Chance for Choice- Formerly known as Uni-not going

It's time for big things to happen.

I've started my career (visit www.thedigitalmarketingapprenticeship.wordpress.com) and now I'm settled, I'm ready to go full steam ahead with helping people.

So I thought for a long time about how I might go about taking this platform to the next step. 

First came the new name. Previously uni-notgoing was stepping on the toes of web-giant "notgoingtouni.com" and didn't fuly encompass the purpose of the bog. I want the bog to be more about not going to university, it needs to include university (as I have done in some posts) as well as YOUR other options. So, I came up with Chance for Choice (Please let me know what you think of the name) which hopefully doesn't exclude anyone. "Chance" first denoting that  the possibilities in everyone's lives, that you're not just limited to one route through life. "Choice" is an obvious one; YOUR life is about YOU and YOUR career is also about YOU- YOUR CHOICE.

Next, it seemed only fitting that as I am studying a digital marketing qualification, I use social media to promote my blog, with its own Facebook and Twitter pages (look out for links)

Finally, as part of the re-branding, I need a logo for Chance for Choice-again please let me know what you think: opinions, tweaks, criticisms,suggestions etc.

So here it is. Comment, Like, Follow and email me at riannaviggiano@googlemail.com for anything you'd like me to cover, any suggestions, if you have anything you'd like to see on here or any other ways I could help, I am grateful of anything.

I hope to be posting at least once a week with tips, comment features, news and opportunities. 

My Story: New Beginnings

I've started a digital marketing apprenticeship with Agilisys Arch, there will be more to follow, but if you want to know how I'm getting on each day, follow my new blog:
http://thedigitalmarketingapprenticeship.wordpress.com/

"I wish I had gone to Uni"

Your friends have left, your boyfriend has left, your girlfriend has left, people are being tagged in pictures on facebook of freshers' week left, right and centre. Everyone you know and love is off 200 miles away meeting new people, being introduced to their future spouse, getting drunk, partying and using lots of condoms and you're at home with your pet syrian hamster wondering "what on earth was I thinking when I decided not to go to university?!"
I'm here to tell you that that feeling is normal, and I guarantee 90% of people who actively decided not to go to uni feel the same. I certainly do.
All my friends have gone to uni in different corners of the country having the time of their life and I'm at home in London, struggling.
Having spoken to my friends, I can tell you that they are missing home and their family and me. Obviously.
If you really feel as though you've made a massive mistake by not going, you can always apply for next year.
Whilst I wish I was meeting new people, making new friends and partying every night, I know I have made the right decision for me.
I decided not to go to uni for a reason. The reasons haven't changed.

Words From The Wise aka Mike Duce

Spending a hundred million grand on tuition fees? Live life without a degree! - Lower Than Atlantis via I'm Not Bulemic

Gap Years- Enrich Yourself!

Planning a gap year? Taking a gap year unexpectedly? Either way, you need to find a way to spend your time wisely, and do something useful.

Firstly, understand why it is that you're taking this gap year. It will be a different reason for everyone, it may be a combination of reasons, but you will need to justify your gap year in some way, whether its a break before higher education, or whether its a break before employment. Will it be to take a break from education? Is it because you need more time to decide what course to do? Do you want to travel? Do you need to improve your grades? Do you need to do things to support you application to university? Do you need more time to decide whether or not university is the best next-step for you?

After you've worked out the reason you'll be taking a gap year, it will be easier to work out what it is you'll be doing in your gap year.

Will it be to take a break from education? 
-If you simply want a break after leaving sixthform or college before going to university, you will need to provide a reason for this in your personal statement. You will need to tell your university how your gap year  enriched you- how has it made you a better student? This might mean that you decide to get a part time job related to your undergraduate course, you get some work experience or you go travelling (not including travelling around the country sampling various freshers' weeks!)

Is it because you need more time to decide what course to do?
- Deciding what course to do can be very difficult, a lot of people I knew changed their minds 2 or 3 times before finally settling on a course. But it is a very important decision and you need to form it properly. In your gap year visit as many university open days as possible to find out how their courses differ from each other- visit even unis which you might not be interested in, you might change your mind. Prepare every question you can think of to ask about the courses, and when you get to the open day bombard the course tutor, and any students you can find with the questions, even if they seem silly or you think you know the answer, you may be surprised by a response completely different to what you had pre-empted.
Find out what careers the courses you are interested can lead to. As I keep stressing- university a bridge to get you to an end destination, do not forget to look beyond it!
Once you've found out about possible careers, try to get some work experience in that area so you can see if you would really be suited to it; that will make choosing a course much easier

 Do you want to travel?
- Travelling is a very popular thing to do, either after sixthform or after university. On applications, university often like students who have travelled for a period of time, and can show that it was an enriching experience for them. HOWEVER you have a very long summer before university, many young people do travelling in the two or three months they have straight after college or sixthform, find out about "inter-railing" as an alternative to 6 or 9 months away. On the other hand, a lot or companies run projects in third-world countries for young people to travel and give back to local communities, building schools or libraries for example. These companies often offer a support network and greater structure to your time away, instead of an independent experience, universities will be very impressed to know that you spent 9 months in India building a primary school.
Maybe you just want to travel for a change or scenery? To get away from the norm, or even to "find yourself" as corny as it sounds, but it is something which some people need to do. Again, as long as you can justify what you did whilst you were away go for it! Write a blog whilst you are away like my friend Raquel, who is volunteering in Thailand, to prove what you did.

 Do you need to improve your grades? 
-If you need to improve your grades because you didn't do as well as you hoped you would, and or you didn't get in to your chosen (or any) university, it can be hard to pick yourself back up, but you need to. Talk to your school or college and ask if you can repeat a year or resit some modules. It's a massive knock to your confidence, not to mention your ego when you have to sit in a class room or an exam hall with people a year younger than you, but will it matter when you get to the best uni you can be at? No.
If you can't go back to your school or college, as around at other schools or colleges to resit some exams

Do you need to do things to support you application to university? 
-If you know that by the end of the year you might not get the top grades, or the grades you need to get on to your uni course, defer your entry and find out what else you can do to support your application. Want to study veterinary science? Volunteer at a Vet's surgery or an animal shelter. Want to study journalism? Apply for a magazine internship.
Failing this, try to find other, 1 year college-based courses (which often come with a fee) which you can take in order to support your uni application and you can add to not only your personal statement, but your CV too (for that all-important career.) A lot of these courses will also boost your UCAS points as well.

Do you need more time to decide whether or not university is the best next-step for you?
-Thinking about maybe applying net year, or maybe go in to work now? Get a job. You will only know if you're ready for work and you've had enough of education if you have a job. You can apply for university when-ever

Whatever it is you decide to do in your gap year, make it worth while, make it something which will make you a more desirable student and a more enriched person. Don't spend a year at home watching re-runs of Friends on Comedy Central- don't do it.

Words of advice from my friend Anthony for those of you choosing A Level subjects

anthony (@tonyeloquenza) tweeted at 0:04 PM on Thu, Aug 22, 2013: word of advice...select you a-levels wisely. on what you actually have an interest in. don't let your grades distort what you actually want. (https://twitter.com/tonyeloquenza/status/370501663335153664) Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download

Pass by University On The Way To Success

Pass by University On The Way To Success

September 2012 marked the beginning of the first educational year in which University tuition fees rose to a maximum of £9,000.  Whilst the average annual fee was £8,507 for 2012/2013, the Office for Fair Access predicts that 2013/2014 applicants are more likely to be paying £9,000 as 3 in 4 universities are set to charge the top figure.

The increase in tuition fees undoubtedly changed the plans of some school leavers as the total number of students who applied to study at University during the first year of the higher fees was almost 10% less than in the previous year.

How can it be that we live in a society lacking skilled professionals, yet we hinder the process of anyone gaining the necessary qualifications? Students are encouraged to go to University to better their chances of getting employment in their dream job, so why should attaining our dreams come at the cost of well over £27,000? Well now, it doesn’t have to.

Although it seems alien to some eighteen year-olds, there are alternatives to University which can still pave the way to a dream career. Whilst professions such as dentistry or medicine will require a degree, there is a plethora of other careers which do not, including accountancy, retail management and some law positions.  Choosing training for a specific career instead of University is an option relieving young people of the prospect of debt from extortionate tuition fees and student loans and shows dedication to a certain field of work.

In response to the increasing number of young people who are choosing not to go to University, many employers have started to provide apprenticeship schemes offering on-the-job training in over 1000 professions, in everything from plumbing to sales; an opportunity some employers see as just as beneficial as an undergraduate degree.

Lewis Taylor, aged 19, said: “I've started my job now instead of going uni. I've found it amazing so far-much better than I expected. It's giving me qualifications so I’m training and getting paid, which is a massive bonus. And I'm getting work experience, so in my opinion not going to university is the best decision I have ever made!”

University has traditionally been used as a bridge to get to an ultimate goal. However, today a significant amount of students admit to going to University without even a final career in mind. In such a way, young people choosing work or an apprenticeship after school instead of University could be three years superior on the career ladder to those of the same age who continued into higher education, as employers stress the need of a strong foundation of work experience in a specific field in contrast with class-based learning on a general subject.

When Things Go Wrong

Life isn't perfect and nothing is ever straight forward. Things don't go according to plan and you don't always get what you want.
So what do you when that happens? Sit around moping? Yes, you can for a little while, then you have to pick yourself up and start again. As Aaliyha said "If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again; you can dust it off and try again!"

You might not have got the results you were expecting, might not have got a job you wanted, you might not have got your first choice uni, you might not have got any uni at all. So now it's time to deal with what went wrong and put it right. As I have said in previous posts, there is almost always something that can be done to make it better, but it's down to you. You have to search for the solution, and seek help if and when you need it- you will need it. 

I unfortunately didn't get the apprenticeship at the Evening Standard. As disappointed as I am, I need to continue trying to find something else now. Hopefully I didn't get it for some pre-destined reason and it wasn't right for me or something is else right around the corner which will be better or might be where I meet the man of my dreams-who knows! I'm trying to keep positive! I try to believe that everything happens for a reason and what is meant to be will be, and that somewhere along the road, everything will fall into place. But you have to work hard for it. 

So you didn't get the perfect results or a uni place? What are you going to do? Going over where it went wrong might help for a little while but it's not going to change the situation. Pick yourself up and see if it's possible re-sit your exams. Have a gap year. Go get another qualification to up your UCAS score. Do something else instead of uni. Nothing is going to be easy. Find out what it is you need to do to get to your end goal (in my opinion it's important to have a goal, whether it is short of long term) and do it. 

Don't waste any more time!

Results Day!

Over the last few days, all around the UK, 18 year-olds have been shaking nervously, anticipating that first view of the rest of their lives; their A Level results.

For so many, results are the be all and more often than not, the end all too. Thankfully, as I'm not going to university, I don't have that mentality.

 Having said that, I was disappointed when I opened up my brown envelope this morning and saw B, B, C, E; of course, anyone wants to do well in their A Levels regardless of their plans for the years ahead.

Although, after I had some time to think about it, I decided that I was satisfied with my results, if not happy! Whilst I might not be as bright as other people, I know that I tried my best and I got decent grades. I still have my 4 A level- which is more than some people can say. And it wasn't easy. 

Sixthform was bloody difficult! Everyone talks about "the jump from GCSE to A Level" but you never realise that it's in fact more of a giant leap! I think that I learnt more French in my first term of year 12 than I did from year 7 to year 11! 

There was so much information crammed into the space of two years- especially in Biology- which I got an E (I clearly didn't take much of that information in) it was difficult to try to retain it all.

That's what I hate about exams in some subjects (like Biology, ICT etc) they just test you on how much you remember and how well you can regurgitate your text book instead of actually how much you understand a subject.

But it's all done now! (Until I hopefully get this apprenticeship, where I will be studying a diploma with the NCTJ which will involve exams)

It now truly is into the real world for me.

Despite the hard work, late nights, 100 page coursework, exams, and all the other less appealing parts of school, sixthform was definitely the best part of my education. Especially year 13. 

I'll miss my classmates, my relationship with teachers, all the banter and the jokes we had between us, all the 18th birthday parties, the practically coming and going from school when I please. It's now all serious.

I am proud of what I've achieved at BGS Sixthform. 

EXTRA EXTRA

This just in!
Why should students get all the perks?

NUS extra now do discount cards for apprentices! 

Find discount on travel, sport, books and DVD, technology, mobile and broadband, as well as fashion, beauty and going out.

Money made from the cards will go to the National Society of Apprentices to help support apprentices in their training. 

GO GO GO!

http://www.nus.org.uk/en/nus-extra/extra-discount-cards/

Results are looming!

Hi everyone,

So it's less than 3 days until A Level results day (dun dun dun!) and I am starting to worry!
At first I wasn't too bothered about my results because I'm not going to uni, but what ever qualifications you have are always going to be important. 
You might think you can leave school at 16 and step into an apprenticeship with 5 GCSEs but  a lot of apprenticeships will require specific qualifications; some may require certain A Levels or certain grades at GCSE so what ever stage your at, (it goes without saying) make sure you try your best! You don't want to limit your self before you've even started!

I have applied for 1000000000000 apprenticeships and internships and have been unsuccessful in them all, apart from one which I had an interview for last week. I am waiting to hear back for the results from that at some point at the end of this week. So Thursday and Friday have the potential to be amazing! Fingers crossed!

Like I have said in a previous post, results aren't everything. There is almost always a way to rectify your mistakes. AS Levels can be re-sat, (4 times if you're like my friend!) you can always resit a year of sixth form if you really need to, you might be able to defer your place at uni resit some of your exams to increase your UCAS points too. 

If all else fails with regard to exams- DON'T PANIC  You can find another way into your dream career. Just like university, exams and their results are not the be all and end all; they are a pathway to get you to an end goal


If you're worrying about results day, head over to notgoingtouni.co.uk for their results day survival guide

HuffPost UK (@HuffPostUK) tweeted at 1:17 PM on Mon, Aug 12, 2013: 54% of young people would opt for apprenticeship as their first choice - over university http://t.co/M3RrAwertS via @HPUKStudents (https://twitter.com/HuffPostUK/status/366896288740032512) Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download

Thinking of studying journalism? Need some encouragement?!

MediaNation (@MediaNationUK) tweeted at 6:11 PM on Mon, Aug 05, 2013: Bursaries available for NCTJ-accredited journalism courses with Journalism Diversity Fund: http://t.co/5YfS0miQqZ (https://twitter.com/MediaNationUK/status/364433459193708544) Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download

Results

Not everyone from my sixth form studied A Levels, some people decided to do the IB instead. 

For those of you that don't know, the IB is an international qualification in which students at sixth form level study 6 subjects (in contrast with the three or four traditionally studied at A Level) as well the Theory of Knowledge and write an Extended Essay. This diploma promises to prepare students better for their time at University. The exams for the IB are not modular, there is just one exam at the end of the two year course for each subject.

So, last Saturday was IB results day. 

Because the IB students hadn't sat any other official IB exams marked externally, they were unsure of their progress and their level in the subjects they study. Of course, by the time they find out their results, it is all too late to decide that they should have spent more time doing school work and less time partying!

Many of the IB students unfortunately were disappointed with their results, missing their University requirements by 1 or 2 points (the IB is graded on a points systems instead of lettered grades) meaning , much upset and a lot of money being spent at the pub.

It is expected and by all means, completely normal to be disappointed that you haven't been accepted into your first choice uni and the only comforting words I could conjure for my friends were "everything will work out in the end" which I stand by 100%. 

I know that for those people going to University now that it is the biggest thing in the world, and to not be accepted into the place which you had planned to spend the net three years of your life must be devastating, but the thing to remember is the university you go to is not the be all and end all. University is simply the bridge which will take you into the rest of your life. It is all about the end goal.

Everything happens for a reason and it will sort it's self out in the end. If you don't get into your frist choice uni, it wasn't meant to be. If you don't get into any unis resit the last year of college or sixthform, go to a college and study another A Level, find a different path into your desired career. 

There is always another way

Where I'm at

So, obviously, I have started this blog because I myself am not going to university [SHOCK! HORROR!COVER YOUR EYES CHILDREN, DON'T READ THE SHAME!]

-therefore, I thought it would be a good idea to update you on my story and how I am doing at the moment.

I left sixth-form officially on the 15th of May this year and finished off my A levels until the 15th of June so I am currently waiting for my results which will be available on the 16th of August. 
It is now  14 minutes to 1 on the 8th of July, leaving me with........................ the rest of my life to figure out what I want to do.
If you read my other blogs or follow me on twitter or have read my profile, you'll know that I am interested in writing/journalism/PR/communications and a bit of marketing [Hello and how do you do to any prospective employers] so I have some idea of where I want to apply to and how I am going to go about doing that.
I started applying for apprenticeships/internships/employment a month ago and have heard nothing back after applying for four positions.
 So I am going to continue to apply at every magazine I can think of, every PR agency, every communications department and any marketing departments that have openings. 
I do not want to end up sitting up home or working at Primark for the rest of my life, however, I have to pick up some more hours there for the summer. 
In my first post, I told you how my school didn't really help those who didn't plan on going to university, so I have been and will be 100% doing this on my own, which isn't a problem although a little help would have been nice.

Having said that, I do have some means of helping myself, for example:
I check the apprenticeships.org.uk website regularly for any updates
I have gorkana jobs send me emails when positions open up in fields I'm interested in
I follow journalist jobs on twitter 

I apply and will be applying to all that I can in order to get a job or some work experience in order to begin my career,

I'll keep you updated!

Advantages Of Going To Uni

Let's not be silly.
I'm not trying to deter you from going to University and furthering your education; I fully encourage everyone to go to University if it is the right choice for you.
Of course, University has hundreds of advantages! 
Here are the reasons I sometimes wish I was going:

• Meet a lot of new people
• Make friends for life
• Maybe find your future partner
• Re-invent yourself
• Have a new start
• Through yourself in at the deep end
• Network- "It's who you know"
• Amazing social life
• Learn from other people
• Learn to live with other people
• Develop your idea and your perspective of life
• Be independent
• Grow
• Discover how strong you are
• Develop new tastes and preferences
• Find out things you didn't know about yourself
• Challenge yourself
• Learn everything you can about what you are interested in
• Work experience
• Realise you wouldn't actually enjoy the career you thought you would
• Learn to live on a budget
• Student discounts on A LOT (stubeans)
• Take time to still be a young person before you go into the real world
• Non-term time
• Learn millions of drinking games
• Learn how to cook/clean/generally look after youself

There are so many more positives, so make sure you really give it a serious think and don't just take the easy way out.

More posts and advice on the way!

You Will Need Help

You are going to need help.

Whilst it's important that you choose you're own future and you're not swayed by the opinions of your friends, teachers, siblings, cousins, parents or hamsters, you are always going to need advice, especially from those who have made the same decision.

If you're still at school, take the opportunity to use the facilities. Find out who your careers advisor is, where they will be and when. Ask them for help- that's what they're there for! Talk to your teachers...the ones you like. Believe it or not, they want to help you to. Having said that, it's probable that your teachers will tell you to go university, whether you want to or not, but it's always useful to hear their own experiences.

If not, there are always other places to get help, the job centre, the library, the internet, apprenticehips.org.uk, THIS BLOG, and others...
Find out where your nearest "connexions" centre is, they can give you impartial advice on what steps you can take and how you should be planning.

Apprenticeships and Internships and Other Work Experience

Hey Guys!

Summer's on it's way and it's time to plan your next step.

Apprenticeships are very popular with people who chose not to go to university.
They can offer:

•  on the job training
• a basic salary- averages are arounf £160/ week
• an apprentice qualification - Intermediate/Adavanced/Higher
• college or uni-based learning
• expense paid
• experience
• permanent jobs at the end of the course

Internships are similar but are mostly suited to vocational jobs, and you may find you are paid less, or not at all.

If you're thinking that an apprenticeship is the way forward, you need to be prepared to select your preferred field of work and be set on it. The more experience you can get in one area of work, the better your chances of securing a permanent job- Remember, you will have three of four years to get ahead of uni students with regard to work experience so make the most of it, you will need to show you are just as committed as those who have spent £36,000 on a university qualification.

Useful websites include

http://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/

http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/

and of course

http://uni-notgoing.blogspot.co.uk/

If you find that there are no apprenticeships advertised on these sites which interest you, do it yourself!

Apply to companies you know of and want to work for. 

What I have learnt is that the big companies (often banks and retail establishments) have a ridiculous amount of departments, a lot of which you wouldn't immediately think of.

For example, want a job in marketing? Write to banks, insurance companies, large chains of shops, restaurants etc don't just think of marketing agencies!

Where To Start? Right Here!

Hi, 
My name is Rianna Viggiano and I am not going to University.
Whether you're in year 12 and being pushed to choose your next step after sixth form  or you're in year 11 and deciding which A Levels to take in order to prepare you for the future, or you just want to explore your other options I am here to share my experience with you and maybe even give you some advice.
At the moment, I am in year 13 and I have just 4 weeks left until I jump into the world of work; in other words the "real world." Having been to a Grammar school and attended their sixth form, I felt as though I had no other option but to go to university. There was no help or guidance for those students who weren't sure of their next move, until quite recently where my school's attempt at helping us was very half-hearted. Luckily, most of us had already begun to plan the next stage of our lives.
For those of you experiencing something similar, I am here to tell you that UNIVERSITY IS NOT YOUR ONLY OPTION, THERE ARE OTHER WAYS OF GETTING INTO YOUR DESIRED PROFESSION (apart from if you want to go in to medicine etc.)
Obviously, I don't want to put down university; it is great experience and as long as you use your time correctly, you'll gain qualifications as well as life experience to help you when you eventually get into the real world.

Here are some reasons why people choose not to go into higher-education:

• They think they'll be in debt forever (See finances post)
• They would rather learn by doing than learn from a text book
• Their career needs a greater amount of work experience compared to education
• They wish to take a gap year 
• They've had enough of learning
• They want to start earning
• They think they're not ready to leave home
• They're doing a long distance learning course, like the Open University
• Are confident in another way into their preferred profession, like a level 3 qualification from a college (equal to an A Level)
• They're not sure of what they want to do

...as well as many others. 

So having read those, if you were unsure of what to do, you can imagine the alternatives to university. 
People often feel as though they're looked down on in not going to University, especially if you're at a Grammar school, or come from a family, but not everyone goes to university  and not going is nothing to be ashamed of. At least you're not going for the wrong reasons, and like some, you wont end up wasting your time, qualification and money on doing something for three years which you're not interested in and don't make the most out of.

1. The first thing you need to do, is ask yourself why it is that you don't want to go to university.
2. Next, you must figure out what it is that you want to do with your life. You don't need a rigid plan, but you must have a goal.
3. Research your field of interest, there's no point picking a career out of the air, just to shut everyone up. At the same time, even if you think you know everything about your desired career, there's no harm in researching it just that bit more.
4. Find out how to go about getting into your career without a degree. It may require work experience or a different kind of qualification.
5. Do what it is you need to do! Nothing will be handed to you on a plate. You need to do the work. You'll be competing with people who have just come out of university; why will the employer pick you over someone else? What sets you apart from the other candidate?

Keep it here to find out more about not going to university.