Checklist
Firstly, you have to think of what is most important to you. What do you want to achieve from going to university? Does ranking matter? Or are you going for the social life? I compiled a list of what I wanted which looked like so:- Has a big, old fashioned, campus and not just a building.
- Within an hour away from home
- Has lots of sports teams
- Has great journalism facilities such as a radio/newsroom and imacs
- Has an array of societies that I like
- A great course with modules that I would like to study
- Enthusiastic teachers
- Do they serve nice food? (nom nom nom)
Everyone's list will be different according to what their interests are.
Before you even start looking at uni's you will need to decide whether or not you want to be near home. For a lot of people, this is their time in life to venture out and explore their independence and new found freedom. Or are you like me? Young with a good amount of freedom at home and a lack of interest in sleeping around? Remember, at home most of you probably get food made for you every day and your clothes washed. This will all change. You will have to buy everything and anything you want, with your own money and then do everything such as house chores and cooking on your own. Your flatmates may be messy and you may even have to clean their half of the house or they may even be the type to steal your food! Beware!! Staying at home can save you a big deal of money which leaves you in less of a debt however, you won't have the freedom or maybe the social life that you could get from living on campus. Another thing to think about is whether you have a boyfriend or girlfriend? Do you want to be close enough to visit them often? It will be much harder to keep up a long distance relationship than one with someone who's close-by. Whatever happens, don't let a boy come between you and your dream university. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, whilst boyfriends will come and go.
Location
Before you even start looking at uni's you will need to decide whether or not you want to be near home. For a lot of people, this is their time in life to venture out and explore their independence and new found freedom. Or are you like me? Young with a good amount of freedom at home and a lack of interest in sleeping around? Remember, at home most of you probably get food made for you every day and your clothes washed. This will all change. You will have to buy everything and anything you want, with your own money and then do everything such as house chores and cooking on your own. Your flatmates may be messy and you may even have to clean their half of the house or they may even be the type to steal your food! Beware!! Staying at home can save you a big deal of money which leaves you in less of a debt however, you won't have the freedom or maybe the social life that you could get from living on campus. Another thing to think about is whether you have a boyfriend or girlfriend? Do you want to be close enough to visit them often? It will be much harder to keep up a long distance relationship than one with someone who's close-by. Whatever happens, don't let a boy come between you and your dream university. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, whilst boyfriends will come and go.
League Tables
Of course look at rankings on 'The Guardian' website to give you an indication of how recognizable the university is and also check out groups such as The Russell group. But remember, don't get too carried away with league tables! Your uni could go up or down by so many places by the time you get your degree. A degree is a degree. Do also take a look at the national student survey to see what the undergrads have to say about their uni and how satisfied they are.Course
Before you start looking at courses, think really hard about what degree you want to take!! I can't stress this enough! You will be doing this degree for 3 years and it will be leading you to your future job! Another important factor is whether you are good at it. If you can't get the good grades in this subject, what are the chances you'll get a good degree in this subject? Or even get the entry level grade? I would choose a subject where you are getting at least a B as this is an indicator of how well you'll do at uni.Costs
Look around the area you will be staying to get an idea how much things will cost where you are for clothes, food and so on. Obviously, if you're uni is in central London the cost of living will be much higher than in peripheral areas such as Sheffield. Keeping this in mind, London has some fabulous markets so get researching before you go there to ensure you waste the least amount of money as possible! It would also be a great idea to look around your uni and look for potential work prospects to pay for your student needs.
Deciding your firm choice
Make a little table with a list of your narrowed down uni choices on one side and pros/cons on the other. This can help make your final decision much easier as you will then begin to see which uni is the right choice for you. A good support network of friends and family really is vital when making this tough decision.
Good Luck!
Love O
x
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