NCUK Student Counsellor Conference: 28 - 29 March 2023

Welcome address by Stuart Smith, CEO of NCUK and Ruth Jones, Associate Director: Student Support.

This is followed by the conference’s first session about supporting your students at each step of their journey to university, from submitting their application right through to enrolment.

In this first session we were also joined by Brad Johnson, NCUK’s Head of Progression who provided attendees with the latest updates and initiatives from NCUK to help you to support students progressing to NCUK Universities.

To watch this session, click here.

What factors contribute to the competitive admissions landscape in Higher Education? What does this mean for international students? What does it take to gain a place on a course? Are there alternative options available and how can counsellors help students prepare to be flexible?

Understanding University admissions processes for international students is key to enable counsellors to support students at each stage of the university application process. NCUK was joined by colleagues in Admissions Offices from NCUK Universities who provided us with an insight into their day-to-day work. This session gave delegates the chance to ask the panel questions relating to university admissions. NCUK Universities attending this session were St. George’s University, University of Leeds, Queen Mary University of London, University of Waikato and University of Sheffield.

To watch this session, click here.

We’re closing day one with a hands-on workshop about supporting your students with applying for a study visa, the part of the university application process that many students find difficult to navigate.

In this workshop, we provided a reminder of the application processes involved and aimed to provide practical solutions on how you should prepare your students to be ready to apply for their study visa. We looked at the documentation students will need to prepare, discussed common interview questions and how best to tackle these, as well as look at some of the frequent stumbling blocks in the visa application process and how these can be avoided.

To watch this session, click here.

We kicked off day 2 of the conference with a hands-on workshop on counselling students on the benefits of an Australian degree.
Supported by representatives from NCUK and the Universities including University of New South Wales, University of Western Australia and RMIT University, attendees worked amongst each other to develop and share  knowledge of Australia as a study destination.

To watch this session, click here.

This session is all about you! A panel-style session hosted by the NCUK Student Support team which focuses on discussing best practice in student support and counselling and gives you the chance to hear from colleagues across the NCUK network.

To watch this session, click here.

Understanding the processes of confirming an offer from university, choosing accommodation, and preparing for arrival at university is key to give NCUK students the best possible start of studying abroad at university.

In this session, we talk to representatives from Aston University, University of Birmingham and University of Alberta about supporting students with planning their arrival to university. We discuss the support available to Student Counsellors supporting NCUK students, what students should expect from their first few days and weeks at university and the top tips of choosing suitable accommodation. We also hear from NCUK Student Ambassadors about their experiences and the ‘DO’s and Don’t’s’ of connecting with fellow students and settling in’.

To watch this session, click here.

• Yes, all sessions are recorded and available “on-demand” through the registration links above.

• The NCUK website is a useful resource to learn more about our university partners. Please visit our universities page to view all of the progression options available to NCUK students.