In April, the whole of Lower Sixth travelled to Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre for a UCAS fair.
The day started with a bus journey that saw us driving through the gates to the Farnborough International Airport, much to the confusion of the majority of the year group. When queuing for the entrance in the warm sunshine and a refreshing breeze, similarities were drawn to queues for concerts – though that’s about where the similarities stopped, excluding the merchandise.
For a couple of hours, we made our way around a vast hall filled with brightly coloured stands and other students from around the country, meeting and talking to countless people. This not only benefited us in terms of giving us further insights into courses and university life but also gave us opportunities to practice our pitches for presenting ourselves and networking with others.
There was something for everyone at the UCAS fair, what with their being representatives from 122 universities, including those in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. There were also careers advisers present, who were there throughout the day, as well as people providing guidance for those wanting to go into teaching – who also handed out sweets, which were very well-received! There was a café in the building too, a place that became increasingly popular towards lunchtime and it had a balcony overlooking the airport, which many people sat on to eat their lunch. For anyone wanting a break, where was a ‘Chill & Charge’ station, complete with sofas and mounds of Lego for a calm rest from the bustle of the hall.
Throughout the day there were talks on multiple topics, ranging from subject-specific talks to ones about apprenticeships. The most highly attended talks were the ones giving guidance surrounding UCAS applications personal statements. When speaking to a member of Lower Sixth, she praised the talks as “including more specific information about which co-curricular activities [she] could get involved in to include in her personal statement.”
Other students also praised the level of information communicated, with one saying “I enjoyed networking with both universities that I aspire to be at and those that are new to me.” Others also praised the university merchandise given out, saying “I found it [the event] really useful – and got lots of handy bags too!”. A particular highlight was the sunglasses and bucket hats given out by a few universities, along with the stress balls, socks and flashing pens. Safe to say, everyone got both knowledge and goodies out of the experience! Safe to say, the trip left us all with both a lot more knowledge about university and an abundance of goodies!
