This is just a little reminder that in order to become part of the clearing process this year, students need to register using  the online UCAS application form by 30th June 2010.  I have included the link here for your information: www.ucas.ac.uk/students/apply/#

UCAS have also developed a new iphone app which allows you to track your applications progress www.ucas.com/news/june/ucasapp

The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) recently conducted their annual survey and found that the numbers of adults in the UK interested in further education has hit a 20 year high!

Apparently 47% of the UK adult population are planning to participate in some form of study in the next three years which is great news. Interestingly, the survey discovered that the adults who stated that they were ‘very unlikely’ to sign up to further education in the next three years has significantly dropped from 47% last year to 34%.

One of the obvious reasons for this surge in further education interest is the current recession and fears about job security as a consequence.

• Three in five full time employees stated that they planned to study in the next 3 years. This is a jump of 13% from 2009.
• 58% of part time workers have indicated that they also planned to participate in further education.
• Two thirds of job seekers interviewed also said that studying was high on their agenda.
• The under 25’s are particularly keen to get involved in further education this year, as youth unemployment is currently high. Apparently three quarters of 17-24 year olds who have just left full time education plan to study again within the next 3 years.
• A third of those aged between 55-64 and a fifth of those aged 65-74 are also planning to further their knowledge and career prospects by signing up for further education.

The Chief Executive of NIACE, Alan Tuckett believes that a “growing appetite” for adult learning in Britain is a positive consequence of the recession. He stated that “We must make sure that provision of all sorts is available to respond to it. The government will need to resist the temptation to cut back on further education and training as it seeks to balance the books, employers will need to reverse the reductions of the past couple of years, and we will all need to be creative in exploiting the opportunities presented by the new technologies. For a country that relies for its prosperity on the creativity and skill of its people, investment in adult learning is as important as investment in the banks.”

Before starting writing your dissertation, its worthwhile checking all of the requirements so that you know what you are dealing with.

Firstly, you need to check the submission date – this sounds like a very simple, obvious task, however, knowing when your dissertation has to be delivered is key to planning your schedule so you can allocate appropriate time to complete this. You many wish to check if there are deadlines for different sections. Good communication with your tutor is essential as they are there to help and guide you through this process.

Secondly, you need to check the word count. Is there an overall word count for the entire document or is there a word count per section? Clarifying this point before you commence is important so that you understand the expectations. It’s also worth checking if there are any guidelines about formatting which need to be followed.

Set out your Plan

Take time out to plan the structure for each of the areas of your dissertation – by breaking it up into manageable tasks/sections it makes the process feel alot less daunting. The key is to write little and often, at times which suit you best – some of us write best in the morning, whilst others find they are much more productive in the evenings – the key is to factor these timings in to your plan.

You will be surprised how much you can accomplish in short effective bursts. Create a timetable which is realistic and which is one you think you can stick to. Also, ensure that you factor additional time so that you will achieve each of the deadlines – keeping a few days up your sleeve at every key stage is advisable. You should also factor in time for reading and editing to refine your final submissions.

Prepare your Dissertation Section by Section

You don’t need to write your dissertation in any specific order – how you tackle it is very much up to you. However, it is advisable that when you finish making notes for a specific section, type it up. This helps from a psychological perspective…sections are completed as you go so you don’t have a huge pile of notes to write up all at once, therefore, you have a greater sense of achievement as you can see that you are gradually making progress.

Stumbling Blocks

When faced with the preparation of a large document we can all suffer from a touch of ‘writers block’. This is normal and nothing to be concerned about. However there are some tips which can help you overcome these situations.

One idea is to spend a little time preparing a mind map, detailing all the areas which you need to cover. Writing notes related to each heading can assist in organising thoughts, concepts and ideas and can help you to organise them. This is a great exercise to do for each section – this way you can ensure all of your key points are covered in each. If you are really struggling, don’t panic – you could use this time effectively to review notes or sections which you have completed. Sometimes taking a little step back and reviewing other pieces you have already written inspires new thoughts which you can develop and include – this way you won’t beat yourself up about ‘wasted time’.

If you find that you really are struggling, taking some time out to go for a walk, read a book, or perhaps meet a friend for coffee can really help. A little time away can help you regain your composure for further inspired writing.

The My Jotter Social Network has been specially developed for you so that you can interact with other students and educators, reaping the benefits of their knowledge, insights and advice.

This network should help you enormously when you are trying to digest information and ideas and should help you to prepare for your assignments and exams.

All you need to do is get involved.  If you have a specific interest or are currently studying a particular topic you can join the specific group to share experiences.

There are many benefits

• Speaking with students who are studying the same course can be a great motivation if you feel a little overwhelmed with things, or if you’re feeling a bit stressed out with the workload.  You’re never alone and getting involved can give you that ‘boost’ and encouragement to go the distance.
• If you are stuck on a particular issue, you have a network of ‘friends’ to whom you can turn to for help and advice.  They will be able to share their thoughts and help set you in the right direction, by sharing course notes and information. They may also suggest ideas which you had not previously considered! Likewise you can do the same for them!  Explaining a concept or knowledge of a specific subject matter to others helps reinforce your own understanding of it – this is a great confidence booster.
• Your study ‘friends’ can help you to adopt good study habits which you will find very useful.
• Interacting with others who are studying the same topics can make the course much more enjoyable – let’s face it, studying in isolation can be a little boring.  It’s great to meet like minded people and get inspiration from them.  You may end up becoming life long buddies with some of your study group members, and perhaps stick around to assist the next wave of students coming through.

We hope that you make the most of this unique network and that you reap all the benefits for becoming a member!

Today, there are many ways that you can fund your further education – so if there is a course that you would really like to do, don’t let finances be a barrier to knowledge and self improvement!

If you are in employment and plan on furthering your career within that organisation, speak with your employer to see what kind of funding is available.

Many companies allocate a specific budget for training each year therefore, if you present a good case they may cover the costs, as ultimately, they will benefit.

Another option, would be to get a bursary.  There are a number of charities and organisations which offer this type of support and each year many of these go unclaimed. To check eligibility for bursaries in England and Wales click here, and for information on bursaries in Scotland click here. These sites give full details of the requirements and what expenses will be covered as a result of a successful application. Its well worth checking out these options to see if you qualify.

You may have some savings which you propose to use to fund your study, however, this is more likely if you are already in full time employment. If self funding is not an option there is help at hand.  You may wish to consider a Professional / Career Development loan.

Essentially a Career Development loan is a bank loan and you can borrow between £300 and £10,000.  You apply for this in the same way that you would a regular bank loan (with a Bank who offers such a product). The main difference with this type of loan is that the Young Peoples Learning Agency (YPLA) will pay all the interest on the loan while you study and for one month after your studies are completed.  Once this period is up, you repay the loan in the usual manner paying a fixed rate from when you agreed the loan.  It’s worth investigating which banks are offering these specific products and you should also shop around for the best deal.

With the financials sorted, all you have to do is focus on your studies and achieving your goals.

Universities and Colleges Clearing Services (UCAS)

UCAS is the professional body which manages all higher education course applications within the UK. They currently process over 2 million applications for full-time undergraduate courses each year, ensuring that students find the right courses according to the exam results they have achieved.

What is clearing?

Clearing is a service whereby students whom, for whatever reason, have not secured a place at university, college or a further education institution and need to find vacancies on higher education courses after receiving their exam results.

Universities and colleges may have places available via Clearing due to a shortage of student applicants for a particular course; additional places being allocated to courses which have been added late in the cycle, or indeed, a new course which has only recently become available.  Its worth noting that Universities and Colleges don’t reduce their entry requirements for the clearing process, and, in some cases these requirements are raised due to demand, therefore when you are applying think long and hard before making your selections.

Between the months of July and September and all students who have applied to UCAS will have access to this helpful ‘clearing’ service.

How to become part of the clearing process?

To apply to become part of the clearing process students will need to complete the online UCAS application form before 30th June 2010.  UCAS have stated that all applications received after 30th June 2010 to 20th September 2010 will automatically be entered into the clearing process this year.

UCAS will process the application and will send you information on how you can effectively track this – they will provide you with step by step instructions to assist.

Please note that if you applied to UCAS for a university or college start date in 2009, your application will no longer be applicable, so if you find yourself in this position, ensure you apply again this year.

For students who do miss the 20th September deadline, these individuals will have to contact the universities and colleges themselves to discuss their options.  Therefore, it’s best to get organised and get your application in as soon as possible to avoid any unnecessary stress after exam results are released.

Students can utilise the clearing process if they:

• have submitted their application to UCAS for by the deadline stated above.
• have paid their application fee (currently this is £19).
• have not retracted their application for 2010.

Students will also need to meet at least one of the following criteria to become eligible:

• they currently hold no offers for university, college or further education courses, or
• the offers that they have received from any further education institution have not yet been confirmed as the conditions of the offer have not been met i.e the student didn’t get the required exam results, or,
• they have declined or not responded to any offers made, or,
• they have applied to UCAS after the 30th June 2010 deadline.  (Therefore UCAS will not have sent their application to any of the students selected list of  universities and colleges).

UCAS will list all available course vacancies on the mornings when Scottish Highers and Advanced highers are released and when A Level results are sent out.  The UCAS website will include the full list and this is also available in The Independent newspaper – they also publish available courses on the same date.

Developing a revision timetable not only keeps you organised, but helps to maintain your sanity during exam time.

When your faced with so much revision to do, it’s a great idea to set up a schedule of focussed study with breaks included so that you never feel overwhelmed.

Many Distance Learners have many things to juggle: work, family and study therefore, its important to set yourself a plan so that your revision is scheduled in ensuring that you achieve that balance.

It’s a good idea to make time to set up your revision timetable.  Mentally, this really helps you feel much more organised and leaves you to focus on the task in hand… focussed revision.

Tips for setting up your revision schedule:

Throughout this time, it’s important to really look after yourself.  There are many other useful study tips on the My Jotter site which should help. Eating well, keeping yourself hydrated and organising your study space are all detailed. Hopefully these hints and tips will be of great benefit to you.

I want to wish you all good things with your studies.  If you need any help or advice or even just a chat and moral support I’m here to help in any way I can.

Good luck everyone – you can do this!

A recent poll asking the opinion of 43 heads of further education colleges in England has discovered that they expect their adult learning budgets to be cut by as much as 25% in this financial year.

The Association of Colleges study found that many heads expect to see 16% of their adult learning courses cut, meaning that essential numeracy and literacy courses as well as many A-level and GCSE courses for adults courses may close completely.

The Government did indeed pledge to spend more than £3.5 billion on further education in 2010 / 2011 however, they also stated that they would cut £340 million from this sector in the same period.

Whilst we all understand that the Government is under huge pressures to reduce public sector spending, cutting funding for these essential courses can only be detrimental to the UK’s economic recovery in the longer term. Its important for young adults to have access to these courses in order to improve their career prospects so not rely on the state for unemployment and / or housing benefits etc.