Making the right choices

Contents By the end of this you will: understand the choices available to you when you leave school understand the different types of higher education courses know the next steps you need to take if you want to apply to higher education

Choices available Higher education. Apprenticeships and traineeships. Studying abroad. Gap year. Getting a job. Understand the options available and make choices that are right for you. Visit www.ucas.com/alternatives Apprenticeships give you the opportunity to work for an employer, earn a salary and gain a qualification at the same time. Traineeships provide essential training to prepare for work and gain skills to help you get an apprenticeship or a job. For more information see: www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/getting-started/what-study/apprenticeships-traineeships-and-school-leaver

Apprenticeships advice UCAS has launched apprenticeships advice to help students make informed decisions about their post-16 and post-18 opportunities. Find out about: the different types of apprenticeships how to find and apply for apprenticeships preparing for the application and interview process   With the predicted growth of higher and degree Apprenticeships you’ll also find a dedicated degree and professional apprenticeships section on ucas.com which profiles current programmes in more detail.  

Why higher education (HE)? Essential for some career paths. Develop new transferable skills and subject knowledge. Increase your confidence and independence. Broaden your experiences. Show yourself what you can do. Invest in your future.

HE study options Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE) and Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE): first and second year of a degree course. Higher National Certificate (HNC) and Higher National Diploma (HND): HNC is a one-year work-related course and the HND is a two-year work-related course. Foundation degree: flexible vocational qualification, combining academic study and workplace learning. It usually takes two years to complete. Bachelor’s or undergraduate degree: a three to four-year course which can also be available as a part-time option, allowing you to study and work.

Types of courses available Single: study one subject. Joint honours degree: divide your time 50:50 between two subjects. Major/minor: study two subjects, normally at a 75:25 ratio. Combined honours programme: study between two to four subjects, specialising in just two subjects in years two and three. Modular courses: build a personalised course by choosing modules you’re interested in. Sandwich courses: courses with one year in industry or a year abroad. Foundation year: if you don’t have the right qualifications, some universities and colleges offer this to help students prepare for and enter higher education.

What’s right for you? There are a number of things for you to consider when applying for higher education, such as: a subject you enjoy – you are investing time, money, and effort whether it’s right for your career path – check with employers location – city or rural, transport links a study style that suits you extracurricular activities finances Which modules are the most interesting and relevant to your career aspirations? How many lectures are there and how much group work will be done in seminars? What combination of exams, coursework or presentations is the course assessed by? Who are the tutors and are they experts in areas you want to learn about? What subject areas do they specialise in? Can you study abroad or get help with work placements? Do they have sports facilities or societies to join? How near home, a city center or the countryside are they?

Research – it’s free Before you begin your application, make sure you have looked at all the options. Search tool – to look for providers, courses, and minimum entry requirements. Open days and virtual tours – a great way to explore campuses and facilities. Attend UCAS higher education exhibitions – useful to see different universities and colleges, and explore options. Learn from others – student videos, blogs, and case studies. Career options – our career finder tool is ideal for considering your options after education. Our search tool has over 37,000 courses in the UK. It includes detailed information about the universities and colleges. You can search by course, university or college, or location. Every year, many applicants are unsuccessful for reasons that could have been avoided if they had undertaken better research. When UCAS interviewed current students in their second year asking them what advice they would give to their 18 year old self, ALL of the students said – ‘do more research!’ Nearly all courses on ucas.com have an Entry Profile that contains detailed information about what the provider is looking for in terms of their applicants – a bit like a job description. The best time to attend open days is before you submit your application – in plenty of time! Find all the information about open days and virtual tours at www.ucas.com/events/exploring-university. Find out about exhibitions at www.ucas.com/events/exhibitions Videos and case studies are available at www.ucas.com/connect. For career finder tool look at https://careerfinder.ucas.com.