• Question: Hey Suze! Just wondering if you managed to do any voluntary during your A Level years? If so, do you feel that this was certainly something that set you apart from the other applications? Thanks, Gab :-)

    Asked by gabyorr to Suze on 15 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Suze Kundu

      Suze Kundu answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      Hey Gab!

      You make it sound like Community Service 😛 I didn’t do much volunteering, although my school were good at finding opportunities where we could help out, like running clubs for the younger kids, being prefects, helping organise charity days (we had one HUGE one every year, which was a known social event around my area!) and even singing carols in the old people’s home around the corner from school.

      I think it’s important that you do other things besides just studying though. It keeps you healthy in mind and body, but it also shows that you are an all rounded person. Everyone works so hard in school these days, and everyone gets brilliant grades, so when it comes to choosing one person over another for places at University, you need something else under your belt that will make you stand out. I had ballet and music, and other sports and things.

      I think that your ballet is a really good thing to keep up with, as it shows commitment to something, especially getting all the way up to Advanced Foundation. It also shows that you’ve got good time management skills, as you’ve had to fit homework around three classes a week (more around exam time!), and that you don’t just stick your head in books. You have interpersonal skills. I’d also always mention your hobbies, because I think that universities know that for them to accept someone with a real personality is of benefit to them. You’d basically be representing your university, and you’ll become attached to it for life, and they gain as much from you as you do from them.

      Do you do any volunteering? If you get the chance, and you can manage the extra time constraints, I would say that it definitely doesn’t hurt, and it can only make your applications stronger!

      Any other questions? When do you get RAD results anyway?

Comments

  • Photo: gabyorr

    gabyorr commented on :

    Hey 🙂

    That’s a great help, thank you so much.

    I’m currently trying to get some volunteer work on the go, but starting off is hard so I’m being persistent and will hopefully know about placements coming available within the next few weeks. Fingers crossed!

    My results should be on the way in about 5 weeks or so, I’ll let you know haha! 😉

  • Photo: Suze

    Suze commented on :

    It’s a great idea if you have the time, as otherwise you graduate from Uni, try and get a job, but they want someone with experience in something. Only you can’t get experience until someone gives you a job – which of course, you can’t get without any experience, so it’s a vicious circle really! Good luck with the placements 🙂

    And yes, definitely let me know about your results! We’ll have to see whether we would be able to keep in touch with all of the schools in our zone, maybe with a monthly update from the five of us or something, and news back from you guys. Would be lovely to see whether you’ve decided on courses and Universities, and what you all want to do!