The Student Room Group

Applying to uni in 2024

It's 11 years since I started uni.... gosh! Time has really flown and so much has changed in regards to access to information and what influences a student's decision making process.


:cyber: :cyber: :cyber:

1. In 2024 how do you think students will choose which university to apply to and what will be their preferred method of doing so?


2. In 2024 do you think students will prefer to study online i.e. remotely away from campus or at the university within the campus study?


3. 10 years on what type of technology do you think will dramatically change the 2024 university experience.


4. What do you think the students in 2024 will expect from going to university?
(edited 9 years ago)

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I definitely do think the essence of uni applications have changed over the years! Especially for things like medicine and dentistry there are more and more applicants every year focusing on applying "strategically", and I think this trend is only going to increase! :eek:

How students study has also changed massively! Lectures are watched online instead of going to see them live; students are increasingly working from slides on their laptop, instead of relying on lecture notes and textbooks. I know my smart phone has become a key part of how I study because of things like flashcard apps!

I'm not so sure about the popularity of distance-learning/online courses. Each year, unis are increasingly providing note and more online courses, with an even greater emphasis on open courseware like the MIT series. I definitely don't see this becoming a predominant method of higher education for a long time yet, though...the traditional university structure is still flourishing with record numbers of students going to uni every year: I can't imagine there being a buck in this trend for a long while yet!



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Applying 10 years on....

When I applied to universities we didn't have UCAS Track, I had no idea what a Russell Group university was or who was part of the group.

Now students seem to be able to identify RG from non-RG...

Students check their Track on Christmas Day!


I chose my A-level subjects because I had achieved good grades in English Literature, Drama and Theatre Studies and History & RE at GCSE level. I had no idea what I'd study at uni.

Now students map out their subject choices before choosing their GCSEs/ A-levels to put them in good stead for their uni applications.

I did no research online and simply read through the course outline in each prospectus.

Now students can use TSR, UCAS, uni websites and other university comparison websites as well as league tables to make an "informed" decision.



I applied to Birmingham, Manchester Met, and UEA because I liked the sounds of the joint honours history and sociology courses and attended each of their open days.

I fell in love with Brum, the campus was beautiful and everything was together in one place. I was also really impressed by the lecturers.


I needed to get BBB, I got BBC, I went to Birmingham and I graduated with a 2:1

The grades for Brum now are much higher.... would I be successful for 2015 entry these days? Probably not! Would I still get a 2:1 - yes.

I chose self-catered halls because I wanted to show I was independent, with hindsight I wish I'd been in catered halls.

I got a PC because I was being "sensible" and knew a laptop would be easy to steal...

Now students carry round £100s of tech... iPhones, iPads, super expensive headphones......

1. In 2024 how do you think students will choose which university to apply to and what will be their preferred method of doing so?

I think they will continue to want to visit the universities at open days - more may commute i.e. attend a local university.

Students will continue to think more strategically i.e. plan their education to ensure they have the best chance of going to the "best" university

2. In 2024 do you think students will prefer to study online i.e. remotely away from campus or at the university within the campus study?
I think again it will come down to cost and what students are studying. If there is an online option which is cheaper than some may opt for this. Seminars can be via a Google Hangout/ 1-2-1s via Skype.

I would imagine that campus study will come at a premium. But that more students will still want to opt for this opportunity.


3. 10 years on what type of technology do you think will dramatically change the 2024 university experience.


Yes everyone will be using tablets, access to international study groups via hangouts/ skype - online study modules may mean courses can be completed in way less than 3 years too.
(edited 9 years ago)
I wonder if they'll have a way of verifying online coursework, etc. so that more courses will be done online? Sites like Coursera are already really popular - I already use it now, it's really amazing that I can get access to that quality of education for free. :smile:

Other than that... maybe universities will start using more of their own entrance exams rather than relying on A Level results to judge students' capabilities?

Ooh, and perhaps we'll see in increase in humanities subjects in the future given that STEM is so popular at the moment?

:cookie:
Reply 4
I suspect Unis will be on a more specific scoring system. Where for each subject area there will be a list of best to worst. Teaching will be mixed between remotely and on campus stuff. You'll probably be taught in your own home for a lot of it using whatever fancy camera technology we have then to have teaching sessions or will be recorded lessons. But you'd have to to go in to do more of the practical content. Any device which can be used to communicate will have the biggest effect. Long distance relationships may seem a lot closer. :ahee: Expectation will probably be the same as now.
Original post by She-Ra
It's 11 years since I started uni.... gosh! Time has really flown and so much has changed in regards to access to information and what influences a student's decision making process.


:cyber: :cyber: :cyber:

1. In 2024 how do you think students will choose which university to apply to and what will be their preferred method of doing so?
I think in 2024 people's perceptions of unis will have changed a lot. I think a lot of unis will have become more specialised, so students will chose universities based on subject table rankings if they're going to look at university rankings at all.

I think cost will be a major factor, with more students choosing cheaper laces to live, or choosing to stay at home and commute to uni over increasingly long distances.

There might be an even higher focus on employability and employment statistics too.



2. In 2024 do you think students will prefer to study online i.e. remotely away from campus or at the university within the campus study?
I think there will still be a lot of STEM courses that it won't be possible to deliver totally remotely, and studying on campus will still give a better experience. Lots of people also value the chance to move away from home, and be independent, and I don't think that will change.

However, I do think distance learning/online study will increase, and be very useful to some students. In 2024, it will still only be a minority of students choosing this option.



3. 10 years on what type of technology do you think will dramatically change the 2024 university experience.
I'm not sure what I can think of that would dramatically change things, however, better tablets, especially with good ways to annotate lecture slides will probably be popular. I think things like email and online access to journals have made a huge difference to students, but I'm rubbish at predicting the "next big thing"


4. What do you think the students in 2025 will expect from going to university? I think less students will be going to uni in 2025 than do now, and perhaps they will take it more seriously? However, in many ways the university experience has been fairly similar for quite a long time. I can't see it drastically changing over the next ten years. I think a lot will depend on what the economy does in that time frame.



I'm really rubbish at predicting the future, but this seems like a fun thread!
(edited 9 years ago)
MOOCs are getting more and more popular and I'm very interested to see how they develop in the future, specifically if they're capable of actually replacing degree courses. I really don't want to believe that they will ever be able to replace actually attending a university, but maybe that's just me being a bit bigoted and traditionalist.
Original post by Chlorophile
MOOCs are getting more and more popular and I'm very interested to see how they develop in the future, specifically if they're capable of actually replacing degree courses. I really don't want to believe that they will ever be able to replace actually attending a university, but maybe that's just me being a bit bigoted and traditionalist.


Massive Open Online Courses? A-ha! I think Puddles was referring to that too :smile:
Original post by Chlorophile
MOOCs are getting more and more popular and I'm very interested to see how they develop in the future, specifically if they're capable of actually replacing degree courses. I really don't want to believe that they will ever be able to replace actually attending a university, but maybe that's just me being a bit bigoted and traditionalist.


I don't think you could replace lab stuff online?

Unless you do everything in virtual labs. With an Oculus Rift type thing.

Sci fi.
Original post by Puddles the Monkey
I don't think you could replace lab stuff online?

Unless you do everything in virtual labs. With an Oculus Rift type thing.

Sci fi.


That would be bizarre! Although actually, I'd be interested if anyone comes up with educational utilisations of the Oculus Rift.
Original post by Chlorophile
That would be bizarre! Although actually, I'd be interested if anyone comes up with educational utilisations of the Oculus Rift.


It would be awesome - it would save a lot of money/resources. Do you think it's actually possible to creat a simulation that's good enough to make it useful? :beard: Would you have that kind of processing power in 10 years?

I'm sure they will eventually, although I'm under the impression that universities are fairly conservative when it comes to this sort of thing.
Original post by Puddles the Monkey
It would be awesome - it would save a lot of money/resources. Do you think it's actually possible to creat a simulation that's good enough to make it useful? :beard: Would you have that kind of processing power in 10 years?

I'm sure they will eventually, although I'm under the impression that universities are fairly conservative when it comes to this sort of thing.


At the rate technology is progressing at the moment, I'm sure it would be possible. The real question is whether or not it would be worth the resources and if there's enough interest. My instinct would be no.
Original post by Chlorophile
At the rate technology is progressing at the moment, I'm sure it would be possible. The real question is whether or not it would be worth the resources and if there's enough interest. My instinct would be no.


Depends where you are - for somewhere with huge populations like China or India I imagine it would be brilliant.

EDIT: You could do more stuff too because no health and safety issues. :yy:
Original post by Puddles the Monkey
Depends where you are - for somewhere with huge populations like China or India I imagine it would be brilliant.

EDIT: You could do more stuff too because no health and safety issues. :yy:


You could fulfil my chemistry class's desire to see francium react.
Original post by Chlorophile
You could fulfil my chemistry class's desire to see francium react.


Untill then, youtube!



:lol: With every clip the glove the guy was wearing was getting more and more hardcore. Started off with none, then a rubber glove, then a sturdier rubber glove, then a full on nuclear reactor protection type glove.
Slight ramble....

I think students will think harder about "why" are they continuing their studies.

Will the expression "I'm going to University" therefore become defunct to be replaced with " I've decided to continuing my learning in subject X as I have such a passion for it" or "I'm going to specialise in this subject because I want to be a Y"? (Unlikely to be those actual expressions, but you get my drift I hope)

The actual cost (and debt in some cases) of HE will be better understood - if c46%of graduates don't earn more than the equivalent of £21k pa, won't there be a very vocal group of people in the future that will ask if 3/4yrs of their life was well spent?

Students will (and already are) become much more demanding of their institution due to the size of investment they are making.

There will be many more metrics that students will be able to study to see if a university is "good". Social
Media will mean what graduates eventually do after university is better understood (see Linkedin's new University ranking product!)


In terms of online learning....holographic lecturers anyone? 10 years is a long time in terms of the developments that will be made in that space.

Other themes ....

The best Uni's will get even better and bigger, driven by global demand.
The rest will either specialise, go MOOC ...or wither and die.
I think it will go to a system of applying after results are out, instead of speculatively. Bring forward exams by a month, giving results out in July. August to November-ish applying, then a new year start at uni in January.
Original post by Hype en Ecosse
I definitely do think the essence of uni applications have changed over the years! Especially for things like medicine and dentistry there are more and more applicants every year focusing on applying "strategically", and I think this trend is only going to increase! :eek:

How students study has also changed massively! Lectures are watched online instead of going to see them live; students are increasingly working from slides on their laptop, instead of relying on lecture notes and textbooks. I know my smart phone has become a key part of how I study because of things like flashcard apps!

I'm not so sure about the popularity of distance-learning/online courses. Each year, unis are increasingly providing note and more online courses, with an even greater emphasis on open courseware like the MIT series. I definitely don't see this becoming a predominant method of higher education for a long time yet, though...the traditional university structure is still flourishing with record numbers of students going to uni every year: I can't imagine there being a buck in this trend for a long while yet!



Posted from TSR Mobile


The £9K fees might change that. Also the current uni funding system is not suistainable long-term (too many peeps at uni? taxpayers be complainin'?) I heard a while ago so uni places might get increasingly competitive.
Reply 18
Original post by She-Ra
It's 11 years since I started uni.... gosh! Time has really flown and so much has changed in regards to access to information and what influences a student's decision making process.


:cyber: :cyber: :cyber:

1. In 2024 how do you think students will choose which university to apply to and what will be their preferred method of doing so?


2. In 2024 do you think students will prefer to study online i.e. remotely away from campus or at the university within the campus study?


3. 10 years on what type of technology do you think will dramatically change the 2024 university experience.


4. What do you think the students in 2024 will expect from going to university?


1. I think there'll be so many applying to uni by that time that it'll be more a case of applying at loads of places and seeing where you get in.

2. I already prefer studying online, hence why I'm going to do open university.

3. In 10 years time there'll be 20 (or 40) times more storage space, and we will probably get robotics sussed by then. So I think that there may be a few robots helping out (like I robot, but they don't go crazy).

4. I don't think a degree will be worth as much by then.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Just discovered Coursera because of you and I absolutely love it already! Thank you soooo much!!!

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