Writing a personal statement can be daunting. The Oxford Brookes Website has a guide to writing personal statements, and the UCAS website has great subject specific guides to help with creating a personal statement that links to your student's area of interest.  

https://www.brookes.ac.uk/study/parents-and-carers/the-application-process 

https://www.ucas.com/applying/applying-university/personal-statement-guides 

Your student will have a session on writing their personal statement on Saturday 28th March, and we offer personal statement reviewing in September/October. 

There is no right answer when it comes to choosing a course and a university. Question to bear in mind include: Grade/Tariff requirements, distance to/from home, subject content, univesrity ranking, subject ranking, campus vs city university.

Reading course pages on the university website or in the prospectus is a good place to start. These pages often include information on modules offered and any optional modules that can offer the chance to customize study even further. 

Unitasterdays.com has a great guide to choosing a university.  This also includes a guide to choosing a subject, how to apply, planning for a open day and much more

To make the most of an open day we recommend planning your day in advance. Take a look at the open day guide, if there is one, and come up with a schedule, including: Attending a subject taster session, visiting accommodation, a campus tour, check out general talks such as student life, study abroad and student finance. 

The UCAS website has a great list of questions to think about before you attend an open day.  

Find upcoming open days on opendays.com/search 

Art, architecture and design courses often require a portfolio of work as part of the application process. This is requested after the UCAS application stage, before an offer is made. Each university has it's own requirements in terms of content and format. So check on each university website for examples of what your student may be required to submit.

This is the guidance for Oxford Brookes Architecture Applicants

If your student is part of the Built Environment and Architecture Stream, they will take part in a session all about putting together a portfolio during the event on 28th March

Interviews are mean to be a 'two way conversation', but can be very daunting for students. Some courses reqiure them as standard, for example most teaching and healthcare courses. 

https://www.brookes.ac.uk/study/how-to-apply/understanding-university/interviews-and-portfolios 

https://www.ucas.com/applying/after-you-apply/undergraduate-interview-invitations 

If your student is part of the  Nursing and Paramedic Science Stream, they will take part in a session all about preparing for healthcare interviews during the event on 29th March

Check with individual universities regarding the support they have on offer.  This could include support with alternative exams and assessment, applying for accessible accommodation, and the Disabled Student's Allowance. 

https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/inclusive-support-service 

Unitasterdays, one in five podcast provides insights into progressing to university for disabled students, and is created by disabled students currently in university

All universities have a careers service that students can access while they are a student. At Oxford Brookes, graduates can access the careers service for up to 5 years post graduation. Careers advisors can help with anything from finding graduate schemes, preparing for interviews and assessment centers, and finding work experience.  

https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/careers 

The national careers service breaks down jobs into different sectors, and gives examples of jobs and potential salaries.  

Each subject at Brookes has a dedicated student support coordinator who can help with personal as well as academic issues. We also have a student counselling service as well as a multi faith chaplaincy center that is available to everyone.  

https://www.brookes.ac.uk/student-life/support-and-wellbeing  

https://www.ucas.com/money-and-student-life/student-life/mental-health-and-wellbeing/mental-health-and-wellbeing-university-support 

Check individual university course pages for the fees charged for each degree, as this can differ by institution and course. This can differ depending on factors such as full or part time study, and home or international student status. 

https://www.ucas.com/money-and-student-life/money/student-finance/student-finance-england 

https://www.brookes.ac.uk/study/parents-and-carers/jargon-buster 

If your student prefers to listen rather than read, there is a podcast that covers a huge range of topics related to university and features current university students. 

https://www.unitasterdays.com/listen-to-the-university-guide-podcast/ 

The UCAS website is a great all round resource. This provides impartial guidance covering the whole application and decision making journey

https://www.ucas.com/ 

There is also a parents and carers page

https://www.ucas.com/discover/advice-parents-guardians-and-carers