How to choose a university when you can't go to open days?
All of the universities I'm considering are AT LEAST 3 hours from where I live, so I obviously can't easily pop down to have a look. It would also be very expensive to visit every single one :/ so this is really hard for me to decide...I'm so stressed about it 
Anyone got any advice? Any ways to find out about universities without going to open days? And what is the most important thing that I should consider about them?
Anyone got any advice? Any ways to find out about universities without going to open days? And what is the most important thing that I should consider about them?
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Booking train tickets in advance reduces the price significantly especially with a railcard. I'd also consider speaking to students but it's extremely difficult to get a feel of the place without visiting. Sorry.
Original post by Save.Me
All of the universities I'm considering are AT LEAST 3 hours from where I live, so I obviously can't easily pop down to have a look. It would also be very expensive to visit every single one :/ so this is really hard for me to decide...I'm so stressed about it
Anyone got any advice? Any ways to find out about universities without going to open days? And what is the most important thing that I should consider about them?
Anyone got any advice? Any ways to find out about universities without going to open days? And what is the most important thing that I should consider about them?
Hiya
Have you considered choosing unis that are closer to home? If it's going to be expensive to visit the open day, it's going to become super expensive to travel backwards and forwards over the next three years.
Going to open days are vital part of choosing a university - you need to get a feel for the place, where you'll be living, studying, appreciating what the teaching staff are like, whether you actually like the city it's based and whether you can hack the travelling.
University isn't cheap, a train ticket is pennies in comparison to a year of tuition let alone three. I would save up now or book advance train tickets to go at a later date.
Original post by She-Ra
Hiya
Have you considered choosing unis that are closer to home? If it's going to be expensive to visit the open day, it's going to become super expensive to travel backwards and forwards over the next three years.
Going to open days are vital part of choosing a university - you need to get a feel for the place, where you'll be living, studying, appreciating what the teaching staff are like, whether you actually like the city it's based and whether you can hack the travelling.
University isn't cheap, a train ticket is pennies in comparison to a year of tuition let alone three. I would save up now or book advance train tickets to go at a later date.
Have you considered choosing unis that are closer to home? If it's going to be expensive to visit the open day, it's going to become super expensive to travel backwards and forwards over the next three years.
Going to open days are vital part of choosing a university - you need to get a feel for the place, where you'll be living, studying, appreciating what the teaching staff are like, whether you actually like the city it's based and whether you can hack the travelling.
University isn't cheap, a train ticket is pennies in comparison to a year of tuition let alone three. I would save up now or book advance train tickets to go at a later date.
I absolutely despise where I live. One of my main reasons for going to university (besides the course obviously), is to get away and have independence. When I'm down there I'll barely be coming back up.
Thanks for the advice, though
The main issue is that I want to get my application off soon (like next week), and I won't have time to visit before then. I've been to one open day, so I know at least one uni that I'll definitely be applying to, that's something at least. I just need to choose 4 more.Original post by lubsjk
Virtual tours?
Not every uni has them
Original post by bellalalaxo
Booking train tickets in advance reduces the price significantly especially with a railcard. I'd also consider speaking to students but it's extremely difficult to get a feel of the place without visiting. Sorry.
Yeah, I know. This is my issue.
Virtual tours, whatuni student reviews, TSR reviews
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
I picked 5 I liked without visiting any of them which is potentially risky.. I'm planning to attend applicant days and I really liked what I saw about them from looking online.
I looked all through the prospectuses and websites, compared accommodation and looked closely at the modules too which is very important. Then just generally researched the city and stalked through posts on here about the uni/spoke to people I know who visited/applied/went to those unis. Not many offer my course though so I was really set on those 5 anyway and I doubt visiting would've made a difference
Posted from TSR Mobile
I looked all through the prospectuses and websites, compared accommodation and looked closely at the modules too which is very important. Then just generally researched the city and stalked through posts on here about the uni/spoke to people I know who visited/applied/went to those unis. Not many offer my course though so I was really set on those 5 anyway and I doubt visiting would've made a difference
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Save.Me
All of the universities I'm considering are AT LEAST 3 hours from where I live, so I obviously can't easily pop down to have a look. It would also be very expensive to visit every single one :/ so this is really hard for me to decide...I'm so stressed about it
Anyone got any advice? Any ways to find out about universities without going to open days? And what is the most important thing that I should consider about them?
Anyone got any advice? Any ways to find out about universities without going to open days? And what is the most important thing that I should consider about them?
Choosing the wrong uni is even more expensive.
Original post by loganley
I picked 5 I liked without visiting any of them which is potentially risky.. I'm planning to attend applicant days and I really liked what I saw about them from looking online.
I looked all through the prospectuses and websites, compared accommodation and looked closely at the modules too which is very important. Then just generally researched the city and stalked through posts on here about the uni/spoke to people I know who visited/applied/went to those unis. Not many offer my course though so I was really set on those 5 anyway and I doubt visiting would've made a difference
Posted from TSR Mobile
I looked all through the prospectuses and websites, compared accommodation and looked closely at the modules too which is very important. Then just generally researched the city and stalked through posts on here about the uni/spoke to people I know who visited/applied/went to those unis. Not many offer my course though so I was really set on those 5 anyway and I doubt visiting would've made a difference
Posted from TSR Mobile
Which unis have you chosen if you don't mind me asking? This is what I'm planning on doing, too, I guess. I already have a rough idea of what I like from the websites, and I'll probably somehow have to get to post-applicant days :/
Original post by Save.Me
Yeah, I know. This is my issue.
Yeah, I know. This is my issue.
You could apply to 5 you like the look of and visit after or ask people who have visited them which could be risky as everyone is different or might be helpful too
Which universities are you thinking of?
You wouldn't buy a house without viewing it, so why would you spend £50k+ and three years on a university without viewing it first? If you get it wrong, you'll end up dropping out and wasting a year of time and a year of student finance, or you'll end up miserable.
Put in those terms, a train fare doesn't seem that expensive at all. Buy a railcard (it gets you a third off fares) and book in advance. My three hour journey from uni to home used to cost me about £45 return that way.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Put in those terms, a train fare doesn't seem that expensive at all. Buy a railcard (it gets you a third off fares) and book in advance. My three hour journey from uni to home used to cost me about £45 return that way.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Save.Me
Which unis have you chosen if you don't mind me asking? This is what I'm planning on doing, too, I guess. I already have a rough idea of what I like from the websites, and I'll probably somehow have to get to post-applicant days :/
Aberystwyth and Lincoln which I think are my favourites, Chester, Plymouth and Anglia Ruskin (least favourite). I figured if I knew I would pick those to apply to I may as well wait and see who I got offers from and wait for applicant days so I wasn't paying to go to an open day and then back for an applicant day.
If you're really not sure I would try and go to open days though, I know it's hard when money is a big factor though
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Original post by bellalalaxo
You could apply to 5 you like the look of and visit after or ask people who have visited them which could be risky as everyone is different or might be helpful too Which universities are you thinking of?
Yeah, this is probably the realistic choice for me. Ive already gotten two definitely down: Queen Mary (I went to their open day), and Brunel. I want to live in London, or a city, so badly so I was thinking Reading (which is just outside of London), Aston in Birmingham, Nottingham Trent, or if I stick to London, then I'd have to go Westminster + Middlesex (and I've heard they're not very good, so I don't know if ill be wasting a choice or not, which is the dilemma :/) if I get offers from Brunel or QM, then none of this matters haha.
Original post by Origami Bullets
You wouldn't buy a house without viewing it, so why would you spend £50k+ and three years on a university without viewing it first? If you get it wrong, you'll end up dropping out and wasting a year of time and a year of student finance, or you'll end up miserable.Put in those terms, a train fare doesn't seem that expensive at all. Buy a railcard (it gets you a third off fares) and book in advance. My three hour journey from uni to home used to cost me about £45 return that way.Posted from TSR Mobile
Yeah, you're right. But if I wanted to look at every university in the area I'm considering, then I wouldn't have the time or be able to afford it. And with college I don't have a lot of time
do you think narrowing down to 5, and then actually waiting to see who I get offers off (so I'm not wasting my time, anyway), would be a better solution? I already know two that I definitely want to go to if I managed to get offers :/ Original post by loganley
Aberystwyth and Lincoln which I think are my favourites, Chester, Plymouth and Anglia Ruskin (least favourite). I figured if I knew I would pick those to apply to I may as well wait and see who I got offers from and wait for applicant days so I wasn't paying to go to an open day and then back for an applicant day.
If you're really not sure I would try and go to open days though, I know it's hard when money is a big factor though
Posted from TSR Mobile
If you're really not sure I would try and go to open days though, I know it's hard when money is a big factor though
Posted from TSR Mobile
Good choices!
This is exactly my thinking. I don't want to waste money/time if I'm not even going to get an offer :/ i know two that I'm definitely applying for, though, it's just the other options that are getting me stressed.
Original post by Save.Me
I absolutely despise where I live. One of my main reasons for going to university (besides the course obviously), is to get away and have independence. When I'm down there I'll barely be coming back up.
Thanks for the advice, though The main issue is that I want to get my application off soon (like next week), and I won't have time to visit before then. I've been to one open day, so I know at least one uni that I'll definitely be applying to, that's something at least. I just need to choose 4 more.
Thanks for the advice, though
The main issue is that I want to get my application off soon (like next week), and I won't have time to visit before then. I've been to one open day, so I know at least one uni that I'll definitely be applying to, that's something at least. I just need to choose 4 more.Is there a need to get your application in early though? The deadline isn't until mid-Jan which gives you plenty of time to visit. By submitting closer to the deadline does not mean that a uni will run out of places - all applicants who submit on time(i.e. before the UCAS deadline) should be given equal consideration.
By all means get your application all completed but maybe pause on sending it off until you've seen a couple more.
Good luck with everything
Original post by Save.Me
I absolutely despise where I live. One of my main reasons for going to university (besides the course obviously), is to get away and have independence. When I'm down there I'll barely be coming back up.
Thanks for the advice, though The main issue is that I want to get my application off soon (like next week), and I won't have time to visit before then. I've been to one open day, so I know at least one uni that I'll definitely be applying to, that's something at least. I just need to choose 4 more.
Not every uni has them
Yeah, I know. This is my issue.
Thanks for the advice, though
The main issue is that I want to get my application off soon (like next week), and I won't have time to visit before then. I've been to one open day, so I know at least one uni that I'll definitely be applying to, that's something at least. I just need to choose 4 more.Not every uni has them
Yeah, I know. This is my issue.
Most of your social life is dependent on other students, not whether you are in a city or not. London is a very expensive city to choose, there are many other large cities that are cheaper, and students spread out after the first year. It's a different sort of student experience and I've known quite a few drop outs who have started again and had a better time elsewhere.
You might be surprised by how much you miss home when you leave, many students are homesick when they dont expect to be.
About 3 of my 5 universities on my UCAS application I haven't had the opurtunity to visit, however i chose them becasue of realistic entry requirments which I can meet, and found the courses I liked the look of. I would visit the whatuni website, as you can enter in expected grades and see what course you could do with them.
I know that reading has an open day on Saturday.
I was going to sy the same as above. If you are 18 now, 3 years is 1/6th of your current life experience. So uni is where you will spend that amount of time ( and £50k) but you won't spend £100 ( at most?) taking a look?
an ex from Windsor looked at Aberystwyth and decided that on paper it was "the one" but then once she'd seen it decided against it.
But open days do give a "first date" impression so look around at the town etc.
It's a massive decisiion so if money is hard, at least look at the top 3.
I was going to sy the same as above. If you are 18 now, 3 years is 1/6th of your current life experience. So uni is where you will spend that amount of time ( and £50k) but you won't spend £100 ( at most?) taking a look?
an ex from Windsor looked at Aberystwyth and decided that on paper it was "the one" but then once she'd seen it decided against it.
But open days do give a "first date" impression so look around at the town etc.
It's a massive decisiion so if money is hard, at least look at the top 3.
Original post by Save.Me
All of the universities I'm considering are AT LEAST 3 hours from where I live, so I obviously can't easily pop down to have a look. It would also be very expensive to visit every single one :/ so this is really hard for me to decide...I'm so stressed about it
Anyone got any advice? Any ways to find out about universities without going to open days? And what is the most important thing that I should consider about them?
Anyone got any advice? Any ways to find out about universities without going to open days? And what is the most important thing that I should consider about them?
I had to get the train for 4 hours to get to one of my universities, 3 hours for 2 I visited and 2.5 for 2 universities. Each way. 3 hours is more than worth the effort to find a university you fall in love with.
Original post by Killerpenguin15
About 3 of my 5 universities on my UCAS application I haven't had the opurtunity to visit, however i chose them becasue of realistic entry requirments which I can meet, and found the courses I liked the look of. I would visit the whatuni website, as you can enter in expected grades and see what course you could do with them.
The whatuni website is amazing!
Yeah one of my universities I chose the same way. Just out of interest which ones have you visited and which ones have you not?Quick Reply
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