How would you decide where to go for sixth form or university?

What questions would you ask yourself?
What things are most important to you in these decisions?

If you are at sixth form or uni already - how DID you decide?

Reply 1

nabilahhh

Lol i only cared about the location. Both the uni and the college I went to was very decent tho.

Reply 2

lemmens

Original post by clouddbubbles

What questions would you ask yourself?
What things are most important to you in these decisions?

If you are at sixth form or uni already - how DID you decide?

Hi there!! I’m currently at sixth form and applying to uni this year so these are definitely questions I’ve been asking myself over the past year.

For sixth form, it was a case of where offers the subjects I wanted to pursue, particularly further maths as it’s not available everywhere. I also wanted to go somewhere with no fee and that was close enough to my house. Quite a lot of my friends chose the same college so that was also a major plus!! So subjects offered, distance, cost and friends were the only four things I considered really. It might be a good idea to get a taste for each sixth form you’re considering, as in what exam board is used, what the lessons and methods of learning are like, and how the teachers are.

Uni is a bit of a bigger decision, but you get five choices that rely on them offering you a place which makes things easier!!

The number one thing to prioritise here is definitely the course. Is the subject offered that you want to study for three/four years of your life? Is the style of teaching suited to you? Are you interested in the course content? Are the typical entry requirements attainable for you?

After that, I think getting a feel for the university and the environment as a whole matters a lot to me. And the best way to get this is through open days and visits to the uni if possible. If not, read their website, their prospectus, read what current and past students have had to say honestly about their experiences, watch videos and look at photos and this should hopefully give an idea of what it’s like to live and study there.

If the course and teaching is good for me, and I like the atmosphere of the uni, then I consider accommodation, travel, costs, night life etc etc. Are there student halls or colleges or flats or do I want to live at home? How will I get to and from uni? How expensive is it there? Do I want to be in a city or somewhere less busy? What’s the social life like?

There are loads of super helpful videos on youtube about choosing the right unis to apply to, and I think you’ll know whether somewhere is right for you or not, I certainly got a gut feeling and trusting that works out!! I hope this has helped in some way, and if you have any other questions about a-levels or uni, I’m more than happy to help where I can :smile:

Reply 3

clouddbubbles

Original post by nabilahhh

Lol i only cared about the location. Both the uni and the college I went to was very decent tho.

fair enough.

i’ve got decide between a location in the city, and a location in the countryside :frown:

Reply 4

nabilahhh

Original post by clouddbubbles

fair enough.

i’ve got decide between a location in the city, and a location in the countryside :frown:

Ohh what course will you be studying?

Reply 5

clouddbubbles

Original post by nabilahhh

Ohh what course will you be studying?

I'm deciding between sixth forms at the moment - but I knew some of the things people might consider about universities are also relevant :smile:

Reply 6

avacados1

I just went for the reputation really when applying for sixth form and I’m gonna do the same for uni

Reply 7

Geodesic

General rankings and reputation would be a good place to start, especially if you are not sure which subject you want to study at university. If you are sure, look for the specific rankings and the course structure offered, for some courses it can vary quite a bit between different unis.

After, you can look at grade requirements, location of the university, the university buildings/campus itself and talk to graduates of the said unis as well, as it can be very helpful to listen to their experiences. But for me I would say that the general reputation and the quality/structure of the course offered would be the main criteria.