JotCast | Year 12 RfE - Student Question Time 29.05.19

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Year 12 RfE - Student Question Time 29.05.19

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Emily

3:20

Hi Olivia& Jennifer! That's absolutely fine and universities will know that you may have different course options. Just make sure that you speak about both of them in your personal statement and show how you enjoy them both. I applied for both Medicine and Psychology and I just got round this by speaking about how I enjoyed my psychology A level and the aspects in that which interested me. You will need a lot of the same skills for both courses so a lot of your personal statement will be applicable to both courses so don't worry too much.

Laraib

3:20

Hi Emily, What work experience did you do for medicine?

Molly

3:20

*** ATTENDANCE REGISTERING INSTRUCTIONS***

This is a GREEN event, and will count towards your event attendance.

To register your attendance at this event please email reachforexcellence@leeds.ac.uk and quote the code SQT9837

Don’t forget to include your FULL NAME and school so we know who you are!

*** ATTENDANCE REGISTERING INSTRUCTIONS***

Olivia

3:20

Thank You!

O

3:21

How hard did you find A levels

Molly

3:21

@Maariya hi! We recommend that you put your Access to Leeds application in close to the time you submit your UCAS so they can both be considered together (and you can be considered for the lower entry offer). If you don't receive any offers there are a few things you can try, such as UCAS Extra (which gives you the opportunity to apply for additional courses) or there's still your 5th choice. We'll be going through 'Plan Bs' in get set for uni part 3 in October

3:22

@Maariya, I hope that answers your question, do let me know if not!

Maariya

3:24

@Molly. What if you really want to do dentistry so you apply for the folowing year can you still apply for A2L, or can you only apply for A2L one year?

Maisie

3:25

Hi @Laraib! Every Leeds University student will have a different answer for this, but for me I love the city and the student community here. I've made really good friends here and Leeds is a very exciting place to be a student as there is so much on offer, both from the university and the city itself. The university offers a huge range of activities, clubs and societies to get involved with. Added to this, Leeds is a very vibrant city with a lot to offer in terms of culture, shopping and nightlife. As a music student, I've had a great time getting involved with the music societies at the university and the music scene here in Leeds, and made great friends through this, and this is what I'll probably remember most fondly from my time in Leeds :)

cool

1

Emily

3:25

Hi Laraib! I did one week of medical work experience working with the porters in the main theatres in my local hospital. I got this by googling the trust and work experience and they had a scheme that you could apply to. Other than that, I had nothing else in the medical field but I did work at TKMaxx for 2 and a half years before I came to uni which I spoke about a lot in my personal statement as I got so many more skills from this. I think that admissions tutors know that it is very hard to get things in hospitals and GPs so they don't expect it. A lot of people I know volunteered in care homes and just went to chat with the residents which is a good way to get in to something. A part time job anywhere is also a great way to show communication, commitment and responsibility. I was also a mentor and head of house at school where I got involved with newsletters and helping younger students which is a good way to show skills too.

cool

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Maddie

3:25

Hi @O, at the time I found A-Levels tricky, but learning is always going to stretch you. The difference between A-Levels and University is - of course - at University you're focusing on one subject. Whereas during A-Levels your attention is stretched across at least 3 different subjects, each with their own sub-parts. I find, mostly, that if you enjoy your subject(s) then you will always find them easier, as you will be interested in the content. Personally, I found Spanish my most difficult subject - I was okay at reading and writing, but my oral skills were lacking. However, Geography - being my favourite subject - was easiest for me. Biology was up and down, and one exam in particular was tricky, but overall it was okay. Just try not to stress too much - take regular revision breaks, if you have a pet spend time with them, or see friends and try and keep up a hobby. Sports is great as it releases endorphins to make you feel brighter! And drink plenty of water :-)

Sana jaan

3:25

Which dbs check do you need for medicine

Guest

3:26

What are the radiography facilities like

Molly

3:27

@Guest we're attached to Leeds Teaching Hospitals, so they're great! Come to an open day to see them!

Emily

3:28

Hi Sana! It is a full enhanced DBS check so they check for any criminal convictions. Don't worry about doing this as the medical school sort this all out once you get here.

Mur

3:28

Sorry, I meant to ask is medicine much harder than a levels, I once heard that medicine was easier than A level biology and chemistry

Laraib

3:28

How do you talk about the skills you got from work experience?

Alesha

3:28

Do you have any regrets about your application/ Year 13?

Guest

3:28

@molly When are the open days

Molly

3:29

@Guest 14th and 15th June. Head to http://www.leeds.ac.uk/info/116000/undergraduate/42/open_days_and_visi... to register!

@Maariya you can apply for A2L as many years as you need to, but you need to be very careful about reapplying to Dentistry courses - Leeds will accept reapplications but you need to get in touch with them first, and you usually need to have made significant changes to your application in order for them to consider it. Other universities are less lenient on this though, so you really need to get in touch with them or have a look on their websites to double check. It may be the case that reapplications get automatically rejected at other universities.

Maddie

3:31

Hi @Laraib, it depends what work experience you have! Before applying to University, I worked as a runner/waitress in a restaurant. The main thing is drawing transferable skills from whatever you're involved in. For example, I was able to talk about teamwork, organisation and time management (amongst others). Remember to use the STAR method - when answering a skills-based question, try to answer in this order: Situation (what was happening), Task (what did you have to do), Action (how did you do it), Result (what was the positive outcome). Does this help?

Guest

3:32

How hard is it to get into medicine/ dentistry?

Muhammad zain mussa

3:32

Hi guys do you have any revision tips to ace A levels

Laraib

3:33

Hi Maddie, that does help, thank you!!1

Emily

3:33

Hi Mur! I did find medicine a little bit easier than A levels as you are only focusing on one subject rather than having to do a few at the same time. I also find the exams are nicer at Leeds as they are multiple choice or practical ones which I find better for me but you might prefer different ways of learning and this may be very different at other unis. You definitely go into less detail than A level biology and chemistry but there is a lot more content so I would say that it does balance out.

Guest

3:35

What qualities make you stand out in an interview

Molly

3:35

@Guest short answer - very! There were just under 9 applications for every Medicine place at Leeds in 2017, and it was roughly a 25% success rate across the country for all of your 4 choices in 2015. This gives you an idea of the highly competitive nature of the application process, but if you're dedicated enough and you work hard to achieve the grades you need it puts you in a much better position to secure a place.

Maddie

3:35

Hi @Muhammad Zain Mussa, so my personal way of revising was to read over my textbooks - CGP guidebooks are AMAZING - and notes time and time again. But to be honest everyone works differently, and absorbs information differently. Try and find your best way! Sometimes it's reading, sometimes it's recording yourself and listening to yourself before bed, sometimes it's making diagrams. But I think try and make your notes colourful and organised! Maybe put post-it notes on your bedroom walls. But the NUMBER 1 thing is to look after yourself. Keep a hobby going, sports is great, or music. Make sure you take regular revision breaks. Drink plenty of water and make sure you get good sleep, particularly the night before an exam. Eat healthy to fuel your brain! As the weather is getting nicer now, maybe get outside as much as you can instead of staying in and watching telly. Fresh air will help keep you alert and composed :-)

Hassaan

3:35

Hi everyone, how are you all doing

Molly

3:36

Hi @Hassaan we're good thanks! Looking forward to your questions :)

Maisie

3:36

Hi @Alesha! I don't have any major regrets about my university application or the A-Levels I picked, because I have really enjoyed studying Music at Leeds. However in my personal statement I really emphasised that I was interested in pursuing Music Psychology whilst studying here, and then took a module in it in first year and completely hated it - I don't regret thinking that I was interested in it, but it shows that what you think you're interested can change, and that can be okay and work out for the better! Similarly, I actually very nearly didn't pick Leeds as my first choice university, so I guess it shows that things do change and decisions that you think you might regret can actually work out really well in the end!

Mur

3:39

Thanks Emily that was really helpful

Emily

3:39

Hi Guest! It is important at interview to show that you have knowledge of the course and know why you want to do it and why you want to study at that uni. I made sure that I had a good answer prepared for these questions. It is also important to know what you have written on your personal statement and to reflect on these experiences so you can expand on them. It's good to have knowledge about current affairs by checking up on the news . I made sure that I read the BBC news app every day in the run up to my interview so I knew about what was going on in health. I tis also important to show that you can communicate and be confident. This is hard in an interview setting but being prepared will make you feel a little better for them.

Muhammad zain mussa

3:39

Thanks maddie, also In a personal statement what key features make you stand out opposed to others and how would you talk about your work experience. When I write it its full of jargon and I'm finding it hard to talk about things without making it seem complicated

Laraib

3:43

This might be a little weird, but what do you wear to interviews? Is it bad to wear bold colours or should you stick to blue and white?

Molly

3:44

How far away do you want to go for Uni?

Local - I want to live at home! (42.9% | 6 votes)

Not too far, but I definitely want to move out. (42.9% | 6 votes)

As far away as possible!! (14.3% | 2 votes)

Total Votes: 14

Mohammed Ali

3:45

Hi

Maddie

3:45

You're welcome @Muhammad Zain Mussa! I have to think back here, but I believe in my personal statement I emphasised my love of Geography - in particular, how much I loved travelling and learning about how the world worked. :-) In terms of how I talked about work experience, I just made sure I emphasised the transferable skills I got from my job. I was a runner/waitress in a restaurant before coming to University, so I talked about teamwork, organisation and time management (amongst other things). I was also a Prefect at school, and that's a good way to show you have responsibility. Using jargon isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it can show you know what you're talking about. Just try your best to showcase you and your interests, rather than worrying what you "should" write. Don't overthink it, because it's likely that if you love your subject that will naturally come through on your PS!

Molly

3:46

Hi @Mohammed !

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