Welcome to S5 Resource page...
Welcome to the S5 Resource page! We’ve got lots of information and resources to support you with choosing your Higher Education and post school goals.
We will discuss your goals with you individually, either in school or via a phone call. If you have any questions, head to the bottom of the page for our contact details.
This page has LOTS of information. Use the menu below to navigate to the right section for you…
Exploring your options
Higher Education is learning at college or university at SCQF Level 7 or above. Typically, you study for HNCs and HNDs at college and undergraduate degrees at university.
Courses
If you have an idea of what subject you want to study, use the tiles below explore different institutions.
University courses
Hybrid University & College Options
Dundee & Angus College
Fife College
Careers
If you aren’t sure about what you want to study, have a look at possible careers. This will highlight what type of course you would need to study to prepare you for your chosen career!
Career Explorer
Planitplus
iCould
Prospects
Subject Guides
Remember to think about subjects that you can’t study at school! We have worked with our student volunteers and university partners to bring you some extra information on different courses.
Creative
Not finding a subject you are interested in?
What's SCQF?
The SCQF framework allows you to compare qualification levels and plan your own ‘learner journey’ for Higher Education. For example, the table below shows studying a HNC at college is the same level of difficulty as year 1 of an undergraduate degree at university. Have a look at the resources below to find out more.
If you have an idea of what subject you want to study, use the tiles below explore different institutions.
Articulation
Articulation is a pathway between full time HN courses at college such as an HNC or HND, into a degree at university. The pathway will have been formally identified and agreed between the college and the university. It’s based on the fact that HNCs and HNDs are at SCQF Levels 7 and 8, the same as years 1 and 2 of a degree.
This means that you could potentially get direct entry into year 2 of university with an HNC, or direct entry into year 3 at university with an HND.
Find out more about Articulation and the different routes and courses on offer below:
Location Location Location...
Find Your Campus
Introduction to Find Your Campus
This video is an introduction to the Find Your Campus Resource created collaboratively by SHEP programmes LIFT OFF and Aspire North.
Scroll down to use the resource.
Click on the icons to find out about the Higher Education institutions across Scotland.
- University
- College
- Schools for Higher Education Programme (SHEP)
Not all institutions offer all courses or subjects. If you like the look of somewhere, double-check that they offer what you’re interested in to avoid disappointment!
Even courses that are called the same thing can be taught differently. Make sure you have a good look on the University or College’s website for more information.
Can’t decide? Consider a joint degree where you study two subjects together and come out with a degree in both.
Remember you can apply to 5 university choices through UCAS and also apply directly to colleges at the same time.
Courses like Geography and Psychology might be offered as both a BSc and a BA (or MA*). A BSc will be more science-focused, while a BA or MA will be more about the human or social aspects.
*Some older universities use MA instead of BA, but they are the same level qualification.
Open Days
Register for Open Days (virtual or in person) and keep an eye out for any course or career-specific events at places you like the look of. Many places have email lists that you can sign up to and you’ll be alerted to upcoming events.
Making the most of Open Days
Making the most of Open Days
Achieving your S5 goals
We’ve shared some tips and resources for building your study skills.
Time Management
If you’re finding managing your time difficult don’t worry – this skill can be learnt! Try starting with the three ‘Ps’ method: prioritise, plan and persist.
Bear in mind that you may have to say ‘no’ to friends and family and/or cut down on your hobbies for a short time to achieve your goals. If you struggle to prioritise, try sorting all your activities using this ‘priority matrix’ and use it for planning. (Note you might not have anything to put in the ‘not important/urgent box!).
Planning will help you strike a good balance between studying and your free time. It’s important to continue doing things you enjoy, but plan to study first and your free time will feel even more rewarding!
Make study schedules and stick to them! Putting things off can make things more stressful.
Exams and revision
There are loads of different methods of revision, from making mind maps and colourful notes, to flash cards and doing past papers. Everyone develops their own methods, so take the time to work out what suits you and don’t worry that other people might be doing something different.
Self-confidence and resilience
Be kind to yourself and keep making time to do things you enjoy. If you are struggling, reach out for support.
Focus on your goals
It’s inevitable that you’ll enjoy some subjects more than others. Make the most of the ones you find fun. For those that are harder, try reminding yourself why you need that subject – what is your end goal?
Study Skills
Make the most of support that is available to you both in and out of school!
Esgoil run free study support webinars for Nat 4, Nat 5, Higher & Advance Higher school Subjects! They also have a suite of recorded resources that you can access online
Resources
There are lots of different resources available so try out a few different sites or tools to find out what works best for you! These are a selection of our favourites…
Build good study habits by reviewing your work as soon as you can – don’t leave it until you have to revise!
Make sure your plans are realistic. You will be more motivated and less likely to be stressed if they are achievable.
Save the best till last! Start with more difficult subjects, or those you like less so that you have the ones you like to look forward to.
Plan in plenty of breaks and reward yourself with social activities and time for hobbies.
Thinking ahead to applications
Now is the time to start thinking about your future college or university application. You will typically start your application in August of your final year of school.
Even if you’re not planning to apply for courses soon, it’s still worth getting into the mindset of effective reflection.
This will allow you to make the most of your experiences and give you something to build on for writing personal statements or job applications.
Remember it’s not just about ‘what went wrong’ – you can learn from successes too!
This reflection toolkit from the University of Edinburgh has lots of different methods. It’s a key skill for Medical Professionals, as shown in this article by the General Medical Council, but the principles can be applied to all subjects.
Keep a note of skills and experiences so that they are all in one place and easy to draw on later. Try the UCAS Personal Statement Builder, add things into your MyWoW account, or just use old-fashioned pen and paper!
Struggling to think of skills? Skills Development Scotland have come up with a list of Meta-Skills that they think will be needed for future jobs.
Read up on any extra steps that you might need to complete as part of your application. Examples include portfolios of work for Art & Design courses, interviews for some college courses as well as Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry and Teaching, and auditions for performance-based courses. They are often quite specific to individual institutions so look on their websites for more information and if you are sent any information, read it through carefully. Take note of any deadlines and try to be well-prepared!
Have a look at the UCAS Conservatoire’s audition advice leaflet. It’s focussed on auditions for Conservatoires, but the advice is relevant to other auditions too!
UCAS and My WoW have good advice on preparing for interviews (university and college interviews respectively).
Look ahead to the subjects and grades that you’ll need for courses that you’re interested in. You can use this knowledge to set yourself goals and to work out if you should to stay for S6 and what to choose.
Be aware that universities recognise that your grades can be influenced by a range of factors. To make the admissions process fairer, they use ‘contextual admissions’. They take into account certain challenges that you may have faced, and may offer reduced entry requirements or give further consideration to your application.
Factors include things like attending a school where not many students go on to university, if you are a refugee or asylum seeker, if you are care experienced, have caring responsibilities, or are estranged. Different institutions use different factors, so make sure you check. Look for information about ‘widening access’ or ‘widening participation’ on university websites.
Support
Other Projects
LIFT OFF sign post to other organisations and widening access programmes across Scotland that have different focus to our own activities.
Reach Tayside
ACES Tayside
Reach Fife
RCS Transitions
ICAS Foundation
Contact Us
As much information as this resource contains, we know sometimes you have specific questions that you would like to ask. The LIFT OFF team are here to help and would love to hear from you!
You can also arrange a meeting to chat with one of the LIFT OFF team. Meetings can be on the phone, in school, or online. Just use the contact form to arrange a meeting.
Our fantastic student volunteers not only help out at events but they are also on hand to answer any questions you might have about life in Higher education.
Get in touch with one of the LIFT OFF Student Volunteers to ask your questions.
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