This year again has seen an increase in the number of students scoring top-grades in their GCSE and A'level exams. Yet again, students in Northern Ireland have done particularly well. This is good news for many students. However, with the rise in the number of students achieving A-grades, many young people fear that they may not get onto the course or into the universities that they wanted.
Society is increasingly putting pressure on young people to go to university. Although in some ways this may be a good thing, there is a danger that young people who do not do well in their GCSE or A'Level exams may see themselves as failures. Whether you are 16, 18 or 21, and regardless of how you have done in your exams, remember that there are always options available to you.
Not sure what to do next?
If you have just completed your A'levels and you didn't get the grades you needed to get onto your course, the first step is to phone the university you applied to. If you have only slipped a grade they may still offer you a place. If this is not the case then you can see all the latest information on clearing vacancies at the UCAS website: www.ucas.com. The Independent newspaper also offers extensive higher education news and advice on the clearing process at www.independent.co.uk.
When doing the research for this article I found it extremely difficult to find information for young people, who for whatever reason, do not intend to take the A'level-university route to a career. So if you have just received you're GCSE or A'level results, and you are not sure what to do next, check out the links below.
Useful Links
The Department for Education and Skills (DFES) website has lots of information on education and career options. It will be particularly useful if you have just finished your GCSEs and are trying to decide what to do next, or if you have completed your A'levels but do not plan to go to university. Regardless of what you hope to do, or how you did in your exams, there is lots of information here to help you make an informed decision.
The website address is:
www.dfes.gov.uk/youngpeople/young_car.shtml
The BBC's website has a considerable amount of information for young people at various stages of their education. Whether you have just completed your GCSEs or A'levels, and regardless of how you did in those exams, there is lots of information that may help you decide on your next move. There is also information for anyone who began working after leaving school and who are now considering studying at university, but don't think they have the necessary qualifications to apply. If you are planning on going to university you can find lots of information on issues ranging from funding your studies to taking a gap year. Find it at:
www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife/education/index.shtml?21#topics
For those of you going to, or at university, check out the Guardian's student money guide. You can use it to search for independent funding for your studies or help you to budget your finances that little bit better while studying. There is also a cool wage predictor, which may or may not help you to see how much you will be earning when you are 50. For those of you who really want to depress yourselves, the fourth and final tool is a loan repayment calculator that tells you when you will finally get that student loan paid off. Apparently mine will take 20 years - Yikes! Check them out at:
www.hotcourses.com/pls/mon/hc_edufin.page_pls_user_studmoney?a=210104
Volunteer for your career
As well as being extremely rewarding, volunteering can also be a great way to improve your CV and impress any employer.
Whether you are at school, college or university, you are taking part in an apprenticeship or you are unemployed, volunteering can help you to develop or gain new skills and/or get experience relevant to your future career.
Many people think volunteering means either working in a charity shop or taking part in money collections on the street. This is not the case. There is a wide range of organisations and activities to choose from, working with children, animals or the elderly to mention just a few. Opportunities range from helping out at an after school club to befriending a blind person. Whatever your interests, there will be something to suit you.
If you are interested in volunteering opportunities currently available please contact us on 02890 200850 or email us at roisin@vsb.org.uk.
