A university degree is essential for several career pathways and is often the foundation for a stable financial future. Studying at university allows you to specialise in a particular subject. You apply for university via UCAS and this process begins at the end of Year 12.

Apprenticeships are ideal if you want to continue learning while working. You gain a qualification and get paid at the same time. You must multitask between the responsibilities of your job and studying towards a qualification so apprenticeships can be very demanding but they can fast track your employability skills.

Some students choose to take a gap year before starting university to get the opportunity to travel, volunteer, gain work experience or earn money.  If you want to go to university but also want to take a gap year, you can select to defer your entry. 

You may decide to go straight into full time employment after your A-Levels. You must create a CV which highlights your educational achievements, work experience and skills you have that make you a suitable candidate for the job. It is also useful to practice interview questions and techniques. 

During sixth form I applied for a variety of universities through UCAS (University of Leeds, University of Manchester, University of Hull, University of Birmingham). I knew I wanted to do a course with Geography however my preference was Geography and Geology. There were not many universities in the UK that offered this course.  I ended up at the University of Leeds studying Geography and Geology.  I really enjoyed my time at university- it was fun living away from home with friends, being independent but some of the courses were very challenging.  There was a lot of hard work over the 3 years, including some very late nights finishing assignments! After university I knew I wanted to become a teacher, but didn't want to go straight into teacher training. I went on a gap year and visited South East Asia (India, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam) for 5 months. For the rest of the year I had a job to gain some experience. I completed my teacher training at Leeds Beckett University, which was a one year course. Once I graduated I moved down south to Croydon to start teaching.