PLANNING THE FUTURE

Now we are in Year 11, we could attend the Futures Convention for the first time this year.

We were a little overwhelmed at first as there were loads of people there, both other pupils and exhibitors on stands, but we quickly got into our stride and had an enjoyable hour talking to new people and getting cool freebies like bags and pens! Talking to new people was daunting at first but everyone was so nice that it was much easier and more fun than we had imagined

By Mille Grantham and Ella Banks

We spoke to so many people, even about things we weren’t necessarily interested in, mainly as everyone was really friendly We got helpful advice on different work experience ideas and volunteering options If you aren’t sure what to do after you have finished school, this would be a great place to start. Despite not having studied art since prep school, after talking to one of the exhibitors I was almost convinced I wanted to go and study a creative course!

There were helpful university staff who talked to us about what different university courses consisted of and what courses were available which was beneficial. They made suggestions about courses neither of us had thought of before which was good. One of the best parts were the gap year stands and lots of people to talk to representing careers. It wasn’t just about universities. The variety was wide and it really did have something for most people.

From our point of view, next year a wider variety of everything would be good, and more careers stands focussing on a wider range of careers in particular. Neither of us are interested in careers in law or banking for example, but keen on sciences and more creative careers

All in all, we had a great time and would definitely recommend attending the event It made us both feel more confident about the future and we are grateful that so many people gave up their evening to talk to us.