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This week, Seren student Raphaelle Soffe tells us about being accepted at Harvard University in America, and her advice for exam success and aiming high.

Harvard University is the place where intellectual pursuit is the norm, and where every dormitory room accommodates the best and brightest of the current generation. I remember stepping onto the Harvard campus for the first time as a US Sutton Trust student. My first thought was, “I can’t let myself fall in love with this place; it’s near impossible to enter!” But fall in love I did. I did not let low admittance rates intimidate me; I had a dream, and I pursued it.

As state school students, we are immediately disadvantaged through lack of resources, advice and funding. But that should never be an excuse – if Oxford, or any other institution, is your dream, then go for it.  Seren is there for you. It assists you on your UCAS application, guides you to opportunities and acts as a support group to the brightest students in Wales.

I wanted to attend a university that wanted me as much as I wanted it. It wasn’t just an acceptance email that I received. It was a warm welcome found in a lovely package sent from Harvard, a beautiful certificate and a personal congratulatory card from the Admissions Officer. Not only did I have the privilege of an unconditional offer, I also received a financial aid package worth the equivalent of a quarter of a million pounds.

Every time that I have a concern regarding my financial aid, visa or accommodation, I can expect a reply from Harvard, not within the day, but within the hour. It’s incredible the support they give; how genuinely concerned, and engaged they are with my problems.

My advice to the upcoming university applicants is that you must be prepared to dedicate time and effort to securing a place at your intended university. Your grades are important – and that is why the exam period must be used wisely. My exam periods consisted of typing my notes, copying them out multiple times, completing past papers, and making sure that I had no access to technology to avoid distraction.

I am due to leave for Harvard on the 14^th August as I have been invited to a number of pre-orientation programmes. For example, I am partaking in the Fall Clean-Up Programme which consists of cleaning dorms, with activities in the evenings. During this time, I am paid a decent amount, and will able to visit Boston and bond with my future classmates. The other programme that I am likely to be admitted on is one directed at foreign students, and involves introductory courses and advice for settling in a completely different country. I feel that, although we share a common tongue, the culture of the US has distinct contrasts to that of the UK.

My last piece of advice would be to never give up, no matter how hard the struggle or the obstacles put in your path. There is learning in your struggle, strength in addressing your weaknesses, and success in pursuing your ambitions.  Natural Intelligence will only carry you so far. It is important you expand above and beyond the curriculum, in order to fulfill your full potential.

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Our guest blogger this week is Christian, who recently graduated from Cardiff University with a (BA) History. Christian reflects back on his experience of being at Cardiff and provides some top tips on starting as a Fresher.

It’s really weird being a recent graduate living in a city like Cardiff which is populated by so many students. I find myself looking out of coffee shop windows (enviously) as fresher’s rock up for their first term here, or final years moving into their new place in Cathays.

There’s so much excitement in the first week of the university term, and it’s really tricky being on the other side looking in. In this blog, I’m going to talk about my top tips for making the best of uni, so you spend more time thinking about what you did, rather than what you wish you had done.

1. Make the most of first year

There’s a reason why many degree schemes only expect a pass in your first year. The main reason is because they know many students are adjusting to working at a high academic level, and want to give students the opportunity to adjust. Universities also want to give you the time to make friends, have new experiences, join societies and ultimately, settle into the next three years in what will be for many students their new city and new surroundings.

2. Take advantage of student services

In my first week at Cardiff, I attended several classes on time management, how to write an essay and how to reference, all offered free of charge by the University (you can even get a certificate to say you’ve been to all the classes!). There are careers and employability services there to help you write up your CV and find work experience, and the Global Opportunities Centre can help you go abroad to volunteer, study, or work. For those who are struggling, the University also offers both financial support through hardship funs and emotional support through free, on-campus counselling.

3. Don’t rush on housing

In the first few months (and even weeks!) of first year, there already seems to be a massive pressure to decide who you’ll be living with in your second year and finding a place to live. I can’t stress how important it is that you take your time on housing. You’ll hear stories from different letting agencies saying that the ‘good’ houses are running out around October/November. This is not the case. Cardiff is a huge city with loads of student housing. Take your time, try different agencies, do lots of viewings, and take plenty of notes/pictures.

4. Immerse yourself in your course

Amongst the societies, the sports, the cups of coffee in cute coffee shops in Cardiff’s arcades, the main reason why you came to University was to study, and to study a subject you (hopefully) adore as much as I loved History.

For me, this was the first time I was surrounded by people who shared the same passion for my subject, and I was being lectured by people who lived and breathed their subject areas. Be sure to familiarise yourself with your library, and ask the friendly librarians for help if you need it – they feel like your best friends by the end of your degree.

5. Discover the city

Wherever you decide to go, make sure you explore beyond the student area of your city. I have many friends who very rarely made it beyond Cathays (the main student village), and they seriously missed out on some incredible places.

There are so many others things I could say here, but these are my top 5. Ultimately, my final piece of advice would be to enjoy yourself. University definitely was the best time of my life, but it zoomed past, so please make the most of it!

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Elin Roberts from Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor Dolgellau tells us about her hopes for university and her interests outside of college.

At the moment I’m studying French, History, English Language and Literature, Maths and Further Maths in my first year of A-levels. This year has flown by with the exams fast approaching. Next year I’ll be in year 13 and making my university applications. There are so many universities to choose from within the UK and the world – plenty of opportunities and choices, but which one do I choose? I would like to study Law in the UK, but I would also like to study at an Ivy League university in the US. What I like about studying in the US is the fact that one is able to study under the Liberal Arts Curriculum, which allows one to study a major degree with several minor degrees.

In order for me to make my applications I must try to incorporate as many extra & super curricular activities into my daily life, so that I stand out from the crowd.

For my super curricular activities, I try to read around my subjects as much as I can.  For example, on Saturdays I attend Further Maths lectures at Bangor University, as well as Further Maths problem-solving sessions.  To improve my French, I also attend a French conversing group as well as watching different programmes. Channel 4 on Demand is great as there are many French TV series there. My favourite is Spin which is a French political drama.

I personally love volunteering, so during the holidays I normally volunteer at my local food bank as I have previously had the experience of being homeless while living in a bed & breakfast for 5 months, so now I want to turn my experience into a positive in order to help others.

I also volunteer in the local community by being a member of the Work and Finance Committee for the Cerdd Dant Festival, which will be held in Blaenau Ffestiniog in 2018. Also I’m a prospective town councillor on the local town council, which allows me to learn about politics on a local regional level.

My main interests lie within law and politics. I have previously been on work experience with my local MP. This raised my awareness enormously about the British Political System. I have also had the chance to participate in the Welsh version of Question Time; Pawb a’i Farn. As well as participating on the Welsh current affairs Radio Programme; Taro’r Post. I’ve also had the chance to attend various political meetings with politicians such as Leanne Wood AM and Mhairi Black MP.

During this year I have won the Ffestiniog’s Town Council Scholarship to go to Paganonia. I have also been accepted to attend the UNIQ Law Summer School in Oxford.

The Seren Network has previously helped me to attend the Law Faculty Open Day at Oxford which was fantastic. I have also been accepted onto the Social Mobility Foundation’s Law Residential course where I’ll attend an internship with Linklaters solicitors in London. I think that the most important thing to strengthen a university application is to make the most of every opportunity, regardless of your social background and fears, because unless you take these opportunities with open arms, somebody else will!

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Callie is from South Wales, and is currently in her second year studying Biology at the University of Bath. Below, she gives an insight into university life, and the misconceptions she had before she went:

Before coming to university I was worried about many things. As with any student, getting an offer and then achieving the necessary grades were my biggest concerns. Yet, after having my place confirmed on results day, there were still plenty of things I was worried about! I was asking myself all sorts of questions, from “Will I have enough money to feed myself?” to “Do I have enough pans to cook with?”

I’m quite a shy, introverted person so was worried I would not make friends and that I’d be sharing a flat with strangers I wouldn’t get on with. Fortunately, this was not the case. At the end of the day, you need to remember that everyone is in the same boat. Everyone was very friendly and keen to get to know each other – be prepared to answer the questions like “What’s your name”, “What are you studying” and “Where are you from” about a hundred times within your first week.

I would recommend getting to know your flatmates as soon as possible. Freshers’ Week is the best time for this: make the most of the free time and events. Even if you don’t want to go out, try to stay in the communal areas of your accommodation so you can start talking to your flatmates. Knowing the other people you’re living with will help you to settle in much quicker, it’s much harder to feel isolated.

A lot of people from my school decided to study at Swansea or Cardiff and stayed at home. I decided, however, that wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted the opportunity to be independent and learn how to live, yet still be near enough to home that I could come home quickly if needed and that my family could visit regularly with ease.

This is one of the reasons I chose Bath, as it’s less than 2 hours by car or train (if the traffic is good!). Coming from South Wales, I’m not used to a city environment: I decided only to apply to campus universities. This definitely helped me settle into university life better, as everything I needed was on campus.

Coming from a low income background, finance was a big concern for me. How could I afford rent, washing, food and textbooks on top of my university fees? Fortunately, Student Finance Wales gave me a loan and grant to pay for my study and cover my living costs. Universities also offer bursaries and scholarships if you fit certain criteria.

University can be daunting. The best advice I can give is to really get involved. It’s a great way to meet other students and it really enriches your university experience. In my first year I was a member of several societies, was involved in a lot of volunteering, and became an academic rep and a student ambassador. Just remember, you’re all in it together, and it can be the best time of your life!

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Dr Matthew Williams, Access and Career Development Fellow at the University of Oxford, tells us about Jesus College’s new partnership with the Seren Network.

Do you wonder what the future may bring? At the University of Oxford we have researchers considering just that. They’re working to predict the future, in order to shape it.

You could be a part of this.

Jesus College, one of the constituent colleges of Oxford University is, in collaboration with the Seren Network and the Welsh Government, offering an entirely free four-day summer school to Seren learners. Twenty-two participants will be chosen, two each from the eleven Seren hubs that cover the whole of Wales. The theme of the summer school is ‘Our Future: Humanity in a Hundred Years’. It is an inter-disciplinary summer school with sessions led by world experts on artificial intelligence, climate change, demography, trade, politics, literature and more. You do not need to be considering a degree in any particular subject. You just need to be interested in the future and ready to dive into something a little different.

If selected, you’ll be living in the beautiful surroundings of an Oxford college founded in 1571 and situated at the heart of the city. The summer school will provide a very close approximation of student life at Britain’s oldest university. There will be mini-lectures, skills-focussed seminars and tutorials with Oxford academics. This last part, the ‘tutorial system’, is what makes Oxford and Cambridge special. It is a focussed discussion in tiny groups of just two students with an Oxford academic. Very few people get to try out an Oxford tutorial, but you could.

We will be looking to select individuals with academic ability and potential. You do not need to have perfect grades, and nor do you need to be thinking of applying to Oxford or Cambridge. We’re looking for people with passion and energy, who care about the future.

Applications close on June 2nd. For more details, and to apply please go to tinyurl.com/JesusCollegeSummerSchool2017

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Don’t worry if you can’t be at the Seren Conference on the day(s). We’ll be live streaming the main sessions from our blog! 

You can also get involved on Twitter, using @Seren_Network or @RhwydwaithSeren and the #Seren2017 hashtag, and on the Seren Network Facebook page. We’ll be monitoring all online conversations taking place, so feel free to ask any questions and engage with the content being streamed.

If you will be joining us on the web stream, please click HERE to register.

The following sessions will be streamed from the blog:

Opening session
10.00 – 10.50

For teachers:

11.00 – 11.50
Research and Advancing Access

12.00 – 12.45
Panel discussion with Universities

For students:

14.00 – 14.50 and 15.30 -16.20
Adjusting to University Life

11.00 – 11.50 and 12.00 – 12-50
Natural Sciences

14.00 – 14.50 and 15.30 – 16.20
Admissions Tests

11.00 – 11.50 and 12.00 – 12.50
Medical Sciences

14.00 – 14.50 and 15.30 -16.20
Effective Study Skills

11.00 – 11.50 and 12.00 -12.50
Social Sciences

14.00 – 14.50 and 15.30 – 16.20
Finance, Bursaries
and Scholarships

The Seren Network annual conference in Newtown is aimed at both students and teachers, offering the opportunity to network with other Seren students and staff, with a variety of subject workshops and panels, and the chance to engage with representatives from the UK’s leading universities. 

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Next week, The Open University in Wales will be taking part in the Seren Conference in Newtown.

They will be there to tell students and teachers about their exciting new programme available to Seren students across Wales. Read on to find out how they could help you.

Did you know?

The Open University is the UK’s largest university with over 180,000 students currently studying, we offer world–leading distance learning that comes to you.

So if you study an OU module alongside your A-levels, you’ll study online, in your own time, whenever it suits you (but you will have deadlines!)

How can OU help boost your university applications?

Studying an Open University module alongside AS and A2 courses can really benefit your ability to:

• Achieve greater exam success
• Evidence your strengths and aptitude on UCAS applications
• Stand out when competing for a place on a competitive university course
• Make more informed decisions about learning and career choices

Visit The Open University stand

On our interactive stand, OU advisers and subject specialists will show you:

• all the modules that we offer for Seren students (across arts, business, science, maths, health, engineering & technology)
• how to apply
• and how the Welsh Government bursary works so that you may be able to study for free.

We’ll also have some fun digital and “old style” demonstrations about these courses and how OU study works.

We’ll also be able to talk to your teachers and Seren hub co-ordinators to offer follow on workshops in your local hub area.

The teachers’ information session

Our session ‘Enhancing UCAS outcomes through funded Open University study during year 12’ will run on both days. 

For Seren Hub Coordinators and teachers, this session will describe, explain and illustrate how funded Open University study works and how it can help Seren students evidence their strengths and aptitude on UCAS applications. The session will cover the funding and application process, the range of curriculum on offer and how this genuine HE experience can develop the range of skills and experience needed to make a successful transition to university.

The Seren Network annual conference in Newtown is aimed at both students and teachers, offering the opportunity to network with other Seren students and staff, with a variety of subject workshops and panels, and the chance to engage with representatives from the UK’s leading universities. 

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Today is your last chance to register for the Seren Conference! If you’ve already signed up to the conference, or are still thinking about coming, here’s a list of the speakers from some of the UK’s top universities that will be there over the two days…

Grace Harvey – University of Lincoln

Grace researches in the School of English and is interested in The Politics of Friendship in the 1790s Radical Novel. She will be delivering the Language and Culture strand.

Luke Williams – University of Bath

Luke researches chemical engineering and is interested in finding a sustainable chemical industry. He will be delivering the Natural Sciences strand.

Luke Chapman – Widening Participation Officer, King’s College London

 Luke is an expert in working with schools and other organisations to support university applications having worked at UCAS and the University of Oxford previously. He will contribute to student and teacher sessions.

Gareth Lloyd Hopkins – Swansea University

Gareth researches strategic, American and war studies and is particularly interested in the use of armed drones. He will be delivering the Humanities strand.

Dr. Goitseone Lucy Hopkins – Cardiff Metropolitan University

Lucy researches biomedical sciences and is interested in the identification of therapeutic targets in Acute Myeloid leukaemia. She will be delivering the Medical Sciences strand on Thursday 16th March.

Noha Mohamed – Cardiff University

Noha researches biomedical sciences and is interested in the regenerative medicine and cancer. She will be delivering the Medical Sciences strand on Wednesday 15th March.

Hugh Crosfield – Royal Holloway, University of London

Hugh researches the South African Apartheid through sociology and historical and cultural geography. He will be delivering the Social Sciences strand.

Dr Corinne Hanlon – Imperial College, London

Corinne completed her research in biomedical physics and also trained and taught physics in schools. She will present in the Engineering, Maths, and Computing strand and encourages all interested in medicine to visit the Imperial College stand also.

Laura Bruce – The Sutton Trust

Laura worked at the University of Nottingham on school outreach, supporting applications from diverse backgrounds and now manages programmes at The Sutton Trust. She will present research on university applications in the Research and Advancing Access session.

Sandy Mill – Magdalene College, University of Cambridge

Sandy was a teacher and now supports students and their teachers with applying to the University of Cambridge. He will be contributing to teacher and student sessions throughout the day.

Dr Matthew Williams – Jesus College, University of Oxford

Matthew is a researcher in politics interested in the language of legislation and the impact it has on the judiciary. He will be at the conference contributing to teacher and student sessions.

Dr Fiona Whitehouse – Jesus College, University of Oxford

Fiona is the Academic director for Jesus College and her research interests are in Technical Art History: Fifteenth-century Italian and Netherlandish painting techniques. She will be at the conference contributing to teacher and student sessions on Wednesday 15^th March.

Daniel Pugh-Bevan – St Peter’s College, University of Oxford

 Daniel was an organ scholar at Oxford – gaining a scholarship and having responsibility for contributing to the musical life of his college. He is passionate about supporting students from Wales to the university and will be contributing to teacher and student sessions.

Audrey Ndukwe – Graduate Ambassador, University College London

 Audrey works to support students from diverse backgrounds with applications to highly selective universities. She will be presenting on finance and managing money as part of the student strand.

Dr David Harrison – Cambridge Assessment

David designs subject-specific exercises and admissions tests that universities use to select students for their courses. These assessments are used alongside A-levels, interviews and personal statements to make sure the course is a good fit for the student.

Mike Nicholson – University of Bath

Mike is the Director of Student Recruitment & Admissions at the University of Bath having previously headed up undergraduate admissions at the University of Oxford. He will be contributing to the university panel on Thursday 16^th March.

Dr Sam Homes – Higher Education Access Network

Sam is a researcher and former teacher who specialises in supporting students and teachers with preparing for the admissions process. HEAN works closely with the Sutton Trust to develop schools’ expertise in admissions.

Chloe Ratcliffe – King’s College London

Chloe went to Afon Taf High School, then went on to do her A-Levels at Coleg Y Cymoedd in 2014 before studying History at KCL. She will speak about her experiences moving from Wales to London, and how she chose her course.

Jacob Lewis – Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge

Jacob is a current undergraduate studying law having gone through the Seren programme and studying at Coleg Y Cymoedd. He will speak about his experience of moving from Wales to Cambridge, and how he chose his course.

Raphaelle Soffe

Raphaelle is a current year 13 student at Hawarden High School, Flintshire. She has been made a conditional offer to study at Harvard. She will speak on her experience on Seren and how she has prepared for her future studies on Wednesday 15^th March.

Beatrix Bowen, Anne Berriew Wade and Sharon Davies – Open University

The Open University has produced online university modules based on undergraduate degree courses that Sixth Formers can access to gain university experience and go beyond the curriculum. She will be speaking to teachers in the afternoon.

Olivia Stocker – University of Sheffield

Olivia is the International Relations Officer at Sheffield. She works collaboratively with international students, societies and the Students Union, academic departments and professional services such as International Student Support, Global Opportunities team, International and EU Recruitment. She will be exhibiting a stall on studying at Sheffield.

Nicholas Johnston – University of Durham

Nick is the Schools Development Officer at Durham. Nick’s main responsibility is to organise teachers’ conferences; maintaining links with schools across the country. He will be contributing to the university panel and exhibiting a stall.

The Seren Network annual conference in Newtown is aimed at both students and teachers, offering the opportunity to network with other Seren students and staff, with a variety of subject workshops and panels, and the chance to engage with representatives from the UK’s leading universities. For more information and to sign-up to attend, click here. Registration closes on March 3rd.