Science writer Sarah Scoles digs into the deep, sometimes dark, world of UFO conspiracies and stories for this fascinating book, mixing serious anecdotes from the community (told sceptically but sensitively) with real scientific research from across a range of disciplines. It's also mostly helpful for people studying in the UK, which makes sense but just be aware of that. Opportunities: The student experience is obviously key. Make sure all your dreams for uni are going to be satisfied, for example by ski trips, volunteering projects and charity challenges like Jailbreak. Who better to describe life in space than someone who’s walked the (space)walk? Peake pens answers to the public’s burning questions, revealing what space smells like, how he enjoyed a cosmic cuppa, and what it felt like to return to Earth.

For more reading recommendations and free samples of new and popular books, sign up to our book club newsletter below.This accessible, illustrated guide to the cosmos is for both the new and the experienced stargazer.

Campus/city: Campus universities are very self-contained, and usually a bus ride away from the city. They’ll have accommodation, department buildings and probably a club all in one central hub. City universities have their academic facilities dotted around, so you get to actually live in the city centre. Even though I still think I need to do a lot of research into university/medical school, and actually choose which ones I'm applying to, I feel slightly more at ease now I've read this.Think of your personal statement as an essay, only it’s an essay on yourself. It’s a way of showing an admissions officer – who, by the way, just wants you to make their job easier – what you’re about and why you’re the best thing since someone had the ingenious idea of putting peanuts inside M&M’s. (Seriously, where’s their Nobel Prize?) I really did not want to mark this book so low but I thought he was just a bit forceful with some of his ideas that I did not agree. These ideas of his had also nothing to do with the Uni experience. To add one of the last bits of the book about imposters syndrome I thought was stupid. If you struggle with imposters syndrome do not read that as it is as useful as a chocolate fire guard. Location: How far away from home is it? * Is the commute to/from this location easy or complicated? What other cities are nearby? I was set to give this book a 3/5 until I reached the wellbeing section which essentially saved it for me. The chapter about mental health was very well written and the analogy was one I'd never heard before and I really liked it. The letter he wrote to his pre-university self was also surprisingly moving.

Taking the growing body of information about other planets, applying the laws of biology, principles of chemistry, and his knowledge of Earth's history, Kershenbaum presents the possibilities for alien creatures with confidence. Straight from the pen of a scientist working with commercial spaceflight comes a memoir of getting into the air. Kellie Gerardi has worked with NASA, tested technology that would be sent to the International Space Station, and helped develop programmes for future space exploration. Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence.” Levesque's writing is witty and honest, and asks us all to reconsider our relationship with the Universe.Still this book managed to take some stress of my shoulders and help me worth treating university less seriously because of the jokes (BUT SHOULD A GUIDE RELY ON JOKES? - NOT REALLY, MAN) The end of the Universe may be a common feature in science fiction, but this one isn’t a crisis that can be averted by a team of superheroes. The Universe really will come to an end one way or another, and we have an idea how – five ideas, actually. Remember what information has already been covered in the rest of your application. When you apply to a university, it’s not just your personal statement that is sent to them. There’s also the rest of your UCAS application, which includes a reference from your school or sixth form, and a full transcript of your academic record. It’ll tell the admissions officer about all the grades you have acquired over the years, and contextualise them with the school you went to and the area you grew up in. For this reason, you don’t need to flaunt your past grades (or your target grades for the future) in your personal statement. If you got an A in your Maths GCSE – or 7/8/9 for those studying under the new system – which will suggest your suitability for a Maths degree, then the admissions staff will already know. Don’t waste valuable space by inserting each grade you’re proud of one-by-one and the circumstances in which you achieved them. You’ll only be repeating yourself.

Stories in the Starsis both an imaginative and in-depth collection of human's encounters with the night sky. Ask An Astronaut: My Guide to Life in Space Even though I appreciated the basic survival tips and the A level revision tips (those will be coming in useful way too soon!), I especially appreciated and loved the sections on diversity, wellbeing and dealing with rejection. I won't lie - a few tears were shed when I was reading the dealing with rejection section and the imposter syndrome section, as a lot of that stuff hits very close to home.

Most of it feels unrelated to uni for example there are tips for living on your own (even few cooking recipes) also... it's very targeted to British audience (which I am most definitely not). The hilarious Dara Ó Briain offers scientific answers to questions such as: how did life begin? How was the Earth created? Do aliens exist? The Art of Urban Astronomy: A Guide to Stargazing Wherever You Are Writer Giles Sparrow tells the stories of well-known 'celebrity' stars such as Proxima Centauri, Betelgeuse and our very own Sun, but also of those holding the sky's secrets; supernovae, quasars and dark matter. Through these 21 stars (and 3 imposters) he reveals the impact that astronomy has played on science's understanding of the past, present and future. For fans of Jim Al-Khalili's The World According to Physics, this book is an accessible and engaging introduction to one of the Universe's most extraordinary phenomena.