With a new year and also decade upon us, now is the time to consider your options if you are thinking of applying to university.

With the UCAS deadline on January 15, many school pupils have already submitted their applications. But don’t fear if you haven’t yet or if meeting the deadline might be tight, there’s still plenty of time to get one in.

Meeting that deadline means you give yourself the best chance of getting on your preferred course and also once your application is submitted you can focus on getting your grades, which is kind of the point!

However, if you decide university is for you after the UCAS deadline, all is not lost.

We still accept applications up to 1 July and after that applications will be considered as part of the clearing process.

So in the meantime if you need any advice, your first port of call is our course enquiry centre by phone 0333 920 9131 or email enquirycentre@cumbria.ac.uk, where they will be able to advise on the points needed for different courses.

If you are considering a career in health we have open days on January 11 at our Fusehill Street and Lancaster campuses.

Recently the government has introduced grants for all nursing, midwifery, occupational therapy and radiography students, which means you could be in line for a minimum of £5,000 grant but could be as much as £8,000 to help with living costs.

We also have a number of different ways for you to suss out whether university is for you, with campus visit days and our applicant visit days for students who have applied to us. They are a fantastic opportunity to investigate your choice, while also exploring the highlights of the place you will be studying in.

Our masterclasses offer in depth discussions on an academic subject and are - often on diverse topics such as using Harry Potter to explore neglect, and understanding challenging behaviour when working with children.

Students who attend a masterclass are awarded 24 UCAS points to put towards your application.

To attend any of the events, search our website.

Seminar explore chronic pain support

AN EVENT is set to take place in Carlisle later this month is the chance to learn more about leading research in Hanna somatics.

Hanna somatic education is a type of mind-body training that aims to help people suffering from chronic muscular pain. West Cumbria-based Karen Douglas de Fenzi wants to work with academics and professionals who wish to discover more about the value of Hanna somatic education and those who want to progress formal research in how it can help free people of chronic pain. Ms Douglas de Fenzi qualified in the technique at The Novato Institute for Hanna Somatic Education in California last year.

In the two hour seminar Ms Douglas de Fenzi will deliver an initial presentation on the research, theory and practice of the technique, as well as guides to some of the specific movements practised.

Ms Douglas de Fenzi’s seminar takes place in collaboration with the Centre of Research in Health and Society, part of the Institute of Health at University of Cumbria, and UoC Active. It is on January 21, at 4.30pm, in the seminar room of the University of Cumbria’s sports centre at its Fusehill Street campus. Places need to be prebooked.

Visit the university’s events page online at https://tinyurl.com/rhufecr.