In 2006, I approached a student called Kishore from India about the possibility of joining his team for an international competition called ThinkQuest run by Oracle. They have won the contest in previous years, and it was something that looked really interesting.

We worked really hard for several months, spending a lot of time on the site and meeting to chat online every week. It took a great deal of time, and we finished the project a month or so ago. The results and winners are announced on the 14th June so I’m waiting for that date with baited breath.

If we come in one of the winning positions, we will receive a laptop and a trip to Think Quest live, an event in San Francisco later this year. It would be a really great honour and it’ll be interesting to see whether our site was good enough to come in 1st, 2nd or 3rd place.

You can take a look here and judge it for yourself! I’ll keep you posted on the outcome…

I went to see Air on their new Pocket Symphony tour at Manchester Academy a couple of days ago and was really impressed. It was the last gig to be played at Academy before it is pulled down a rebuilt in a complete re-fit. I’m looking forward to seeing what the new venue will be like, as it’s one of my favourites for seeing live music round Manchester. It really has a personal feel and lets you get up close.

Their new album is really good, and a great addition to my collection. They played a really good mix of tracks, some from their really early stuff and some much more recent. Some of the ones which stood out from the rest were Cherry Blossom Girl, Le Femme d’Argent and the tracks off their new album which seemed to have a real energy and passion.

They weren’t quite what I expected. Firstly, I didn’t realise that the vocals were performed by one of the main artists. I thought that they had several external female vocalists and it was a surprise to hear some of the notes the guy could hit! Also, they had a serious amount of equipment - several synthesisers and keyboards, all working and layering together to create their unique sound.

I’d really recommend checking out their new album and catching them on tour if it’s the style of music you’re into!

It’s been a while since I went away anywhere on holiday, and I’ve just spend a really nice weekend away in Edinburgh. We took the train up (first class!) on Saturday and came back on Monday, staying at the Apex International hotel. The weather left a little to be desired, but we still managed to see quite a lot and get to grips with the city. It’s a great place for a short break, and I’m looking forward to going back again sometime in the future.

My time at Manchester University is going incredibly quickly. I’ve been staying in Dalton Ellis Hall for several months and I’ve recently had to make the decision of picking a house to stay in next year. We wanted to stay in the same area (Victoria Park), and looked round several over the last week. We settled on this one yesterday and signed the contracts.

It’s quite a big decision, and a lot of money to commit to. I’m glad we’ve found somewhere decent to spend next year, and hopefully make our own!

I’ve been lucky enough to gain a President’s Award from Manchester University. I could go on further, but the press release from the University seems to From Manchester University

Students awarded £10,000 scholarships from The University of Manchester

NINE students have been awarded prestigious £10,000 a year Scholarships to study at The University of Manchester.

The awards are reserved for ‘the best of the best’. Only the very highest academic credentials are considered, with eligibility depending not only on at least three “A” grades at A-level, including grade “A” in every module, but also on the results of a “Thinking Skills Assessment,” a special examination and an interview.

In addition, the award holders have demonstrated personal qualities indicating that they have the potential to make distinctive contributions to University and the wider community.

The University of Manchester wants to strengthen its reputation as a preferred destination for many of the best and brightest students from across the UK and throughout the world. This new President’s Awards programme of up to ten generous, highly prestigious scholarships is one element in a range of programmes designed to encourage outstanding students to come to Manchester, irrespective of their capacity to pay.

The President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Gilbert, in congratulating the new President’s Scholars, said how important it was for one of the country’s foremost research institutions also to be seen to be investing heavily in creating opportunities for students. Professor Gilbert said: “We want the brightest young people in the UK increasingly to see Manchester as a logical and rewarding choice, just as we want a wider scholarship programme to ensure that no able student is denied a place in Manchester because of an inability to pay.”

Accompanying these Awards, Manchester has a multi-million pound programme of widening participation scholarships and bursaries reserved for able students from low-income families.

The University also invests very considerable time and resources into a range of widening participation initiatives concentrating on the needs of primary and secondary schools and their pupils in educationally deprived areas of Greater Manchester.

The nine inaugural Award holders are:

• David Appleyard, 18, from Skircoat Green in Halifax (BSc Management)
• Thomas Esler, 19, from By-Cupar in Fife (BA Classics)
• Katie Maltman, 18, from Ilkley in West Yorks (MB ChB Medicine)
• Philip Bull, 18, from Meir Park in Stoke-on-Trent (MPhys Physics with Astronomy)
• Rupert Gaze, 35, from Stalybridge (MB ChB Medicine with foundation year)
• Christopher Devlin, 19, from Limavady in Londonderry (BA Law with Politics)
• Ruth Watkinson, 19, from West Bridgford in Nottingham (BSc Biochemistry with industrial experience)
• Kiran Horwich, 18, from Ealing in London (BA History)
• Laura Roddis, 18, from Wrexham in North Wales (BSc Speech and Language Therapy)

A great deal of my time at the moment has been taken up with applying to university. From going to open days and looking around over a year ago, to the position I’m in at the moment where I’m moving out in 5 days, it’s been a really interesting and unique experience. I’m going to write an overview of what I’ve gone through, and share some tips and experiences.

What to look for

The course comes first. By far the most important thing to decide is what you’re going to want to study for three or four years of your life. Once you’ve come to that conclusion, you need to realistically assess what grades you’re going to get at A level. Then, just simply look for the highest regarded university who is likely to make you an offer.

Look at distance from home, accommodation (catered or not, ensuite or not), the size of the city it’s in, cost of living and all the other things you can think of. Factor it all in, and come to a decision of 5 universities.

Personal Statement

Applying through UCAS online is a very simple process - by far the most complicated aspect is writing your personal statement. I had guidance from all over when writing mine, but the most important pieces of advice were to keep it concise, cover all your strengths and explain specifically why you want to be on that exact course. You of course can’t be specific to one university, but ideally be specific and positive about that course. This is a copy of what was (almost) the final draft of my personal statement:

In Year 10, I was given the opportunity to complete a work placement at HBOS PLC in Halifax. This first experience of the business environment fascinated me, and from then on I have been interested in a career in management. My thoughts have been confirmed by two subsequent work placements. I spent one week at the O2 head office in Leeds, which involved looking at how the company operates as a whole as well as on a departmental level. This helped to improve my communication skills, by allowing me to talk to several different people on a daily basis about their role in the company. I also visited DLKW, a London-based marketing company (a placement I organised myself). It was amazing to see a large-scale London based company working with clients from across the world. I particularly enjoyed being shown the process of constructing a marketing campaign - from the initial brief to the finished product.

Through a degree in management, I hope to open up new opportunities for myself in that career field. I would like to focus on a generic management course (rather than a combined or specialised degree), as I enjoy looking at how the various aspects of management link together in an organisation. All my A-Levels involve being committed to the subject, working on coursework, and managing my time successfully. I enjoy AVCE Business, as it covers several different aspects of management and gives me the chance to look at how processes function in actual companies. These have included organisations such as Apple, who I have a particular interest in. I occasionally write for a website called ‘The Apple Blog’, reviewing Apple related products. AVCE offers a good combination of coursework and examined modules, which has allowed me to improve on both these methods of assessment.

I completed the OCR IT qualification to a Level 3 Diploma standard, to have something to show for the ICT skills I had acquired over previous years. It helped to educate me about business documents, and improved my proof-reading skills. I am also taking part in a Young Enterprise scheme with a group of other students, setting up a small business within college with the aim to make a profit.

I follow an interest in the Internet and computers, and have been designing websites for various companies since I was 13. This has involved liaising regularly with clients ranging from hypnotherapists to a film production company (even attending film premieres!). I also started to offer ‘web hosting’ in 2004, reselling packages to around 30 customers across the world (offering them space to put their company’s website online). This entailed setting up invoicing/payment systems, and has taught me to manage my finances. The venture was profitable from the outset.

I enjoy playing sport, and have recently been selected for a local tennis team. I have played squash for several years, and started to take lessons in golf last summer. I also enjoy playing the keyboard and have gained a merit in Grade 5 theory. I have completed six months voluntary work at a local Christian bookshop, and this has lead to working in various local schools with a Christian charity called CICS. This involves making regular presentations to classes and assemblies, a new skill for me. I am continuing with voluntary work this year, with a view to complete the Millennium Volunteers award in early 2006.

I am thoroughly looking forward to studying management at university. The chance to focus on the subject I have a passion for is a fantastic opportunity.

That’s the style that I followed, and it seemed to work fine for me. You obviously need to think long and hard about your personal statement as it’s something that can really set you apart from the rest of the crowd.

Responses

You then hear back gradually from one university after another as they let you know whether they have accepted your application or turned you away for one of various reasons. I was rejected from Warwick and Bath universities, I believe because they didn’t really accept the Double AVCE Qualification which I was working on. You then need to choose two to submit further as your Firm and Insurance choice. Your Firm choice is the one you definitely want to go to providing you get the grades. Your Insurance is generally a university which has slightly lower requirements, but which you would still be happy to go to.

Results…

This is always a tense time, whether you’re desperate to get your results to proceed to university, or whether you are just curious to see how you’ve done. If you get the grades you need, then you’re contacted by your university to welcome you into your place. If not, you need to go through a process called Clearing, where you compete for the remaining places which weren’t filled by other candidates.

Accommodation

Once you’ve confirmed your place at a university, you need to go through the process of applying for accommodation. This is often very much a decision about how much you’re willing to spend. It ranges from around £2500 to £5000 per year, and there’s a lot of scope for the quality of accommodation you’d like to stay at. Often, ‘Halls of Residence’ are provided to every student moving in in their first year. You are often expected to find your own accommodation in the years afterwards. This works well, as staying in Halls gives you a great opportunity to settle in and socialise in your first year at university. Or there’s always a camper van…

Leaving

Then you’re off! It’s incredible how quickly this process flies by - it doesn’t seem like two minutes since I was attending open days and looking into where to go. I’m thoroughly looking forward to moving out and experiencing university for myself - I’ve heard great things about it!