Advice before starting university

I'm seeing a lot of year 13 students getting offers from universities, and I would like to give some advice on what you can do in the summer after you have completed your exams, so you can get a head start on your career development:

1. Start writing your CV and Cover Letter! When you have written one, you can apply to any winter/spring/summer insight programmes and internships during your first year of university.

2. Practice those aptitude/psychometric tests! I wish I had practised them earlier to get more offers. My LinkedIn connections introduced me to AssessmentDay when I asked them for guidance on internship applications.

3. Become a student brand ambassador for companies! There are voluntary and paid ones, and they will look incredible on your CV. Look out for applications and when they go live: Seed, Vaqat, Sanctuary Graduates, Wiser, etc.

4. Look out for scholarships on Santander UK so you won't miss out on any opportunities for grants and bursaries.

5. Request recommendations from your peers. According to career coach Patricia Figueroa, you should aim to have 2-3 recommendations on your LinkedIn profile.

When you're in university, you might want to join some societies to expand your network and increase your skills. If you decide to create your own society or become a committee member, allow me to share my experience through a recent LinkedIn blog post I've written:

Creating the Accounting and Finance society from scratch has been one of the most challenging experiences I have encountered. If I had to write all the problems I had to face, it would be a 5000 worded essay because it has been quite a journey.

On the positive side, I have networked with presidents and committee members from various universities (Exeter, Durham, Nottingham, Warwick, Birmingham, Cambridge, Sheffield and Manchester). I also had meetings with CEOs and employees (ourGen, PeerGrid, PKF-Francis Clark), which significantly improved my communication, writing and time management skills.

If you're interested in creating a society or becoming a committee member, allow me to put in my two cents: It is a huge amount of commitment. If you don't put in the effort, you can't expect your society members to take you and your society seriously. However, the experience you'll gain is priceless, and this society has definitely opened a lot of opportunities for me, so I really recommend starting your own.

Another thing you have to think about when starting university is your budget. I know a lot of my mates who were on their overdraft the month after freshers' week because they've spent too much. Here's what I recommend:

1. Download a budget app to track your daily spending. I personally use the app Fudget but my flatmates use Yolt or Emma. If you spend too much on clothes, it might be better if you saved up and spent it on necessary items like your groceries.

2. Meal prep to save time and money. Go to the supermarkets every week and put your meat in the fridge so it won't go bad so quickly. It is also a good idea to invest in some containers to put your food in too.

3. Say no to going out if you've spent too much. You won't miss out on staying in for one night out, and there is probably upcoming coursework and exams you need to catch up on.

4. Go to cheaper supermarkets and compare prices. Waitrose is famous for having high quality and expensive food, whereas Aldi is cheaper and budget-friendly. Tesco and Sainsbury have loyalty cards so consider getting one to get some cashback and rewards.

5. Buy and drink your alcoholic drinks at home before going out, because drinks outside cost way more than buying in a convenience store.