Choosing your course / university Doug Jennings

It is the chance to study a subject you love for at least three years Opportunity to meet wide range of people from variety of backgrounds and cultures Development of team work, time management, communication and leadership skills Experience a whole new social life. What are the benefits of going to university?

There are also important financial benefits for going to university: - More and more employers are expecting students to have an HE qualification - Graduates are half as likely than non graduates to be unemployed - On average, graduates earn more over their life time than non graduates - Over the past 5 years, graduates have had double the number of promotions at work.

So…you want to go to university – What Next? Start researching the course that you are interested in studying – remember that an English degree at Bristol University is not the same as one at Liverpool Start thinking about what university you would like to go to – would you prefer a big city or small town? Do you want to live miles away or fairly close to home? Campus or non campus university? There is plenty of choice! There are over 50,000 different courses available at over 150 universities in the UK.

Choosing your university City centre or campus based? Close to home? Accommodation Cost Size of university Facilities offered Right course?

Choosing your course Very important! Subject interests at school Type of course Flexibility / choice of subjects, opportunity to specialise Assessment methods – continual v exams Entry requirements – be realistic!

Other things to consider Opportunities to travel Sandwich courses – year in industry Language options Combined honours Option choices

Remember – not all degrees are the same: It’s really important that you thoroughly investigate the course you are interested in at different providers.

Doing your research Take advice UCAS website Entry profiles Prospectuses and university websites Open Days HE conventions

Open Days Make sure that the university that you want to go to does the course you are interested in Time the journey Ask, ask and then ask again Can you see yourself living there?

UCAS conventions Can be absolute bedlam Who will be there? Who does your course? Accommodation What is different about the course than everywhere else? Don’t just pick up a prospectus Don’t pick up loads of prospectuses

To gap year or not to gap year…? If you do decide to take a gap year, make sure you make it count. Gap years can look great on your UCAS form – voluntary work, travel, skills etc You may also choose to get work experience / build up your skills in a related area. You have two options – defer your entry or apply again for the next year.

The choice of your course and institution is very personal. Think carefully about what you want to study and what you will enjoy. Don’t be swayed by pressure from friends, parents, teachers etc – you are more likely to succeed if you are enjoying your studies!

Any questions?