Natalie lays out a no-nonsense, practical, realistic approach to university in the UK, starting from grade 8 or 9. In her straight-talking style, she corrects misconceptions and encourages balance and joy in all of life's pursuits.

"It doesn't matter what degree you do. What does matter is that they have a spark. And it's that spark that you can nurture. Not by going to orchestra every day and being on the team, but by reading a book or by reading a magazine."

"You do make friends on the football team, in a drama rehearsal, one hundred percent. I'm not saying don't do it. I'm just saying enjoy it for what it is, rather than a means for an end. You're not doing it for any brownie points because it's going to get you into Uni. It won't, in the UK. But is it going to get you friends and make you happy and stuff? Yes, it will. So do it for that reason."

Natalie shares

• It takes about 4 hours of one-to-one guidance to get a student on track for UK university application (not including mock interviews)
• Key differences between university in the UK and the US
• The problem with parents guiding their own children through university application
• Subjects and activities students need for successful university entrance (it might not be what you think)
• Skills students need to thrive at uni versus skills they need to thrive at a job
• The importance of work experience for high school students
• Advice for the "winners" and "losers" during the pandemic

and more.

RESOURCES mentioned in this episode:

Book Getting Into Oxford and Cambridge

Workbook From Work Experience To Dream Job (Email Natalie for details)

Article Five Reasons Why You Should Hire Third Culture Kids

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ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST:

Natalie Lancer, MA (Oxon), PGCE, MA (Lond), Dip Psych (Open)

Natalie is an accredited coach and a member of the Association for Coaching. She is the Secretary of the British Psychological Society's Special Group in Coaching Psychology. In her coaching practice and consultancy, The Educational Guidance Guru, she specialises in career coaching and university guidance for young adults drawing on her 13 years in various roles within schools, such as Assistant Head and Director of Higher Education. She is the author of Getting into Oxford and Cambridge (2008) (Trotman Publishing) and co-author of Techniques for Coaching and Mentoring, 2nd edn, (2016) (Routledge). Natalie is finishing her doctorate in Psychology at Birkbeck College, University of London, in which she researches how coaching impacts students' personal growth at university.

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ABOUT YOUR HOST:

Kim Adams is an American raising three daughters along with her math-teaching husband of 20 years. She loves photography, reading, thunderstorms, walking on the beach, camping where there are no bugs, and has a weakness for mint chocolate chip ice cream.

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