong, i seem to remember that from looking at it over the weekend.

 

[Escape]

Don't get shafted with loans. Save up before, or take a part-time course and keep on working.

 

[Darksword]

wotcha,

decided to go back to school full time for a course later in the year that will hopefully get me in to uni (gulp). This is probably something only peeps who study in the UK can help me with as it is about how i set out to get student loans/funding etc as i will have to leave work to do a full time course.

Also I'm 26 (27 this year) so if there are any old duffers... i mean mature students out there (or you know one) could you please help me out by telling me how i apply for funding and who i have to contact please?

many thanks if your able to help, if not don't worry i just like probing FH'ers

Ez
xxx


/probe

The school will help you will everything from application, to loads and accomidation. Unfortunatly youve left it too late to go to university for 2006/07, as the last day of application was 2 fridays ago through ucas.

You may be able to apply differently through the school/college you apply through so im not sure.

but yeh they will help you with everything. GOOD LUCK

 

[tris-]

Don't get shafted with loans. Save up before, or take a part-time course and keep on working.

the SLC loan his hardly shafting, anal or other wise. upto £3k a year.

be earning over £14k a year before you pay it back, then its only a fiver a week. or pay lump sums.

if you go out of a job or into one earning less, dont pay anything.

a student loan can last up till the age of 60 or something, then it gets written off.

 

[Darksword]

the SLC loan his hardly shafting, anal or other wise. upto £3k a year.

be earning over £14k a year before you pay it back, then its only a fiver a week. or pay lump sums.

if you go out of a job or into one earning less, dont pay anything.

a student loan can last up till the age of 60 or something, then it gets written off.

isnt it that it lasts 25 years and if u aint paid it off by then its cancelled?

 

[Cozak]

The school will help you will everything from application, to loads and accomidation. Unfortunatly youve left it too late to go to university for 2006/07, as the last day of application was 2 fridays ago through ucas.

You may be able to apply differently through the school/college you apply through so im not sure.

but yeh they will help you with everything. GOOD LUCK

Not true, applications are still accepted until end of March, but they arent guarnteed to be read/considered, whatever.

 

[tris-]

isnt it that it lasts 25 years and if u aint paid it off by then its cancelled?

could well be then. im thinkin back about 7 years or so when it lasted til the age of 60.

just to put a shit spot on uni though, its not all fun and games.

for the next 6 months, i am running experiments upto twice a week. for each one i gotta do a log book and write a full on report about it.

for example the last experiment was the worst thing ive ever done.
stood in the cold for an hour. took six hundred readings of sound pressure levels next to a busy road (yes, thats one every 10 seconds for an hour straight).
now i have to write a report. so today i had 3 full hours of classes. worked 3 hours on the report and went straight into 1h30 maths lessons.
longest day ever

 

[Ormorof]

could well be then. im thinkin back about 7 years or so when it lasted til the age of 60.

just to put a shit spot on uni though, its not all fun and games.

for the next 6 months, i am running experiments upto twice a week. for each one i gotta do a log book and write a full on report about it.

for example the last experiment was the worst thing ive ever done.
stood in the cold for an hour. took six hundred readings of sound pressure levels next to a busy road (yes, thats one every 10 seconds for an hour straight).
now i have to write a report. so today i had 3 full hours of classes. worked 3 hours on the report and went straight into 1h30 maths lessons.
longest day ever

awww

9am - 5 pm standing up in a bloody chemistry labs sucks... but the night is sooo worth it (and i get wednesdays off to rest yay )

if the work part of uni is the shit point whats the point of going at all?

 

[tris-]

just trying to point out - uni is not as easy as non-uni people say it is.

people in jobs are like "ye u fucking student bum, u got the easiest life".

generally students are doing more work and not getting paid for it.
so i put it to you, mr full time workers - that you are the bums.

 

[Mikah75]

ucas is done via the web now and its £15 just to clarify and give all details.

 

[Ezteq]

Ah dont worry about that Dark, i have to do college first then uni so i'll be looking at uni for 2008ish.

and im not afraid of hard work (tbh if i was i wouldnt be doing my job) 9hrs a day lugging bloody great bits of aircraft about, outside in the freezing cold, in the ovens boiling hot, breathing in so much acid and other yummy substances i get nose bleeds and migranes, tbh i think if i dont make it in college i'll enlist in the foreign legion it'll be easier lol