JotCast | Year 12 Webchat 2 - University Worries

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Year 12 Webchat 2 - University Worries

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Molly

4:10

@Sania - it can be super worrying thinking about how you will afford things at uni, like rent and food etc, but there is actually a lot of financial help available to you as a uni student. Your maintenance loan is the main way of covering these expenses, but there are bursaries and scholarships available as well which you don't have to pay back. I was super worried about money when I went to uni, but I got the max loan, a £2k bursary, and a part time job and it was really manageable

Haaroon

4:10

@Ishmal, I think you may be referring to A2L. There seems to be some confusion! Further information about Access to Leeds (A2L) can be found here: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/homepage/82/access_to_leeds
We will send you further information on A2L later on in the year :)

Kalbir SB

4:11

Could i apply for engineering degree and chem degree at same time?

Guest

4:11

What is clearing

Sayed Howlader

4:11

Glad to get a clearification. Thanks a lot Molly

Mohammed Adam Wajid

4:12

What are campus facilities like

Molly

4:13

@Kalbir - like I mentioned a little bit further up in the chat, it can be difficult to tailor things on your application (like your personal statement) to suit two quite different courses, so it's usually not the best idea to apply to lots of different things. You need to show the uni that you're committed to the subject you're applying for, but if your application doesn't reflect that then it can sometimes discourage them from making you an offer

Sania Arfan

4:13

Thanks @Molly, that's reassuring

Molly

4:13

@Sania and @Sayed - no worries!

Sayem Howlader

4:13

Which should be best accommodation plan for uni. Dorm or personal accommodation if home is far?

James Leslie

4:14

@Mohammed - we think our facilities are great. the university has invested a lot of money in providing modern facilities that meet the needs of students. My favourites on site are Laidlaw Library and The Edge sports centre - we know your time on RfE has been strange with not coming to see us for events but as soon as we are allowed we will be organising campus tours so you can check out the facilities for yourself not on a screen :)

Haaroon

4:14

@Guest, Clearing is how universities fill any places they still have on their courses. From usually July until September, you can apply for a course using Clearing if you’re not already holding an offer from a university, and the course still has places.

Kalbir SB

4:14

Is it possible for me to get a tour of the labs of leeds uni for chem this summer?

Ishmal Zahra

4:14

What is access to Leeds and what are the benefits of it??

Haaroon

4:15

@Ishmal, Access to Leeds is our undergraduate widening access programme. It could offer you the chance to study an undergraduate degree with lower entry requirements than listed on our course pages. If you participate in the scheme you will take part in a study module and you will benefit from support and events to help prepare you for university

James Leslie

4:15

@Kalbir - we are not able to have visitors on site at the moment due to covid restrictions but we are hoping to be able to start doing when the government tell us we can! I would hope that when your in Year 13, we will be able to welcome you all to campus for RfE events and we can ditch the laptop screens so you can see our facilities first hand :)

Luanna

4:16

what kind of funding is provided for people who need financial support

James Leslie

4:16

Year 13 events run in October Half Term Holidays (see your RfE Dates for the diary in your handbook for more info)

Mohammed Adam Wajid

4:16

How do we register if we’re RO students?

James Leslie

4:16

@Mohammed - follow the instructions for RfE students and we will update the RO portal on your behalf :)

Molly

4:16

@Sayem - typically if you are choosing to live away from home you would move into the university halls of residence for your first year, as it can help you make friends with other people in the same boat as you. In second and later years, people usually move in with friends in private rented accommodation, although there are options to continue living in halls if you prefer. Uni owned accom is typically a little more expensive (especially if you want a lot of home comforts like an en suite and having your meals cooked for you!) but also has the benefit of more security and university backing, which is great for your first year

Ishmal Zahra

4:16

Thank you @haaroon

Gabbie

4:17

How do you know whats the right course. Or how do you find out more about a course you are interested in?

Kalbir SB

4:17

Which other unis in and near leeds have widening access schemes?

James Leslie

4:18

@Kalbir all universities will have schemes like ours! some start in Year 12 (like RfE) others are just Year 13 programmes

Haaroon

4:18

@Luanna, we provide scholarships and funding. Some further information can be found here: https://students.leeds.ac.uk/info/10233/leeds_financial_support

Eleanor W

4:18

On your personal statement is ok to be generic about what career you want out of your degree if you're not sure yet, or is it best to be specific?

Haaroon

4:19

@Eleanor W, you don't have to have a clear idea of what career you would like to do. As long as you are specific about why you want to study your chosen course, that's the main thing :)

Ishmal Zahra

4:20

When you go to university how would you know where to apply for bursary or scholarships?

Molly

4:20

@Gabbie - this is a tough one, because it can sometimes feel like you're interested in so many different things that you don't just want to pick one, or that there isn't something you there for you! My advice would be to speak to your teachers and careers staff in school about your skills and interests, and then do some independent research into career paths, course content, and work/life balance, and see what you think fits you the best. In our upcoming events you'll have the chance to speak to current students about their courses as well, so that could be a good way of figuring things out!

Vicky P

4:20

When it comes to applying for courses that are paired, e.g. 50% History of art and 50% Fine art, how should we maneuver around talking about both sides in a personal statement? Especially when talking about what you find interesting in particular topics- considering we have limited space to write about...

Haaroon

4:21

@Ishaml, we will send you information later on in the year to do with financial support. We run events later on in the year all to do with student finance/financial support

Kalbir SB

4:21

@James, I mean which other unis have similar schemes to A2L

Eleanor W

4:21

ok, thank you!

Guest

4:23

What medicine options are there for someone not studying chemistry? And what alternatives would you recommend to medicine?

James Leslie

4:23

@Kalbir - oh got ya! lots of unis now have what we call Contextual Offer/Outreach schemes (A2L) Newcastle Uni have partners - York have York Access Scheme - Leeds Beckett run the Progression Module - have you got other unis in mind?

Kalbir SB

4:23

Will there be any more events for RFE?

Molly

4:24

@Vicky - if you're applying for joint honours courses, a great thing to do is to try and talk about both subjects together, and discuss the intersections and tensions between the two, rather than just talking about them one after the other. The admissions tutor will want to know why you're interested in studying both courses together, rather than just one or the other. If you're not applying to joint honours courses at every institution, it;s a good idea to mention exactly what you're applying for towards the beginning of your statement, so that the people reading it know why you're talking about a subject that you're not applying for at their particular institution

James Leslie

4:24

@Kalbir - loads - we are here to help you until you graduate from RfE in July 2022 - the dates for your diary document will tell you about upcoming events in your handbook/also on the student portal

Kalbir SB

4:24

huddersfield and sheffield

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