Taking the stress out of applying for a university place if you live in North Lincolnshire

Students in North Lincolnshire have spoken about the stresses and strains of filling in university applications, as the deadline to apply draws nearer.

UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, is the body responsible for managing applications to university.

Students apply online for courses at universities of their choice and also send a personal statement telling the universities more about themselves.

But with so much information to condense in a single side of paper, students have spoken about the struggles of putting together a personal statement.

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Daniel Richardson, 17, is a second year student at John Leggott College, on West Common Lane in Scunthorpe.

He said: "I have applied to study veterinary science at Cambridge, Edinburgh, Nottingham and Glasgow.

"Writing a personal statement was difficult at first because I didn't know how to put what I needed to say into words. One of the teachers went through it with me and I did loads of different drafts.

"The advice from the college was really good because I had no idea what I needed to put. It is a bit stressful and I was relieved when I finally got it done."

Young people wanting to study professional medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and veterinary science courses had to apply to UCAS by Monday, October 15.

All other applicants must send their application by Tuesday, January 15, apart from art and design applicants, who have until Sunday, March 24.

Matthew Garland, 17, is another second year student at John Leggott College. Matthew wants to study history, so is just starting to put together his UCAS application.

"It is quite daunting," he said.

"I wouldn't have a clue how to do it if it wasn't for the careers advisors at college. It is good that they offer help because lots of us have no idea what to write in our personal statements.

"I knew nothing about it before I came to college, but am starting to get an idea now I have spoken to tutors about it."

James Hyde, 17, is also studying in his second year at John Leggott. He said: "I want to go to the University of Leicester to study zoology, so haven't done my application yet.

"It is a pretty important thing to do and I sometimes worry a bit about it. At times I don't have a clue what to put, so it is important that we have the right guidance from the college."

John Leggott College has a dedicated team of staff on hand to help students complete their applications.

Ray Perry, careers co-ordinator at John Leggott, said: "The UCAS story has a very complicated plot for current Year 13 students intending to go to UK universities in 2013.

"They are the second cohort of students to face course fees of up to £9,000 a year, but seem even more concerned by this than the first, possibly because they have had longer to live with the prospect, and have to live through the recession.

"We aim to offer advice and guidance at the appropriate times and to encourage them to investigate for themselves.

"Then there is just the small matter of writing about oneself in the personal statement, which ought to be fascinating but which many young people find unnatural, despite social media.

"This is because it asks them not who they adore and why, but what they adore, in terms of a course, and why they are the right candidate for it. The truth here is that the more certain they are about what to study, the easier writing about it in a personal statement becomes."