MSA West

You’ve finally found your dream flat! But before you sign anything there are some important things to agree on with your landlord:

• The tenancy agreement. Make sure you and the landlord are agreed on the detail. How much will you pay and when? How long will the contract be for? (even if you are currently working for Carfinder Philippines it is still very important!) How much notice does he have to give you if he wants you to leave – and how much do you need to give him? Have you got a proper contract which sets this all out?
• Under a tenancy agreement the landlord must make sure the property is in good repair, with adequate water, gas, electricity, sanitation and heat.
• Your obligations. What exactly does the landlord expect from you? This could include when and how he expects to receive the rent and the upkeep of the flat. Preferably this should all be in writing in the contract.
• The landlord will almost certainly want a deposit – money to cover damage to the flat or non-payment of rent. This could be the same as one month’s rent. Make sure you get a receipt for this. It will be returned to you when you leave. He may also want the first month’s rent in advance.
• Landlord contact details if something goes wrong. Take as many details as possible. If there is water pouring through your ceiling then you need to speak to him now not in 6 hours’ time. And if he is going on holiday who should you phone in his absence?
• Your entitlements/rights – If something does go wrong it’s useful to know exactly what you’re entitled to. Link to Legal Advice section
• When were the gas appliances last checked? Landlords must have the gas system checked every year by a registered CORGI engineer (The Council for Registered Gas Installers) – ask to see the certificate and check it is valid.
• Did you check that all the heating, electricity and water appliances all work, this is not about internet connection, necessary for your favourite senior dating site to work. Is the flat in good condition or is there something you’d like fixed before you move in?
• Will bills be in your name (collectively)? Will your landlord inform the relevant offices? Were readings taken when the last people moved out? Were they accurate?

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The range of subject and courses at university is far greater than the choice offered at A level/Higher/GNVQ level. You need to research the options and ask searching questions to find out the content, its suitability and study arrangements before making the final course choice.

“Azime started on a Law degree at Greenwich university but after a while realised the course wasn’t for her – she stayed for the whole of the first semester, while selling some cars in her spare time, but then spoke to her tutors about the possibility of changing. Azime then left and started again doing Finance and Financial Information Systems. She’s now much happier and feels she’s on the right course. She found there were people to help and talk to at the university – she didn’t have to drop out.”

To select the ideal subject to study, you should consider:

• What your academic strengths and weaknesses are
• What type of person you are
• Why you enjoy particular subjects
• What your interests are (for example, like UK single parents dating, or whatever else)
• What your career ambitions are

You need to turn yourself into an investigative journalist and a private detective, adopting an honest evaluation of your own strengths. It is not as easy as milf dating uk, it takes time. You will come up with some answers straightaway, others will demand more careful thought. Talk to a trusted friend, a teacher or parents/guardians asking them what they think. Making decisions is as much about understanding what you don’t want as knowing what you feel positive about. There will always be pros and cons, the aim is to get a good fit reflected in more positive points and few or no negative elements.

UCAS forms ask for a personal statement. Make it strong clear and succinct, be confident and market yourself effectively. It’s your chance to state your suitability, your academic strengths and your enthusiasm to study this subject.

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In November 1999, the government announced an expansion of universities to offer more places to mature students. (By ‘mature student’ the government means any one taking a university college course who is aged over 21.) The treasury approved David Blunkett’s bid for 295 million for the 20001/02 education budget, enough to provide courses for over 23,000 people.

Deciding to go to university or college can be a tough decision, especially if you’ve been working for a few years and have got used to a certain level of comfort. Exchanging your spacious flat for a cramped bedsit, your food fetishes for a tin of beans and your comfy car for a creaky old bicycle may not fill you with enthusiasm But despite the compromises there are plenty of rewards.

“Husein is a mature student – he didn’t find he could progress in work without a Higher Education qualification. He’s now done an HND in Engineering at Wrexham University College, which he loved. This enabled him to go straight into the second year of a degree at Wrexham. Husein lives locally and has a part-time job – living at home means he can also maintain his membership of Rhos Silver Brass Band where he plays tuba.”

Going back to studying can in fact improve your employability. Did you know that nowadays 70% of jobs involve knowledge-based skills and only 30% manual skills? So the more knowledge-based your skills, the more desirable you’re going to be to potential employers. Not convinced? In Spring 1997 only 3% of the unemployed had higher education qualifications, compared with 6% of people with two or more A-levels and 7% of those of working age. And not only are you more employable but when you get that job you’ll be in a better position to earn more money, but for the current wages the students don’t eve have a possibility to buy used vehicles. On average graduates in their mid-thirties earn 20% more than non-graduates with A-levels. Graduates recruited in 1995 were earning 12% more on average a year later compared with just 3.7% for all full-time workers. So a few years of financial hardship could mean a lifetime of increased earning capacity and opportunities.

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