The UCAS Clearing process

CLEARING is open to you if: -

1. You received no offers
2. You have declined all of your offers
3. You do not meet the conditional grades for either your firm or insurance choice.

What do you need to do?

1) Deal with clearing yourself! Do not leave it to your parents to sort out although they will of course provide you support in this stressful time.

2) You must be available in person to speak to admissions tutors and make decisions. Plan your summer holidays so that you are at home or in a position to be able to contact universities on results day. You can call as many universities and colleges as you like during Clearing.

3) Look at the vacancies on the UCAS website. Official vacancy lists are published on the UCAS website. You do not have to stick to course choices you made originally - it is now a free for all and based on your recent results there may be things that would suit you better. Act quickly as not all universities post vacancies and places tend to fill up quickly.

4) Contact the universities that interest you. It is a good idea to have a pre prepared list in front of you of the top 15 you would be happy in going to etc...

5) Check your clearing number. This will be displayed on the 'welcome page and choices page' in your track. When you contact a university they will ask you for this number to confirm that they can consider you in clearing.

6) Adding a clearing choice on UCAS. If you are offered a place, they will give you a date by which you must enter their course details in to track. See the UCAS website for more details on this process.

http://www.ucas.com/students/nextsteps/clearing/todo

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Guardian University Guide

Make sure if you are looking for a university in the UK that you check out the Guardian University Guide. It has a wealth of useful information including: -

• A course search function
• League tables
• Information about fees and finance
• Information for parents
• General university news and events

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/universityguide?intcmp=122

IBDP Vacation courses and Revision guides

OSC is a social enterprise whose aim is to support IBDP students through a range of courses including: -

1. Pre IBDP summer schools (Oxford, Boston and Vancouver)
2. USA University Application course (Boston)
3. UK Universities tour (starts and ends in Oxford)
4. Revision courses (Oxford, Boston, Vancouver)

Go to www.osc-ib.com/socialenterprise for more detail.

University Challenge

In less than six months time, students in Year 13 will be leaving behind the familiar routine of NCBIS and many will embark on a new and exciting phase of their lives at university.

For the majority of our students, going to university will mean that they will be leaving home (and possibly the country) and living independently for the first time. This process can be intimidating for both parents and students and therefore during PSHE this term, we are running a short course that will address some of the non-academic issues that your son/ daughter may face upon heading to university.

This course will cover issues such as:

1. What will life as a student be like?
2. How streetwise am I? (personal safety)
3. Sex and relationships
4. Alcohol use and abuse
5. Student finance and budgeting

The first week's session looked at personal safety issues at University and students complete a quiz on 'how street smart' they were. Here is the PPT from that session.

Personal safety at university

View more presentations from jodiecmills.

University of British Columbia Summer Sholars Program

When?
July 15th to July 28th (14 days)

Where?
UBC's Okanagan Campus in Kelowna, BC, Canada

What?

• Study environmental science and sustainability with top UBC professors.
• Enjoy a challenging learning experience at one of the world's leading universities.
• Experience the Okanagan valley during a variety of field experience and trips.
• Meet new friends from around the world while living on a university campus.

For more information go to
www.summerprogram.isi.ubc.ca

Student Finance UK

Those of you moving to study in the United Kingdom next year will now be starting to look in to applying for student finance. If you are an EU or UK student then you will be eligible to take out student loans to help meet course fees and living costs.

Full details on how to access these are included in the link below. Please feel free to come and see me at anytime for more information on how to access loans.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/index.htm

Global higher education consultants visit NCBIS Tuesday 24th April

There will be a speaker coming from Global Consultants coming to deliver a presentation at NCBIS on Tuesday 24th April at 12.35pm. All students are welcome to attend however the main focus is on students in Year 10,11 and 12. The consultant represents the following institutions.

• Les Roches International School of Hotel Management - Switzerland
• Glion Institute of Higher Education- Switzerland
• NABA - Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti Milano - Italy
• Kendall College - USA
• New School of Architecture Design - USA
• Santa Fe University of Art and Design - New Mexico
• Blue Mountain International Hotel Management School - Australia

Stumped on a career choice?

Are you at a complete loss when it comes to a career choice? You possibly are not even aware of half of the jobs and careers that exist out there. Click on the link below to read a great article with tips on helping your to explore the world of careers.

http://careers.guardian.co.uk/careers-blog/making-career-choices

Some suggestions include: -

1) Taking a psychometric test to see which careers may suit you. Here is a good free test to try.
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

2) Exploring your school careers library and talking to me about ideas.

UK Universities student finance

For new students applying for student finance for 2012 entry the following dates apply for submitting applications for finance with the relevant organisation.

Student Finance England was made available from 14 December with a deadline of 31 May.

Student Finance Northern Ireland will be available from the last week in March.

Student Finance Wales will be available from 21 March with a deadline of 4 May.

Student Finance Scotland (SAAS) is expected to be available soon. Exact dates to be confirmed.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/Typesoffinance/DG_194804

This weblink will give you much more information also take a look at the video in the link looking at the new financial arrangements in the UK.

UCAS - Replying to your offers

Some students will now be in a position to reply to their offers having received all decisions on their application (regardless of when they received them). Students can reply online through the Track service.

This is just a gentle reminder that applicants who receive all decisions on their application by 31 March will have a reply date of 9 May. Applicants who have not received all decisions by this date will have a later reply date, dependent on when the last decision is received.

It is important that students understand the offer they have to attain before making their replies.

Information on replying to offers is available from this link:
http://www.ucas.ac.uk/advisers/sixsteps/offers/replying

Taking the SAT test

If you are planning to go to the USA to college of University next year then you should be looking to sit your SAT test in the next few months so that you have your score ready when you begin applying.

The coming test dates are: -

• May 5th (Register by April 6th)


• June 2nd (Register by May 8th)

These dates can be done in Cairo. See the link below to find out how to register, take practise tests and create your own study plan. There are SAT help guides in the careers library and you are welcome to come and see me for advice at any point.

http://sat.collegeboard.org/register;jsessionid=1y7LP3kVXXnRFXGnQTbnr2jVdLJqGLztXV6wkJCkT1LxgmGGJlVp!-316880982!1000547451

The state of engineering in the UK - what you should know

To be the one of the 2.2 million engineers needed in the UK alone over the next decade, Maths, Physics and an eye for opportunities are crucial. The engineering sector in Europe despie the recession is booming.

It generated 25% of UK business turnover in 2010 and the sector there employs 5.6 million people currently.

Engineering is central to ensuring economic growth and plays a major role in tackling global challenges including climate change, health, food security, biodiversity, population growth and water and energy security.

UK National average starting salary for graduates = 22,000 GBP

UK National average starting salary for engineers = 26,000 GBP

For more information on the state of engineering in the UK go to:

http://careers.guardian.co.uk/careers-blog/engineering-sector-jobs-graduates

Spotlight on newspaper and magazine editors

What does the job involve?

Newspaper and magazine editors manage the style and content of printed publications. They may oversee the overall editorial directin of a publication or be responsible for a particular section. As an editor you will work with sub editors, designers, production staff and printers to: -

• Ensure deadlines are met



• Decide which articles will feature



• Decide the layout of the publication



• Commission articles

What hours can I expect?

The hours can be quite irregular including evenings and weekends often. If you work for a reguar monthly or weekly publication then it will involve more regular office hours with extra hours leading up to deadlines. You will mainly be office based in this job.

Income

In the UK, editors usually earn between 30,000 and 80,000 sterling a year.

Entry requirements

A degree is usually required. Common subjects include English, publishing and journalism.

The biggest requirement for any career in journalism is experience. Get writing voluntarily as much as you can for local papers, magazines, school publications etc..

30 seconds to grab an employers attention

Almost 9 years ago, I left university and started my first graduate teaching job within a couple of jobs. For one geography teacher's job there were 30 applicants. Just two months ago, my friend Lucy reeled at the shock that there were almost 300 applicants for one geography job in her school.

Things are changing dramatically in the job market and the competition is significantly tougher. So with that many applications,of course no employer has the time to go through each CV in detail. If you want to stand a chance of being shortlisted for interview, you have to make a fast impact.

It takes the average person around 30 seconds to scan a CV and make a judegement on whether you are what they want or not. Read the article link below to find out the most important things you can do to make your CV stand out. This article is based on advice from professionals.

http://careers.guardian.co.uk/careers-blog/cv-advice-grab-employers-attention

Getting the feel for a university

If you are going to study your degree in another country, then getting the 'feel' for a university can be very difficult. Understanding what a university and town will be like is an important part of the decision making process and therefore collecting as much information as possible is vital.

How do I get the feel for a place?

OPEN DAYS: If you are traveling overseas to your University destination country at Easter or in the summer then try to get booked on to an open day. Watch this link to find out how to get the most out of an open day.

http://http//www.ucas.tv/ucas/video/XKPKL

VISITS DURING HOLIDAYS: If you cannot get booked on to a scheduled open day then simply visit the university and town in the holidays. You can still get a very good feel for a place without an organised tour.

VIRTUAL TOURS: If a visit is not possible at all, then check to see if the university has a virtual tour. Most of them do now, these are video tours around the main campus. The weblink below has great virtual tours of US colleges.

http://http//www.campustours.com/

Kings College London Summer School

Kings College, London is a leading world class university. It is ranked in the top 30 universities in the world. Their summer school is designed to help you to prepare for your future. The programme and courses aim to challenge and inspire as well as broaden your knowledge and grow your skills.

If you would like to find out more information about the Kings College Summer School then either see Mrs Chambers or go to http://http//www.kcl.ac.uk/study/summerschool/index.aspx

Heritage Summers at Cambridge University

Heritage summers hosts 16 - 19 year old students at Cambridge University for three weeks in July. Apply now and experience the life of a university student - benefit from a rich learning experience, lots of fun and a wealth of intellect seeped in the history of the quaint and beautiful city of Cambridge in the UK.

Courses on offer include anthropology, art history, biology, physics, psychology, economics, maths, history, literature, politics and many more.

To find out more about this summer opportunity check out http://www.heritagesummers.com

UK universities coming to NCBIS

On March 13th during PSHE, 4 UK universities will be visiting the UK. We will also be visited by AMIDEAST who are an excellent careers advisory service for the USA and have details of scholarships and admissions. During this 40 minute slot, our Year 12 students will have the opportunity to ask questions and gather information from these institutions.

The 4 universities attending include:

• Hertfordshire University


• Queen Mary University, London


• University of Essex


• University of West England, Bristol

If any of these Year 11 students are interested in speaking to representatives from these specific universities, then they will be present at an exibition on 12th and 13th March at Intercontinental hotel in City stars from 5.30pm until 9.30pm. See Mrs Chambers for more inforamtion about this and a flyer.

Spotlight on architecture

In this article from the Guardian newspaper, architect Philip Graham reveals what architecture practices are looking for from new recruity and shares personal advice for those thinking of joining the industry.

In his article he highlights the importance of:

1. Choosing which university to study architecture at.


2. Making the most of international opportunities.


3. Standing out an an architecture interview.

To read the full article go to http://http//careers.guardian.co.uk/careers-blog/architecture-careers

Gordonstoun International Summer School

Last week, we were visited by Jenny Needham from Gordonstoun school, a prestigious boarding school located in Scotland in the UK.

Gordonstoun hosts its International summer school in July and August each year. The course lasts for approximately 3 weeks for boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 16 years. Students follow courses appropriate to their ages group and can choose from courses such as French, ICT or English Literature.

After watching the summer school DVD last week, it became very clear that this summer school is not all about work. There are adventure activities each day such as kayaking, gorge walking, abseiling and mountain biking. The students also spend three days on board one of Gordonstoun's yachts sailing around the stunning coastline.

For more information and to watch the video link (which sums everything up brilliantly) go to www.giss.org.uk.

Global Study international student fair

What?
This is a higher education fair which will be attended by numerous universities particularly from the UK. UCL, Kings College London, Brunel University are just some of the many universities attending.

When?
Wednesday 7th March 4pm - 8pm
Thusday 8th March 5pm - 8.30pm
Friday 9th March 3pm - 8pm

Where?
The Fairmont Hotel, Heliopolis

For more information and a leaflet, see me (Mrs Chambers) in my office.

Welcome to the NCBIS careers blog

Welcome to the NCBIS careers blog. This blog is designed for all students at NCBIS secondary school, however will be particularly useful for students in Year 10 and above. The blog will update you regularly with information on universities, careers related news and things coming up that you might be interested in.

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