How to choose a university

I have no idea where I want to go and with universities closed, I can't go and visit them. Obviously can look at league tables/entry requirements but does anyone have any tips on how to actually choose a university?

Reply 1

Noodlzzz

TSR review
Virtual tours (official)
virtual tours (e.g. YouTube vlogs of students there)
Look up the city/campus area for shops and stuff
Course content online
list of societies online

????

Reply 2

University of Portsmouth Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by stillcrying

Hi @stillcrying!

I completely understand your dilemma. Maybe have a look to see if they have virtual halls tours, look at stats on their student satisfaction for other factors such as social life, look at what there is to do in the city, look at the societies and clubs they have etc. Also look into the modules for the course your want to apply to for each Uni and see if there's one which appeals to you more.

I hope this helps!
Erin - Official Student Rep :smile:

Reply 3

mnot

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by stillcrying

Have a look at the following, decide what sort of things you want specifically, by the time you also add in things like UCAS tariff the list will shrink.

Location
reputation
subject speciality
campus/city
living costs
SU
student population
facilities

Reply 4

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by stillcrying

Hi @stillcrying

Do you know what course you want to do? That would be a starting point, then you could look at various uni’s which offer the course. Then you could look at the course content so to look at the individual modules different uni’s offer and see which ones you would be interested in the most.
I would also recommend looking at wider opportunities the courses offer at each uni as some for example when I made my university decision getting practical work experience was a big factor for me so I chose the uni which would offer me the opportunity to go on placement.

Location could also help narrow down some uni’s, do you want to be close to home or further away? Also, you will be living there for the next couple of years so see what each city has to offer. You may also want to consider the general living expenses and accommodation at each uni.

Some uni’s have online open days, and also have unibuddy, this is where you can speak to current students studying at the uni. So you can try to make use of these online resources to replace the actual open day.

I hope this helps and good luck 😊

Zaira

Reply 5

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Hi @stillcrying
I’m a current student at Lancaster university and I understand what your going through ! I struggled with choosing a university ! In the end I chose Lancaster and I’m so happy I did ! I recommend that you visit open days and applicant days ( many unis do these which give you more of an insight to the course and lifestyle ). Obviously this is hard to do at the moment but many unis are offering virtual open days/ tours of campus / tour of facilities/ info online about the uni and the city/ town etc to give you more of an understanding ! It’s also a good idea to chat to current students, obviously this is easier in person but many unis offer a service called unibuddy where you can chat to students and it’s a good idea to chat to ones on the course you are thinking about studying. Lancaster’s is here : https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/chat/
It’s a good idea to make a pro and con list about what you like about the universities and think about if you can consider yourself living there, enjoying the course, whether it’s affordable etc. Does it give you the studies and life you want ? For me I honestly went with my gut feeling, I saw myself being happiest at Lancaster and it turns out that I am happy and enjoying my studies and time here !
Good luck with your decisions, I’m sure you’ll choose what you believe is best for you ! 😊
Student ambassador Holly at Lancaster university

Reply 6

University of Bradford

Official Rep

Original post by stillcrying

Hey!

I'd recommend booking onto virtual open days, that way you can speak to academics and students, ask lots of questions and get a feel for the university :smile:

You could also have a look at university websites for a virtual tour and have a wander around campus and the city.

Good luck with choosing a university, I know it can sometimes be a difficult decision but trust yourself that you'll make the right decision for you :smile:

Becky