Young people from the Glasgow area got the chance to experience university life at an event organised by Strathclyde Business School.
One Step Forward, supported by professional services firm PwC, was organised by third year Business School students as part of their Management Development Programme. The event targeted fourth and fifth year pupils from Glasgow, North and South Lanarkshire, North and South Ayrshire, Inverclyde and West Dunbartonshire, who will soon be making tough decisions about their next steps after finishing school.
The event aimed to open young people's eyes to the diverse range of opportunities that university can bring them through current students sharing their own insight and experiences. Pupils were given advice and information on the alternative routes they can take to being accepted to university, the different subjects they can choose, options for studying abroad, career progression and funding support.
Throughout the day, attendees were also introduced to the social side of university, working together in groups with people they have never met before, just like they would in first year. Teams competed in a build-an-app challenge that encouraged pupils to think creatively to design and promote their own app. Two winning ideas emerged, including WorkUp which would help young people with their homework, by providing past papers, course notes and an 'ask a teacher' service. Fashion Alert also came out on top, which would prompt users to enter their style preferences and then find corresponding items on the high street.
Pupils also took part in a real-life lecture, campus tour and heard from the event's supporters PwC. Charles Bleakley, Glasgow Community Champion at PwC, said, "This event is all about highlighting the opportunities that university can bring to young people and it was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm from everyone who came along. As a firm, we are committed to helping create a sustainable future in our communities, preparing students for their lives after secondary education and helping them move towards a range of positive destinations from apprenticeships to study.
"From my discussions with the students throughout the day, it's clear they really benefitted from this initiative, having the chance to learn and connect with people in a different way."
Marwa Adelali, a fifth year pupil from St Mungos Academy, said, "My favourite part of the day was creating our app, 'Motivate Me', and getting to listen to what other groups came up with as everyone had innovative ideas. Getting to see all the cool facilities at Strathclyde, like the sports centre, made me think this would be an interesting university to go to."
One of the most common concerns for young people considering university is acquiring the right grades to meet the entry criteria. Nicole Brodie, third year Business Law and Marketing student who helped organise One Step Forward, said, "I didn't have the right marks to go straight to university when I left school so I took an alternative route by completing the Diploma of Higher Education (Business) at The City of Glasgow College for two years. The course then granted me entry into third year at Strathclyde Business School. We want to make sure the pupils are aware of the different paths they can take to university and that there is not one set direction."
Lastly students heard from Andrew Grindlay, fourth year Economics & Marketing student and Young Enterprise Dunbartonshire board member. Like many of the pupils, Andrew was unsure of what he wanted to do after leaving school. However, deciding to complete a business degree at Strathclyde turned out to be a highly positive move for him, which led to unique opportunities including travelling to Australia to take part in an international business competition. He encouraged the attendees not to be too influenced by what their friends are doing and to view university as a place to kick-start your future.
Summing up the day, Yozan Waqar, third year Accounting and Economics student, said, "The day was successful as a diverse group of pupils came together to share their different viewpoints and concerns about what university will really be like. It was rewarding to be able to help them by passing on our own experience rather than them simply hearing what universities have to say. Everyone had a great time and hopefully we've helped make their future decisions a little easier."