Extracurriculars to push you to the top of the acceptance lists.
Are you thinking about further education after college? Maybe you’re wanting to make the best impression possible on your university application?
With the Easter and summer holidays swiftly arriving, I think everyone could use a couple of months to themselves. However, if you are not one of those people who enjoy their alone time, how about contributing to your community while simultaneously elevating your qualifications to their limit? Here are some activities you can participate in that directly correlate to each subject you may do:
If you currently take English or Journalism you could start a blog or news media site by going out and researching stories in your town and documenting what you find, not only to publish online but to improve your media skills. This would be useful in the future, especially if you’re thinking about a job in journalism. You may also volunteer at your local newspaper or radio station. In your spare time you can write a letter to your local station showing your enthusiasm and commitment to volunteering and developing your skills, contributing to your community and creating an early start into your career by getting firsthand experience in a real workplace.
A STEM subject gives you the opportunity to become a STEM ambassador giving you the power to teach your pre-existing skills to younger people by presenting in schools, mentoring young individuals and contributing your own ideas to people who are interested in STEM. To become a STEM Ambassador, you can visit stem.org.uk and create an account, then sign up to be considered for an ambassador position. Putting this on any application will immediately show your commitment to STEM and highlights you as an acting member in your community by supporting local schools. Another option is to tutor maths to younger individuals: you could ask your college if they provide any tutoring opportunities and ask to get involved. If your college doesn’t offer this, then consider applying to be a UKMT volunteer; they are an organisation that supports schools in the UK by offering volunteers to go and support students through more complex maths problems in both term time and during the holidays.
Being involved in Art, Fashion Design, Textiles or Photography means you can do what you already love by allowing you to create a portfolio, a curated collection of samples of your best work to show to employers and college administrators. This not only shows your skills, but also distinguishes your own unique style from others’ Along with that, you can also volunteer at your local art gallery where you can invigilate and develop your customer service skills and art knowledge simply by being around various artworks, whether your favourite mode is painting, sculpting, photography or fashion.
Participating in PE, Dance, Sports Coaching or Sports Science means you could coach your local team with training sessions to gain connections with aspiring athletes. This would further develop your own skills by allowing you to teach what you already know to younger individuals who are interested. Similarly, you might want to support your local team by helping to organise events or even assist in running their social media sites.
Universities are not only interested in grades but also how you contribute to your local community and how you show your commitment to a certain subject outside of college. Priestley offers many of their own enrichments such as the High Achievers’ Programme and Sports Elite+ to help young people develop their skills and keep them ahead of the competition when it comes to university applications. These opportunities not only make you stand out from the crowd, but also develop your own skills in a way that classroom learning can’t by being hands on and interactive.
All these things can be done in the summer holidays, so if you’re ever bored of sitting inside all day, go out and do something that you love while also contributing to your future aspirations!
