Problem: Article: Oxford and Cambridge are great places to study and look very good on a CV. One in five member of the Parliament actually went to Oxbridge! In a few cases, you may wish to consider top universities overseas, or another university for a specialist degree (e.g. Mechanical Engineering). You might also want to study in another European country to enjoy other cultures or learn a language. Make sure to visit Oxford and Cambridge. You can access the colleges and talk to the students. You can also contact the universities and colleges through their webpages or by phone. Don't send emails to the lecturers and professors. They don't deal with general queries and are already busy enough. If you haven't studied in the United Kingdom before, look at the criteria online or contact the admission teams. They have very specific criteria for each country on the planet. Your A-Levels will determine if you are admitted or not. As a teenager, you will be expected to work over 40 hours a week for some subjects, so make sure you are willing to dedicate yourself to the hard work. Your A-Level results are extremely important. If you feel you will be able to achieve highly when taking more than three A-Level results, then feel free to do so. However, the number of results is far less important than the grades. It is better to do better with three A levels (at least AAA or higher, dependent on course and university), than to do less well with four or more. Most Admissions Tutors will agree with this. It is not mandatory to disclaim your GCSE grades but they are often used to distinguish between entrants due to the high number of A's achieved at A level. As they are not mandatory, there is officially no level to reach. In practice, the better they are, the more likely you are to be accepted. Your choice of A-Levels needs to reflect your desire to study a discipline. You cannot study medicine if you never had an interest in science. It's always a good idea to check in advance what is needed in your aspiring field. It's also a great idea to make sure you are passionate about your subject, don't just do it for Oxbridge, for a job or because you are good at it. You will be slogging it out for the next three or more years, make sure It's something you can enjoy. The interviewer will also be looking out for this passion. Think ahead. Your degree will decide what you do in life. You should realise that you might not work in history, even if you have a degree in the field. Decide what's right for you and don't let others choose for you. Many applicants will have perfect grades at GCSE and A-Levels. When all else is equal, depending on what program you're in, Oxbridge may look at your life and at who you are to decide who has done the extra mile. Gain leadership experience. Having responsibilities and the ability to lead a team is always a way to shine. Try to become the captain of your sport team or the president of your debating club. Volunteer with charitable organizations. Helping others and showing that you care about your surrounding will make you look like a valuable addition to a community. Engage with cultural activities. Oxbridge is based on traditions and history. Even if you want to study science, show that you care about the past and the culture. Ultimately though, extra-curricular activities are not the be-all and end-all. The people reviewing your application will be academics, so it is much more important to show a genuine passion for your subject and to back up your claims with evidence. This can include listing relevant books you have read, films or documentaries you have watched, or events you have attended.
Summary: Decide if Oxbridge is right for you. Decide if you are willing to commit yourself early. Decide what you want to study at University. Consider rounding out your application with extracurricular activities.

Problem: Article: Lighter colors occupy less visual weight, opening up the room. Use glass and thin-legged tables so the eye can see straight through to the floor, making it virtually invisible. Avoid dark stains, woods, or colors as they have a heavy effect, constricting the room. Design with a cool eye in mind, but adding bright, warmer colors as accents. In general, cooler colors recede, letting the room take center stage -- so that wood floor shouldn't be stained any darker than it already is. Keep the colors to three or less, however; if you're a texture-lover, go monochromatic. It's so easy to think about the square footage of a room and completely forget that there's way more to it than that: just look up. If you can get the eye to move up from the floor, you're good to go. Get a tall, simple floor lamp or vase, full-length curtains, and hang your paintings and mirrors the tall way. This goes for furniture, too. Often streamlined furniture takes up less space but offers all the beauty and comfort of a curved piece. If your room is small, choose furniture that matches. Go for chairs that take up less space (without arms or thinner legs), loveseats, ottomans, etc. At the end of the day, there will be more space in the room. Consider a bench as opposed to a conventional coffee table; but if a table is more you, go for a glass or lucite one. However, too many small objects will make it look cluttered. Just because you have smaller objects doesn't permit you to have more of them. Think of it like dieting -- eating a dozen low-fat Popsicles isn't a good idea, even though they're low-fat. Having a dozen small shelves is furniture overkill. If you have a dark wood floor, this is an especially good idea. A large print carpet, ideally with lines, will open up your space, in addition to brightening it up. It does not have to take up the entirety of your room. Just a large rug that accompanies the main pieces of furniture will accomplish what you're looking for. Start seeing double. An oversized ottoman in the center of the seating area can serve as a coffee table with a decorative tray added, while the piece can also double for extra seating. Or, trade a coffee table for a woven trunk with storage space inside. However, when choosing your tables, opt for ones that have wide open legs. Being able to "see through" the furniture makes the room seem larger to the eye. Select smaller, portable pieces that can be rearranged. Three small end tables grouped as a coffee table are easy to sprinkle around the room to open up traffic flow when entertaining or to clear space for children to play. Utilize the space beneath tables and slide pieces in and out at your leisure. A decorative basket can be seen but still used as storage and taken out when needed.
Summary:
Choose light colors. Think in lines. Scale down your furniture. Get a large print carpet. Get multifunctional furniture. Choose portable pieces.