Gap Year Thread 2016/17

that's very true- I'm teaching myself some basic coding as it will be helpful during the course of a PhD

My plan is definitely to try and learn lots of different things this year (: I too am not used to not learning!

Hey guys!
I just saw this thread so I thought I would join up! I am now on a gap year and I had finalised my choices for applying to uni this morning but then I found a course at UCL so I am confused again... I am looking for a job as well as doing volunteering this year! I'm glad I am not the only one experiencing FOMO as everyone moves away!

I'm hoping to go away and do some travelling this year too, I think the boy and I are planning a winter sun holiday in the new year so that'll be nice to look forward to

Ohhh exciting! Where are you thinking?

I think our options are Morocco, Bahamas or Thailand, but we'll see *

Wow! They all sound amazing!!!!!! Sorry I just realised I didn't ask your name!

xx

Hi everyone,

I was just on student room and this thread came up on the side as latest discussions. My name is Emma and I recently just finished year 13 sixth form and am taking a gap year, and am going to reapply for university this year to hopefully study physiotherapy. Originally I was hoping to go to uni this year however I was unsuccessful from all my 5 uni choices post-interview in getting an offer. Annoying thing is I successfully achieved the grades needed for the course which was ABB, which I was so happy about but had no offers beforehand. However what really limited my chances of getting onto this course is the competitive nature for places on this course. As its such a highly popular course for however very limited spaces, so was lucky to at least make it to all 5 interviews at the time. With over 1000 applications for a 20-50 place course.

During this year I am hoping to build on my volunteering and do a little bit more shadowing of physiotherapists, as I have already done a decent amount following on from this year and last year. Meanwhile to keep me occupied for the year I managed to get a part-time job at M&S.

Now its all about looking into new uni's and rewriting my personal statement.

I'm so excited

it's Gemma *

Hi,

What's your name?

Well your still further along than me, I'm still struggling on the course I want to do, which is making personal statement writing very difficult!

Have you got anything lined up for the coming year?

Hi Emma,

Lovely to hear from you,hope you are well.

From reading your post,i know exactly how you feel about not getting a place,but getting so far.

This year,your application will be stronger. Maybe look at the feedback unis gave you,last year and try and work on those.

What unis did you apply for last year? What unis would you like to apply for this year?

Maybe you could try and get some volunteering in at a local hospital or as a physiotherapy assistant.

Xx

Hey Emma,

ABB is amazing! It's a shame about the limited spaces :/ but you seem like you already have your year planned out which is good! I should take some tips haha!

Have you heard of this ULAS thing? Or is it just my old sixthform? Because I'm going to stick with UCAS but I'm so baffed XD

xx

Its fine (: Just my lack of knowledge, something I plan to work on this year! What do you consider to be exam format?

One of my lifelong friends has just started at Winchester and absolutely loves it!

Hi Ola (: Can I just ask about your situation, you say this is your second gap year, so does that mean that you completed A-Levels in 2015? What did you do last year in that case?
Your year sounds very interesting and the holiday seems like a good break. Cornwall is an amazing place (I live fairly near by!) with loads of pretty places to visit! I was about to ask what you were going to study and then realised that that was a fairly pointless question...

What is CityYear? It sounds fairly interesting. Are you reading anything particular at the moment? I presume you are planning on studying Sciences of some sort next year, anywhere in particular you are aiming for?

Hi Sam,

You seem to be in a similar position to me! I too changed course last minute and so am in the process of writing a new personal statement etc, my friends are also all off to uni this year but have plans lined up to see them! Unfortunately where I live is a bit of a contrast to London, being a small village!

Very true, and we have plans to meet up on New Years Eve so that will be amazing!
Loughborough was my firm and if I had got the grades I would have been up there like a shot I think!
What on earth is ULAS? I am going to have to look this up...
The children's book sounds awesome, have you got any ideas yet?

My main hobby is hockey, as in I play at least twice a week xD I also go to Guides and am taking my Leadership Qualification this year. My main aim for this year is to become more cultured and learn more about subjects that as yet haven't sparked my interest (history and geography for example)


Hi Emma!

That all sounds really good (: Fingers crossed for this year and well done on getting the required grades. Did you attempt to go through clearing?

Hey,

I'm fine thank you, you?

The unis I applied for last year was Nottingham, Brighton, Sheffield Hallam, Hertfordshire and Huddersfield. And the uni's I've been searching for maybe applying to this year once I've booked open days with them is maybe: Manchester Met, Teeside, UEA, Bournemouth, Coventry or Northumbria. As they seem quite good for physio.

And yeah I might try and do some volunteering in a local NHS hospital. But luckily earlier on this year I managed to arrange a day of work experience/ shadowing 6 of the physiotherapy departments at one of my nearby NHS hospitals such as elderly, cardiorespiratory and neurology which was a very valuable experience. And volunteer wise, I am volunteering at Headway which helps patients recovering from brain injury. And hopefully mid October I may be volunteering as a ward assistant at one of Sue Ryder's hospices. Depending on my time I might try and volunteer once a week at a nearby NHS as they do a 15 week volunteer placement, but it all depends because of my work hours.

And based on university feedback from my unsuccessful uni's they either gave me no answer or a very basic/ generic short reason as to why I didn't get an offer. Do you think it would be appropriate and okay to email them and ask why I didn't get in? As they may still have me on their records do you reckon? As that would be a great way to improve on myself from my interviews last time.

So were you in a similar position as me you mentioned when you applied for uni, after getting so close to going?

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I'm the complete copy of Poppy xD No I'm really not... I don't think I have ever snuck out, or dyed my hair or anything remotely "wild"!
I still want to look up what ULAS is though!!
The story sounds awesome!

Yeah fingers crossed I might still be able to apply to Loughborough depending on what course I want to do!

Hi Salma,
What courses are you applying for?
My parents said "You have to get your **** together when all your friends go off to uni" so I have about a week... brilliant!

Hahaha! I'm not like her either, but I have died my hair, gone a bit wild sometimes and have great friends

Me too, just wanna make sure I'm using the right thing!

Thank you, hopefully it turns out good

Ohh that's good xx

Aha well my best friend doesn't start until the 4th of October so I have a whole! At the moment it's ranging from human biology to human sciences to bicohemistry. What about you? Where and what for are you thinking of applying for?