What can I do in Year 12 to help with my options?
Hello!
If you're in year 12/first year of college and you're not sure what you want to do once you've finished studying, you're not alone. The number of options can feel overwhelming, such as going to university, starting an apprenticeship, going to work, taking a gap year, and more!
However, check out the replies to this thread for our ambassadors' best advice for what you can do in year 12 to put yourself in a strong position for making choices about your future, whether this is expanding your CV, networking, or experiences to put on your personal statement.
If you have any questions, pop them below!
- Izzie (Global Recruitment Team UK)
If you're in year 12/first year of college and you're not sure what you want to do once you've finished studying, you're not alone. The number of options can feel overwhelming, such as going to university, starting an apprenticeship, going to work, taking a gap year, and more!
However, check out the replies to this thread for our ambassadors' best advice for what you can do in year 12 to put yourself in a strong position for making choices about your future, whether this is expanding your CV, networking, or experiences to put on your personal statement.
If you have any questions, pop them below!
- Izzie (Global Recruitment Team UK)
Hello!
I am a second-year BSc Ecology and Wildlife Conservation student at the University of Reading, and I am interested in educational outreach.
In year 12, I focused on activities I enjoyed, such as equestrians, snowboarding, stem clubs and debate groups. These all led to me having experience subtle for my applications. I also had a part-time job and volunteered at a local church group.
When writing your statement, it is difficult to fit lots into it, as you have a limited word count. Therefore, it is great to prioritise the hobbies you love to do. The future learning courses sound really interesting and will be good to include in your personal statement. If you can do any online seminars that aquariums or the Marine Association put on, these would be good to include, as with any school clubs you have done over the years. Activities like participating in competitions or singing in the choir are all great things to do. But overall, you will only need a few things, so don't worry about quantity; focus on the quality of your activities. I will list a few ideas below which you could do, but make sure you don't do all of them; maybe find 2 or 3 things you enjoy.
If you are looking for experiences to strengthen your UCAS application, then I highly recommend some of these activities:
I suggest you do what makes you most happy, as everyone is different and something great for one person, like a part-time job, will not be great for another person.
I have some more tips on personal statements in my blog here.
If you have any questions, please let us know by replying to this thread.
All the best,
Ella
BSc eCology
I am a second-year BSc Ecology and Wildlife Conservation student at the University of Reading, and I am interested in educational outreach.
In year 12, I focused on activities I enjoyed, such as equestrians, snowboarding, stem clubs and debate groups. These all led to me having experience subtle for my applications. I also had a part-time job and volunteered at a local church group.
When writing your statement, it is difficult to fit lots into it, as you have a limited word count. Therefore, it is great to prioritise the hobbies you love to do. The future learning courses sound really interesting and will be good to include in your personal statement. If you can do any online seminars that aquariums or the Marine Association put on, these would be good to include, as with any school clubs you have done over the years. Activities like participating in competitions or singing in the choir are all great things to do. But overall, you will only need a few things, so don't worry about quantity; focus on the quality of your activities. I will list a few ideas below which you could do, but make sure you don't do all of them; maybe find 2 or 3 things you enjoy.
If you are looking for experiences to strengthen your UCAS application, then I highly recommend some of these activities:
•
Online seminars and conferences, e.g. Class central
•
Futurelearn classes
•
Joining a geography or science-related school club
•
Choir
•
Volunteering, e.g., litter picking, charity shops, libraries, and local pet shelters.
•
sports club
•
work experience
•
part-time jobs
•
student council roles
•
Awards such as compositions
I suggest you do what makes you most happy, as everyone is different and something great for one person, like a part-time job, will not be great for another person.
I have some more tips on personal statements in my blog here.
If you have any questions, please let us know by replying to this thread.
All the best,
Ella
BSc eCology
Original post by UniofReading
Hello!
If you're in year 12/first year of college and you're not sure what you want to do once you've finished studying, you're not alone. The number of options can feel overwhelming, such as going to university, starting an apprenticeship, going to work, taking a gap year, and more!
However, check out the replies to this thread for our ambassadors' best advice for what you can do in year 12 to put yourself in a strong position for making choices about your future, whether this is expanding your CV, networking, or experiences to put on your personal statement.
If you have any questions, pop them below!
- Izzie (Global Recruitment Team UK)
If you're in year 12/first year of college and you're not sure what you want to do once you've finished studying, you're not alone. The number of options can feel overwhelming, such as going to university, starting an apprenticeship, going to work, taking a gap year, and more!
However, check out the replies to this thread for our ambassadors' best advice for what you can do in year 12 to put yourself in a strong position for making choices about your future, whether this is expanding your CV, networking, or experiences to put on your personal statement.
If you have any questions, pop them below!
- Izzie (Global Recruitment Team UK)
Hi everyone,
I am now in the last year of my time at university and have absolutely loved it, but I remember feeling very unsure of the right steps to take when I was in sixth form. It can be hard to know what the best thing to do is for you, and thinking so far ahead when you are in year 12 is not always the easiest thing to do.
I felt very uncertain about what career I wanted to pursue in year 12 so I ended up doing lots of 'what career should I do?' quizzes online! This gave me some ideas, but the best thing I did was to utilise my careers service at school. They were able to point me in the right direction of how to build up relevant skills and experiences to be able to apply to the areas I was interested in.
In terms of experiences and CV building, doing what you love is always the way to go. It is possible to make extra-curriculars sound very relevant to any course you are applying to. For example, being a part of a sports team gives you strong interpersonal skills, resilience etc. Being in drama productions shows your ability to communicate, work well with others and shows you are confident talking in front of people. Think about how you can frame the activities you enjoy in a way that highlights your skills.
I would also suggest getting work experience in some form, so either a part-time job or even one-off volunteering. It is great if this is relevant to your desired career, but if not then it at least shows your reliability and commitment to pursuing your passion. I found that volunteering with any group of people really boosted my healthcare application.
The final thing which really helped me out was leadership roles. In school I took on several roles of responsibility such as house captain in order to show I was organised and able to lead and work with others well. Even if this is a small role, it shows initiative and the ability to be responsible.
I have a blog which you can read here which offers some more guidance on some of the best things to help with your next step transitions.
If you have any questions, please feel free to just pop them on this thread.
Hattie😊
4MSci Speech and Language Therapy
Original post by UniofReading
Hello!
If you're in year 12/first year of college and you're not sure what you want to do once you've finished studying, you're not alone. The number of options can feel overwhelming, such as going to university, starting an apprenticeship, going to work, taking a gap year, and more!
However, check out the replies to this thread for our ambassadors' best advice for what you can do in year 12 to put yourself in a strong position for making choices about your future, whether this is expanding your CV, networking, or experiences to put on your personal statement.
If you have any questions, pop them below!
- Izzie (Global Recruitment Team UK)
If you're in year 12/first year of college and you're not sure what you want to do once you've finished studying, you're not alone. The number of options can feel overwhelming, such as going to university, starting an apprenticeship, going to work, taking a gap year, and more!
However, check out the replies to this thread for our ambassadors' best advice for what you can do in year 12 to put yourself in a strong position for making choices about your future, whether this is expanding your CV, networking, or experiences to put on your personal statement.
If you have any questions, pop them below!
- Izzie (Global Recruitment Team UK)
Hi everyone!
Im Millie, a second year BSc International Development student here at Reading. When I was in year 12, I had no idea what direction to take due to the range of different choices available such as university, apprenticeships or a gap year! If you're in the same boat, don't worry-it is totally normal! My biggest piece of advice would be to explore your interests early. This may be through volunteering, part-time jobs or work experience, which can really help you to identify what you do or don't like! It also gives you the opportunity to strengthen your CV or personal statement and give you a competitive edge when applying for university or jobs!
When writing your personal statement it can feel daunting, but I kept the following in mind which really helped me feel confident that I had a strong personal statement when applying to university:
1)Show passion and talk about why you are truly interested in the course and how it aligns with your goals. I aimed to be specific about my inspiration and experiences. You can show how your current studies have prepared you for the course and specific examples or experiences which sparked your interest.
2)Show academic relevance when applying to the course. Highlight how your A-Levels (or equivalent) have prepared you and explain why you're ready to take the next step in this field.
3)Mention any work experience, volunteering or extracurriculars that relate to why you think this course is a good match for you. This is an opportunity to show your committed to what you want to study and that you are passionate.
4)Don't forget to mention your future aspirations! Explain how the course fits into your long-term career plans. This can be as specific or broad as you like, it just shows that you are thinking ahead.
I would also suggest keeping the personal statement clear, engaging and authentic and make sure to show your personality! These are steps that I took to creating a great statement! 🙂
Throughout your time in year 12 and 13, I would also suggest trying to reflect what excites you both academically and personally when choosing your next steps! It is important to try new things out as you will gain valuable skills along the way! Whether it is trying out a new activity, attending open days or speaking to current students, it all helps you to make informed decisions and build your confidence.
Ultimately, enjoy the process, try new things and don't put too much pressure on yourself- it is all part of the journey! 🙂 If you have any more questions, then feel free to reach out!
Best of luck with your next steps!
Millie 🙂
BSc International Development
Original post by UniofReading
Hi everyone,
I am now in the last year of my time at university and have absolutely loved it, but I remember feeling very unsure of the right steps to take when I was in sixth form. It can be hard to know what the best thing to do is for you, and thinking so far ahead when you are in year 12 is not always the easiest thing to do.
I felt very uncertain about what career I wanted to pursue in year 12 so I ended up doing lots of 'what career should I do?' quizzes online! This gave me some ideas, but the best thing I did was to utilise my careers service at school. They were able to point me in the right direction of how to build up relevant skills and experiences to be able to apply to the areas I was interested in.
In terms of experiences and CV building, doing what you love is always the way to go. It is possible to make extra-curriculars sound very relevant to any course you are applying to. For example, being a part of a sports team gives you strong interpersonal skills, resilience etc. Being in drama productions shows your ability to communicate, work well with others and shows you are confident talking in front of people. Think about how you can frame the activities you enjoy in a way that highlights your skills.
I would also suggest getting work experience in some form, so either a part-time job or even one-off volunteering. It is great if this is relevant to your desired career, but if not then it at least shows your reliability and commitment to pursuing your passion. I found that volunteering with any group of people really boosted my healthcare application.
The final thing which really helped me out was leadership roles. In school I took on several roles of responsibility such as house captain in order to show I was organised and able to lead and work with others well. Even if this is a small role, it shows initiative and the ability to be responsible.
I have a blog which you can read here which offers some more guidance on some of the best things to help with your next step transitions.
If you have any questions, please feel free to just pop them on this thread.
Hattie😊
4MSci Speech and Language Therapy
I am now in the last year of my time at university and have absolutely loved it, but I remember feeling very unsure of the right steps to take when I was in sixth form. It can be hard to know what the best thing to do is for you, and thinking so far ahead when you are in year 12 is not always the easiest thing to do.
I felt very uncertain about what career I wanted to pursue in year 12 so I ended up doing lots of 'what career should I do?' quizzes online! This gave me some ideas, but the best thing I did was to utilise my careers service at school. They were able to point me in the right direction of how to build up relevant skills and experiences to be able to apply to the areas I was interested in.
In terms of experiences and CV building, doing what you love is always the way to go. It is possible to make extra-curriculars sound very relevant to any course you are applying to. For example, being a part of a sports team gives you strong interpersonal skills, resilience etc. Being in drama productions shows your ability to communicate, work well with others and shows you are confident talking in front of people. Think about how you can frame the activities you enjoy in a way that highlights your skills.
I would also suggest getting work experience in some form, so either a part-time job or even one-off volunteering. It is great if this is relevant to your desired career, but if not then it at least shows your reliability and commitment to pursuing your passion. I found that volunteering with any group of people really boosted my healthcare application.
The final thing which really helped me out was leadership roles. In school I took on several roles of responsibility such as house captain in order to show I was organised and able to lead and work with others well. Even if this is a small role, it shows initiative and the ability to be responsible.
I have a blog which you can read here which offers some more guidance on some of the best things to help with your next step transitions.
If you have any questions, please feel free to just pop them on this thread.
Hattie😊
4MSci Speech and Language Therapy
im going to try and organise some work experience for 5 days throughout the October half term in a library so that will be good. i also have two weeks off instead of one week since my school works a bit differently. what's it like at reading university?
Original post by BigFriendlyKid
im going to try and organise some work experience for 5 days throughout the October half term in a library so that will be good. i also have two weeks off instead of one week since my school works a bit differently. what's it like at reading university?
Good evening @BigFriendlyKid,
It's great to hear you are going to work at the Library; this will be a great help for the library and a great experience for you.
I hope you have an amazing two weeks off and have a nice break from school.
The University of Reading has two semesters per academic year (from September to June). Throughout the year, students must earn 120 credits. Each module is worth 20 credits, so you must complete six modules in total. Ideally, there will be 3 modules per semester, but the modules don't always work out like this. It depends on when the optional modules are taught.
Also, during the sixth week of the 1st semester, there is a 1 week "Reading week", which is dedicated to students being able to work on any assignments or work they have not finished. The university does not have half terms. There is a Christmas break at the end of semester 1, followed by a three-week exam period. Once the exams are complete, the 2nd semester begins. Then, 6 weeks into the 2nd semester, there is another "Reading week" followed by another 6 weeks and then the summer exam period. During April, there is a 2-week break for students.
On the university webpage there is a helpful page explaining the Univerity year layout for you, you can access this here.
If you have any more questions, please let us know.
All the best,
Ella 😀
BSc Ecology
Original post by UniofReading
Good evening @BigFriendlyKid,
It's great to hear you are going to work at the Library; this will be a great help for the library and a great experience for you.
I hope you have an amazing two weeks off and have a nice break from school.
The University of Reading has two semesters per academic year (from September to June). Throughout the year, students must earn 120 credits. Each module is worth 20 credits, so you must complete six modules in total. Ideally, there will be 3 modules per semester, but the modules don't always work out like this. It depends on when the optional modules are taught.
Also, during the sixth week of the 1st semester, there is a 1 week "Reading week", which is dedicated to students being able to work on any assignments or work they have not finished. The university does not have half terms. There is a Christmas break at the end of semester 1, followed by a three-week exam period. Once the exams are complete, the 2nd semester begins. Then, 6 weeks into the 2nd semester, there is another "Reading week" followed by another 6 weeks and then the summer exam period. During April, there is a 2-week break for students.
On the university webpage there is a helpful page explaining the Univerity year layout for you, you can access this here.
If you have any more questions, please let us know.
All the best,
Ella 😀
BSc Ecology
It's great to hear you are going to work at the Library; this will be a great help for the library and a great experience for you.
I hope you have an amazing two weeks off and have a nice break from school.
The University of Reading has two semesters per academic year (from September to June). Throughout the year, students must earn 120 credits. Each module is worth 20 credits, so you must complete six modules in total. Ideally, there will be 3 modules per semester, but the modules don't always work out like this. It depends on when the optional modules are taught.
Also, during the sixth week of the 1st semester, there is a 1 week "Reading week", which is dedicated to students being able to work on any assignments or work they have not finished. The university does not have half terms. There is a Christmas break at the end of semester 1, followed by a three-week exam period. Once the exams are complete, the 2nd semester begins. Then, 6 weeks into the 2nd semester, there is another "Reading week" followed by another 6 weeks and then the summer exam period. During April, there is a 2-week break for students.
On the university webpage there is a helpful page explaining the Univerity year layout for you, you can access this here.
If you have any more questions, please let us know.
All the best,
Ella 😀
BSc Ecology
thanks for answering my question. i want to study criminology, do they offer a placement year just for that subject? i know they do for the sociology and criminology degree but i dont know if they do for criminology.
Original post by BigFriendlyKid
thanks for answering my question. i want to study criminology, do they offer a placement year just for that subject? i know they do for the sociology and criminology degree but i dont know if they do for criminology.
Hi @BigFriendlyKid
I hope you're doing well!
It's great to hear that you're interested in criminology, it sounds so interesting!
I'm unfortunately not too sure about a placement year just for criminology and whether this is currently available or not. I would recommend using the ask a question forum here and then someone with a little more insight than me can hopefully give you your answer!
If you have any more questions about anything Reading or university related, just let us know.
Hattie😊
4MSci Speech and Language Therapy
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