How can students build the skills they need for university? By applying to university

In an increasingly competitive and fast-changing professional world, knowledge alone is no longer enough. Employers and universities alike value well-rounded individuals who demonstrate initiative, resilience, communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively. 

These transferable skills underpin academic success and career progression across every sector, from science and engineering to the creative arts and business. For today’s students, the university application process is more than a formality – it is an excellent opportunity to develop abilities that prepare them for lifelong learning and future workplace demands. 

Careers counsellors play a crucial role in guiding their students to identify, build and evidence these skills. By framing applications as a chance to grow, rather than simply to secure a place, we can ensure that students enter higher education and the professional world with a spirit of perseverance, confidence and self-awareness. 

Skill set 1: research and initiative

Developing effective research skills can be embedded naturally into the application process. Encourage students to explore degree options, entry requirements, course modules, campus culture and student-support systems, rather than simply presenting information for them to receive passively. 

Counsellors can prompt students with guiding questions that promote reflection and self-awareness, such as:

• What matters to you in a learning environment?
• How does this course connect to your long-term goals?
• What careers do graduates from this course go into?

This approach helps students build initiative, curiosity and autonomy – essential for independent study and future professional growth. 

Skill set 2: reflection, resilience and adaptability

Applying to university can involve uncertainty, rejection and revision: experiences that provide valuable lessons in resilience. This is particularly relevant for very competitive courses such as medicine, vet science and dentistry, or for top-tier universities – and the students applying for these courses may not be accustomed to such setbacks. 

Careers counsellors can support reflection by helping students to:

• Evaluate feedback from personal statements or interview practice
• Identify strengths and areas that need improvement and discuss strategies for addressing any weak areas
• Reframe setbacks as learning opportunities.

Structured reflection tools, such as keeping a journal or guided and open discussions, can help students build adaptability and perseverance, key skills in stressful workplaces. Counsellors can use their own life stories to illustrate how they dealt with difficult situations and built resilience.

Skill set 3: communication, interview skills and networking

Strong communication is central to personal statements, interviews and networking with admissions staff or alumni. Counsellors can create opportunities for students to enhance these skills through:

• Mock interviews with constructive feedback
• Personal statement writing workshops
• Alumni Q&A panels
• University fair preparation sessions
• Networking events with local businesses.

Helping students to articulate their goals confidently equips them with interpersonal and professional communication abilities that will continue to serve them well beyond the application phase, giving them confidence when they start their university life.

Skill set 4: time and stress management, organisation and problem-solving

University applications require students to manage documents, deadlines, research tasks and sometimes additional tests or portfolios. And, often, students deal with multiple destinations, with many different requirements. This administrative complexity is ideal for teaching students how to organise, prioritise, schedule and handle pressure. 

Counsellors can introduce planning tools such as:

• Application timelines
• Task-tracking checklists
• Time-blocking templates.

Students who take control of their own application process gain a deeper sense of personal satisfaction when they achieve their goals. And they then enter higher education with greater confidence and a stronger ability to self-regulate.

Skill set 5: independence and decision-making

Decision-making is central to the university journey, from choosing courses to selecting accommodation. Rather than steering students towards specific choices, counsellors should empower them to evaluate evidence, reflect on personal interests and make informed decisions. 

Asking open-ended questions rather than giving direct instructions supports autonomy and builds students’ confidence in their own decision-making.

Skill set 6: teamwork and collaboration

Although applying to university is ostensibly an individual endeavour, collaboration plays a useful role. Suggest group sessions, peer review of statements, shared interview practice and student-led research groups to encourage teamwork. 

When students work in a team and support one another, they learn how to give and receive constructive feedback – which is an essential skill for academic and professional success.