As previously mentioned on this blog, this means that they are offering you a place to be a student at their university, on the course you applied for, provided that you fulfil certain conditions.

These will be related to your grades so, for example, they might ask that you get three B grades at A level. It is then up to you to accept this conditional offer.

But what happens if you accept it, and then your grades aren’t as good as were expected and you don’t meet the conditions of the offer? Can you still do your chosen course at the university?

Applying for university courses through clearing

If you don’t get your conditional grades for university, then you still might be able to go and be a student there.

The process called ‘clearing’ is a way that you can apply for similar courses at different universities or a different course at the university of your choice.

The first thing that you need to do is to get on to the phone to the Admissions Officer at your chosen university. Your tutor should be able to help you with this.

You might find, when speaking to the Admissions Officer, that they will accept you on the course anyway. Tell them about what skills you will bring to the university to try and help the decision.

If not, then they may offer you an alternative, but similar course. For example, if you applied for English and Media Studies, they may offer you Media Studies and Drama. Don’t immediately discount any of their offers as you might end up enjoying the new course more.

In the following days, a list of ‘clearing’ places should appear in national newspapers, so keep an eye out, and check out this guide.

Of course, you need to decide where you want to go and what you want to study but, once you have decided that, then it is time to apply.

In the UK, you apply though UCAS, which means that all applications go to the same place. UCAS will then forward them on to the Admissions Officer at your chosen university, who will decide, through a variety of reasons, if you will be offered a place at their university on your chosen course.

What universities can offer when you apply

They can choose to offer you a few different university offers, or of course decline your application completely.

If they do decide to offer you something, then it could be an Unconditional Place, which means that whatever grades you get, you can still go to the university. These are very rare, as you might be able to imagine, but what is more common is a Conditional Place. This means that you can come to the university on your chosen course, provided that you get certain grades.

If you don’t get these grades then you may be able to get through on Clearing, but this is another process that I will explain in a later blog post. The UCAS website can explain more, so check it out before you apply.

You may have applied for a job successfully and now have an interview for the next step of the process. This is a really good opportunity to get your personality across and hopefully show the company that you would be an asset to them.

However, something important to remember with interviews is that they are a two-way process.

Having an interview also gives you the chance to assess if you think you would fit in within the company, if it’s the type of job you would like and if you could progress within your chosen career. If you do decide this is the job for you, then go for it!

Tips for graduates in job interviews

Interviews are the perfect way for a graduate to show an employer all the skills they have learnt at university and in any work experience or job they have done.

Remember that they will have had your CV and application already, so you don’t need to go into a timeline of previous experience; instead, pick a few examples and show what they have taught you, and how you could use these skills in their workplace.

Let your personality shine through; don’t be afraid of laughing or smiling, but do take the interview seriously. How you present yourself is equally important.

For the most part, it is usually better to over-dress than under-dress; that is, to dress too smartly instead of too scruffily. This includes shoes so don’t let your footwear ruin your interview outfit. For more tips on dressing for interviews, look at this site.

Lots of students who have recently graduated will be in the same position of looking for jobs, so you need to make sure you stand out when it comes to applying. Your application will be up against lots of graduates, as currently there is an average of ten applicants per job.

Students are often in a similar situation, in that they might have the same degree in the same classification, even perhaps from the same university, so anything extra you have will really help you to be noticed on your job application.

Tips for graduates applying for jobs

So, how do you make your job vacancy application stand out against the other graduates? Perhaps the most important thing for a graduate to consider in their job application in their CV.

If you make your CV stand out and tick every box that the recruiter is looking for, then you will be much more likely to be invited for interview, and thus will be one step closer to getting that job.

I will be writing more about CVs in upcoming blog posts, but one thing to remember is to research the company properly and then tailor your CV to them. Don’t send out the same CV to all the jobs you are applying for, as it won’t seem personal to the company.

Check out some other tips for applying for jobs here (and what not to do!), and good luck with your application.

You face the prospect of looking for a job, you may feel unsettled in the course you chose to do, and be at a crossroads about where to go and what to do next.

You may even be thinking about which town, city or even country you should live in. Many people return home after university, to the town where they are from or where their parents live.

I decided not to do this because the town I am from is very small and there are not very good job opportunities. However, if there are job opportunities in the place you are from, then this can be a good option, as it will give you a bit of time out and a place to base yourself in while you consider your next move.

What to do when you’ve graduated from university

There are other things that you can when you’ve graduated of course, and you can find out some good ideas by talking to some alumni from your university.

Many people choose to go travelling when they have finished university, as it gives them the time and space to decide what they will do next, while still getting to see some amazing places in the world.

You could also consider volunteering somewhere, as this will enhance your CV and let you try out the kind of work that you might end up doing.

See this website for more ideas, and good luck; it’s an exciting time to be a graduate.

If you live with a lot of others students, on campus or in a house, then food shopping can be a particularly confusing thing. You may have to decide if you’re going to cook together, eat together, do the food shopping together and other decisions like that.

And if you don’t eat together, then it can be hard making nutritious and interesting meals for one person, especially if you’re on a budget.

That’s why shopping online is a really good idea when it comes to food.

The benefits of buying online as a student

When you’re a university student, buying your food online can save you money, which is very important for students!

This is because you will not be tempted by other items in the shop, like you would if you were walking around a supermarket. Most online supermarkets, such as Tesco or Sainsbury’s also display their special offers online too, so you won’t be missing out.

It also means you won’t have to lug all your shopping back home, which can be heavy and annoying. Even if you have a shop on campus, the prices may be high or there may not be a big range of items, especially fresh fruit or vegetables.

This is a great website to look at: it compares the cost of your items at all the major supermarkets so you can find out which one is the cheapest to shop at.

Cycling really is an amazing way to save money. Not many students can afford to run a car while at university; most of them simply find it too expensive. I had a car for one term when I was at university, and they really cost a lot to keep on the road.

Pertrol prices have risen to their highest yet, plus you will also have to buy insurance, tax, a parking permit, not to mention of anything goes wrong with your car and you have to pay to get it repaired.

The beauty of having a bike is that, one you have paid for it, there isn’t much more money that you need to spend out on it.

Having a bicycle while at university

If you choose to cycle instead of drive a car or use public transport, then you will save money at university, as well as getting fit.

It’s a healthy way to get around, as you are exercising without really realising it, even if you are just going across campus. It can even be quicker than driving sometimes, as you can go on bike paths and not have to queue in the traffic.

You will need to get a lock and soome bike lights, as well as perhaps some high-vis clothing, but you can get all of this for under about £30 if you look online. Sites such as Wiggle sell a lot of biking attire at cheap prices, and usually with free delivery too.

It might seem like a long time ago, but, I remember, when I was at university, everyone organised their houses just after Christmas. I don’t know if we were just very organised, but it seemed like, if you wanted a good house for not a huge amount of money, then you have to start looking around now.

And if you’ve decided who you’re going to live with, and even picked the location, then you might be thinking about viewing houses soon. But what are the things you have to consider and look out for when you go to see the houses?

What to look for in a university house

When it comes to looking at university houses with your other student friends, there are a few things to keep in mind.

You might think that a garden would be a really nice addition to the house, but you have to think, are you really going to use it that much? Remember that you won’t actually be in the student house over the summer months, so the garden must just end up being an unused space that you have to keep tidy.

Also, think about how safe and secure the house is. Are all the doors and windows lockable and sturdy?

Furniture is also important; you don’t want lots of fancy or precious items if you don’t think you can look after them properly. It’s better to have practical things. This website has absolutely everything you need to consider; it’s a great resource.

Woollard then threw an empty metal fire extinguisher off the roof, which nearly hit a line of police officers that were at the scene below.

Woollard was caught on camera, and gave himself up at a police station and admitted throwing the fire extinguisher. Today, the news is that he was sentenced to the jail term for violent disorder.

Students protest about rising university fees

The students and other protesters, back in November, were protesting about the rising cost of university fees, which may be as much as £7,000 a year.

This could have a huge knock-on effect for the number of students that can afford to attend university, which will, in turn, affect how many people graduate and can get graduate jobs.

At the protests, over 50 people were arrested, as students took to the streets of London in an attempt to raise awareness of the issue, and how it may stop those wanting to go to university from being able to do so.

Read more about the Edward Woollard case on the BBC website.

Whether you live on campus, at home or in private accommodation, then there are always risks of being the victims of robbery.

Students are often target by thieves because the average amount of belongings that student has can range from £2,000 to £6,000 in value (and can be even be more than that). Student houses are often targetedbecause, depending on the amount of people living in the house, there is usually more than one of every item.

For example, in a family home, there is often just one computer, but in a student house, each student may have a computer, a mobile phone and a camera. Thieves also know that student houses are usually empty in the holidays.

Protect yourself from having your possessions stolen

Having possessions stolen as a student can be expensive, frustrating and make university a difficult place to be, so make sure you are as secure as possible.

One really good idea is to mark your belongings with a UV pen. You can get these for free at police stations and, if you write your postcode or something similar on laptops, for example, then they can be traced back to you if they’re found.

Also, make a note of your mobile phone’s IMEI number. You can find this by pressing *#06# on your phone and it means that, if your phone is stolen, you can use this number to deactivate your phone, rendering it worthless to thieves.

This blog has a great ‘Top 15′ list of how to keep your personal belongings safe, so have a look.