The summer before your final year of high school is quite crucial. Utilizing this time period efficiently can set you ahead of your peers applying for medicine and help to reduce some of the stress that goes along with the application process. A productive way to divide your summer up would be to firstly schedule time to rest and relax, the first year of A level is a big step up from GCSE and it’s important that you take time out to rejuvenate and reward yourself for getting through a tough year. Getting time off from work will help you refresh yourself and also get you ready for the upcoming year! In addition to this do take the time out to research the universities you want to apply to. See what each university has to offer in terms of its location, societies and the style of teaching they use and if possible, visit the university. Medicine is a lengthy and at times overwhelming course which is why picking a university and city that suits you as a person is quite important as in the long run as it will help you thrive in medical school. During the summer, to keep yourself busy and to enhance your application arrange for work experience and volunteering opportunities. At the moment with the current pandemic, it can get quite hard to get in person activities so make sure to check out our some of our other forum posts for volunteering and work experience resources and tips during COVID-19! Finally, one of the things that I found very useful was taking out the time to start preparating for the medical admissions tests in the summer. The UCAT and BMAT are tests in which practice is one of the main ways to improve your score and the more you practice the better you will get. Year 13 is quite a big step up from year 12 and can get quite overwhelming with schoolwork, writing your personal statement and preparing for your admission tests therefore getting a head start on the year can be very helpful. By starting to practice for your admission tests during the holidays you will not only be better prepared for them, but it will also help to reduce some of the stress you may feel during the application process. Studying for the BMAT and UCAT can sometimes get quite overwhelming so make sure you read our BMAT and UCAT tips and remember keep on PRACTICING! I wish you guys all the best with your applications and if you have any questions just post them below and we’ll answer them as soon as we can. 😊 😊