Life after Harton

Your time as a student is probably the best time of your life.   A time when you gain your independence, make lifelong friends and prepare yourself for your new career. Many different universities have everything in place to ensure your experience is as life changing as you hope, from your accommodation needs, to a thriving social calendar, university life is sure to be something you will never forget.

There are many advantages of being a student, such as 20% off in most shops, cheap drinks in most pubs, cheap bus tickets, cheap cinema tickets and many more. But one of the best things about being a student is gaining your independence. Although many students still live at home while at university, there is accommodation provided by the uni should you wish to move out of your house. By doing this you no longer have to answer to anyone, you live with friends and have the time of your life while you study. Another major advantage of university is the heavy social life, you gain many new friends who are studying the same course as you, or who you have met as a member of a club, and all have similar interests as you. You spend most of your time with friends, and occasionally you may even do a little work, but however you spend your Tuesday night, you know your doing something you love.

The student union is the heart of university life; membership is free and open to anyone, and with over 40 clubs and societies you are guaranteed to find many new friends with the same hobbies and interests as you.

One of the best things about coming to university is the opportunity to meet people who share the same interests as you. As soon as you arrive at university you can join clubs that encompass everything from football to hand gliding, chess to environmental action, Latin dancing all the way through to urban music. Societies can also be formed around a certain country and its cultures. This is a great way to meet people who might be from your community and want to express and promote the best of their culture.

Here are a few examples of some of the clubs and societies you can get involved in within university;

• Football teams
• Rugby teams
• Hockey
• Volleyball
• Latin dancing
• Urban music
• Hand-gliding club
• Computer games
• Anything else you can think of!

If a group that represents your unique tastes does not exist… Simply become the founding member of your own original society. Similar, if a sports team or club you wish to join does not exist, make your own team and become a founding member.

££ CAN I AFFORD IT ££

The prospect of three years at university and the costs involved can seem a lot of money but by going to university you are thinking about your future long term and it is an investment.  Most universities offer a financial counselling service to give you clear advice on what financial help may be available to you.  For example, you may be able to have part or all of your fees paid by the Student Loan Company.  However, most of the Universities offer instalment plans which allow you to pay your fees in several instalments.  If you do need to receive a student loan, the money is paid back in low interest payments.

Some full time students may be able to benefit from financial support which does not need to be paid back.  You may be able to receive a bursary or scholarship but there is also other financial support from other sponsors.  All you need to do is ask a financial counsellor.

Remember you will not need to pay anything back until you are earning £15,000 per year and you have 25 years to pay this back. If you do not pay it all back by the end of the 25 years then the Government will write this debt off.   More information can be found about this on the University of Sunderland website www.sunderland.ac.uk/fees

The Aim Higher website is a very comprehensive guide for students who are thinking about attending university and is available at www.direct.gov.uk/uni.  It has information available for both students and their parent/guardians and gives advice from what higher education can do for you right up to how to what choices are available once you graduate.  After you finish University you may have enjoyed yourself so much that you want to continue into postgraduate study to allow yourself futher progression in your chosen career.

You can do it.

Mr. Paterson (English Student Associate)

I never had a clear idea of what I wanted to do when I left school. There was no definite career plan. Following stints in retail, libraries and even a call centre I found that without a degree I couldn't even apply for the types of jobs that I would really enjoy and that would bring me the sort of lifestyle and salary that I desired. A Higher Education qualification opens the door to a whole new jobs market, or it can allow you to start higher up the ladder in areas where degrees aren't a requirement.

Neither of my parents went to university, and I don’t come from a particularly privileged background but I never felt that this would stop me from going on to higher education. If I can get there so can you.

How do I get there?
Firstly you will have to continue your studies after your GCSE’s. This usually means going to college or sixth form to do A-levels although there are also other types of access course you can do too like NVQ’s or BTEC’s. What grades and subjects you need depend on the course you want to apply for but there are likely to be number of different ways to qualify. Have a look at a college or sixth form website for more detailed information. Also try www.ucas.com (which is the organisation you apply to university through) to search the sorts of courses available and their entry requirements.

Will I fit in at a university?
There’s no need to worry about fitting in, there will be people from such a different range of backgrounds you’re bound to meet some you’ll get along with. There are also things like clubs and societies mentioned in this section of the website that are great places to meet new people and make friends.

Am I clever enough?
Of course you are! You don’t have to the next Einstein to succeed in Higher Education; you simply have to be prepared to make an effort. There are also lots of ways in which your university or college can help out, if you do find anything difficult. Just look at our section on student support for more information.

Isn’t it just like school?
No. It’s very different, the main difference being that you’re responsible for yourself and your own learning. There won’t be teachers chasing you around for uncompleted work, so you have to have some self discipline to make sure that you hand in assignments on time. Also, although it depends on your course, you will probably have enough spare time during the week to pursue your own interests or fit in some part-time work.

What can I study?
There’s a lot more choice than you get while at school, there are thousands of different courses available ranging from things like Maths and Geography to Robotics or Zoology. If you know what career path you want to follow then you can study something linked to that, like Law if you want to be a solicitor or Sports Science to become a P.E teacher. If you haven’t got definite career plans you can study something more general like English or History that will allow you to work in many different areas. You can also combine different subjects on what is known as a ‘Joint Honours’ degree.

What you study can also affect how you study and which qualification you end up with. Here are the basic different qualifications (‘Degrees’) you can gain:

• BA: Bachelor of Arts (Like English or History)
• Bachelor of Engineering (Usually mechanical or electrical)
• BSc: Bachelor of Sciences (Physics, Chemistry etc.)

You can also do courses called Foundation Degrees which provide an introduction to the subject you wish to study and give you the option to continue to the full degree.

Can I afford to do it?

The answer is almost certainly yes. There are lots of things like grants and bursaries (which you don’t have to pay back) available to students from less wealthy backgrounds and loans available to almost everybody to help cover the cost of your studies. Just have a look at the information we have on finance for more details.

Student support comes in many different forms from help with personal issues to help finding a job or writing your curriculum vitae.

The support system within most universities can be broken down into the following main areas:

Counseling	counseling can be provided for both personal and financial issues, and is free and confidential.
Students’ union	provides someone to talk to if students have any sort of worries or issues from feeling home sick or struggling with an assignment to bereavement, there are also trained advisors available so that the best advice is given.
Disability support team	provides information and guidance on numerous issues related to the learning support needs of disabled students and student with specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia.
Health and well being	offers support for those with ongoing health problems and advice on health promotion issues such as diet or smoking and also on personal safety concerns.
Careers service	provides information and advice on what is available after university and getting jobs. They help students write CVs, fill in application forms and prepare for interviews.
Chaplaincy	offers information on the different places of worship in the local area, and supports and encourages students of all faiths.
Nightline	Nightline is a telephone listening service available for students and is run by trained student volunteers; students may use the service if they want to talk about any kind of problems they have.
Academic support	provides extra lessons and one to one sessions for students who require help in developing their numeracy or literacy skills, or with an assignment.

What is HIGHER EDUCATION?

Higher Education is an institution such as university which offers you the chance to study a degree or foundation degree.  Going to university allows you the opportunity to get that job you really want and reap the financial rewards and in some jobs, such as medical or engineering, a degree is essential.

You first decision before applying is ‘where do you want to study?’  Do you want or need to stay at home or move away.  By studying at home you have the benefit of saving money on accommodation and having the support of your family.  As you are familiar with your surroundings you could maybe get yourself a part time job to support yourself.  Moving away from home gives you a chance to be independent, opportunities to meet new people and experience a different way of life but can obviously work out more expensive.

To ensure that you get the best from university you need to choose a course that you will enjoy so it is important to consider:

• What subjects you enjoy
• What your strengths are
• What job you would like to do you when you finish school or college.

If you do not want to study for a full degree, you may choose to complete:

• Diploma in Health
• HND (Higher National Diploma)
• Foundation Degree

Once you have considered these options then you can decide which course you may wish to apply for. This can be done by logging on to www.ucas.co.uk (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).  This is the website which you use to apply for university.  It gives you lots of relevant information and tells you which courses are available and you can just fill in your application on-line………….. its so easy.

And remember, that even if you do not get the grades you expected, you may still be able to attend university as it is operated on a points system as well as grades and everything counts!  So if you have any work experience, don’t forget to put that down.  Good Luck!

Universities offer a great number and different types of facilities from 24 hour library access to equipment needed for specific courses such as laboratory equipment for scientific courses and gaming consoles (xbox 360) for multimedia gaming students. The facilities offered by different universities can depend on which courses are available; so, for specifics, you may want to look at the individual universities websites (there are some links at the bottom of this page). However, below are some of the facilities most universities offer:

Library	comprising of numerous computers and books which you will find useful for your course.
Canteen or restaurant	a great place to make friends and usually there are numerous types of student accommodation so if you decide to move away from home there will be somewhere you would find suitable for you.
Student bar	offers somewhere for students to relax and socialize.
Student accommodation	offers support for those with ongoing health problems and advice on health promotion issues such as diet or smoking and also on personal safety concerns.
Sports centre	a place for students to get fit and meet new people. Usually there would be gym and swimming facilities available as a standard but most offer badminton, basketball, football and/or fitness classes also. Again student discount almost always applies.
Clubs and societies	all universities usually have an extensive amount of clubs and societies available for students with an interest to join, and if there isn’t a club or society for your area of interest you could make own as the list isn’t restricted.

Links

University of Sunderland - www.sunderland.ac.uk
University of Teeside - www.tees.ac.uk
University of Durham - www.dur.ac.uk
University of Newcastle - www.ncl.ac.uk
University of Manchester - www.manchester.ac.uk
University of Northumbria - www.unn.ac.uk
University of York - www.york.ac.uk
University of Leeds - www.leeds.ac.uk
University of Hull - www.hull.ac.uk
University of Edinburgh - www.ed.ac.uk
University of Sheffield - www.sheffield.ac.uk