How to choose the right university

10 years ago choosing your ideal university and course was far more simple than it is these days, you picked a course based on the subjects you were most successful at whilst at school, you picked the best 5 universities that run that course, fill in your UCAS form and simply wait. Choosing your best student accommodation Leeds for education is another important factor too. 

There are however, 4 main things to consider when choosing your higher education; 

Location 

Since the rise in fees for further education, where you will go to university in terms of location is as big a decision to make as the course itself. It may be that you are not in a position to pay for both university fees as well as somewhere to live. If that’s the case then staying at home and traveling daily to a more local university may be the best plan. 

Course 

With such a plethora of courses to choose from it’s hard to focus your attentions on the one that it best for you. At the start of the 2015 academic year there were 51,116 courses available in the UK, although a drop of around 20,000 from 2017, it’s still a huge list to choose from. The best way to work out which course is right for you is to consider not only the degree you have at the end of the 3-4 years but how that degree will propel you into the workforce. Yes niche degrees may have more immediate interest in them, but if the career avenues you can go down once you have graduated are limited, then your chances of getting the job you want is also hugely narrowed. 

Cost 

66 of the 120 universities in the UK have a minimum yearly fee of £9000. With more than 50% of the universities having the maximum fees, it may be that this limits your choices before you have even looked into the course that you would like to take. Add into that the roughly £17,000 that rent and living expenditure and you are looking at £44,000 for 3 years. However living at home, contributing to rent and food but not paying 100% of it will clearly massively reduce that cost. With numerous fantastic universities charging around £6,000 a year, the final cost for 3 years would be much closer to £20,000. 

Lifestyle 

Although the aim of going to university is to get a degree to further your career, you also go to enrich your life and create lasting memories. There are pro’s and con’s for both universities in big cities and those in smaller towns. When going for a job these days companies look for so much more than your degree. Take into account when choosing your university, look into the unions, clubs and societies that you could join. The participation in organisations like this can have a huge impact on job prospects in the future. 

Although there are a lot of things to think about when choosing a university, it’s worth taking the time to ensure that the experience is as rich as possible.