I know what I want to study but how do I choose a university??

Is it like choosing a prom dress-will I just know if I go to a bunch of open days?

Or should I be looking at particular things and comparing? I already have a spreadsheet of ones I'm considering to compare basics but not sure where to go from there!

Reply 1

Paralove

21

>entry requirements
>course content and how it's examined - do you want coursework, do you want to do a year abroad or a year in industry, does it cover topics that interest you (e.g. history at two unis can be VERY different)?
>distance from home - your preferences
>cost of accommodation/living in those areas/cities
>do you want a campus vs a city uni?

Definitely go to open days to get a feel for it. Sometimes you'll go to some places and just get a bad vibe and not want to go there. Certainly don't make any firm choices when you come to choose your first choice (after you get offers) without having visited it first.

Reply 2

Future.doc12

10

you shouldnt be going to uni if you don't know what you're looking for

Reply 3

paaru

OP

2

Original post by Future.doc12

you shouldnt be going to uni if you don't know what you're looking for

I know what I want to do at uni and I know I want to go to uni but I'm just not sure how to choose completely between unis beyond the basics like distance and entry requirements?? There are 5 I'm considering but I want to find out the best way to figure out how I can order them from my first choice to fifth! My year group all feel like we want our teachers to talk to us more about uni and stuff as we're all kind of lost hence why I posted here? Not really sure how that means I shouldn't be going to uni 🤔🤔

Reply 4

Jackieox

19

For uni you should weigh up:

-How far is it from home and how much will it cost you to get back? (Do you want to be the other end of the country or do you want to be local). This is your biggest thing to work out, if you want to be fairly close to home then set maybe a 2 (or whatever you pick) hour radius of uni's that do your chosen course. That should narrow it down
-Do you want a campus or a city uni?
-How much does it cost to live in that area?
-Entry requirements
-Does the Uni do your specific course (ie it's a bit useless doing Theatre studies if you really want to do Drama)
-What are the facilities of the uni and is it shared with other unis (for example in a place like Liverpool theres a few uni's and i think they share a couple of their facilities)
-Compare the uni facilities and see what the lecturers have done (for example I did creative writing so something that was important for me was seeing what my lecturers had done within that industry)
-How close is the nearest town/city and is there good transport to that place
-Good prospects for jobs?
-If you plan to commute it might be worth checking the parking restrictions
-What supermarkets are nearby (Something I wish I'd done to be honest. I got pretty lucky that I had a range of supermarkets near me at Uni but now i've graduated and living in London my nearest supermarket is M&S =L)
-What societies do they have?

There's so much to weigh up but open days are a really good place to start. I remember going to a few and absolutely hating the place before i'd even gotten out of the car. Then i went to a few others and adored them (and went to one of them). It's the best way to speak to students and staff and really get a feel for the uni and the facilities

Reply 5

Retired_Messiah

21

I sort of did a 3 step plan

1: Do I want to be near or far from home? (Ended up sort of just far enough away that nobody bothers to visit without buying me good ****)
2: Where does my course?
3. Which gave me best vibes on the open day?

On my course tho tbf the content is pretty much the same across most unis (philosophy courses man, descartes4days) so weighing that up was less relevant than it would be for something else.

Reply 6

yeknodelttil

3

I personally also spend time looking into a universities student union and their societies. I really want to be able to do my Gold DofE award and join drama societies so if a university doesn't offer them then it's a bit of a deal breaker. The social life in the area might be something else you want to consider... if it's important to you.

Also look at how sporty a university is because that can affect how welcoming they are to less sporty people.

Reply 7

Aine Bryson

4

Original post by paaru

I know what I want to do at uni and I know I want to go to uni but I'm just not sure how to choose completely between unis beyond the basics like distance and entry requirements?? There are 5 I'm considering but I want to find out the best way to figure out how I can order them from my first choice to fifth! My year group all feel like we want our teachers to talk to us more about uni and stuff as we're all kind of lost hence why I posted here? Not really sure how that means I shouldn't be going to uni 🤔🤔

I really like some of the sensible advice you have been given already. Going to uni is life changing and therefore it is worth researching well. When it come to big decisions I personally write down 3 to 5 key criteria, e.g The actual course,ranking of uni, social life, financial costs,( it is more expensive down south compared to up north) etc you get the idea. Then research different uni s and open days are good.

I do recommend my short survey which covers what sixth formers need and may expect from uni.
https://essex.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1XqGAeHNJvx6cM5

I go to Essex University and I am studying MSc in Psychology. I have had a real hard working and fun year. Of course as everything in life. You get out what you put in, basic universal law.

Good luck and share the link with your friends to help them to clarify their thoughts about going to uni. :h:

Aine

Reply 8

niteninja1

22

Original post by paaru

Is it like choosing a prom dress-will I just know if I go to a bunch of open days?

Or should I be looking at particular things and comparing? I already have a spreadsheet of ones I'm considering to compare basics but not sure where to go from there!

So look at your predicted grades.
Look for UNis that offer your course
Work out the cost of living.
Have a look at the Uni on their website

Go to the open days of ones you like the look of.

https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/

Reply 9

returnmigrant

21

Useful website that allows you to search for courses on predicted grades / area of the UK etc. Just remember to check each Unis own website for essential A level subjects and GCSEs required etc - https://www.whatuni.com/

PS. How to Avoid 5 Rejections : https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/university/apply/how-to-avoid-getting-five-university-rejections

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 10

username3479192

10

Original post by paaru

Is it like choosing a prom dress-will I just know if I go to a bunch of open days?

Or should I be looking at particular things and comparing? I already have a spreadsheet of ones I'm considering to compare basics but not sure where to go from there!

There is much good advice on this thread. If you already know what course you want to study, this is a typical approach to get you started:
- Firstly know what grades you expect to get. Speak to teachers, and think about how you are performing.
- Find unis with entry reqs you will meet, and some slightly above and below your expectations. League tables for your subject in things like The Complete Uni Guide can help. As part of this, review job prospects - how well do students do after the course?
- Think about other factors that might matter - travelling distance, cost of living, places you do or don't want to be.
- You can now create a list of unis to consider.
- Then check course details - courses with the same name can have different modules that may or may not appeal to you.
- Definitely go to Open Days. Often you just get a feel for what you like or not as soon as you visit. After a couple of visits you get the hang of it.
- Then consider other things - activities, night life etc.

As a generally rule, go for the highest entry uni you think you will reasonably get into that you like and which has a course you like. Then pick a good fall back as your insurance. At the end of the day, you will be there three years, and you need to make a decision you are happy with.

Reply 11

tarakheradmand1

8

I just looked at the leaderboard and applied to the universities in order of ranking

Reply 12

Doones

21

Original post by tarakheradmand1

I just looked at the leaderboard and applied to the universities in order of ranking

Which "leaderboard"? (Different rankings use different methodologies. Did you use one that measures the things that actually matter to you?)

Which year? (The rankings change from year to year, so a university at the top when you start researching may drop by the time you get your results).

Did you use the overall ranking, or subject ranking?

Solely using a ranking isn't really a great strategy.

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 13

carrotstar

21

Original post by Future.doc12

you shouldnt be going to uni if you don't know what you're looking for

Actually I'd suggest a lot of the people at uni don't know what they want out of it! Too many people do it for the social experience and there's no way of knowing who they are until they drop out because they can't afford to carry on 😂

The people that do graduate often don't find work related to their course, either. Going to uni is an expectation nowadays whether you need/want to go or not!

Reply 14

username3479192

10

Original post by paaru

Is it like choosing a prom dress-will I just know if I go to a bunch of open days?

Or should I be looking at particular things and comparing? I already have a spreadsheet of ones I'm considering to compare basics but not sure where to go from there!

Universities hold Open Days starting from now for 2018 entry. I would recommend checking the dates for ones you are interested in an book yourself on soon. You will learn alot just by going and having a look. You aren't making any commitment by attending. Once you've actually applied, any universities that makes you an offer will invite you to an Applicant Day too in spring 2018 where you can check out your favourites before choosing a Firm and Insurance.

Reply 15

tarakheradmand1

8

I used several leaderboards and saw how they performed year after year overall, for my subject and other things like graduate prospects.

Original post by Doonesbury

Which "leaderboard"? (Different rankings use different methodologies. Did you use one that measures the things that actually matter to you?)

Which year? (The rankings change from year to year, so a university at the top when you start researching may drop by the time you get your results).

Did you use the overall ranking, or subject ranking?

Solely using a ranking isn't really a great strategy.

Posted from TSR Mobile