I know a lot of you are in the same boat as me at the moment. The 'Choosing a University Boat'. Or at least many of you are hesitantly considering jumping into this boat.
But being the organised, excitable, geeky student that I am, I felt I could offer a little advice to all those who are still fickle about their choices.
First things first (and most obvious) is what kind of course are you looking for? What are you passionate about? What do you think you could study for 3 years and then take on as a career?
There are many courses out there that can be done at University. e.g. Accounting or Environmental Sciences, Film Studies, Politics, Social Work etc;
I've spent a lot of time trailing through the likes of UCAS, which lists every single university course available in the UK. It's also a very easy option to look through UCAS as you wont be ordering and then hoarding a lot of prospectuses like myself.
Ok, so you've found the type of course that you like? Hopefully, this has also led you to a couple of universities that you could see yourself studying at. This is the point where I would then order the prospectuses, although I know some universities now offer the option of e-prospectuses, so keep a look out for those. Prospectuses not only give more information about their courses, but also more about the university, and things like the student union.
Maybe you like the fact that one of your chosen universities have their own magazine and radio stations that you could get involved in. Or the look of the night life looks very appealing? Or that particular university is in close vicinity to the shopping centre? Either way, the prospectus gives you a better understanding of not only what you'll be studying, but what is also around the university that you can enjoy. Check out their websites as well!
I will mention League Tables. Not university league tables but specific subject league tables. I don't know if you know, but I intend to study Modern Foreign Languages, and after looking at the subject league tables I found two more universities in 3rd and 4th place, that I had never considered beforehand, but now will be applying to. I think this is a better way to look at rankings instead of the whole university ranking, as this will give you more confidence in picking that subject at that university.
Last but not least for universities is Open days. I personally believe they can make or break your decision in choosing which university you'll go to. Open days give general talks, a chance for you to meet possible professors, and see the surroundings. I know from personal experience - I had my heart set on one particular university, because of the city life, and the other facilities. After visiting, I kicked if off my top 5 list. So that's why I'd definitely advise you to go to Open Days, or even visit on a non-open day, as many would still give you extra information and tours.
So hey guys, that's my advice on choosing a university. I hope it will bring you closer to you making your decisions.
It's an exact week until results day. So good luck to all those receiving their results next week!
Eeliza Gee
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