Have a lovely holiday - but don't stop thinking about your future ...

Christmas is fast approaching and you might already be dreaming of a white Christmas, but don't let this stop you thinking about your future. If you haven't yet submitted your UCAS application don't leave it to the last minute. This applies even if you're applying through your school or college; they may have set their own earlier deadline to allow time to check your application and complete your reference. Make sure you send your application in good time so you're not worrying at the last minute.

Application deadlines matter

Yes, if you get it in at 23:59 on 15 January the admissions tutors will still give it a fair assessment, but just remember, if you send your application in earlier you won't have to worry with any last-minute panic if something goes wrong.

There's always some applicants who leave it to the last minute and something unexpected happens such as:

• their internet connection breaks down unexpectedly and can't be revived in time
• they get stuck in bad weather far from their computer at the critical hour
• they have last minute problems with payment or with the reference
• they haven't sent it to their school or college in time for them to review it.

If you have already sent in your application, you'll be expecting responses and may even already have had some. You and your friends may be at different places along the application journey and be comparing notes. To make sure you're all still on the right path, have another look at the UCAStv how-to guides which will make sure your expectations fit what actually happens. That way you'll be sure you're neither missing out nor worrying unnecessarily.

Giving yourself the best chance of happiness and success

Preparation is key - sometimes things do go wrong and you might only realise it when it could be too late. So all the research and planning you are doing now is your best bet in minimising the chances of making a mistake.

• Look back over the information you read and the notes you made on all the courses and places you considered.
• Check the thinking that has brought you to where you are now.
• It's an eventful year and most people find that their thinking matures as the months fly by and their schoolwork challenges or expands their ideas.
• As long as you have given proper consideration to the following points, you should be giving yourself the best chance of success:
1. Choose a course that really suits your interests as well as your academic strengths.
2. Do your financial planning - research those bursaries and scholarships and get your application for finance in as soon as possible to reduce the worry later on.
3. Do make sure that you fully understand the course demands (see Entry Profiles for your choices and uni websites and prospectuses).
4. ... And remember to check thoroughly that you are choosing a university or college where you can be happy for several years.
• Remember that 30 June 2012 is the final deadline. All applications that are received by this date are processed by UCAS as normal and sent to the universities and colleges. Applications received after 30 June will not be sent to the universities and colleges but will go directly into Clearing.

Research

Your research must involve:

• visiting university websites
• asking advisers, careers advisers, subject tutors, family and friends what they think of your ideas
• becoming really familiar with the UCAS website.

Don't forget also that Unistats provides useful information by subject and institution, further informed by the results of the National Student Survey, so go back to the Unistats website and explore the figures for your chosen courses, which might then prompt you to ask more detailed questions about the student experience and success rate.

By widening and strengthening your research, you will be taking even more responsibility and your decision-making will be even more likely to give you good results.