What made you decide to choose your uni?

Hi everyone!

I work in TSR's community team and we're going to be talking to some universities tomorrow at a conference. I'm interested in talking to them about why students decide on a specific uni.

If you have a second, I was wondering if you could tell me:

When did you first decide to go to uni? (what age / stage in education)

When did you first properly start researching the unis to go to?

When did you decide on your final uni choices?

What were the most important factors in your decision?

If TSR helped in your decision, how?

Thank you muchly :biggrin:

Jack

Reply 1

unigirlalisha

I started researching universities after I did my As levels. I picked using this website and selecting my subjects http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?
I always knew what I wanted to do so it was easy for me to choose, however if you really don't know what you want to do look at what you where best at or loved in GCSE and A-Levels and look at degrees that use/need those subjects, this will help you decide on a career you may be good at and and enjoy.

Reply 2

Origami Bullets

Original post by Captain Jack

Hi everyone!

I work in TSR's community team and we're going to be talking to some universities tomorrow at a conference. I'm interested in talking to them about why students decide on a specific uni.

If you have a second, I was wondering if you could tell me:

When did you first decide to go to uni? (what age / stage in education)
I've pretty much always known I would go, probably since the age of 6 or 7. That's partly because I wanted to be a vet, so people told me I'd have to go to uni for that, and so the expectation that I would go was set up. I did politics in the end :biggrin:

When did you first properly start researching the unis to go to?
Y12

When did you decide on your final uni choices?
Not long before I sent in my UCAS form! In fact I was still deciding between politics and psychology when I got my AS Level results, and the decision making process want complete until late September

What were the most important factors in your decision?
Flexibility in terms of what modules I was allowed to take, being in a big city, being far enough away from home, Russell / 1994 Group membership, entry requirements, and whether or not there was a gliding soc(!)

If TSR helped in your decision, how?
Tbh I can barely remember how much I was using TSR back then. I did use it, but more for applicant chat than serious help IIRC. In retrospect, I could definitely have used it more / better!

Thank you muchly :biggrin:

Jack

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Reply 3

amabella

I always knew I would go to university, when I was a child I wanted to be a scientist of some sort, both my parents went to university so it was in their expectations that I would go too.

I started looking at universities in about year 11, then looked in detail at the courses on offer in year 12, I chose my 5 universities in October of year 13 the day before I submitted my application and then my top choice I decided on in February of year 13 when I got my St Andrews offer after my 4 previous offers. (although subconsciously I think it probably always was!)

I chose St Andrews because I liked the minor major system of course, as I wasn't prepared to give up my other favourite subjects. What made me chose St Andrews over other scottish units though was the traditions, the small town but big community feel and the study opportunities offered to me in my chosen course area that no other uni offered, for example a trip to the Antarctic.

TSR did help my decision because I didn't visit St Andrews before submitting my application so I asked a lot questions on here (along with other resources) in order to a build up a good idea of what the university was like.

Hope that helps :smile:

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 4

Captain Jack

Original post by Origami Bullets

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Original post by amabella

Thanks!

That does really help and is generally interesting. I was applying to uni just before TSR existed but I wish it had of done. Although I always wanted to go to uni from an early age, because my parents and school encouraged me to see the benefits, I am guilty of not giving it much thought at all. I ended up choosing my uni based on the grades I could get, the location (London) and the fact I could do a Major and Minor in Business and Sociology too. In the end, my friends had a big impact on my decision too.

Reply 5

amabella

Original post by Captain Jack

Thanks!

I gave it a lot of thought, I actually visited a number of unis (Newcastle, Sheffield, Leicester etc) and it made me realise that even though I come from a small town I didn't want to go to a big city, made me realise I'm lost without the sea nearby and that I don't like modern cities! My friends didn't have an impact at all really other than encouragement to aim high, as everyone in my year group (which was very small) had very different ideas of what they wanted to do, were all very much spread around the country now (great for little holidays!)