Advice for Students

So, you need some advice?

An interview with Maria O’Hanlon

This year has been an incredibly strange year for students. Due to the outbreak of Covid-19 some students had to finish school early, some had to go through online learning and the vast majority of students did not get to sit their exams. Whilst some students are still on track to starting or continuing with their A levels or attending university, this change has left some students very confused.

This interview is different from what I typically post, however, my aim was to hopefully provide some advice to those who didn’t get into their firm choice of university, those who are considering taking a gap year, those who are unsure of what course to take at university, those who want to take a degree but don’t necessarily have the A levels for it, those who feel as if their degree ‘isn’t good enough’ and those who are unsure as to whether they want to go to university at all! Generally, I just wanted to provide some advice to those who have had a very confusing and perhaps mind changing year.

Maria O’Hanlon is currently finishing her first year as a Biology PhD student at Teesside University. She is researching the underlying mechanisms in Parkinson’s disease, using fruit flies as a model. She has a BSc in Biomedical Science and a Masters in Medical and Molecular Biology. Maria didn’t do well with her A-levels and so she ended up going through clearing to get onto her BSc course. It was difficult but she worked as hard as possible to get onto good courses and now she’s absolutely loving where she is!

I’d like to thank Maria for agreeing to do this with me; I hope you find it helpful! You can find out more about Maria on her instagram @abioblog.

I haven't got into my firm or my insurance and I've run out of time to go through clearing, what can I do?

My advice would be to contact the universities directly. I would probably look up who is the course leader for the course you are interested in and then ring them or email them directly. Explain why you didn’t apply for clearing, include a little bit of information about yourself and your grades, and you never know where it could get you! Alternatively you could wait and apply for next year’s course.

I don't feel like university is right for me, is that okay? What are my other options?

You absolutely do not have to go to university there are so many other options! One option is that you can do an apprenticeship, and gain some additional qualifications, whilst also getting some valuable workplace experience. Alternatively you can absolutely go straight into the workplace and get a job. There is no right or wrong career path, everyone is different!!

I would like to take a gap year but I feel like I might be wasting a year, what's your advice?

Taking a gap year is definitely not wasting a year. If you feel like you need some time out either after college or university to relax after a few intense years, then you aren’t wasting time at all! I personally didn’t want to do a gap year because I felt like I would struggle to get back into work after a long time out, but you’ve got to do what feels right for you. We are all different.

I want to do a specific degree but my parents want me to do a different one, should I listen to them?

It can feel bad to go against your parents but they might have had a specific career path in mind for you and if it’s something you don’t share their passion about, then you’re probably going to struggle to study it. Degrees are long - you don’t want to go and waste your time AND money on something you don’t actually like. Try and talk to your parents and explain why you are interested in a different degree, and hopefully they’ll come around to it. At the end of the day though, it’s got to be your decision because it’s you studying for the degree, not them.

I want to do a specific degree but people are making me feel as though it's a waste, should I still go for it?

I don’t think any degree is a waste because aside from the actual degree, you learn so many other transferable skills along the way. Studying for a degree will teach you how to be disciplined and organised. If you live away from home it also teaches you how to be independent. If you’re passionate about it, go for it!

I've decided which degree I want to do but I haven’t done related A level subjects! Do I have any options?

.No problem! First up, look at what the requirements are for your chosen course, and double check what qualifications you need. Then, you could potentially apply to do an access course at college, which is an intense course that will prepare you for a degree in a certain area that you might not be fully ready for prior to the course. Alternatively you can do a foundation degree which is normally a year or two and can lead into your chosen course. You could even get a job in the area you’re interested in and that employer might agree to pay for your degree and then your experience may outweigh the grades and A level subjects anyway. It’s different for every individual so just make sure you properly research your options!

I have no idea of what degree I want to take, how can I go about deciding?

My best advise would be to think about what you find interesting and see if there is a degree in that area. If you’re interested in history, have a look at history degrees. If you find the environment interesting, have a look at ecology, environmental sciences, geography, etc. You need to enjoy what you are studying so just pick something that you want to learn more about!

Thank you for reading!