Choosing a University to Apply To/ Open Days

Hello!

As you may have noticed from the title, I wanted to write a post on how to choose a University to apply to. After you have decided on which course you plan on studying, the next hill to climb is choosing the University. After all, you will be studying there for three plus years, so you need to gather as much information on it as you can! I know, as a prospective student, I am not the person to ask about how Uni/student life is, but I wanted to share how I went about looking at Universities, and how I decided on where to apply to.

The biggest factors that influenced my choice were the course modules, my 'feel' about the University, student life and distance from home. I wanted to choose a University that wasn't too far from home, but far enough so I can gain independence while studying. The biggest factor, for me, was the course (see my previous post) I wanted to make sure that I would be interested in what I was studying, so the modules on offer were an important area in the decision making process.

Next, I looked at the University itself. At first, I was after a campus University, in a city centre with accommodation near the Uni. However, visits to Open Days soon swayed my mind. I like the idea of living in a busy city, as I live in a quiet village myself, and I wanted a University that was big enough to offer a range of societies and student events. I looked at prospectuses, Uni. websites, The Student Room and Unistats which gives information from the Student Satisfaction Survey. 

After I found Universities that I was interested in, I went on their Open Days. I must have gone on around 7 or 8 visit days and 2 that I simply visited when I was in the city. Open Days started in June or July 2012 (I would imagine they would the same for 2014 entry) but there were some in September to November of 2012 too, which is useful as you will have had your AS grades then! I found the days to be a real help when choosing as they give you the 'feel' for the University. It was also helpful when looking at the courses as you can attend subject talks too - some were a lot better than others! Open Days also offer you an opportunity to go on campus and accommodation tours which was also very useful. 

For myself, I visited York University's Open Day, thinking that it would be a real contender. I liked the idea of a campus University; I liked the location and the course too. However, I soon realised it wasn't for me - the campus was not in the city centre, the Economics talk did not inspire me and I wasn't in love with the accommodation. I want to stress that this is my opinion, it is have a lovely setting and the 'collegiate' system - often compared to an Oxbridge set-up - will suit some and the course was good, but a little too much Maths! 

I think that is it for now - I can't think of anything else to add. Feel free to comment and ask any questions about the application process, UCAS etc! 


Clara