Is anyone planning to go Bangor or Keele University next year?

Wow your course sounds amazing i really like your modules, i am very much into all of the modules you have mentioned. Did you join many societies at reading?
Yes of course i would be interested it sounds absolutely amazing. Things like that interest me so much, the scotland trip sounds very good. Its so great how you have had all ofthese oppurtunities i wish i could do those!

Technically yes but I didn't really go as because I'm a science student I don't have as much times as the arts students. So I joined the golf club but could rarely go to events because they always ran at times when I couldn't go. Note, CWAC took priority. Also a lot of the clubs have drinking socials. I hate loud, packed areas because I do have social anxiety so I'd get a panic attack along with increased giddiness (I believe I have Chronic Subjective Dizziness), I once had a panic attack in a restaurant! Also I don't drink, because either half a pint of cider or one G&T and I've got a headache and a head that's doing cartwheels. I wish there was a walking society as all I want to do is go for walks in The Chilterns and have pub lunches. I did join canoeing/kayaking however it turns out I hate river kayaking and that's what they do. I did sea kayaking whilst at camp this year and enjoyed it a lot more.
I was president of the bird club last year though. Which was fun, we managed to get a telescope and went out bird watching and someone brought in their pet hawk.
I've decided for SCUBA diving that I'll pick it up again once I've graduated though I'm going to see if I can do some dives in The Azores next year when I'm on placement there as the company I'm going with does whale-watching, swim with wild dolphins (responsibly! As in, get in water and float. But plenty of time is spent beforehand assessing if the animals are happy. For example you wouldn't go in the water if there was a calf unless the mother was really comfortable - she may let the calf approach the boat if she's happy), swim with sharks (Responsible again - no chum! And it's blue and mako sharks) and Manta rays and SCUBA diving as well as some other things.
Because of all the coursework and revision I didn't really have time last year as I had CWAC and I was trying to sort out my placements - which took up a lot longer than expected! When I get stressed I can't focus on much.

Scotland was incredible! I was on the Isle of Mull, which is a wildlife hotspot - I saw 4 hen harriers in 2 weeks! You will see white-tailed sea eagles and it's close to Lunga, an island that's special because you can get within 1-2 of puffins! I decided to do this placement instead of field trips (it did mean I had more exams than my coursemates but I managed it fine!). As the field trips cost £300-£600 for a week! So definitely consider doing a placement instead of a field trip when it comes to money. The hostel was £16 a night, the train was about £170 including return, that's with a Railcard and for you it'd be cheaper as you're closer (just checked - it would cost you £22 each way! That's if you purchased 2 singles and is without a railcard. This is off-peak, as I can't look further than January.). Plus food costs, my 2 week placement cost the same as a 1 week uni field cost. For SLS you just have to help get the boat ready, and clean her up at the end of day i.e. sweeping, stock-check and sorting out the heads. Go out on the boat every day unless the weather is awful, spot and ID wildlife, prepare drinks for guests (on a moving boat) and answer questions when asked. It gives plenty of time for observation of the guides so you can see if you'd like their job. SLS is a lovely relaxed, small company and you will eat a lot of cake! If you want to see basking sharks, August is your best bet as I volunteered at the start of July, when they're supposed to arrive - they didn't show up until I'd left! Minkes are more common when the basking sharks aren't around. Dolphins and porpoise are always there. John Coe is hit and miss though the Hebrides are the John Coe Pod's preferred hunting ground! John Coe in a pretty well-known bull orca. His pod consists of 8 orca and they're very unique (East Atlantic Type 2 they're the most endangered orca on the planet.). John Coe is the animal every wildlife guide in the UK would love to see.

The Hebredian Whale and Dolphin Trust do offer 6 month internships though they're more office-based. Again, SLS was life-changing for me as it showed me another career I'd never considered and I'm grateful for the opportunity. The irony being is that I applied because I was getting very desperate for a placement, wanted something to do with marine life and wanted to see a whale. I'd never seen a whale until last year and now I've seen a lot! I've seen minke whales, humpback whales, gray whales, Dall's porpoise, common dolphin, bottlenose, pilot whales, striped dolphins, Pacific white-sided dolphins, orca, harbour porpoise, fin whale and a blue whale (Just to given you an idea of what you can see if you do placements like this!)! The blue whale was an 18m animal, so 'small' one and I nearly cried. Blue whales are stunning in person - no photo can do their beautiful colouration justice, you can only sit and stare and wonder 'how could we have hunted that?' I've nearly cried on seeing dolphins before. They make me so happy. The trick to getting these placements is getting excited by every bit of marine life - I love jellyfish, limpets even kelp. Because everyone loves cetaceans and sharks you've got to stand out. At the camp I talked about kelp and jellyfish as well as orca, etc because I used my position to educate people on topics that are usually missed e.g. my kelp talk involved kelp biology and its ecological importance and connections to the sea otter trade.

Again the bird life was spectacular in Scotland! Hundred of shearwaters, diving gannets and so many auks! Pelagic birds are incredible, the sooty shearwater migrates nearly 40,000 miles every year. This makes it the longest migration in the world. Pelagic birds spend so much of their lives at sea and live so long they are truly amazing. Before SLS last year I wasn't too much into birds, but when I went out with SLS everyday I found that birds are awesome, especially pelagics. I found that bird-watching is enjoyable. I hadn't been bird-watching in years so I guess I forgotten my love for birds - I used to go to a bird club at Primary School.

I've attached my cover letters. The SLS one was used last year. The 'Dear John' was used this year for the whale-watch camp.

I have applied for Lancaster, Loughborough, Brunel, Keele and Edge Hill. Lancaster and Loughborough are my favoutites. I didn't like Keele as much as I thought I would, but I am applying anyway as i still like it to some degree and the course is fantastic. I think i just hated the accommodation and the facilities weren't as good as some of the other places I looked at. But the course and green campus were fantastic, and the people seemed really friendly.

I had the same perception as you. The course seemed amazing but the accomodation, nearby town and facilities were slightly off putting. The people were definitely very friendly. Good look getting into your chosen universitys though!

Yeah I think the accommodation is slightly overpriced for what it is. Like I can live at Edge Hill in a brand new en suite room which only got built in the last 5 years for like £95 a week or I can live in Hawthornes at Keele for near enough the same money sharing a bathroom in dire 30 year old accommodation. But Keele is a better university than Edge Hill for my course and I really did like the dual honours focus of the university and the fact that the class sizes are pretty small so its a bit of a tough one.

It is very tough, i like the uni too but as you said its pricey. What other universities have you looked at? Do you have a chosen place yet?

Well I love Lancaster so so much but its AAB and my predicted grades are A*BC so i may not get in, although i have the A* prediction in business which is what i plan to do my degree in. Lancaster is gorgeous, lovely accommodation and amazing graduate prospects. Loughborough is kind of the same story because its AAB but I prefer Lancaster. Loughborough's buildings are a bit older. Brunel is AAB-BBB and they're pretty flexible and the admissions tutor said my grades are completely fine at the open day. I really loved Brunel, its close to my house and for London, its pretty affordable as everyone there was very nice and friendly. Edge Hill was all brand new, and if I get an offer I will definitely have it as insurance, but its ranked like 70 for my course which isnt great. Its BBC for that one. I am praying for an offer from Lancaster but I doubt it'll happen. So Brunel and Keele are looking likely.

Write a good personal statement and yoj never know what could happen! I hope you get into Lancaster!
You have some good backups if not, im unsure where to apply. What do you wish to study?

Write a good personal statement and yoj never know what could happen! I hope you get into Lancaster!
You have some good backups if not, im unsure where to apply. What do you wish to study?

Where have you applied for so far? And what do you want to study? If you're unsure I could recommend some places?

That's great good luck! I am studying biology. I have a few in mind but still unsure.

Look at Brunel, its around the same entry requirements as Keele I'm sure, its in London but its on the outskirts and its right next to Keele in the league tables for biology. Apart from that, Liverpool, Nottingham Trent and Hull all have good reputations. Liverpool is even a Russell Group, pretty much all their courses for non Medicine courses are like ABB-AAB.

Im unsure if i want to go to London, but as for Nottingham Trent, i like Nottingham alot, i am definitely choosing it as an option. So you heard it was good there? How do you mean?