There are around 150 universities in the UK. Whether it’s cutting edge facilities or the best gig scene, each of them has its own unique claim to fame. So how do you choose?
We’ve asked our coaches what they were looking for when they picked 'the one.'
In this short film, our coaches talk about how they researched which university to go to.
"My two main priorities in choosing a university to go to were the course and also sports, because athletics is something that's quite close to my heart. So I chose a course that was perfect for me, but then a couple of months before I began the course I found that they didn't have any sport support for me whatsoever, so I had to pull out of the course, take a gap year and apply through the university process all over again."
"The main thing for me was the course, how it was taught and the different exam processes. Some people don't like written exams,some people like coursework, so it's just finding the university that's tailored for you."
"There's a pretty overwhelming number of universities but I just looked online at their websites to see what different universities offered, to look at the accommodation, the cities they were based in."
"I had to do a lot of independent research on the internet for myself to find the place that did the ideal course for me and the ideal sports scholarship."
"It'll have all the fees, all the summaries of courses, detailed courses, what you're going to study, how much that study's going to actually take up of your degree, what your first year's like, what your second year's like. It's really important that you use all these resources online because so many people don't even know they're there."
"With researching for my course, my teacher suggested going to a bunch of fairs so I went to them. You can walk around, they showed me different work that students had already done so I'd get a grasp of what it is I'd be doing or the kind of work that I'd be producing at the end of my third year."
"I guess I found three final choices and then rounding it down to one, doing pros and cons lists and actually visiting the universities too."
"It's best to go there and get a feel for the environment, and I guess I found my perfect uni after doing that."
"I visited about six different universities up and down the country and I think the important thing is to visit all the universities that you'dpotentially want to go to."
"Don't just be lazy and skip one or the other because you never know what they could offer you."
"You'll definitely know if it's wrong for you. That's what I found."
"I was sure that I wanted to go to a certain university. I went there and straight away, within two minutes, me and my father left. We knew it's just not for me, the vibe's not right."
"I want to be happy for three years and I can tell straight away I'm not going to be in this environment."
"I learnt that my skill and more passionate subject was the fashion industry. To me, I don't feel like I do any work. I do, and there's a lot to do on my degree, but I really, really enjoy what I do so I could spend hours doing projects and I don't feel like I've done anything particularly strenuous because I've really enjoyed it."
"Even though I knew the five universities I wanted to apply for, I was still applying to apprenticeships with the BBC, apprenticeships with the Welsh Assembly, just to make sure that I had all these options. And even if I got them in the end, I can decline them. You're not losing out on anything by keeping your options open."
Trying to decide where to go to uni?
- Once you’ve picked the course you want to do, look for centres of excellence, i.e. departments that specialise in the subject area you have in mind
- Understand what’s important for you: for example, do you want to go to a prestigious university, or are you more interested in institutions that offer work placements?
- Location, location, location: don’t underestimate the importance of where you will study! Do you want to be far from home or just a quick train ride away? Do you want to be in a big city, or in a smaller place near the sea? Do you want a thriving night life, or would that be too much of a distraction?
- Do your sums: as well as the cost of tuition fees, you’ll have to consider housing costs and general living expenses, so don’t forget to research those too.
Forging your own path
Our Mind Set coaches discuss choosing what's right for you.
