Discover our top 5 things to do to make the most of this summer and be in the best place to prep for Year 13 when September begins.
Contents:
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Get to know your subject
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Do some work experience or volunteer
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Make a start on your personal statement
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Book to attend Open Days
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Get a summer job
Get to know your subject
Use this time to really delve into the degree subjects that inspire you. Now that you’re not at school or revising, think outside the box and look up all the other experiences involved in your chosen degree programme.
Find out what your top university choices do to really bring your subject to life. Explore how you could tailor your course with modules that fascinate you, or find out about options to work in industry or spend a year studying abroad.
Do some work experience or volunteer
Test out some future career paths by volunteering or doing a week of work experience. Many sectors take on interns and volunteers to help over the summer.
Think about organisations with connections to your degree subject or jobs you’d like to pursue in the future. Send them an email and see what they say! Even if your work experience only lasts a day, you might be surprised at how informative that turns out to be.
Make a start on your personal statement
Writing an amazing personal statement could be the very thing that earns you a place on your dream university course. It might be the first time you’ve written anything like this, and you need to get it right.
Make the writing process easier this autumn by starting to think about what you'll include and jotting down some bullet points in a notebook over the summer.
Need some help to get started? Find out how to prepare for your personal statement with UCAS’ advice.
Book to attend Open Days
Students say visiting a campus is often the deciding factor in choosing a university.
An Open Day is an opportunity to really get a feel for the university campus and the vibe of the city or town. Take part in specific subject sessions, go on a campus tour, visit the undergraduate accommodation, go to your first lecture, grab a bite to eat in the Students’ Union, and find out what sports and societies are on offer.
Get a summer job
Not only will taking on a part-time job over the summer give you some work experience for your personal statement, but it’ll also help you develop personal skills for when you go to university next year.
Whether it's adapting to new challenges, spending time with new people, or building the confidence to make proactive decisions - a part-time job comes with the opportunity to learn plenty of valuable life skills.
It’s also never too early to start saving for your life as a student. Working over the summer between Year 12 and Year 13 and banking your wages will help when it comes to funding all the exciting things you can get up to in a year’s time.
Making the most of the summer means you'll be in a great place to start Year 13. But, don’t forget to relax and see your friends too – you deserve it.
