What if I don't know what universities and courses to apply for?

So,

UCAS Deadline is less than 2 months away - WHICH IS ON MY 18TH - and I STILL have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA of what Universities or Courses to apply to. Ideally, I want them to be local (I live in a town in West Yorkshire, and the only universities I can think of off the top of my head are Huddersfield, Leeds Trin, Leeds Beckett, Uni of Leeds, Uni of Bradford, and at a stretch Manchester Met, Salford, Uni of Manchester). I've completed one version of my personal statement for Geography, but I need to complete two other versions for English Lit and Computer Science, which I am planning to do over October half-term.

Most of my teacher references are done so that isn't a problem.

Here are my subjects:

- English Literature
- Comp Science
- Geography
(Weird combination I know).

I actually have no idea on the courses that I'd like to do. Ideally I want to do something related to these three subjects (ESPECIALLY Geography) or a crossover of two of them, but I don't know if a lot of Universities offer these. I'm really anxious and I don't know what to do like AT ALL. I'm so screwed.
Also there are some things that I'm worried about:

- Transportation costs. Still I don't have a part-time job yet, so what if by the time I go to Uni, I still don't have a job and this means that I won't have the costs to cover it?
- Student accommodation. Will I get homesick if I decide to do this? And my second question is that is student accom really as bad as what people say? (I've heard a lot of horror stories about this, with the mould problems and infestations, stuff like that).
- Grades. What if I bomb and do crap on my actual A level exams in May / June? I know there's access schemes and other things but I really need decent grades to get on my chosen course when I decide whatever course I want to do.

PLEASE HELP!!

Reply 1

McGinger

Then take a gap-year - nowhere does it say that you can only go to Uni straight from school. This gives you the chance to get used to not being at school and develop some resilience etc.
Get a job - any job - earn some cash and do some travelling. Sometimes the best ideas happen when you are sitting on a beach miles away.

Reply 2

EDP8

You need to get to some open days and talk to the staff and students there. You can view accommodation and get a feel for the place. That is the best way to help you decide.

Reply 3

martin7

The UCAS deadline is 18:00 on January 14th -- which is three months away, not two.

Don't rush into things. Take your time over making a decision. You'll be spending three years studying whatever you choose, so make sure you go for something you'll enjoy. Have a look at the course structures; go to open days.

Consider taking a gap year, as McGinger suggests. Earn some money.

Will you be homesick in university accommodation? Maybe. Maybe not. As for the quality of student accommodation -- there's a vast range.

If you do badly in your A-levels, take advice from your teachers. Consider whether you want to take a gap year and re-sit your exams, or whether to go into clearing. And remember, there are routes into many jobs that don't involve getting a degree.

Reply 4

FiBox

I know a load of people who went into work for a few years after leaving school, then went to university in their mid-twenties. In a few cases their employers sponsored them to do their degree and offered them a promoted post when they graduated. The GCSE -> A levels -> university pipeline isn’t a fixed one. University is costly so don’t do a degree next year just because your friends are.

Reply 5

evans007

Original post

by dantay051207

So,
UCAS Deadline is less than 2 months away - WHICH IS ON MY 18TH - and I STILL have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA of what Universities or Courses to apply to. Ideally, I want them to be local (I live in a town in West Yorkshire, and the only universities I can think of off the top of my head are Huddersfield, Leeds Trin, Leeds Beckett, Uni of Leeds, Uni of Bradford, and at a stretch Manchester Met, Salford, Uni of Manchester). I've completed one version of my personal statement for Geography, but I need to complete two other versions for English Lit and Computer Science, which I am planning to do over October half-term.
Most of my teacher references are done so that isn't a problem.
Here are my subjects:
- English Literature
- Comp Science
- Geography
(Weird combination I know).
I actually have no idea on the courses that I'd like to do. Ideally I want to do something related to these three subjects (ESPECIALLY Geography) or a crossover of two of them, but I don't know if a lot of Universities offer these. I'm really anxious and I don't know what to do like AT ALL. I'm so screwed.
Also there are some things that I'm worried about:
- Transportation costs. Still I don't have a part-time job yet, so what if by the time I go to Uni, I still don't have a job and this means that I won't have the costs to cover it?
- Student accommodation. Will I get homesick if I decide to do this? And my second question is that is student accom really as bad as what people say? (I've heard a lot of horror stories about this, with the mould problems and infestations, stuff like that).
- Grades. What if I bomb and do crap on my actual A level exams in May / June? I know there's access schemes and other things but I really need decent grades to get on my chosen course when I decide whatever course I want to do.
PLEASE HELP!!

what do you NOT like? i find it easier to make choice based on process of elimination..

Reply 6

Whatswhat

I think you are the ideal candidate to take a gap year and take your time deciding! We know education is a conveyor belt and pops out these people who are meant to know what they want to do but it’s not the case for everybody. University is a hugely costly financial decision and more people should take the time to think what they are going to get out of it. I had 2 gap years after I didn’t get the grades for my offer, 1 planned , 1 not. it only led to positive outcomes for my career as I chose to do something different that I was far better suited to but hadn’t even crossed my mind whilst I was at school.

Reply 7

Manchester Metropolitan University

Official Rep

Original post

by dantay051207

So,
UCAS Deadline is less than 2 months away - WHICH IS ON MY 18TH - and I STILL have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA of what Universities or Courses to apply to. Ideally, I want them to be local (I live in a town in West Yorkshire, and the only universities I can think of off the top of my head are Huddersfield, Leeds Trin, Leeds Beckett, Uni of Leeds, Uni of Bradford, and at a stretch Manchester Met, Salford, Uni of Manchester). I've completed one version of my personal statement for Geography, but I need to complete two other versions for English Lit and Computer Science, which I am planning to do over October half-term.
Most of my teacher references are done so that isn't a problem.
Here are my subjects:
- English Literature
- Comp Science
- Geography
(Weird combination I know).
I actually have no idea on the courses that I'd like to do. Ideally I want to do something related to these three subjects (ESPECIALLY Geography) or a crossover of two of them, but I don't know if a lot of Universities offer these. I'm really anxious and I don't know what to do like AT ALL. I'm so screwed.
Also there are some things that I'm worried about:
- Transportation costs. Still I don't have a part-time job yet, so what if by the time I go to Uni, I still don't have a job and this means that I won't have the costs to cover it?
- Student accommodation. Will I get homesick if I decide to do this? And my second question is that is student accom really as bad as what people say? (I've heard a lot of horror stories about this, with the mould problems and infestations, stuff like that).
- Grades. What if I bomb and do crap on my actual A level exams in May / June? I know there's access schemes and other things but I really need decent grades to get on my chosen course when I decide whatever course I want to do.
PLEASE HELP!!

Hi @dantay051207

As others have said a gap year may well help you to make a decision on what academic route you want to take, as well as allowing you to work and prepare yourself for university study.

If you decide to go ahead and apply for September 2026, it may be possible to defer entry to September 2027, if you change your mind about starting in 2026.

I would recommend visiting as many open days of the unis you are considering. This will help you get a feel for the campus and the course(s) you are interested in and usually those who attend find it really helps them to make an informed decision that is right for them.

You can also chat with our current student ambassadors and ask them about studying at Manchester Met, studying as a stay at home student, life on campus, living costs, accommodation: Ambassador Chat Platform. Our Student Financial Support team are also available for funding advice: 0161 247 1045 or [email protected].

You can check our geography-related courses here: undergraduate geography courses. To be eligible for these Bachelor degrees you would need a minimum 104 UCAS points (so grades BCC) and your Geography A-Level would meet the subject requirement. I'm not sure what your predicted grades are but if you'd like to discuss your eligibility, feel free to get in touch with our Course Enquiries team at [email protected] or on 0161 247 6969, and they will be able to advise and answer any other questions you may have.

Hope this helps.
Mel 😊

Reply 8

UniLancashire

Official Rep

Original post

by dantay051207

So,
UCAS Deadline is less than 2 months away - WHICH IS ON MY 18TH - and I STILL have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA of what Universities or Courses to apply to. Ideally, I want them to be local (I live in a town in West Yorkshire, and the only universities I can think of off the top of my head are Huddersfield, Leeds Trin, Leeds Beckett, Uni of Leeds, Uni of Bradford, and at a stretch Manchester Met, Salford, Uni of Manchester). I've completed one version of my personal statement for Geography, but I need to complete two other versions for English Lit and Computer Science, which I am planning to do over October half-term.
Most of my teacher references are done so that isn't a problem.
Here are my subjects:
- English Literature
- Comp Science
- Geography
(Weird combination I know).
I actually have no idea on the courses that I'd like to do. Ideally I want to do something related to these three subjects (ESPECIALLY Geography) or a crossover of two of them, but I don't know if a lot of Universities offer these. I'm really anxious and I don't know what to do like AT ALL. I'm so screwed.
Also there are some things that I'm worried about:
- Transportation costs. Still I don't have a part-time job yet, so what if by the time I go to Uni, I still don't have a job and this means that I won't have the costs to cover it?
- Student accommodation. Will I get homesick if I decide to do this? And my second question is that is student accom really as bad as what people say? (I've heard a lot of horror stories about this, with the mould problems and infestations, stuff like that).
- Grades. What if I bomb and do crap on my actual A level exams in May / June? I know there's access schemes and other things but I really need decent grades to get on my chosen course when I decide whatever course I want to do.
PLEASE HELP!!

Hi there 👋

It's completely normal to not know what you want to study at university, it's a lot of pressure to decide your future studies whilst still at college.

It's great that you've already decided which courses you're interested in applying to, this is a really good first step. A really helpful place to start is attending as many open days as you can! Open Days are really great ways to explore the university as a whole, the courses, types of modules you'd be studying, and meet current students. When I was applying for university I went to as many Open Days as possible and they really helped me to get a better idea of what I wanted to get out of university - for example student life, living in a city, placement year, contact hours. Start by visiting your local universities open days and seeing if you enjoy the vibe, it'll also be a great way to speak to university advisors about which courses would be most suited to you.

It's very premature to be considering not having any money! You will likely get a maintenance loan to help fund your day-to-day costs which includes your travel to uni. For the 25/26 year the maximum you may receive is up to £6,300. Most commuter students use this loan to fund their journeys.

It's normal to feel homesick in your first few months at university, it's a really big change so it's to be expected. This should not be a reason to put you off moving away from home! Personally, I believe there are more positives to moving away for uni than there are negatives - increased independence, acquiring life skills, meeting new people etc. There are definitely downsides of living with people such as messy kitchens, bin rotas and mould but this doesn't happen to everyone!!

Have you considered a gap year? It sounds like you're very confused on a lot of things and may benefit from a year out to relax, explore your options and have some more experiences. Having a gap year was the best decision I made, it allowed me to really spend time deciding which university to go to, earn some money, and travel.

Whatever you decide, make sure it's right for you! Don't rush into anything and don't let the outside pressure get to you.
Best wishes, ^Hannah 🙂

Reply 9

University of Bradford

Official Rep

Original post

by dantay051207

So,
UCAS Deadline is less than 2 months away - WHICH IS ON MY 18TH - and I STILL have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA of what Universities or Courses to apply to. Ideally, I want them to be local (I live in a town in West Yorkshire, and the only universities I can think of off the top of my head are Huddersfield, Leeds Trin, Leeds Beckett, Uni of Leeds, Uni of Bradford, and at a stretch Manchester Met, Salford, Uni of Manchester). I've completed one version of my personal statement for Geography, but I need to complete two other versions for English Lit and Computer Science, which I am planning to do over October half-term.
Most of my teacher references are done so that isn't a problem.
Here are my subjects:
- English Literature
- Comp Science
- Geography
(Weird combination I know).
I actually have no idea on the courses that I'd like to do. Ideally I want to do something related to these three subjects (ESPECIALLY Geography) or a crossover of two of them, but I don't know if a lot of Universities offer these. I'm really anxious and I don't know what to do like AT ALL. I'm so screwed.
Also there are some things that I'm worried about:
- Transportation costs. Still I don't have a part-time job yet, so what if by the time I go to Uni, I still don't have a job and this means that I won't have the costs to cover it?
- Student accommodation. Will I get homesick if I decide to do this? And my second question is that is student accom really as bad as what people say? (I've heard a lot of horror stories about this, with the mould problems and infestations, stuff like that).
- Grades. What if I bomb and do crap on my actual A level exams in May / June? I know there's access schemes and other things but I really need decent grades to get on my chosen course when I decide whatever course I want to do.
PLEASE HELP!!

Hi @dantay051207. The most important thing here is not to stress as you will just become more confused and anxious! I was a former student so i know how you feel, especially in terms of finding a university. My advice would be to go to open days for universities. They will be able to show you tours of the campus and accommodation if your looking to move out. You will also be able to go to course talks. This should give you a good indication of courses to choose. you can also ask course academics any questions you have. I would also say brose the university websites to see what courses the offer and what the course entails as well as the requirements. There are a lot of student profiles and blogs you can have a look on university socials where students talk about their experience studying courses. Moreover, you can also seek advice from family and friends who may have started university before you or family friends and relatives that have been to university. Doing these things should give you a clearer idea. I hope this helped and your less stressed and confused now! I wish you the best and good luck. 😀

Kind regards,
Kiran

Reply 10

University of Salford

Official Rep

Original post

by dantay051207

So,
UCAS Deadline is less than 2 months away - WHICH IS ON MY 18TH - and I STILL have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA of what Universities or Courses to apply to. Ideally, I want them to be local (I live in a town in West Yorkshire, and the only universities I can think of off the top of my head are Huddersfield, Leeds Trin, Leeds Beckett, Uni of Leeds, Uni of Bradford, and at a stretch Manchester Met, Salford, Uni of Manchester). I've completed one version of my personal statement for Geography, but I need to complete two other versions for English Lit and Computer Science, which I am planning to do over October half-term.
Most of my teacher references are done so that isn't a problem.
Here are my subjects:
- English Literature
- Comp Science
- Geography
(Weird combination I know).
I actually have no idea on the courses that I'd like to do. Ideally I want to do something related to these three subjects (ESPECIALLY Geography) or a crossover of two of them, but I don't know if a lot of Universities offer these. I'm really anxious and I don't know what to do like AT ALL. I'm so screwed.
Also there are some things that I'm worried about:
- Transportation costs. Still I don't have a part-time job yet, so what if by the time I go to Uni, I still don't have a job and this means that I won't have the costs to cover it?
- Student accommodation. Will I get homesick if I decide to do this? And my second question is that is student accom really as bad as what people say? (I've heard a lot of horror stories about this, with the mould problems and infestations, stuff like that).
- Grades. What if I bomb and do crap on my actual A level exams in May / June? I know there's access schemes and other things but I really need decent grades to get on my chosen course when I decide whatever course I want to do.
PLEASE HELP!!

Hey @dantay051207 ,

I definitely agree with the sentiment of a lot of the other replies in this thread - university is a really big decision, and is definitely not a decision to rush. If you're really uncertain on doing any subject area it's likely worth giving yourself more time, and not putting pressure on yourself to make a decision that you might end up regretting. You want to be confident and excited to start university, not second guessing that you've chose the right place or course, otherwise you might end up not enjoying your experience! I know its difficult to feel like this is an option if you're seeing everyone around you go to university, but its much better to go to university feeling like you've made the right choice, and not just because everyone else is going.

If you're looking to nail down a course and want tips to head in the right direction, I'd recommend having a think more broadly about the elements you enjoy about Geography, English Lit and Comp Sci. Do you enjoy the more essay writing side of Lit and Geography? Or is it the problem solving and solution finding parts of Comp Sci you enjoy? You mention being interested in a combined degree, so I'd definitely recommend looking on the UCAS website to see if any institution offers a combined degree that sounds good to you. You can use their site as a search engine for courses, so its really helpful!

Just to touch on your final points - transport costs vs commuting are definitely quite personal decisions, and both have a slightly different student experience. You'll likely have less outgoing costs if you live at home and commute, but have a think about how you'll feel about travelling to and from university a few times a week from further away. Are you someone who likes the decompression of a commute? Or would this end up frustrating you? Equally, living away from home comes with its pros and cons - you have more freedom and independence, but your living costs will be higher, depending on where you end up studying/living. You can also try one for a year and then give the other a go - there's nothing stopping you from moving out for one year, then commuting for the final two!

Student accommodation can vary massively from university to university, but realistically you're always more likely to hear the horror stories of accommodation over the normal experiences the majority of students experience. Going to look around on Open Days and speaking to current students might help you feel more aware of your options for this part!

Getting the grades is always the biggest worry for all students, but the most important thing to remember is that your grades don't define you as a person. You might get exactly what you want, or you might not - but that's what we're here for as universities on results day to support you whichever way things go. Most universities won't just make their final decision on your grades alone, your personal statement is equally important and matters more than people might think! There's also options like foundation years out there, which some universities will automatically consider you for on results day if your grades are lower than what's needed for the three year version of the course, so you'll always have options to decide on at that point.

I hope that all helps! My biggest advice for you would be to think about whats more important to you - finding a degree you genuinely love but taking slightly longer to find it, or going to university a little uncertain about your decision. Its fine if you decide to take a chance on a course you're not sure on (you might end up loving it!), but we'd usually recommend confidence over impulse.

Good luck!!
Becky
University of Salford Rep

Reply 11

‎♡₊˚ ୨୧・₊✧

hi! not sure if this would help, but something like a liberal arts or natural sciences degree could be a way to combine a couple of your subjects if you end up deciding to apply this year :smile: