Work experience, summer school programmes and afterschool clubs are examples of extracurricular activities available to Sixth Form students. These activities offer different advantages to students, such as teaching them crucial skills or exposing them to a field they may wish to study or work in in the future.
Work experience is significant for Sixth Form students. Some students will be hoping to study vocational degrees (such as Law, Medicine or Engineering) at university. Work experience is an excellent chance for such students to acquire practical, vocational experience in their chosen field of study and begin developing a network of valuable contacts.
Setting up clubs, societies and events around their academic interests is an additional way for students to show universities that they can take their studies beyond what they learn in the classroom. These also provide material for personal statements and university applications and show admissions tutors that young people are well-rounded individuals as well as excellent students.
Depending on the degree a student wishes to apply for, some extracurricular commitments offer more value than others. For an aspiring medical student, volunteering at a hospital, medical surgery or hospice is essential and preferable to setting up a school science club. Practical work experience shows that a student has made the sensible decision to familiarise themselves with professional environments and has a realistic idea of what awaits them in their future career.