KS5 Future Planning & University Guide
This document should be read in conjunction with the school’s Careers Policy and the Key Stage 5 Guide.
Introduction Message for Students
It might seem like a long way off, but now is a good time to start thinking about your future pathways and university choices. You have chosen your A Level and/or BTEC subjects and so you may have already figured out what subjects you enjoy (an important factor when choosing a degree) and you may even have some ideas about the career path you wish to follow. On the other hand, it is normal not to have any firm ideas yet or know where to start.
In Year 12 you will be introduced to the Key Stage 5 Careers programme which involves a number of workshops during your PSHE lessons to help you prepare for your future.
Term 1
Sixth Form Career PSHE Workshops start
Term 2
Researching University & post-18 Options
Career Guidance one to ones
Create long list of university options
Year 12 Workshops
Networking & Elevator Pitch
Post-18 Options
Deciding What & Where to Study at University
Taking a Gap Year
Researching Your Options
Enhancing Your Application
University Applications
Making the Most of Your Summer Holiday
Term 3
Shortlist university Options
Begin university applications for early applicants
AS Level exams Enrichment Days
In addition, you: can attend lunchtime seminars on applying to universities in different countries can attend career lunches where you can meet people from different industries will attend the annual Career Mixer have a compulsory one-to-one meeting with the school’s Careers Advisor (but note you can make an appointment with her at any time) can attend lunch time drop-in sessions for less complicated questions
In Year 13 you will start your university application process. If you are thinking of applying to UK universities deadlines can be as soon as October for medical based courses and Oxbridge. If you are not applying to UK universities, it is important to research key dates and deadlines for each university, as these can vary between each institution and country you wish to study in. Guidance will be provided.
Term 1
University Admission Testing / Interviews
University Applications Deadlines (UK & USA)
Term 2
University Application Deadlines (EU)
University: Getting Started & Planning Your Future
Term 3
A2 Exams
The vast majority of St George’s students attend university after school, however, if you are not considering university after school, please see the section called “University: Not For You”. If you decide you want to apply to university then it is important that you start to consider your post-school plans now. But with so many options on what to study, where should you start? Here are some factors to consider:
Subject Ideas
◊ A subject that you study now
If it is a subject that you really enjoy and are currently studying at A Level, consider whether you want to continue studying this subject at university. Will this subject keep you interested for the next few years at university, what transferable skills will you be developing and which career path(s) might it lead to? Do you feel so passionate about this subject you want to study it at an even deeper level?
◊ A subject related to a career
If you already have an idea of your career pathway, explore what qualifications you need. Do you need to study a specific degree to get a job in that field or can your options be more flexible?
◊ A completely new subject
There are many degree-level disciplines that you may not have encountered in your GCSE or A Level studies. Many of these degrees won’t require specific A level subjects so there is a huge amount of choice. If you are thinking of choosing a completely new degree course, assess the course content carefully considering what you would study each year, think about whether you would enjoy the course and what type of future pathways it may lead to.
◊ Still not sure?
It is not unusual to be unsure about your future pathway at this stage, so try not to worry! You will have workshops and one to ones with the Career Advisor to help you decide. Many students decide to choose university courses that are commonly asked for by employers. These are known as “facilitating” subjects, and include the sciences (for example, engineering), English, geography, history, mathematics, economics and languages. Doing what you enjoy most and excel in is a good idea, as these are usually the areas you’ll do best in and enjoy studying after leaving school.
Top tip: Another way to discover what you might want to do if you have no idea is; choose a city you would like to live in, find the universities in that city, go to their website and scroll through all the Bachelor (undergraduate) degrees that are offered. See what is available! There may be something you have never heard of or previously considered. Make a note of every degree that looks interesting to you.
Challenges Idea
The labour market is driven by problems to solve, not by job titles. Instead of focusing on a subject or a job title you can also consider what problems you want to solve in the world? What challenges interest you? Once you have identified a challenge or problem you want to solve (for example, waste in the fashion industry) you can research which companies or organisations are already working on this problem. Then identify the people working in these organisations. Using tools, such as LinkedIn, you can find out what qualifications the people working in these organisations or companies have. This can provide knowledge and inspiration for understanding what skills you need to develop and what qualifications or university degree (if any) would be most beneficial.
Researching Your Options
If you decide that going to university is the right path for you, there is still lots of research to do and it’s a good idea to start early! In the UK alone there are approximately 35,000 undergraduate courses to choose from. Don’t be limited by university league table – research universities and courses that suit your needs. If you are happy with your course and campus you are likely to perform much better than if you are feeling uncomfortable with your choice. Make the best decision for YOU.
1. Get Online and Start Researching
Going online is the most effective way to begin your research. You have a range of tools available to help you with your research.
Unifrog
Every student in secondary school has their own personal account and log in for Unifrog, an online careers platform which is designed to support you in making informed decisions about your future. Unifrog has a huge number of tools and provides a wide range of information related to your interests, personality and aspirations. In addition, Unifrog provides support at each stage throughout your academic journey to evidence your career development, informing and supporting your successful transition to future study and employment. It allows you to link your interests inside and outside of school to possible career paths, even if you don’t have any ideas about what you would like to do! Most importantly for Year 12s it has a university tool where at the click of a button you can discover all the degrees offered in the English language in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Australasia, Asia and Africa – the whole world! In addition, Unifrog can help you with university applications, covering letters and CVs.
Career Portal
Every student also has access to the school’s Career Portal which is specifically for St George’s students. On the Career Portal you will find information about upcoming events (both online and in person), information on how to use Unifrog, universities around the world, finance, scholarships & visas, how to get work experience, how to enhance your applications, transferable skills, gap years and more. All students should be using the Career Portal for their research.
Teams & Tutors
On the Year 12 Student Teams page you will be kept up to date about events and information. In the ‘Files’ section there are folders full of information on universities all across the world. Students should check their Teams every day for messages and become familiar with the documents in the ‘Files’. Your tutor will also be a very useful source of information and help.
2. University Events and Open Days
Keep an eye on the Events page of the Career Portal for University Fairs in Luxembourg. These can be a useful way of speaking to people from different universities in one convenient place. If you are interested in certain universities, attending an open day gives you the chance to look around the campus or city, meet staff and students, and see if you would
be happy living and studying there. Visit individual university websites to find out when there have designated open days. If you can’t visit in person, find out whether a virtual tour or online open day is available. If there is nothing available, then it is always worth contacting the university to see if it would be possible to visit privately. As a last resort you can visit the city the university is in to see if you like the city and can imagine living there for 3 or more years!
3. Get Informed - Entry Requirements
It is important that you understand the entry requirements for courses that you are interested in. If you find a degree you like you will need to check that you have the right A Level subjects and are likely to achieve the required grades. You can speak to your teachers following your mocks to get an idea of your predicted grades. Usually, your AS grades will give you a realistic indication of what you are aiming for by the end of Year 13. Do not apply to universities that are asking for grades that are beyond your expectations, you must be realistic. It is a good idea to apply to a range of universities from aspirational (if you reach those target grades), meet (fit your predicted grades), and safe (in case you don’t quite make your predicted grades) so that you have a backup option on results day. You can apply to multiple universities in multiple countries. This will form part of the Year 12 Careers PSHE workshops, and you will be given a spreadsheet to help with your research.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Note that you will have workshops as part of your Career PSHE lessons on choosing what to study and where to study which will help you deal with many of these questions.
Do application deadlines vary between different countries?
The simple answer is yes. If you have an idea of where in the world you wish to apply to, it is important that you do not miss the application deadline – these vary a great deal depending on where you want to study and even between individual universities in some countries. Therefore, planning in advance, and making sure that you have your personal statements/motivational letters and references prepared is essential, as well as ensuring you have registered for any required testing beyond A Levels (for example, a university’s own entrance exams, SATs or English language proficiency tests) in good time. If you are interested in a particular university, it is never too early to check their website or contact their admissions team to find out about application deadlines, course requirements and open days. You should be aiming to have a clear idea of interested university courses by the end of Year 12.
What type of teaching would suit your learning style best?
Large group lectures
Small group seminars
Practical hands-on workshops
Problem based learning
Peer-to-peer learning/groups projects
Individual tutorials
Independent reading and research between lectures
Number of contact hours per week
How is the course assessed?
Make sure you check how a course is assessed as this will vary between universities. Some courses will be more exams driven, some will have large research projects (often called a dissertation), others will rely more heavily on essays, projects, coursework, presentations or portfolios. Think about how you perform best, and which assessment style gives you the greatest chance of success.
What is your budget?
How will you finance your tuition fees? Fees vary a great deal between different countries and universities.
How much money will you need to live on for socialising, food, travel, sports activities, gym memberships, etc?
Do you plan to save money before you go to university to support yourself?
Will you look to earn money whilst at university? Can you balance your workload?
Have you calculated the average cost of living in the place that you are likely to study? Unifrog is a great resource providing information about cost of living in different cities/countries.
Have you researched scholarship opportunities for university funding?
University: Not For You?
You may decide that university is not the right route for you. Below are the typical alternative options for school leavers.
Gap Year
A gap year is a good idea for some students and there are many reasons and things you can do during a gap year. A gap year is literally time and space. It is time out between structured career activities e.g. between school and an apprenticeship, university, or a job. It can happen between university and a job, or even between a job and another job. There are no hard and fast rules about what a gap year is or how to have one – what you do with it is up to you. However, it is important to note that taking a gap year doesn’t mean you do nothing now! Both universities and employers will want to see evidence of a year well-spent, so if you spend a year with no meaningful activity this will not be beneficial. This means a gap year must have a meaningful purpose and be planned. As with applying for university, if you decide to take a gap year it requires thought, research and organising, as well as submitting applications. As part of the Career PSHE workshops and lunchtime drop ins we will spend time discussing gap year opportunities. We will analyse the potential benefits and risks of taking a gap year, as well as consider the different activities you can do on a gap year (you do not have to do just one thing).
Example ideas for a gap year:
Travel
Learning more about yourself
Applying to university (instead of doing it at the same time as A Levels)
Exploring opportunities
Building your network
Testing ideas & time to gain clarity on what you want to do next
Developing skills
Voluntary work
Undertaking a passion project
Paid work to earn some money before university
Internship or work experience to help boost your CV
Trying something new
A pause and break from studying and learning
If you want to take a gap year, here are some factors to consider:
Goals: What do you want out of it/what will you do with it? What is your main purpose?
Timings: When will you take it and how long will it last? If applying to university make sure you are not travelling at key dates.
How: How will you fund it? How much do you need? How will you make this happen?
Applications: What are the deadlines and requirements for any applications? For example, if you are applying for a gap year activity with an organisation, internship or other opportunities. What comes after the gap year and what do you need to do to prepare for that now and in the gap year?
For more information on gap years see Unifrog and the Career Portal.
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeships have become increasingly more popular. There are a wide range of different and diverse roles you can pursue through an apprenticeship, be that in engineering, health and social care, business or even science and law. The benefits of an apprenticeship are that you:
Earn while you learn
High quality training
You can still get a degree
Gain hands on experience in your chosen career and much more!
The downside of apprenticeships is that they require language skills depending on the country. Germany, for example, has a strong apprenticeship culture, but typically they will be in German. Unlike university degrees where you can probably find a degree in English in any country, apprenticeships are often in the local language.
To find out more about apprenticeships in the EU and the UK please visit the Career Portal.
Paid Work
You may be ready to go straight into paid employment after school. This will require you researching suitable job opportunities to fit your qualifications, drafting a CV and cover letter/email and preparing for interviews. Many of these skills you would have been introduced to during your Career PSHE lessons in Key Stage 3 and 4.
Making Your Application Stand Out From The Crowd
Whether you are applying to university or any other pathway you choose, you are likely to be asked for more than just your academic achievements. In addition to good grades, the most effective way to demonstrate your commitment to learning and passion for your subject is to show that you have worked consistently and independently outside of the classroom and beyond your A level and BTEC curriculum, and that you have genuine interest in your chosen subject, apprenticeship or career path. Universities and employers often ask for personal statements, letters of motivation or CVs. To make your application stand out, here are some super and extra-curricular ideas to enhance an application:
1. Super Curriculum
“Super-curriculum” refers to educational activities you do outside the classroom that take you beyond your school learning, giving you greater knowledge or experience within your area of interest. When applying to universities or apprenticeships, students who have completed a range of relevant supercurricular activities are more likely to receive offers or be asked to attend interviews. Super curricular activities help you to develop new ideas and opinions, use critical thinking and analytical skills, and they also develop your ability to understand new information from different sources – this is all great preparation for succeeding at university.
Whenever you undertake a super curricular activity, you should keep a record of it. Think about the impact it had on you, how it has developed your thinking or knowledge, any skills you developed, or how it inspired you and ignited a passion for the subject matter. You can keep track of all of this using the Activities Tracker in Unifrog – it’s a lot easier to write a personal statement or motivational letter if the resources you want to reference are right at your fingertips.
Top 10 Super Curriculum Ideas:
1. Wider Reading - the most important and valuable super curricular activity is wider reading. It helps you to explore your subject beyond the classroom and helps you to develop a deeper understanding of your chosen area of study. Wider reading can include books, specialist magazines, journals or newspapers. You can get subject-specific ideas about what to read by checking out the reading lists and resources from university courses in your chosen subject. When you do wider reading around your subject try to think critically about the arguments, assumptions and evidence provided by the author. You may also want to reflect on how it has helped you build upon your classroom learning, what you did or didn’t agree with. Reading quality news sources can be a useful way to encounter stories relevant to your academic interests and, more generally, to practise assessing arguments and weighing evidence. Check reputable news sources. You can get more ideas on where to find wider reading in the “Super Curriculum” page on the Career Portal and the “Read Watch Listen” section in the “Exploring” section in Unifrog.
2. MOOCs - short for Massive Open Online Courses and they are mostly free. The range of online courses available is huge, from those that may be related to the subjects you are studying or ones that help to develop your soft skills. You can find MOOCs directly on their website or on Unifrog (see “MOOC” in the “Exploring” section). On the Career Portal you can also find other organisations offering short courses such as Springpod, Coursera and FutureLearn.
3. Podcasts - Not everything has to be read! Catching up with podcasts and recorded lectures is an accessible way to dig deep and get an introduction to new ideas and the great thing is
you can listen anywhere – why not utilise your school bus journey or listen while you workout – multi-tasking at its best! For some suggestions of podcasts see the “Super Curriculum” page on the Career Portal and the “Read Watch Listen” section in the “Exploring” section in Unifrog.
4. TED Talks & Lectures - TED is a global community established in 1984 as a conference for Technology, Entertainment and Design – it has now developed to cover almost any topic from science or business to global issues. Ted-Ed offers high-quality, interactive, video-based lessons. For other lecture recommendations see the “Super Curriculum” page on the Career Portal and the “Read Watch Listen” section in the “Exploring” section in Unifrog.
5. Films & Documentaries - Films and documentaries are a great way to access a wider understanding of a subject. They are a powerful way of presenting multiple perspectives in engaging and emotive ways. Films and documentaries enable you to gain a better understanding of, and empathise with, the life experiences of individuals and communities far removed from your day-to-day reality. See here for Top Documentary Films.
6. Competitions - It is a great idea to enter a competition in an area that you enjoy or in a subject you are interested in. There are competitions for every subject at all levels. Usually this will be in the form of an essay competition for arts and humanities, but there will be design competitions, creative competitions and for maths or the sciences typically pure skill against the clock competitions. It really doesn’t matter whether or not you win, it’s about what you have learnt. Speak to your teachers for more information on current local and national competitions. If you win or are placed this is excellent, but even if you don’t it demonstrates commitment, interest, drive and immediately differentiates you from others.
7. Debating - Debating provides a unique and stimulating platform for honing essential skills that are highly valued in the workplace. By debating real-world issues, you are introduced to key controversies at the top of the public agenda, and you will go beyond the media headlines and delve deeper into the biggest issues confronting society. Debating is an effective way to build self-confidence, especially in public speaking and expressing your opinions. Debate Club is one of the after-school clubs offered at St George’s but you may also use debating skills in other academic subjects and in extracurricular activities such as Student Parliament.
8. Volunteering - Volunteering is a great way to show a passion for social justice or area of interest and can be easier to come by in Luxembourg than paid work. Volunteering may give you experience of workplaces and enable you to gain a range of transferable employability skills whilst giving back to the community and helping those most in need. You may want to volunteer for a cause that’s close to your heart or one that is linked to your future career aspirations. See the “Work Experience & Voluntary Work” page on the Career Portal for some suggestions of where you can volunteer in Luxembourg.
9. Work Experience - Work experience provides you with the opportunity to experience working in the real world, test out your possible career choices, or try something new. It’s
great for learning and developing workplace skills, understanding how organisations operate as well as helping you to understand your strengths outside of school. Some university courses (particularly degrees in healthcare) expect that you will have completed some form of workrelated experience, and it can be an entry requirement to the more competitive courses. Work experience and paid work is not easy to come by for teenagers in Luxembourg so the best is to use your network, attend the Career Mixer and see the “Work Experience & Voluntary Work” page on the Career Portal for some suggestions and guidance.
10. Visits - Trips and visits will provide you with an opportunity to explore your subject in more depth and learn about new places, cultures, and ideas outside the classroom which will provide you with a more comprehensive understanding of your subject matter. Your teachers will keep you updated on opportunities for visits to organisations linked to your A Level subjects, but you may also want to think about visits to theatre, museums, galleries, sites of historic or scientific interest, along with companies or organisations who operate in the field of work that you hope to specialise in later.
2. Extra Curriculum
Extracurricular refers to any activity that is not part of your school or academic studies. These are activities that students participate in outside of class, such as activities in the arts, sport, personal commitments and so on. Typically, extra-curricular activities involve clubs and hobbies. Talking about your other interests or hobbies helps inject some personality into your personal statement. Whilst typically clubs and hobbies may not be linked to what you are applying to, they can still be useful to demonstrate your strengths and skills, as well as how you manage your time, organisational skills and endeavour to have a work life balance. All important to demonstrate readiness to study at university. Examples include sport clubs, musical instruments, drama & theatre clubs, student parliament, merite jeunesse, any other hobbies you do (cooking, photography) or clubs you belong to.
Writing Your Personal Statement
Most universities will ask for a personal statement or motivational letter in one form or another. For most of you, this will be the first time that you have had to write reflectively about yourself. Taking a positive approach, and leaving enough time to do a good job, really can make your personal statement stand out.
Students in Year 12 have a Personal Statement/Motivational Letter workshop as part of the Careers PSHE Curriculum, time in your career lessons for supervised drafting, as well as advice and guidance from form tutors. The summer holidays are the perfect time to begin writing your personal statement or motivational letter so it can be perfected at the beginning of Year 13. More time spent on your personal statement over the summer means that you have less to worry about at the start of Year 13 when applying to universities, so you can focus your time on examination preparation. Unifrog has resources to help you draft your personal statement or motivational letter, including example personal statements for many different subjects, and a step by step tool to help you with drafting. Visit the “Know-how Library” on Unifrog for guidance and sample statements, and in the “Materials” section on Unifrog you will find tools to help you write your Personal Statement, CV, Cover Letters and Common App Essays.
To get started, think about the following things
Think about what would make your statement interesting, and what would make yours stand out in a positive way.
Remember why you chose the course that you wish to study: consider why you are excited about the course that you are applying for, what you have learned about the subject that inspires you to take it at university level and what course modules particularly interest you.
Consider whether there has been anything in the news recently about the course you’re applying for.
What skills do you have that will help you on the course?
Think about general skills you could use on the course, such as leadership, communication, collaboration, independent study and time management. But also check each individual course webpage carefully for clues on the relevant skills the university you are applying to wants to see in a student. Make sure you mention these, with examples, in your application.
Mention super curricular or other extra-curricular activities as supporting evidence, to show why you would make a great candidate for the course.
Consider any role that you have taken at school, including student parliament or student leadership
Where to Get Help
Unifrog
On Unifrog you can find degree courses all over the world that are taught in English – this is a great way to start discovering which universities and courses you want on your short list. As well as this, there is a “Know-how library” with videos and information regarding different application processes around the world and how applications can vary between countries. If you are considering applying to the US, Unifrog has a useful section about the Common App process and what is expected from students that are applying to the United States. Unifrog also contains information about studying in various countries such as the Netherlands, France, Germany and Spain. Once you’re ready to start drafting an application you can use Unifrog’s “Materials” section to help you with drafting your applications.
Career Portal
The Career Portal is a website only for St George’s students and parents. It has a whole host of information from how to use Unifrog, Upcoming Events, Universities, Super Curriculum, Finance, Scholarships & Visas, Work Experience, Voluntary Work and more.
Teams
There is a Year 12 Student Teams page which you should check every day. On the Teams page you will be informed about upcoming events and any relevant information and news articles on universities and different careers. In the Files section there are files specifically for your year of university entry on every country. You should become familiar with the information provided in the Files.
Tutors & Teachers
Your first port of call should always be your Tutor. They will be the ones who can help answer any initial questions or point you in the right direction. Your subject teachers will also be able to help you with questions around the subject and may be able to give an insight as to studying their subject at university. In addition, the Director and Deputy Director of Key Stage 5 are there to help with applications and information. The school also has an in-house Careers Advisor who will be running the Career PSHE workshops and is available at any time in school hours for one to one meetings.
YEAR 13
Year 12 flies by and before you know it you will be in Year 13! Students are expected to come back to school in Year 13 with a short list of universities they want to apply to and have started working on their applications. In Year 13 you will have dedicated tutor time and time in the timetable to help you with your university applications. This will include enrolment onto the UCAS system for students wishing to apply to UK institutions, researching key dates and deadlines, contacting universities, as well finalising personal statements and CVs. Students in Year 13 can attend lunchtime seminars and make appointments with the Director and Deputy Director of Key Stage 5 and the Career Advisor for additional help.
