By: Karishma Dewitt

Hi again aspiring dentists (& medics)!! Hope you all have had a great summer and have taken some time to rest & reset ready for the next academic year.

Today Iā€™ll be taking a bit about what YOU can be doing this month in the lead up to your UCAS application submissions in mid-October, time flies when youā€™re having fun (for those of you not entering year 13, this will still be a helpful read, so donā€™t worry!).

Letā€™s dive into what to expect this Septemberā€¦personal statements, UCAT/BMAT, submitting your UCAS applications and starting Year 13 (a.k.a the ā€œBig 4ā€). Ā Rest assured this will all be over soon and then you can redirect your focus back to your A-Level studies.

So when it comes to the ā€œBig 4ā€ itā€™s important to remember that each as has a ā€œtime limit/deadlineā€ assigned to them & tasks often expand according to the time you give them (e.g. give yourself 1 week vs 1 month to write your personal statement & itā€™ll probably take that long to get done).

The trick therefore is to organise yourself and prioritise these tasks based on their external deadlines:

1. ā€ƒUCAT/BMAT

  • Some of you may have done this over summer & already gotten your results (for UCAT at least), excellent because it means you have one less thing to worry about.
  • If you havenā€™t please see our FREE UCAT Ebook for further tips & tricks including recommended times for revision etc. Anywhere from 2-4 weeks of focused revision is what people usually quote.

2. ā€ƒNEXTā€¦Personal Statement

  • This may seem like a never ending essay, however it can be fun! Itā€™s a chance to celebrate yourself and tell universities why you deserve to be part of the next generation of dentists/doctorsā€¦give yourself a pat on the back youā€™ve all come a long way.
  • Catch our FREE Instagram Live and be sure to check out our FREE personal statement Ebook for further tips.
  • Breaking down your statement planning into: intro, academic life, work experience, volunteering/hobbies, outro may help.

3. ā€ƒUCAS

  • Deadline 15 October 2021 (but please CHECK on the UCAS website for exact details)
  • Youā€™ll have done 1) the application components (be sure to check youā€™ve entered all your details correctly), 2) the personal statement (check the version you have entered into UCAS Ā is the correct one), 3) your relevant admissions tests, and 4) selected your 5 university & course choices.
  • Good news hopefully awaits you! And the plus side is this will all be wrapped up by the time your year 13 properly kicks off (give yourself a treat to celebrate this)

4. ā€ƒStarting Year 13: Things to focus on as a year 13 now Uni applications are done and dusted

  • Your A-Levels! Take each day at a time and focus on the 3-4 subjects you have, try to stay on top of work as best YOU can, donā€™t worry if this ā€œorganisationā€ looks different from your peers, youā€™re almost there.
  • Taking regular breaks to avoid burn outā€¦spend time with you family, friends & on yourself (self-care is never ever selfish).
  • As offers and interview periods roll up try to flick through potential questions/relevant hot topics with your friends/family (this does not need to be full force revision)
  • Keep calm, this year may seem like a lot is happening all at once, but one day youā€™ll look back and realise just how exciting it all was.

Good Luck!