WELLBEING WITH VESPA

Of the four, two are internal. They’re about you (what you love, what you’re good at.) Two are external; about the world around you (what the world needs, what you can be paid for) and might require some research, discussion and further thought.

Not all four need to be equal. You need to find the balance that best expresses who you are; what you stand for; your values, beliefs, hopes, plans

List what you love.

In this list, choose and list every interest you have. When are you happiest? What gets you excited? Be specific rather than general. Make the list as long as possible. Try and capture everything – no matter how small – you feel positive about.

List what you’re good at.

Take time to make a few more choices. Extend the first list by adding things you’re good at. Be kind to yourself – ‘good at’ doesn’t mean ‘the best at’ or ‘good relative to a world-class superstar’. It means good enough. Then see if there are connections between things you love and things you’re good at. Some might be straightforward – you might love and be good at the same thing. Others might have looser connections. Shift things about, link them, scribble additional ideas down, turn your list into a vast interconnected mess of thoughts and ideas.

Finally…

List What You Might Be Able to Get Paid For

Take your list of passions and strengths and begin to add other factors over the top. You might use a highlighter, post-its, or coloured pens if that floats your boat. Time to make some choices: of the things on the list – what could you be paid for? And how important is that money to you? Freedom, flexibility, creativity, autonomy, risk, challenge… all of these things might be more important to you than cash.

See if you can find one thing – just one! –that comes closest to fitting (i) something you love with (ii) something you’re good at plus (iii) something you might be able to get paid for.

Now spend ten minutes researching it. It’s a clue you might follow as you continue your studies.

Missed the UCAS Application Deadline?

If you are still considering University the official UCAS deadline was 29th January. This does not mean you can no longer make an application, so what next?

You have until 30th June to make a late application. It is recommended you contact the universities you are considering first to check they are still accepting applications. If you wait until after 30th June you can apply through clearing. This is a different process again and a good idea to read up your options on the UCAS website. This article in the Guardian spells out clearly options for applying late.

If you are still in doubt speak to your Progress Coach who will be happy to help you.