Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Panicking about Uni

Hi everyone,

Well I'll come out with it straight away. I'm panicking about University.

I think I could make it in, I know I want to, I know the course I want to do but it's just not that simple.

I've been living in different countries for the past few years and so have switched between several academic systems, doing a qualification here, missing another one there.

The end result is I'm a scottish student who has one higher (came in and did a french one in the last 2 weeks) and am now sitting 4 Advanced Highers and a Geography Higher.

That in principle is fine, I can cope with that. The problem lies in the fact that I have just this one chance to get into uni.

Whereas my peers have a comfortable amount of highers sitting behind them and are just taking the Advanced Highers to comfort themselves or are missing one or two qualifications, this is all I have to go on.

I'm worried I will mess this up and never get into uni. If that happens then I'm sunk, I have nowhere else to go.

So what do I do guys? Are there any options?

Thanks...

Reply 1

Robert_P

It depends on what course you want to do at university. Some good universities offer foundation years

Reply 2

Roo82

I'm applying to do Law.

Reply 3

Robert_P

Did you know that law has one of the highest intakes through clearing.

Reply 4

Roo82

I didn't know that but I would prefer to be accepted first time.

Are there any particular tactics for getting in?

Reply 5

emilina

one hell of a personal statement never hurts

i knew two people at my school, both applying to the same place for the same course and had pretty much the same grade average. but one wrote a brilliant PS and the other's wasn't so great.

one got offered something like CCC and the other BBB just coz of the personal statement

Reply 6

Roo82

Got a blank piece of paper on my desk just now. No work experience and I want law because it's interesting and pays well.

Not very noble :smile:

Reply 7

emilina

Roo82

Got a blank piece of paper on my desk just now. No work experience and I want law because it's interesting and pays well.

Not very noble :smile:

but at least you're honest :smile:

lol

no work experience at all? what about a job? and any interest you have in law APART from the fact it pays well :p:

Reply 8

Roo82

Yeah I've worked a few jobs and am just signing up for the TA. I also run a business.

Well I like the idea that it reaches all areas of life but is fluid, that it can be changed and is used to reflect democracy and the will of the people.

Reply 9

emilina

say that then, you can look up personal statements online to see what kind of thing others have said and howgthey have said it etc. just dont copy them lol

Reply 10

Sophiaih

Do some work experience. I know it's last minute, but when I applied I did some in the October half-term, and when I went to interviews it was the thing that they all asked me about.

Reply 11

Robert_P

emilina

just dont copy them lol

Yeah don't copy them because ucas now has a plagiarism checker to see if you have copied some/all of your Personal statement and then they notify the universities you are applying to.

Reply 12

Roo82

I'd prefer to fail with my own work than succeed through plagiarism!

And I'll look into some work experience, time to hassle the law firms in the area...

Reply 13

peachmelba

Well although you don't have a string of Uk qualifications under your belt, you must have some interesting experiences to talk about as a result of your globe trotting.

The trick, i think, is to make these relevant to your desire to study law (which should be the bulk of your PS). Maybe a compare and contrast job: how justice works or doesn't in different countries you've live in. you could start by saying that in the UK/Scotland (depends where you are applying), people tend to take the rule of law for granted. Your experience is very different. Try and give specific examples to bring it all to life.

At the very least, you'll stand out from all the people who've spend a week filing in daddy's friend's law firm and are only in it for the money too but not honest enough to admit it.

good luck