Where you study is just as important as what you study. There are 130 universities in the UK and student life will be different at all of them. Think about your choices carefully and try to visit the university in person before making your decision. Choose a university where you feel comfortable and enjoy the atmosphere - you’ll be investing a lot of time and money in your university experience, so do your research!
Choosing a university
- Websites and prospectuses.
- Open days, campus tours and taster sessions.
- Talk to current students - either by visiting the university in person, using an online chat service like Unibuddy, or online forums like The Student Room.
- Talk to your teachers.
- Check out the university’s social media presence and comments from current students and graduates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
- Watch YouTube videos.
- Read student blogs.
- Look at league tables such as The Guardian University Guide and The Complete University Guide.
- Look at independent university guides like the Times Good University Guide.
- Is it a campus or city university? *
- How far away from home is it? How far away from home do I want to be?
- What are the transport links like? How much will it cost me to go home or visit my friends?
- What kind of place do I want to live in? Big city? Small town?
- What financial support do they offer?
- What is their reputation like? How much does this matter to me?
- What is the accommodation like? How much does it cost? How far would I have to travel between the accommodation and my lectures?
- How many students go here? Do I want to go to a small or big university? **
- What are the study spaces and facilities like?
- Are there lots of clubs, societies and sports I can get involved with?
*A campus university is one on a contained site (or sites), usually outside or very near a major town. Other universities have facilities scattered across a city.
**For example, Oxford Brookes has around 18,000 students and Manchester has around 39,000.