UK Higher Education Fair

Our day at the  Fair started just before 10 am when we arrived outside the magnificent building of the Emirates Stadium. I had high hopes and expectations for this event, and they were not only fulfilled but exceeded. Upon entering the Stadium, one could not dispute the fact that there was clearly an immense amount of effort put into making the Fair as interesting and informative as possible. Everywhere you looked there was a countless number of universities represented from all across the UK. There were one or two people acting as representatives for each university, and they were extremely kind and helpful in answering any questions one had about the university, and providing leaflets and booklets containing any other relevant information and contact details.

In addition to this, there was several seminars taking place throughout the day, designed to provide further information surrounding university. The first revolved around the financial aspects, for example bursaries, scholarships and student loans. I had a vague idea about each of these before attending the seminar, and I left possessing a whole lot of new knowledge which will certainly come in useful in the future. The second seminar was about personal statements, and left me feeling much more confident and assured about writing a personal statement myself, as opposed to feeling worried and helpless as I had felt before. Applications to Oxford and Cambridge were also covered in a detailed seminar providing excellent advice for those students at St James' who will be going through this process this time next year.

University was not the only focus of the fair. For those who do not wish to pursue that path, there were plenty of different apprenticeship providers represented in the same way as the universities, again consisting of leaflets and booklets being handed out, with representatives who were always happy to answer questions. There were also lots of student related organisations at the Fair, to inspire and educate us in a number of different causes. For instance, one group was giving out ice cream with edible insects. Initially, I was perplexed by such an idea, however they went on to explain about the growing pressure on food sources, and the available alternatives we could use, in this case insects.

Overall, I feel as though the UK Higher education Fair has been an unforgettable opportunity, and the huge amounts of information I had obtained from it will be hugely beneficial in helping me to shape my future.

Nepheli Kreps

Year 12