Careers blog written by Irena Zientek, Information Resources Manager, Careers

It’s that time of year again. No, we don’t mean Christmas – we’re talking about York Award application time.

Each year in late Autumn Term the application form is available for Final Year undergrads to access and begin the process of completing it in time for the submission date of mid-January.

The form consists of five sections, asking questions which require you to comment on your academic skills, work experience and personal interests. As well as giving examples of when you’ve used certain skills, you’ll also be expected to reflect on your experiences and demonstrate how they have helped your personal development while at York.

Your application is assessed by a number of criteria, which are listed on the York Award web pages, but include:

• a self-analytical and reflective approach
• a development of a range of skills
• a proactive approach to your time at university
• a concise and appropriate presentation of your experiences.

Many students get a little bogged down with the 100 points requirement and worry they haven’t got enough points. The info sheet, The Assessment process explained will help explain types of activities and how many points they might be worth. The Points review sheet can help you record the experiences you’ve had; consider where on the form you’re going to include them; and think about the skills you’ve gained from them.

If you’re still not sure, book a Careers Information Appointment via Careers Gateway and discuss your activities, experiences and skills. We can’t tell you how many points a particular activity is worth – only you know its true value to you – but we can help you to reflect on the skills you feel you’ve gained.

Also, there may be some skills courses available early in the Spring Term, which will finish before the deadline, and can be included on the form. So, if you want some added ‘insurance’ for your total points, check out details on the York Award courses page next week.

So, the form is now ready and waiting on the York Award assessment page and with the deadline at 5pm on Friday 23 January, you have a whole nine weeks in which to complete it – that’s all the Christmas vacation, plus some. Let’s face it, it’ll be a nice break from eating all that roast turkey and Christmas pud!