A Year 11 student gives their perspective of the Career Fair

On Thursday 13th October 2022, Spalding Academy held their annual Careers Fair for all years to indulge in a range of higher education and work ethic opportunities and examples.

When I went into the hall to see the abundance of exhibitors, in my head I had two questions, “Is University really for me?” and “How will University benefit me?”.

At each of the stalls, there was a variety of opportunities and companies who want to be able to give each student the chance at flourishing in their own ways. As well as that, they provided a hands-on experience for the students to look and interact with, so they can get an insight on what the industries are truly about.

Taking part in the Careers Fair, there was the Sixth Form at Bourne Academy and other local further education colleges, who spoke with our students, providing them with information to link with the GCSE’s needed, grading systems, transport, courses and the UCAS points to get to University.

The Bourne Academy Sixth Form had representatives giving many keen students an idea about what it’s like there. As a part of South Lincolnshire Academies Trust, Bourne is known to have students from Spalding Academy attend as they offer many popular subjects such as Sociology, Music, Business, Performing Arts, English Literature, Mathematics and all three individual sciences.

Talking to the Bourne Academy representative, she had expressed to me how “the environment is welcoming” and “Bourne offers the right workspace for those who are ready for the opportunity”. I, personally, found that it is gives students (myself) a lot of comfort in providing a good environment for myself and others to work with.

As I spoke to a few of the different college representatives, they talked me through the guiding booklets they had provided all students with; one of the representatives stated, “we aim for the best and it’s the constant mindset we have developed”. They had a variety of courses from Accounting to Fashion, Plumbing to Tourism and Engineering to Journalism.

As I reached the end of my journey around each of the stalls, I found myself at the Loughborough University stall. Because I have an interest in Formula One racing, I found it intriguing that they had an Aeronautical & Automotive Engineering degree, which gives you options for a 3, 4 or 5 year course (the 4 and 5 year courses offer you a placement year).

Although I do have a love for Formula One design etc, they also offer so many courses from Accounting to Computer Science, Graphic Design to Product Design and Robotics to Urban Planning. I feel though, as someone who is just about to pass the GCSE stage of my education, acknowledging and realising that universities, such as Loughborough, offer so many opportunities for everyone of different interests.

Being academically bright gives you incredible opportunities, whether you’re naturally academic or strive to educate yourself, but it’s also eye-opening to see that many industries take in students and graduates who may be more gifted in the Arts or Speech or Music industry.

For example, a company called ESPA gives talented students and graduates the chance to express themselves as well as develop those skills into something incredibly successful:

In my opinion, seeing many industries and companies provide many examples of and insights of the working industry, gave me a sense of realism. By this, I mean that all of the different jobs I saw made me realise that even if you’re not the best at core subjects or any certain subjects in class, you can bring your talents from beyond the classroom to find who you are and become successful in your own way.

So… what’s the verdict?

University is where I want to be in further education and there is an endless list of benefits for me as an individual. Since I have spoken to the university representative, it’s made me consider how exciting my life could be during and after my university experiences and what opportunities lay ahead.