Gaining experience for your Personal Statement

1. Watch our Taster Lectures. What did you learn? How will it benefit you? How does it relate back to the course you are applying for?
2. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is The world’s leading body for professional accountants. They are an organisation you should research if you have not done so already.
3. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) is a professional membership organisation that promotes, develops and supports chartered accountants and students around the world. They are an organisation you should research if you have not done so already.
4. The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) is the world’s leading and largest professional body of management accountants. They are an organisation you should research if you have not done so already.

1. Paint, sketch and animate! This is your time to get creative, to be you, and try different things. Wherever your passion takes you, with whatever tools you have to hand, work on your own projects. Tell us what you did and what you learned from the process.
2. The London Institute of Photography run monthly challenges for photography enthusiasts – why not enter? If nothing else, it’s a fantastic excuse to try new techniques and learn even more about what you and your camera are capable of. They also have a range of free online tutorials on colour grading, Photoshop and finding your style. After listening to these tutorials, is there a photograph you’d like another attempt at? Have you identified a knowledge gap? Can you explain how an online photography tutorial benefitted your work?
3. Have you filmed any vlogs or produced any short films (perhaps using your mobile phone)? Can you experiment with producing films on Tik Tok? Can you talk about the process, your directorial decisions, what you hoped to achieve or the impact your work has had? You don’t need to leave your home to make a film.
4. Can you share your creative skillset by delivering lessons to help people? If so, can you tell us about the approach you took and the impact it had?
5. Are there any news stories about artists, directors, videographers or photographers using their skills and expertise which inspire you? If so why? How does this inform your current thinking about creative arts and its place in society?
6. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

1. Are there any news stories about Architects using their skills and expertise which inspire you? If so why? How does this inform your current thinking about creative arts and its place in society?
2. Can you share your creative skillset by delivering lessons to help people? If so, can you tell us about the approach you took and the impact it had?
3. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers like you — more than a million people around the world who come together to assist professional researchers. Their goal is to enable research that would not be possible, or practical, otherwise. In particular, check out these projects:

1. World Architecture Unlocked: Transcribe one of the most mysterious collections of architectural photography in the world.

1. Are you inspired by another artist’s or designer’s work?  This could be work you’ve seen online, in a book or journal. Can you explain why and how this could inspire your own work?
2. Visit a museum, either physically or virtually! Google Arts Culture have teamed up with 2,500 museums to offer virtual tours and online exhibits, including those at The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C! Or visit museum websites direct to see what they’re offering, for example, the Louvre museum in France is showcasing a virtual tour allowing visitors to see the artwork in exceptional detail. You could even check out the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and watch ‘Baltic Bites’ where artists talk about their exhibitions. Has anything in an exhibit fascinated you? What are your thoughts about viewing art online as opposed to in person? Tell us what you learn and how it’s benefitted you.
3. Can you create a blog or page to share your thoughts, inspiration and even your own work? Can you talk about the design decisions you made when creating this virtual space?
4. Paint and sketch! This is your time to get creative, to be you and try different things. Wherever your passion takes you, with whatever tools you have to hand, work on your own projects. Tell us what you did and what you learned from the process.
5. Can you make something and sell it online? Can you explain the process involved, the decisions you took and what you learned?
6. Have you watched a documentary, listened to a podcast or read an article about sustainable fashion (for example)? If so, how did it challenge or inspire you?
7. Can you share your creative skillset by delivering lessons to help people? If so, can you tell us about the approach you took and the impact it had?
8. Are there any news stories about artists using their skills and expertise which inspire you? If so why? How does this inform your current thinking about creative arts and its place in society?
9. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers like you — more than a million people around the world who come together to assist professional researchers. Their goal is to enable research that would not be possible, or practical, otherwise. In particular, check out these projects:

1. Saint George on a Bike: Help collect data for training automatic caption generators for European visual art (paintings, prints, etc.) dating from the 12th to the 18th century.

Become a Citizen Scientist and get involved in projects like the ones below. Analyse the skills you learn, how they relate to your chosen degree and what impact these activities had on you – does it challenge/surprise/inspire you? If so why?

1. Help train artificial intelligence to diagnose diabetic retinopathy by examining images of retinas to identify lesions.
2. Identify antibiotics that are effective against tuberculosis.
3. Study Huntington’s disease by annotating the shape and structure of cells affected by the disease.
4. Identify Mitochondria in cells.

Watch our Taster Lectures. What did you learn? How will it benefit you? How does it relate back to the course you are applying for?

FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers like you — more than a million people around the world who come together to assist professional researchers. Their goal is to enable research that would not be possible, or practical, otherwise. In particular, check out these projects:

1. Etch A Cell: Help study one of the biggest structures found in your cells - the Endoplasmic Reticulum.
2. Etch A Cell - VR: With your help, we will generate a new data set that will be used to create a new virtual reality experience.
3. Etch A Cell - Fat Checker Round 2: Characterise fat droplets within breast tumour cells in order to advance breast cancer research.

Check out our resource pages below. Created in collaboration with the academics of each subject, these pages provide an amazing starting place to explore your subject in more depth. We are adding to our pages all the time, so keep checking back for new content and more subjects:

1. Pharmaceutical Science resources

1. Explore leadership ideas by reading a book written by a CEO. Are you inspired? If so how?
2. Read an article documenting a business failure or success – what have you learned?
3. Conduct a telephone, video or in-person interview with someone who’s set up their own business. Prepare questions in advance and analyse the process and what you gained from the experience.
4. Tell us about any companies that interest you and why. Are there any start-ups that have a fresh approach, for example? What learning points can you take from your research?
5. Have you helped arrange an event while at school? Or can you arrange an event now? If so tell us about how you organised it, what was the objective, what were the challenges and how were they overcome?
6. Attend an event of your choice and analyse the delivery style and impact.
7. Are there any marketing approaches that inspire you? How do companies vary in the language and tone they use when connecting with customers? Have you seen marketing strategies change? If so how, and in your opinion, what has the result been?
8. Research the growing trend in Virtual Tourism. What are your thoughts about what’s on offer and how might this impact the tourism industry in the future?
9. Follow influencers on social media, what are they offering, what’s their approach and what are you learning by being a part of their community?
10. Write a Business blog highlighting current issues and trends. Share your opinion on what you think could be interesting solutions or areas for further research.
11. Is there a current news story that interests you because of the impact it could have on businesses? Tell us what you’ve learned and your recommendations.
12. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

Check out our resource pages below. Created in collaboration with the academics of each subject, these pages provide an amazing starting place to explore your subject in more depth. We are adding to our pages all the time, so keep checking back for new content and more subjects:

1. Marketing resources

1. Learn basic programming skills, in particular JAVA and Python. There are lots of tutorials on YouTube! Talk about what programming languages interest you and why.
2. Build your own app or website. Talk about the process involved and the challenges you overcame.
3. Compete in an online coding competition. Take a look at Kick Start run by Google and designed for participants at any skill level. The 3-hour online competition rounds take place throughout the year. Plus, you can even have a go at previous algorithmic and mathematical problems. If you do, tell us about what you gained from this experience.
4. Take part in a hackathon! There are lots of projects that need young innovators to build technological solutions, some of them are advertised on Eventbrite.
5. Are there any current issues affecting the computer industry? If so, what are they and how does this research challenge and/or excite you?
6. Watch our Taster Lectures. What did you learn? How will it benefit you? How does it relate back to the course you are applying for?
7. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

Check out our resource pages below. Created in collaboration with the academics of each subject, these pages provide an amazing starting place to explore your subject in more depth. We are adding to our pages all the time, so keep checking back for new content and more subjects:

1. Robotics and Artificial Intelligence resources

1. Have you seen any virtual lessons? Can you talk about the techniques used and their impact?
2. Research and analyse online sources of help for children e.g. Childline’s Calm Zone. What do children need in changing times and how are those needs being met? Do you have any ideas and can you share them with us? Why do you think they would work?
3. Have you helped to home school a sibling or have you taken on childcare responsibilities? What activities have you done and what’s been learnt (by you and them!)?
4. Plan and deliver a lesson to your household on a subject that interests you. Film it so you can watch it back and assess your teaching style. Can you explain the process or analyse your teaching methods? What worked? What didn’t work?
5. Talk about how your own learning style has changed – what are the benefits and difficulties of studying currently? How could these inform your future teaching methods?
6. Have you seen how challenging behaviours can be effectively managed to engage with learning? Can you talk about the techniques used? How do these observations and insights benefit you?
7. Interview a teacher or a childminder, via phone, video call or in-person, to find out what their job is really like! Identify your knowledge gaps and prepare questions in advance. What did you learn? Did anything surprise you?
8. Are there any current educational news stories that interest you? How is the education system adapting? What have you learned about the role education plays in society? How does this research inform your decision to study education?
9. Interested in teaching English? Shakespeare? Then take a look at the Teach - Shakespeare Collection by the BBC. What interests you about these resources? Do these resources excite you to teach?
10. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

Check out our resource pages below. Created in collaboration with the academics of each subject, these pages provide an amazing starting place to explore your subject in more depth. We are adding to our pages all the time, so keep checking back for new content and more subjects:

1. Education resources

1. Listen to podcasts. For example, for Aerospace Engineering, NASA has a whole range of podcasts that might inspire you! For Automotive Engineering, we recommend CarStuff, The Collecting Cars Podcast, The Autosport Podcast and the WTF1 Podcast. For Civil Engineering, we recommend The Engineers Collective Podcast, The Civil Engineering Podcast and Re:Construction. For Electrical and Electronic Engineering, we recommend An Electrical Engineering Podcast and Amogha. A. K. Podcast: Electrical And Electronics Engineering.
2. Play Wired to learn how electricity behaves. In this game, you must successfully wire up electrical circuits to get through to the next level! What do you learn about your thinking process by doing this?
3. Take a look under the car bonnet! Can a member of your household help you to understand your family car? Can they teach you how to replace the wiper blades, check and change the oil, change a tyre or could you even inspect the engine’s air filter? Can you familiarise yourself with the different parts of an engine? What do you learn by doing this?
4. Watch our Taster Lectures. What did you learn? How will it benefit you? How does it relate back to the course you are applying for?
5. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

Check out our resource pages below. Created in collaboration with the academics of each subject, these pages provide an amazing starting place to explore your subject in more depth. We are adding to our pages all the time, so keep checking back for new content and more subjects:

1. Aerospace Engineering resources
2. Automotive Engineering resources
3. Civil Engineering resources
4. Electrical and Electronic Engineering resources
5. Mechanical Engineering
6. Robotics and Artificial Intelligence resources

1. Research the areas that fascinate you using Google Scholar and tell us what you’ve gained from this experience.
2. Compare famous speeches written by Shakespeare, in the Renaissance period and read by celebrities in the 21st century, by listening to Radio 4’s My Own Shakespeare Podcast. What interests you about this literature? Analyse the impact of these modern-day adaptations. What skills have you developed and how could they benefit your chosen degree course?
3. Join a book club. Reading books and sharing insights is a great way to increase your understanding of literature and creative writing. Tell us what you gain from the experience.
4. Write a journal. How is this time impacting you? How would you explain your experiences to future generations? What comparisons can you make? How does this observation, reflection and analysis give you the skills needed for your degree?
5. Write a poem or short story and enter it in a competition or publish it on your blog! There are loads of competitions out there including Foyle Young Poets of the Year and Author of Tomorrow. Research what’s around – a competition deadline could be just the extra motivation you need! You don’t need to win or even be shortlisted to be able to talk about this experience in your personal statement; it’s the process and what you learn that’s most important.
6. Watch our Taster Lectures. What did you learn? How will it benefit you? How does it relate back to the course you are applying for?
7. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers like you — more than a million people around the world who come together to assist professional researchers. Their goal is to enable research that would not be possible, or practical, otherwise. In particular, check out these projects:

1. Davy Notebooks Project: Help us to transcribe the manuscript notebooks of Sir Humphry Davy – one of the most significant and famous figures in the scientific and literary culture of early nineteenth-century Britain, Europe, and America.
2. Corresponding with Quakers: Investigating race, gender, class, and religion in 18th- and 19th-Century Irish Quaker Documents.
3. Scribes of the Cairo Geniza: Welcome to Scribes of the Cairo Geniza, your chance to work with others to unlock the secrets of one of the greatest archives of the middle ages. Hidden for centuries in an attic in Cairo, over 300,000 fragments of pre-modern and medieval Jewish texts—from everyday receipts to biblical works—have yet to be fully deciphered. Proficiency in Hebrew and Arabic preferred.

Check out our resource pages below. Created in collaboration with the academics of each subject, these pages provide an amazing starting place to explore your subject in more depth. We are adding to our pages all the time, so keep checking back for new content and more subjects:

1. English Language resources
2. English Literature resources
3. Creative Writing resources

1. Visit National Parks, physically or virtually!  With Google Arts & Culture you can go on virtual ranger-led tours through national parks! From the Kenai Fjords in Alaska to an active volcano in Hawaii. Field trips are an important part of Geography; can you tell us about the impact these virtual field trips have on your understanding of geography? How have they inspired you?
2. Discover the world’s greatest wildlife in its natural environment by visiting explore.org. Watch live cams, live chats and documentaries about everything from mountain gorillas to storms in the Grand Canyon. Tell us what inspires you. Has it made you think differently about the world? If so, how?
3. Examine plant specimens from the Mississippi and keep a field book of your findings. Why is this research important and what do you learn by gathering this data?
4. The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers like you — more than a million people around the world who come together to assist professional researchers. Their goal is to enable research that would not be possible, or practical, otherwise.
5. Watch our Taster Lectures. What did you learn? How will it benefit you? How does it relate back to the course you are applying for?
6. Woburn Safari Park - Safari Academy: A four-day non-residential course for students aged 13 to 17 years old. This course has been designed to assist students thinking of entering a career with animals such as keepers, zoologists or behaviourists. The week will be made up of practical experience as well as seminars giving background information. Please be aware that this week is not designed as a 'fun' workshop, all the activities will reflect true working practices of the Park therefore hands-on contact will be limited. Each day will last from 9am - 4pm and participation is limited to a maximum of 20 students. The experience costs £300 per student (lunch not included).
7. Woburn Safari Park - Work Experience: Work Experience can take place with either the Road Safari Reserves team, the Elephant team, Carnivores Team, or Animal Encounters team in the Foot Safari, and there’s a whole range of things you could be doing, including Animal husbandry, Feeding, Preparing feeds, Enriching the animals’ environment and Interacting with customers. These educational placements are unpaid and we can’t offer to refund any expenses you incur like travel costs. These placements are only available to students who are at least 18 years of age, on a relevant academic course and able to undertake a placement of at least 12 weeks in length.
8. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

Check out our resource pages below. Created in collaboration with the academics of each subject, these pages provide an amazing starting place to explore your subject in more depth. We are adding to our pages all the time, so keep checking back for new content and more subjects:

1. Geography and Environmental Management resources

1. Are you able to volunteer in your local community e.g. calling a neighbour? Can you run any errands for them? If so, what challenges have you overcome and how would you evaluate the impact you’ve had?
2. Are you able to help your local nursing home? Could you set up virtual coffee mornings? Or can you write residents a weekly letter? If so, can you tell us a little about the process – how did you begin this initiative? What have you learnt about yourself and others?
3. The Royal College of General Practitioners has launched Observe GP, an interactive video platform where aspiring medics can watch a series of videos and keep a reflective diary on what they see and learn.
4. Have you read a journal article that interested you? Google Scholar has a vast range of texts available to view for free! Tell us where your independent study has taken you and what you learned in the process.
5. The Practising Midwife could be a valuable research tool for aspiring midwifery students. Online student membership costs £6 a month. In what ways does this publication inform your understanding of the profession?
6. Is there a health and social care news story that interests you? What are you learning about the profession by following the current stories in the news? Are you inspired or challenged in some way by what you learn? If so, how?
7. Watch our Taster Lectures. What did you learn? How will it benefit you? How does it relate back to the course you are applying for?
8. Interested in Nutrition? Get cooking! Research which foods benefit our mental and physical health and use that knowledge to devise meal plans for you and your household. Be inventive! If ingredients are scarce, what can you use instead to create a balanced meal? Share key observations and creations you’ve made. How do people’s eating habits change when they’re feeling stressed? What impact can a healthy diet have? Have you noticed any anecdotal changes in how the body responds to the meal plan you’ve created?
9. Research the impact different foods can have on the body by reading Food Factsheets from The British Dietetic Association. What skills are you developing by doing this and how does this benefit a career in dietetics?
10. Ever wondered how much caffeine it would take to kill you? Use the caffeine calculator to find out how much of your favourite drink you should limit yourself to daily and how much is lethal. Did the results surprise you? Is caffeine consumption a problem in society? How can this affect people?
11. The Hertfordshire and West Essex Health and Care Academy is a great resource for health-related work experience and volunteering. They have a range of work experience placements across health and care. If you would like to apply please check that you meet the minimum requirements and then click on the apply button. You will then be asked to register and apply on their work experience portal.
12. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers like you — more than a million people around the world who come together to assist professional researchers. Their goal is to enable research that would not be possible, or practical, otherwise. In particular, check out these projects:

1. Science Scribbler: Placenta Profiles: Help us understand mitochondrial dynamics in the placenta, and train computers to analyse new data even faster in the future!
2. Node Code Breakers: looking for patterns in lymph nodes: Help us annotate the germinal centres, the light pink circles in lymph nodes of breast cancer patients.

Check out our resource pages below. Created in collaboration with the academics of each subject, these pages provide an amazing starting place to explore your subject in more depth. We are adding to our pages all the time, so keep checking back for new content and more subjects:

1. Adult Nursing resources
2. Children’s Nursing resources
3. Dietetics Resources
4. Learning Disability Nursing resources
5. Mental Health Nursing resouces
6. Midwifery resources
7. Nutrition Resources

1. Visit a museum!  History graduates can progress to have careers within museums. Follow #MuseumFromHome on social media for inspiration. There are virtual tours and videos from experts offering insights into artefacts. Tell us what’s interested you. How do you think access to museum exhibitions changes the experience?
2. Listen to historical interviews! From The British Library’s Oral History Archive, to the BBC’s Witness History Podcast, to the History Today Podcast. Tell us what you’ve discovered and why you think it resonated with you.
3. The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers like you — more than a million people around the world who come together to assist professional researchers. Their goal is to enable research that would not be possible, or practical, otherwise.
4. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

Check out our resource pages below. Created in collaboration with the academics of each subject, these pages provide an amazing starting place to explore your subject in more depth. We are adding to our pages all the time, so keep checking back for new content and more subjects:

1. Philosophy resources

1. Watch a Supreme Court Hearing. Here you can see how current and decided cases evolved and read judgement summaries. Tell us about which cases interested you and what you learnt from your observations.
2. Research the work of the Law Commission. Is there a particular area of law that fascinates you, if so why?
3. Read articles and law reports from the Law Gazette. Is there anything that’s surprised/challenged/inspired you?
4. Watch committee meetings, debates and even attend virtual lessons about the work of Parliament. How do these inform your understanding of British politics?
5. Listen to the BBC’s Law in Action Podcasts. Are there any issues that intrigue you? Is there anything that you’re surprised by? How do these podcasts challenge your current way of thinking? Do they confirm your interest in law? If so how?
6. Choose one famous crime case and analyse the way the offence has been depicted in films, documentaries, biographies and news reporting. What do you learn about the law, justice and the role of the media by doing this? What skills do you need to carry out this research and why are these skills valuable for a law degree?
7. Research the different types and lengths of punishments given for the same offence in different parts of the globe. What effect do you think this has on societies? How does this influence your own beliefs about justice?
8. Are there any global issues that are impacting the laws we make and how justice is served? What do you think these are? Why does it matter to you?
9. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers like you — more than a million people around the world who come together to assist professional researchers. Their goal is to enable research that would not be possible, or practical, otherwise. In particular, check out these projects:

1. Criminal Characters: Tracking the life histories and criminal careers of Australian prisoners

Check out our resource pages below. Created in collaboration with the academics of each subject, these pages provide an amazing starting place to explore your subject in more depth. We are adding to our pages all the time, so keep checking back for new content and more subjects:

1. Criminology and Criminal Justice resources
2. Law resources

1. Interested in journalism? Why not take 30 minutes out of your day to hear unique insights from a media expert? Guest lectures are a regular feature of the University of Hertfordshire’s Media Matters programme and we have pre-recorded versions available to watch online. What do you learn from listening to these first-hand accounts? What can you tell us about the difference in perspectives from a Freelance Journalist and the Head of Visuals and Social Media at The Guardian? Does anything surprise you? How do these talks inform your understanding of the media industry?
2. What are your views on how the media is reporting current events? How have news outlets and television programmes adapted? What can you tell us about your own observations and analysis and why does your independent research benefit your chosen degree?
3. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

Check out our resource page below. Created in collaboration with the academics of each subject, these pages provide an amazing starting place to explore your subject in more depth. We are adding to our pages all the time, so keep checking back for new content and more subjects:

1. Journalism, Media and Film Studies Resources

1. Interested in Audio Production and Engineering? ‘Are we still rolling?’ by Phill Brown is a part memoir, part technical manual as he looks back over his amazing music career. Starting as a tape operator for The Rolling Stones, he went onto work as an engineer/producer for David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Bombay Bicycle Club and Dido. During his 30 year career at the time of writing (it’s over 50 years now!) he has produced some iconic music, so have a read and tell us what you learn about the music industry. How has it changed? What has surprised you? In what ways has this book informed your decision to become a sound engineer? Our students were inspired by his guest lecture, so we're confident this will be inspirational reading for you too!
2. Are there any news stories about artists using their skills and expertise which inspire you? If so why? How does this inform your current thinking about Music and its place in society?
3. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

1. Explore the Institute for Physics. Subscribe to their student newsletter for information about the latest developments in physics, careers and competitions. Download the Pocket Physics Study Guide and expand your knowledge even further. Don’t forget to analyse what you learn.
2. Research unsolved mysteries in the world of physics. Is there a topic that inspires further reading? Where does your fascination lie?
3. Solve maths and physics problems. Play the prototype games and analyse their impact. iWantToStudyEngineering is asking for your feedback, so think about what you think could be improved. What do you learn by giving constructive criticism?
4. Visit the United Kingdom’s Mathematics Trust’s website. They run mathematical challenges, and whilst the entry deadlines do fly by, you can have a go at past papers and check your work against the solutions too! How do these challenges advance your mathematical understanding?
5. Listen to podcasts. For example, NASA has a whole range of podcasts that might inspire you!
6. Watch our Taster Lectures. What did you learn? How will it benefit you? How does it relate back to the course you are applying for?
7. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers like you — more than a million people around the world who come together to assist professional researchers. Their goal is to enable research that would not be possible, or practical, otherwise. In particular, check out these projects:

1. Radio Galaxy Zoo: LOFAR - by the University of Hertfordshire
2. Dark Energy Explorers
3. Mars in Motion: Spot the difference... on the surface of Mars!

Check out our resource pages below. Created in collaboration with the academics of each subject, these pages provide an amazing starting place to explore your subject in more depth. We are adding to our pages all the time, so keep checking back for new content and more subjects:

1. Astrophysics and Physics resources
2. Mathematics and Financial Mathematics resources

1. Have you noticed any differences in how different religions have responded to crises? Have messages been effectively communicated to all sections of the community? How do critical observations about the world around you benefit your chosen degree?
2. Watch our Politics Taster Lectures. What did you learn? How will it benefit you? How does it relate back to the course you are applying for?
3. Watch our Economics Taster Lecture: Is it possible to beat the stock market? What did you learn? How will it benefit you? How does it relate back to the course you are applying for?
4. The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers like you — more than a million people around the world who come together to assist professional researchers. Their goal is to enable research that would not be possible, or practical, otherwise.
5. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

Check out our resource pages below. Created in collaboration with the academics of each subject, these pages provide an amazing starting place to explore your subject in more depth. We are adding to our pages all the time, so keep checking back for new content and more subjects:

1. Economics resources
2. Politics and International Relations resources

1. Watch our Psychology Taster lectures. What did you learn? How will it benefit you? How does it relate back to the course you are applying for?
2. The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers like you — more than a million people around the world who come together to assist professional researchers. Their goal is to enable research that would not be possible, or practical, otherwise.
3. The British Psychological Society is the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK and is responsible for the promotion of excellence and ethical practice in the science, education, and application of the discipline. They are an organisation you should research if you have not done so already.
4. Have a look at the British Psychological Society's (BPS) Research Digest. Published by the British Psychological Society since 2003, the Research Digest aims to showcase psychological science whilst casting a critical eye over its methods. With over 100,000 followers across social media and another 65,000+ on email, the Research Digest blog continues to grow in popularity and international prominence, attracting millions of readers every year.
5. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

Check out our resource pages below. Created in collaboration with the academics of each subject, these pages provide an amazing starting place to explore your subject in more depth. We are adding to our pages all the time, so keep checking back for new content and more subjects:

1. Psychology resources

1. Research different coaching techniques at UK Coaching. Read blogs and follow #greatcoaching to find out about the impact sports coaching can have on individuals and communities. Using what you’ve learnt, can you locate a need in society and come up with an idea for how sports coaching can address this need? Or can you devise an exercise activity for your household? Tell us what you’ve done, the observations you’ve made, the skills you’ve developed and how this benefits you.
2. Sport England is responsible for growing and developing grassroots sports and getting more people active across England. Two-thirds of their funding comes from The National Lottery. They are an organisation you should research if you have not done so already.
3. UK Sport is the government agency responsible for investing in Olympic and Paralympic sports in the United Kingdom. UK Sport is the nation’s trusted high-performance experts, powering the UK's greatest athletes, teams, sports and events to achieve positive success. UK Sport also receives funding from The National Lottery. They are an organisation you should research if you have not done so already.
4. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) helps to drive growth, enrich lives and promote the areas they are responsible for. They are responsible for publishing Sports policy in England. Knowing what the government uses sport as a tool to achieve can help us to understand the wider role sport plays in society.
5. Reflect upon how access to sport and exercise has changed. Can you tell us about any exercise classes that have inspired you? What techniques are being used? In what ways have you been challenged or inspired by how the delivery of exercise has changed?
6. Have you been inspired by a particular athlete and their approach to training, or how they overcame injury? What have you learned? In what ways does this motivate you? Or demotivate you?
7. Watch our Taster lectures. What did you learn? How will it benefit you? How does it relate back to the course you are applying for?
8. FutureLearn has short online courses in a diverse range of subjects and is always adding more. Courses vary in length, though most are six to ten weeks long but they also have some shorter two and three-week courses. Some resources are free, though memberships are available for unlimited access.

Check out our resource pages below. Created in collaboration with the academics of each subject, these pages provide an amazing starting place to explore your subject in more depth. We are adding to our pages all the time, so keep checking back for new content and more subjects:

1. Sport and Exercise Science resources
2. Sports Therapy resources