The Student Room Group

choosing a uni

This might sound stupid but i don’t know how to choose a university or what are the main things to look for? I want to compare universities to see which is best choice for me but i don’t know where to start? Any websites or suggestions for key things to look for would be so helpful, thank you :smile:
Have you applied this year - or is this research about where to apply to next year?
Hi @Lellyit00009 I would start off by thinking either what courses you think sound interesting or the area in which you might want to go to university, then you can order free online prospectuses with those courses or of those in the area you like. These not only give you information about the courses but will tell you more about the universities, what students say about going there, and will have information on support available. You can also look at prospectuses online, but if you are unsure about what course to do, it's easier if you have a paperback prospectus as all the university courses will be listed, so you can peruse it and see what perks your interest.

When you have a couple courses in mind, attend an open day for each potential university: attend the welcome talks to find out more about the university; course talks, in order to have a deeper insight into the courses and ask any questions, so you don't have any unanswered questions and feel more comfortable in your choice; attend campus and city tours - the campus and city are important factors as this is where you will study and live in for 3-4 years at least; and talk to current students/graduates at the course stands, they can give you true insight into what it's like to be a student there. Also attend support talks, where the university tells you of there support services, both academic support and wellbeing support, both if which are very important. When you go to these universities, if you get a positive vibe and can see yourself able to study there then you'll know that is the right university/course for you.

After this if you are still unsure you can also write yourself a pro and cons list, to try and weigh which one is better for you. You can look up course and student satisfaction, or other things that you find important https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?sortby=student-satisfaction .

For me, important things to compare would be the student and course satisfaction scores, then compare the library and free resources the universities provide, do they have a skills centre to help with writing , digital skills etc., compare the campus (their food, places to work, easy access to computers and printers, the hubs, is the students union active), compare the cities (are they student friendly i.e lots of discounts for students, ease of transport, does the university have their own shuttle bus?, are there lots if things to do , good places to walk in nature?), when you find a course you like, compare this module by module to other universities you are interested in, then at the open day you can get further details, ask what support is available.

I hope you find this helpful <3

- Rosie
(edited 2 years ago)

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