After Post-16

There will be students who have considered university from a very young age. You may have chosen a career that you can only do if you have studied at university. Some students may look into university as one of the possible options following Post 16.

Students who successfully graduate will earn more in the main than a student who has chosen not to go to university.

There are in excess of 50,000 degrees so it is important that you choose the right degree.

Unable to decide what course to study? Have a go at…

To research into the different courses with links to the universities look at UCAS

If you have decided on going to university but cannot decide on a course, try the Stamford test on the UCAS site.

You can also try the Course Finder questionnaire on UK Coursefinder  This is another free test which may help you choose your degree subject. There is additional information which may help you with your university decisions.

To discuss university courses in greater depth book a careers guidance interview with the Trust Careers Advisor.

Email lesley.tannock@latrust.org.uk or contact your Head of Sixth Form or administration to request an appointment.

Useful websites

Having selected a number of universities you should now be considering visiting them. It is important to visit the universities as you will be spending three years or maybe four years in your chosen location. University is about Higher Education but it is also about you experiencing different environments and you must be happy with all of your five choices that will appear on your UCAS application form. Some universities like you to book their open days so it is important that you plan for your future.

You may also be interested in learning more about student finance on our website.

  • Open Days – check out the dates of university open days.
  • Skill – disability support.
  • The Complete University Guide
  • Unionviewcom on YouTube – just prior to organising to visit universities you may be able to do a virtual tour of the university on YouTube. This could save you valuable time and money if you see something that you do not like online before you have travelled to the other end of the country.
  • Push – an alternative guide to researching universities.

Following the rise in tuition fees a number of students are considering combining a gap year with their studies by studying abroad. Certain European countries teach their university courses in English so it is a real possibility to spend three years in a foreign country while gaining a degree. University fees for some countries are considerably cheaper than studying in the United Kingdom.

Students can choose to study at a British university and spend a year abroad. Look into the different programmes of study on UCAS. These foreign courses are four year degree programmes with the third year in a foreign university.

Some students may consider studying at a British university and then spending a period studying at a European university. Erasmus Programme is a student exchange programme which promotes the growth of International Studying. Further details can be found at Erasmus Programme.

Useful websites

  • Fulbright – for students looking to apply to an American university
  • Study in Europe – for students interested in European universities
  • Study in Australia – for students interested in studying in Australia
  • Study in Holland – for students interested in studying a degree in Holland

Why choose a gap year?

Students who have chosen some of the competitive courses like Medicine, Veterinary, Law  and Dentistry may choose a gap year as they may feel that they require additional work experience would enhance their personal statement. It is sometimes hard to complete all of the relevant work experience when you require a number of A grades at A level to be considered for a course.

Students who have aspirations of Cambridge and Oxford will have their grades before  making an application if they have chosen to take a year out. Cambridge and Oxford look for the top academic students and as it is competitive students with guaranteed results may be selected over and above students without their results.

Students choose a gap year if they would like to gain some work experience. This may be to help finance their time at university or they may have chosen to gain some valuable experience in an industry which will ultimately help when they have graduated.

Students could choose a gap year to travel, either for a short period or maybe for the whole year giving themselves the opportunity to experience different cultures and meet new people.

Talented sport students may choose a year out to compete before committing themselves to full time study.

Useful websites

When considering different careers it is critical to find out further information as some careers may require specific qualifications which you have not considered.

Here are some of the important questions to consider when deciding on different career paths.

  • Do I need to go to university?
  • What subjects do I require?
  • What other entry routes are there to my chosen career?
  • Is it a growth area or is it a declining industry?

To research into different careers please find below links to a number of relevant websites:

  • National Careers Service – job profiles, entry requirements, training routes, salary and labour market information.
  • icould – offers you the opportunity of starting with a simple psychometric test to establish more about your personality and will suggest some different career areas which you can research into. You will be able to watch numerous videos on different career areas. This website also includes the required entry routes, salaries and local labour market information.
  • UCAS – some careers will specify that you will need a university degree. To research into different degree areas look at the University College Admission Services website. You will have the opportunity to establish which subjects you may require for certain degrees but also some of the grade boundaries that different universities are looking for.

Careerometer

The Careerometer widget provides access to a selection of headline data relating to pay, weekly hours of work and future employment prospects.

The data are organised by occupation: simply type in the title of the job you are interested in and the widget provides a series of options from which you can select the most relevant to you.

More detailed information regarding different job roles can be found on the National Careers Service website.