Figure 19: Percentage of applicants that agree they are confident about key life skills, comparison between 2024 and 2023 Figure 20: Thinking about your education of the past two years, which of the following opportunities would you have liked? Cooking a meal 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Washing your laundry Cleaning your living space Managing a conflict with housemates Helping a friend in distress 88 84 80 82 79 79 77 64 63 82 2023 2024 When asked how they have learned their skills, half of all applicants learned practical skills from their parents (female applicants significantly more than male). However, when it comes to the relationship skills (managing conflict, helping a friend in distress) only 22% have learned these from parents. Almost a third (29%) are self-taught and 20% have learned from friends. A minority (7%) have learned these skills from social media, rising to 9% among male applicants. About half (51%) of applicants would have liked to learn more life skills as part of their education over the past two years. There was also support for an enriched curriculum with more projects, work experience, arts and sport. There was, however, limited support for learning a broader range of academic subjects. 60% The opportunity to learn more life skills 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 51% The opportunity to do more projects on topics that interest you 42% The opportunity to do more volunteering or work experience 41% The opportunity to take part in more activities such as art, music or sport 34% The opportunity to study more subjects 29% When it comes to specific practical life skills (cooking, laundry, cleaning), and helping a friend in distress, this year’s cohort are less confident than last year’s. Unite Students | Applicant Index Report 34 INTRODUCTION THEMATIC ANALYSIS INDEPENDENCE METHODOLOGY TOPICAL ISSUES BACK TO THEMES