It's decision time for many students. The grades are in and the jury is out. Should you apply for university? Which one? Or, should you take a gap year? Here are some sites with answers.
n Aim Higher - http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/ - has a great design and answers. They give you ideas on how to make choices, with input from people who have been there, done that'. It's a Dfes site - http://www.dfes.gov.uk/ - but that's a benefit, not a detractor. It's a good place to start.
n University Options - http://www.universityoptions.co.uk/ - although run by Manchester University, doesn't have a link and remains impartial. It is chock full of good advice on making choices, finding employment, taking a year out and funds. Practical and thorough.
n Open Days - http://www.opendays.com/search/ - offers an excellent data base of campus open days. This had got to be a great solution to helping you plan your tour - and not have to make a call to do it.
n If you aren't even sure what questions to ask before making a choice, visit Science and Engineering at http://www.science-engineering.net/questions_g.htm . From Questions to actual Action Plans to put into practice, this site takes a no-nonsense approach.
The options for a gap year seem as plentiful - perhaps more so - than education choices. The University Options site has links to these great sites - and many more.
n Gap Year Show: For a one-stop shop with lots of organisations under one roof, you may want to visit shows in November (London, Manchester). Visit the site to find out what's on offer.
http://www.gapyearshow.com/ n AFSI - an international exchange organisation operating for nearly 100 years. http://www.afs.org/AFSI/ n Art History Abroad - this organisation runs a variety of programmes in Italy - not a surprise.
http://www.arthistoryabroad.com/ .
n Centre for Alternative Technology - If you have a thirst for knowledge and can't get enough of technology, this group might have just the thing. They are full of options. http://www.cat.org.uk/index.tmpl .
If you're interested in issues like the environment, there are numerous options. See last week's Web Watch for green activities in our area or check out: n Green Bloggers: Visit http://humantide.blogspot.com/ and http://save-the-ribble.blogspot.com/ for e friendly' websites with local links to like minded.
n Green Podcasters: Check out the Environmental History podcasts at http://www.eh-resources.org/podcast/podcast.html for some perspective from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
New on the Gazette website: All our podcasts are now in one location - Entertainment and Leisure. Enjoy listening. New bloggers include chef Nick-of-thyme-Martin in Food and Drink.
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