Do "points always make prizes"?

On the day that Year 13 students across the nation are opening the envelopes that many see as containing their destinies, it's worth considering some statistics published by the Independent Newspaper earlier this year ...

And of course remembering that while three or four letters in an envelope may well record a candidate's effort, ability and the support they received from teachers, family and friends, they can never be a measure of the "whole person" and rarely convey an individual's personal qualities and those all-important employability skills ...

UCAS Personal Statements advice

As it's "that time of year again", it might be useful to revisit the UCAS list of Top 10 overused and cliched phrases students use in their Personal Statements.

From a young age I have (always) been ...

For as long as I can remember I have ...

I am applying for this course because ...

I have always been interested in ...

Throughout my life, I have always enjoyed ...

Reflecting on my educational experience ...

XX is a very challenging and demanding (career/profession/course) ...

Academically, I have always been ...

I have always wanted to pursue a career in ...

I have always been passionate about ...

UCAS has released the information to encourage applicants to "convey a connection with the subject" in language that made them stand out. Their chief executive, Mary Curnock Cook, said: "The Personal Statement is supposed to be personal. Learning to write about yourself in a compelling way is a vital skill when applying for jobs; using hackneyed phrases is not the best way to stand out.

Predicted grades system questioned

A study by the University and College Union says no other developed country uses forecasts of results for university admissions and that in 2016 only 16% of predictions for three A-levels or equivalent were accurate. UCAS says that the most recent figures suggest that predicted grades are usually higher than the actual results, with 73% of applicants doing less well than forecast. The UCU report calls for an 'urgent overhaul' of the application system, so that pupils would know their actual exam grades before making their final applications. 

Do video lectures work?

A study from Kings College of a BSc course before and after it offered video capture for lectures, found that attendance plummeted and grades went down. The study found that the number of students missing classes doubled to 40% and those who did not attend had significantly lower coursework grades. 

Rise in First Class degrees awarded

Recent figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show that in 2016-17, 26% of students gained a First Class degree, compared with 18% in 2012-13. At Wolverhampton University, the number of "Firsts" has risen from 5% in 2006-7 to 28% in 2016-17; at Liverpool University they rose from 12% to 27% in the same period. Surrey students are evidently the brightest in the UK, as 41% of them received a First Class degree last year, compared with only 33% at Oxford and 32% at Cambridge.

Millennials are reluctant to switch careers

A survey by of 1,000 young workers by Teach First has found that 53% of the "millennial generation" (those born between 1980 and 1999) have remained in the same job sector, with 3 out of 10 not moving on as they worry about starting at entry level in a new sector, or they fear that a career change will not work out. The charity said that the survey disabuses the stereotype of’ "footloose millennials" constantly swapping careers, rather than opting for a job for life and suggests young workers have more in common with prior generations.

Healthy employment prospects for Graduates

The latest edition of What do graduates do? reveals that the graduate labour market in 2016 was in relatively good health. Of the 248,525 UK-domiciled first-degree graduates who responded to the survey: 

• 74.2% of graduates were in employment six months after graduating. 
• Only 5.3% were unemployed - the lowest rate since 1989. 
• 71.3% of employed graduates were in a professional-level job. 
• 21% of graduates went on to full or part-time further study. 
• The average salary for graduates in full-time employment in the UK was £21,776.