With a stack of glossy brochures piling up on the kitchen table, the task of choosing a university can seem daunting. Our Glide tip? Keep it simple and know what you’re looking for.
First thing to do is decide on your non-negotiables. Having key criteria will give you some direction.
Course
You’re not just choosing a degree, you’re choosing a course. The same degree at two universities may vary considerably in teaching style, number of contact hours, assessment style and resources available. Will you be taught by professors or post-graduate students? How flexible are your module choices? Don’t forget that there are also plenty of joint degrees that you might not have ever considered. If you’re truly torn between Business and Law or Chemistry and Archaeology (the possibilities are endless), there’s probably a course out there for you. Remember, three years is a long time if you’re not actually interested.
Uni
Once you’ve sorted which course is right for you, it’s time to see where your home for the next three or four years will be. Although relying on rankings is tempting, check out alternative prospectuses and student forums too. These are written by students for students and can give an insider perspective on university life. Chat to last year’s school-leavers—they’ve been there and done that and can give some honest advice.
Open days are great but it’s important to venture outside the standard tour. Look at the nearby towns and off-campus accommodation, the shops and student areas. What’s the nightlife like? What does the area feel like? Can you picture yourself living there?
Home and away
Figure out whether you’d prefer to live in bustling city, a self-contained campus or something in between. On campus unis, student life is usually centred around an active student union, which can feel like both a claustrophobic bubble and a cozy community. Living in a city, on the other hand, means you have access to lots more students, universities, nightlife and things to do and see. Because of this, there’s less of a central community feel which can feel isolating. Know what you’re looking for and trust your instincts.
Consider distance from home too. Although your first instinct might be to go as far as possible, that 5 hour train journey gets less appealing (and more costly) quickly, especially if you travel home several times a term. If you’re a homebody and finances are tight, living at home is another option. Not only will you save loads on rent, you’ll have the support of your family if the going gets tough.
The practical stuff
These are the things parents will no doubt ask about. What is the accommodation like and how much does it cost? Is housing guaranteed for first years? How will the cost of living vary? You might want to look into scholarships, loans and bursaries for different universities and courses.
Find out where second and third years live. (It might be further out than you think.) At Warwick and UEA, for example, the main student area is about half an hour by bus from main campus – something to consider when you’re nursing a hangover and your lecture starts in 15 minutes.
Job prospects
Research career choices and course employability before applying. You might be dead set on a certain path already or just want CV advice; either way, a university careers service can help you with your career plans. A programme like Hull’s year-long Westminster internship offers invaluable work experience for Politics students. Alternatively, a paid year in industry, part of some technical courses like Computer Science and Engineering, can be a leg-up in a competitive job market.