Lower Sixth Students' Higher Education Information Evening

On Monday 20 February, Lower Sixth students received a variety of informative presentations as part of their Higher Education Information Evening, widening their perspective on the process of applying to university and the strategies which will help them to focus their choices.

Following a brief introduction from Mr Craig McCready, visiting speaker, Rose Harrison from the University of Sussex, shared valuable information regarding the important elements comprising a personal statement and outlined the common misconceptions.  This included student participation in the scrutinisation of opening sentences, demonstrating how to engage and showcase passion without blankly stating it.

Continuing the evening was Paul Drinkwater, a visiting speaker from the University of Southampton, who shared his thoughts on Russell Group Universities, including their favourable and contradictory attributes.  In addition, he recommended an approach to determining the students' next step in their education by dividing their considerations into separate entities such as the course content, reputation and student experience.

To conclude the evening, Dr Ian Taylor discussed the rewards and challenges of the Oxbridge application process to some ambitious students, helping them consider if this is a route they want to pursue.

The focus of higher education continued the following day with a talk from Lowri Thomas, a Student Finance speaker from Cardiff University, who outlined the process of applying for a student loan, the types, repayment process and useful budgeting tips to help the students develop sustainable financial habits.

Later, this was followed by a presentation from the Junior Leadership Team, who discussed their personal experiences with the UCAS application process.  This enabled the Lower Sixth to feel less daunted by the challenge and allowed them to receive answers to their questions from a student perspective.  Overall, the Lower Sixth feel well informed as to what is ahead of them and are eager to discover their potential educational prospects.