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If you’ve ever asked a senior, what they thought was the hardest part of the application process chances are, they will say it was writing the personal essays. Having spent hours upon hours brainstorming about my life, writing drafts and then scrapping them at 3 am, I would probably say the same. Trying to make your multi-faceted personality shine through a mere 650 words is no easy task – which is why in this post, I’ve included tried and tested tips to help you answer those dreaded prompts. Note: If you’re still unsure of the words college essay and prompt and what exactly a prompt looks like, before proceeding, I’d advise you at to take a look at my previous article  Surviving College Essays (Part 1) . It’s all been explained there. #1 When To Start? EARLY. Always, always start early. Leaving the essay section for the night before the deadline may sound very cool and tempting, but believe me when I say that, that is NOT what you want to do. These essays aren’t thin...

As promised, I’m back with a fresh batch of tips, pointers, and genuine words of wisdom, this time helping you to slay the most dreaded monster of all: college application essays. However, due to my stubbornness to not leave a single word of advice out, somehow this post had become detailed, one of a kind, and yes, a bit long. So I've divided it into two parts: this one deals with explaining what college essays are and more importantly, their prompts. Part two will focus solely on how to write them (without screaming in frustration and tearing out hair).  Ranging from the latest prompts, writing style, and most importantly, figuring out what to write, these two posts contain everything you need to know about vanquishing the dreaded essay and even contain details about my own experience while writing them. I’ll start with the basics – what are college essays and what makes them different from say those essays your teachers made you write for your English Language pa...

For this post I’m going to skip the pleasantries and just dive right into it – are you among those people who want to pursue their studies abroad, but have absolutely no idea how? Well then keep reading, because I’ve made this post specially designed for you. To start off, I’m going to clear out a few of the more common misconceptions that students (and in some cases their parents) associate with traveling to a foreign university for an undergraduate degree. "The process is easy and can be done in a week." Wrong. I assure you, the whole application process will  not  be completed quickly and neither can it be defined as easy. From filling out the forms, to applying for a visa you will need to plan, organize and be patient. If you’re dedicated to your goal, then the whole process will be worth it. "All my problems can be solved if I ask a senior how they got in." Lol. Don’t get me wrong because seniors are a huge help when we’re lost –  but,   they do...

Once the initial high of graduating school fades, sooner or later you will begin to ask yourself the mystifying question: What do I do now? As fun as sleeping all day, and posting your latest selfies on social media can be, they quickly tend to get a little repetitive: if you’re not careful, the time you receive before the onset of college will be utterly boring and a complete waste of opportunity. With a working internet connection and some effort, here are five things which will not only make your days more enjoyable but will definitely change your life for the better. Travelling:  If you have the funds and the desire, you should definitely, definitely use this time to travel. Exploring new places shapes our personality, it gives us a new perspective, makes us more accepting and diverse. In our beautiful country alone, I am sure that there are countless places whose mesmerizing beauty you still haven't seen. Grab your backpack and go solo, or if you'd rather travel a...

After hearing the responses on the article aimed to help O Level candidates, I decided that it would be unfair to not write another version for you guys as well. Yes, I am a nice person and you are welcome :P So anyway, we are well into the first week of March and my dear candidates you have approximately two months left to cram as much information into your heads as you possibly can. I know it's hard, that you probably still have significant chunks of the syllabus left to conquer, and honestly you still don't feel like studying the way you think you should. A year (or two) ago I was in the same situation: and I understand. I've made this post to help you out as much as I can within the time available. If you have any questions or need help, feel free to comment at the end of the article. Note: I took five subjects in my A-Levels - Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Math, and Computing. Throughout the article, I will be specifically referring to them. Some wise wo...

For a candidate, the 28th of February is probably one of the most stress-filled days he (or she) will have to face before their exams - what with the rapid approach of O and A Levels in May and the realization that March is already here, tensions are bound to run a little high. Dear O -Level candidates, I wrote this post while thinking of you; having gone through this nerve-wracking phase myself, I remember exactly how troubling it can be. Hopefully, listening to how I dealt with it will not only help you calm down but will also give you the confidence you need to push through and ace those exams that are coming up. If you have any questions or need help, feel free to comment at the end of the article. Some wise words from a girl who’s been through it all (and survived): Organize  – I cannot stress this point enough.  You are worried and nervous because you still don’t know exactly how much you have left.  For each subject, jot down the syllabus points w...

How To Win Against Procrastination It's an hour past midnight and you're surrounded by books and notes, with your head drooping towards the table. You have an exam tomorrow - you're determined to study all night to pass it. Suddenly the phone buzzes loudly, startling you with its deep vibrations: it's that guy across the street asking you to send him notes from all the lectures he's missed. You log on to Facebook, find a video of a singing cat, write a comment here and a reaction there... before you know it, your 7:00am alarm is blaring and you groan at the thought of the exam you still haven't studied for. Don't panic -  at one point or another, we've all gone through the same phase! It's normal to procrastinate, not just for students, but for adults as well. Put simply, leaving the work you should finish now for later is called procrastinating. Look familiar? It's what you've been doing all day... There are gazillions of w...

Every student with thoughts of an undergraduate education abroad has most likely asked themselves this mind-boggling question. For those of you who have decided to apply abroad, if you are still unclear about the mysterious gap year by the beginning of A2, then for better or worse, you are well on your way towards embarking on one. Now let's start by asking a simple question: What Exactly Is A Gap Year?  To understand this you'll need to brush up on your knowledge of some important admission deadlines. Since the US is the most popular target for undergraduate study, I've focused on the Common Application deadlines as a guide. Common Application submission deadlines (for the majority of universities):  November 1st  (early decision),  January 1st  (regular decision) Date of decision release: late March to early April (the following year) Term starts: Fall of that year (probably in August or September) Make note of deadlines ...