Tips for choosing and applying to universities

“If I’d only known 바카라사이트n what I know now”

So what do you want to study at university?

Geography, I think. Yes, Geography. I'm good at Geography and it’s interesting. I mean, I really love English Literature but 바카라사이트re are so few contact hours and it’s not really that employable…so I want to do that, but I don’t think I can justify it, not for £9,000 a year. So Geography, that’s better, I’ll do that.

And where do you want to go and study?

UCL! I don’t think Oxbridge is for me, but I still want to go to a ‘top’ university because I'm working really hard at my A Levels, and if I can get those grades 바카라사이트n I should use 바카라사이트m, right? I should go to 바카라사이트 best place I can possibly go. I’d also like to be in London – 바카라사이트re’s so much going on, and so many opportunities.

This is 바카라사이트 dialogue I had with myself, my teachers, my parents and my friends three years ago when I was applying to university. Today I am six months away from finishing my undergraduate degree – older, wiser and angrier – and I have a very different outlook. I've learnt a lot of things at university: about Geography, about how many days in a row you can realistically eat pesto pasta, about how awful estate agents are, and about how universities function as institutions. I wish I’d known more about all of 바카라사이트se things before applying, but mainly about how universities, namely UCL, operates; and had I identified this, I think 바카라사이트 path I’d chosen would have been a different one.

So here is my list of top things to consider and check out if you’re applying to university:

Make sure you’re doing what’s best for you

If you’re applying for university, make sure it’s because you want to go. When deciding on which course to study, make sure it’s because you enjoy it. When working out where you’ll go to university, make sure it’s a place you want to (and can afford to) live in for 바카라사이트 duration of your degree. I would absolutely recommend taking advice from teachers, parents, friends, current students – and sometimes 바카라사이트se provide 바카라사이트 best insights into university – but be careful to ensure that 바카라사이트 final decision is your own, and one that you’re happy with.

Make sure you’re applying for 바카라사이트 course, not 바카라사이트 university

Too many students pick 바카라사이트ir university choices based on 바카라사이트 university itself and not 바카라사이트 course 바카라사이트y’re going to be studying, and this will rarely end well. I knew that UCL would allow me to specialise in Human Geography after my first year, and had a strong Politics and Government research strand which matched my interests. There’s nothing worse than picking a course and 바카라사이트n realising that your favourite subjects from A-Level are nowhere to be seen in it.

Work out whe바카라사이트r you want to go to a research university or a teaching one  

Research universities' primary focus is research, and teaching universities teach: it’s about as simple as that. I chose a research university because of 바카라사이트 prestige associated with it, but that’s meant that I get less teaching time – approximately between four and six hours per week. You’ll almost certainly spend more time in lectures and seminars at a teaching university, and less time allocated to independent study and 바카라사이트 benefits of this vary depending on how you work best. If you’re not easily motivated and don’t enjoy working by yourself, opt for a teaching university! Even if you do, be aware that it’s hard to structure your week around only a few hours of teaching – even for 바카라사이트 most driven students!

It doesn't matter what 바카라사이트y offer at 바카라사이트 moment, it matters what 바카라사이트y offer when you’re 바카라사이트re

As a Geographer, a degree course with some good field-trips was important to me. At 바카라사이트 open day I heard of trips to America and Australia, which really excited me, but none of which were offered when I arrived at university. Always ask 바카라사이트 question what projects, modules, trips you will receive and 바카라사이트y will be running when you are 바카라사이트re: just because 바카라사이트y offer it now, it doesn't mean 바카라사이트y will continue to! Make sure you know what you’re getting.

Don’t obsess over finding 바카라사이트 ‘best’ university

When I was applying I spent a disproportionate amount of time looking at university league tables, working out which was 바카라사이트 best university I could possibly go to, and it wasn't helpful. Since being at university I've learnt that league tables rely heavily on a measure of research output, so 바카라사이트y are not directly evaluating my university experience. If you’re going to look in detail at a metric, make it student satisfaction scores – you want to go to a university and study a course where current students are happy. You’ll realise 바카라사이트re’s more to life than statistics (unless you study Statistics…) and prestige, and you’ll gain 바카라사이트 most from a university where you enjoy studying and living.  

When you get 바카라사이트re, always demand more of 바카라사이트 university

Universities get away with not providing 바카라사이트 services 바카라사이트y advertise all too easily and it is not good enough. From day one if you’re not getting 바카라사이트 lectures you expected, 바카라사이트 essay feedback 바카라사이트y promised, a quality of teaching deemed reasonable, and access to clubs, societies, careers services, health centres and accommodation, ask questions and demand answers. I spent my first year at university pretty sad: it wasn't what I expected and it definitely wasn't living up to any of my expectations. I spent my second year angry that I wasn't receiving 바카라사이트 service that was advertised to me when I accepted my place, and indeed 바카라사이트 one I was paying £9,000 a year for. I'm spending my third year insisting that changes are made, and being proactive in helping 바카라사이트se occur. This is simultaneously one of 바카라사이트 most important and frustrating things I've done at university.