What should you consider before the UCAS deadline?

The UCAS deadline is approaching soon, so if you're still struggling on which university or course to apply to, here is some advice!
Choosing the right university
- Campus vs city - Campus universities tend to have facilities and building in one centralised location. If you choose a campus university you may find yourself spending most your time on campus. A city university has building scattered around the surrounding area, meaning students may have to travel a bit further to each building, however they will end up spending more time in the surrounding city. Personally, I chose a city university as I wanted more opportunities and incentives to explore the local area 🏙️.
- Distance - You may choose to either travel 🚗to university or reside on campus 🏠. Often there are fears that travelling in won't allow students to have the full university experience, however I have found that travelling in still allows me to socialise due to the variety of events, social gatherings and more! So either way, you will still have the full university experience. I've also experience living on campus, which is an excellent opportunity to learn skills to be independent.
- Cost of living - This really impacted my choice, as I wanted to attend university without worrying about finances 💵. UCLan is a top university for low accommodation costs which was exactly what I was looking for! I recommend researching into how much residing in the area costs, or travel costs, as this can change your experience. However if you find costs are high for the university you really want to attend, don't let this deter you as there will likely be opportunities for part time work and you will learn budgeting skills 📊!
Choosing a Course
- Modules - Checking out the individual modules from each course can help determine which one is right for you 🔍. This could be impacted by which topic you are more passionate about, or those that link more to your future career goals .
- Career prospects - Researching into the potential jobs you could land in with your degree is important as it should be a topic you're really passionate about since you may be spending the large majority of your time working upon it in your future 📅! Personally, I choose a business degree due to the flexibility of the degree being applicable to many job roles.
My final recommendation will be to attend a university open day. This way you can learn more about the university itself, alongside particular courses. You may have the opportunity to attend a campus tour, taster sessions, ask lecturers queries about the course and speak to current students about their experiences 🗣️.
If you have an other suggestions, please comment them below as I'd love to see other opinions!
Good luck with your applications, please feel free to ask me any questions,
-Sophia (Business and Management)