Around 3,000 fifth and sixth year pupils from secondary schools in Grampian will the visit the University of Aberdeen this week to find out about options in higher education.
Representatives from 36 colleges and universities in Scotland and England, together with careers advisers from Grampian Careers, will be on hand to provide information and advice to prospective students at the annual Grampian Higher Education Convention, which will be held in the Elphinstone Hall, King’s College, University of Aberdeen, Old Aberdeen.
The two-day Convention (16-17 September) is organised by the University in conjunction with Grampian Careers and is part of the “Next Step Network” of national and regional higher education conventions which provide 200,000 people throughout the UK with advice on post-16 options.
On both days, there will be informal talks and question and answer sessions, including seminars during which speakers from UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) will talk about the UCAS entry system. There will also be a session dedicated to student finance.
Those considering taking a gap year after leaving school will also be catered for as representatives from the Project Trust, Teaching Abroad and Au Pair America will be on hand to discuss alternative options.
Director of Student Recruitment Services, Mrs Lori Manders, said the convention was a popular and useful way for young people to find out more about what options are available to them when they leave school.
“When asked about how they went about choosing which college or university to attend, most students said attending the Convention had been very useful.
“Deciding what to do after leaving school can often be quite confusing and daunting as, after all, it is one of the biggest decisions school leavers will ever have to make. We try, therefore, to give them as much information and as wide a range of choices as possible through the Convention.”
The Convention is open between 9.45am and 3.00pm each day, and also between 6-7.30pm on Thursday. Members of the public are very welcome to attend.