higher education

Exploring ideas and researching opportunities is an essential part of career management and it is always a good idea to begin as soon as possible.

If you know that you want to go to University and you know what subject area you are looking for then you should go to the official Universities and Colleges Admissions Service website www.ucas.com. Enter the student pathway and carry out a course search using the 'subject and location' options. There are over 50,000 courses available to study, so do not expect to find the perfect course on your first search. This website also provides access to all the websites of higher education institutions which recruit through UCAS.

For some handy hints and essential information when completing your UCAS form click here.

If you are unsure about which course to take then you should consider answering the multiple choice questionnaire available at www.ukcoursefinder.com. The questionnaire consists of a series of multiple choice questions, your answers will determine courses suitable for you. It should take approximately 30 minutes. It will ask you to give your grades in tariff points so that it can make realistic suggestions.

AS		A2
A	60 UCAS points	A	120 UCAS points
B	50 UCAS points	B	100 UCAS points
C	40 UCAS points	C	80 UCAS points
D	30 UCAS points	D	60 UCAS points
E	20 UCAS points	E	40 UCAS points

Remember that you do not get points for AS results in subjects you are continuing to A2 because they are included in your final grade. If you have completed an AS and gained a grade but are not taking the subject to A2 level those points do apply separately.

Once you have completed the questionnaire you will be presented with a list of possible suitable subjects. There are links to university website addresses. Websites differ in the quantity and quality of course information, do not be put off and look for courses offering booklets of information that can be downloaded or posted to you.

Some universities offer a virtual tour, find out if the University of your choice offers this facility by clicking here www.student360.com. Other useful websites are www.studentuk.com and www.thestudentroom.co.uk.

If you are interested in finding out more about applying for Oxford and Cambridge visit www.oxbridge-admissions.org.uk.

If you think you may be interested in studying in the USA visit fulbright.co.uk.

If you want to get to know students who are intending studying the same course as you at the same university as you before you start then visit www.newstudent.org.

Other mentionable websites are www.missyourmum.com and www.beyondbakedbeans.com.

Listed below are several other websites which you may find useful:

www.aimhigher.ac.uk	A 'gateway' site to find out everything about higher education, aimed at students who might not think Higher Education for them
www.hero.ac.uk	Profiles UK Universities and all FE Colleges offering HE courses; advice on course choice; information for international students
www.unofficial-guides.com	Alternative guides to UK universities written by students, advice on student life and a directory of University and Student Union websites
www.opendays.com	Find out when the open days are at the university/college of your choice and how to get the most out of them
www.universityoptions.co.uk	University of Manchester/UMIST careers service site for students, parents, teachers and PAs
www.dfes.gov.uk/financialhelp/	Information on funding options
www.push.co.uk	Exclusive online university guides that list everything. Check out the University Selector application a helpful and fun tool to use for choosing between universities
www.universityoptions.co.uk	All round information website for students, parents and teachers
www.tqi.ac.uk	Teaching Quality Information website gives access to official up to date information about the quality of higher education. The site is supported by the Government and the National Union of Students