Choosing A University

Choosing a university can be a very daunting task and can seem to be a lot of work, but it doesn't have to be that way. Here’s my short guide of how to narrow down your uni choices and pick one that’s right for you.

• research 
• go on as many universities’ websites as you can, and note down and courses they do that slightly interest you. I personally put this info into a table, alongside other factors (whether or not you could do a year abroad, entry requirements, when the open days are, etc.). If a uni doesn't do a course you’re interested in; don’t go there. Don’t even bother going to the open day, which is something that I don't ever say lightly. 
• ask around 
• do you have older siblings who’ve been through uni? Older friends? Family friends? Ask your friends and family if they know people who’ve been through uni (especially doing the course(s) you’re interested in. People who’ve ‘been there’ and ‘done that’ are great sources of unbiased information that normally isn't on websites. From speaking to people, you get a sense of how you would be living yourself, straight from the horse’s mouth as it were (what a weird saying). 
• league tables 
• although you 100% shouldn't base your choices off of league table results, they do come in handy. For example, if you’re looking into an art subject, check the tables for it. The ‘best’ uni for art is not necessarily the best uni for biology or engineering. Doing this may highlight a uni that you weren't even considering. 
• open days 
• once you have your list/table compiled; it’s time for the open days. These are my absolute favourite part of uni choosing, as you get a real sense of what it’d be like to live and study at said establishment. Check my Guide to Uni Open Days for more prep advice and info, and a full list of many universities’ open days. Come prepared with questions to ask the lecturers/students, and don't forget to check out the accommodation and food stalls/student life areas. After being at the university and trying out the courses, you should be able to narrow down your choices massively. Keep a record of your experiences, as by the time you’ve been to your final open day, you’ll have forgotten the first one! You can rate them on aspects out of 10, or write pros and cons, or take photos, or just make notes. 
• compare 
• once you’ve been to all your favourite unis, look at all the courses you’d like to study. Which would be your favourite? Second favourite? Are these at the same uni, or different? Also, remember to take the entry requirements into account. If you’re not gonna get A*A*A at A Level, it’s probably not best to only apply for courses with those requirements. (Also remember to check for specific subject reqs, you may need to do A Level Law to do a Law degree, etc.) On the flip side, if you’re on track to get A*A*A at A Level, first of all congrats omg, teach me how please, and second don’t apply for only unis with reqs of BBB. It’s always good to have a ‘safeguarding’ uni with lower entry requirements, but don’t feel like you shouldn't aim high, because you always should! 
• keep lists 
• I am a big fan of lists and organisation in general, but this list is essential. Keep track of whether you’re put of or put on (?) by a course/uni, because if you forget then you’ll have to go through the process again and that’s just a massive waste of time. 
• have fun 
• choosing a uni can be daunting, but you can also have fun doing it! Display your data in your own way, make it easy for you personally to understand. Write, draw, make tables, do whatever works for you. And remember: choose a course, not a uni. I’d definitely rather do a subject I’ll enjoy at a lesser-known uni than do Maths (which I despise, sorry) at Oxbridge solely because of the name. Choose what’s right for you, not your friends, not your parents, not your teachers. 

Checklist
Have you considered:

• subjects 
• location 
• entry requirements 
• accommodation (location, size, catered/uncatered, etc) 
• student life (societies etc) 
• study abroad potential 
• finances 
• atmosphere 
• number of students/staff 
• campus vs city 
• surrounding area

2017 Guide to Uni Open Days

Hi guys! If you're currently looking into universities, you'l know that most open days are coming up in June/July. Most universities hold two open days in the summer, and another one or two in September, and booking is already open for most summer open days. I think that open days are the most important part of the decision-making process, so it's integral to be prepared before going. To book your open day place (plus any talks/tours you want to go on), go to the university website and find the open days page. I recommend going to about 6 open days to keep your options open, but there is absolutely no upper or lower limit, just do what's right for you. At the end of this post is a comprehensive list of all the Russell Group universities and some non-Russell Groups along with links to their Summer open day pages. Please note that open days are taking place in September/October and later on for nearly all of these unis, but I have not included these dates on the list.

What to do pre-open day
- do your research
Know the facts about the uni; know what subjects you'd be studying, know if it's an old/new building,  know the entry requirements (A Level results, GCSE results, and/or specific subjects at A Level or equivalent).
- book!
For most universities, you'll need to book your place (and your guests' places) for scheduled talks and tours. For some universities, you'll need to book to even enter the open day. Make sure to book ASAP, because places disappear quickly.
- transport
Decide how to get to the uni. Car, train, or park and ride are normally the best options, but make sure you know how and when you need to get there so you don't have to panic on the day. Also, make sure you're aware of how and where to park (by car) or if you need to make a booking (for park and ride).
- look around online and compare unis
University websites are generally very helpful, with almost all the essential information on them. Branch out, and check out unis that you may not be interested in going to. I personally prefer to see all the doors in front of me and close them one by one as opposed to just searching for the one right door, if you understand my analogy. Go to at least one campus uni and one off-campus city uni if you can, no matter whether you feel you've decided to be on or off campus. Who knows, you might change our mind.
- make a schedule
Allow time to get there, plus allow about 15/20 minutes to get to each talk/tour/college (more time if someone in your party has a mobility disability). Know exactly when you have to be exactly where, to save stress on the actual day. Remember to leave time for lunch!

What to take on the day
- laptop and/or paper and pens
Especially if you're attending talks, you may want to make notes so that when you come to decide on where to apply, you'll remember the good and bad points of each uni.
- your booking info
Talks and times, parking/park and ride information, and tickets to get in, plus any other documents you'll be requiring.
- a list of questions
After the talks, there'll usually be a time of Q&A with course leaders/current students, so make sure to make a list of anything you want to ask, and (even more importantly) make sure you listen to other people's questions and their answers, as you may want to know something but didn't think of it straight away.
- info about the uni
Do they do a year out? Is it a campus university? Do they even do the subject(s) you want? Do they do combined honours? These are questions that you could ask someone on the day, but are easily found out by a little bit of research that could end up saving both you and the people at the uni precious time. Write down the key points of each uni and take them on the day, for easy access to vital information.
- an open mind
Ugh, that was cringey. Sorry. Seriously though, if you go to a uni thinking that you'll hate it, then you will hate it. Come with a mind that is open to discovering hidden gems, or on the flip side, don't overlook the bad points of your favourite uni. You'll be spending at least 3 years there, so you don't want to make the decision on a misconception.
- the essentials
Money (food, possibly parking, gifts etc), phone, keys, parent(s) and/or guardian(s), directions (both to and within the uni) and/or google maps, etc.

Helpful Links (all open in a new window)
Open Days pages
Russell Group
Birmingham (Friday 23 and Saturday 24 June)
Bristol (Friday 16 and Saturday 17 June)
Cambridge (Thursday 6 and Friday 7 July)
Cardiff (Friday 7 July)
Durham (Monday 26 June and Saturday 1 July)
Edinburgh (Friday 9 June)
Exeter (Friday 2 and Saturday 3 June)
Glasgow (Thursday 15 June and Wednesday 30 August)
Imperial College London (Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 June) (Taster Courses (Tuesday 11 and Tuesday 25 July))
King's College London (Guy's Campus Saturday 10 June and Saturday 8 July, Strand Campus Saturday 24 June)
Leeds (Saturday 17, Thursday 22, and Friday 23 June)
Liverpool (Friday 23 and Saturday 24 June)
LSE (Thursday 6 July) (Taster Courses (Tuesday 13 June))
Manchester (Friday 23 and Saturday 24 June)
Newcastle (Friday 30 June and Saturday 1 July)
Nottingham (Friday 30 June and Saturday 1 July)
Oxford (Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 June)
Queen Mary University of London (Friday 23 and Saturday 24 June)
Queen's University Belfast (none in Summer, closest is Thursday 7 September)
Sheffield (Wednesday 21 June and Saturday 8 July)
Southampton (Saturday 8 July)
University College London (Friday 30 June and Saturday 1 July)
Warwick (Friday 23 and Saturday 24 June)
York (Friday 30 June and Sunday 2 July *RECENTLY CHANGED FROM SAT 1ST TO SUN 2ND*)
Non-Russell Group
St Andrews (none in Summer, closest is Wednesday 27 September)
Loughborough (Friday 30 June and Saturday 1 July)
Bath (Thursday 15, and Friday 16 June)
Reading (Friday 16 and Saturday 17 June)
Surrey (Friday 30 June and Saturday 1 July)
Leicester (Friday 7 July)
Nottingham Trent (Tuesday 11 July)
Lancaster (Friday 14 and Saturday 15 July)
Royal Holloway (Wednesday 14 and Saturday 17 June)
SOAS (Wednesday 14 June)
Sussex (Saturday 24 June)
Kent (Medway Campus Saturday 17 June, Canterbury Campus Saturday 1 July

Other Helpful Links
Russell Group
UCAS

I hope this has been helpful, and please let me know if any of the links stop working! <3

Choices: A University and Course(s)

Happy Wednesday!

Here's another instalment of TPYPF Choices series.

If you're in year 11, 12, or 13, you're probably thinking about what comes after college. Granted, university is by no means the only option available, but it's the one that I know most about, so that's what I'll be focussing on today. I'm currently looking into university myself, so I don't have as much knowledge on the actual life side of uni, but with regards to making plans, I'm pretty informed.

So, when begging in to look into further education, there's two routes you can go; courses by your favourite unis, or which unis do your favourite courses. Both are viable options, and I'm currently doing both. If you're interested, I'm looking into Theology/RS/Philosophy, and Drama. (so, very different subjects). The best ways I've found to narrow down my options is to only look at the Russel Group universities for the more academic subjects, and for specialised subjects like Drama, to simple google which are the best further education places for it. With Drama, you can go to uni, or a conservatoire, or a drama school, so it's little more complex than academic subjects.

If you're gonna go the subject choice then uni choice route, googling the top unis for your subject(s) is probably one of the best methods of narrowing down. Or if you're looking into a particular field, find successful people in that field and see where they went to uni. If you're heading for the other route, be prepared for some disappointments, because what seems to be the uni of your dreams may let you down when it comes to what courses are offered.

Other things to consider when looking into universities are:

• You don't have to only study one subject - you can do a 50/50 degree, or a 25/75 degree, or study one subject but do extra-curricular things in a totally different area - you needn't limit yourself
• Your country (whether that be England or not) isn't the only country! Although places like America and Canada are a lot more expensive when it come to tuition fees (especially for international students), they boast some of the best unis in the world, and have unique connections worldwide, in particular MIT, Yale, and CalTech - but remember, England's unis are pretty incredible too!
• Some further education providers don't work through UCAS, like conservatoires/drama schools/dance schools/non-UK unis/etc
• This is advantageous, because you can apply to more than just the 5 places allocated on your UCAS form
• This can be a bigger hassle, because you have potentially more rejection (let's not be pessimistic but still), and you have to spend more time applying directly
• Social life, including lodging - do you want to live on campus? what about catering? how many people do you want to share a bathroom/kitchen with?
• Where abouts you go - do you get homesick easily? Living closer to home might help if you need to come home for every holiday and give your parents a load of washing after each term

University Finder is a useful tool which can help you find universities which offer the course(s) you want and are aimed at your UCAS points range (which you can also calculate on the site).

UCAS also offer a similar service which is v v useful.

Good luck, and as always please feel free to contact me if you need any advice/help!

Pre-University Advice

If you're in year 12, like me, you're probably thinking about your plans after college. If you're considering further education, then there are a few things you can do right now to get you prepped and ahead of the game for applying to universities. As a disclaimer, because I am only in year 12, I haven't been to university yet. I'm hoping to after college, but I am therefore not an expert in university life. All I know is learned from my college careers advisors and my own research.

For example, Summer schools are a great way of experiencing both university life as well as lectures on the subject(s) of your choice. UNIQ has finished accepting applicants for this Summer, but you can still apply for future years when you are in year 12 (or the equivalent). UNIQ offers students a unique (funny) insight into life at Oxford university, one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
Sutton Trust is another very prestigious giver of Summer school opportunities. Applications for this year are still open, and give you the chance to study for a week at many different universities, including Cambridge, Warwick, Nottingham, and Imperial.

BOTH UNIQ AND SUTTON TRUST ARE COMPLETELY FREE!

Another option Summer school-wise if you already have an idea of where you'd like to go to uni, check out the uni's website, and see if they offer any Summer schools or courses. Many are free, but don't assume that they are unless they say so. You don't want to be landed with a massive unexpected fee!

If you aren't available for a Summer school (or would just like to do something extra) then look into taking courses or other extra-curricular things that relate to what you want to study. Universities are always looking for ways to select students that show a real enthusiasm for their subject and have genuine interest in it. This can't be shown by grades (which, don't get me wrong, are still very important), but instead is seen in things that you take upon yourself to do outside of school/college. This could be amateur dramatics if you want to study drama, going to lectures, playing a sport for a long time (this also shows commitment) if you want to study anything sport-related, attending daytime courses in your specified area, or anything else that could better your understanding and interest in your subject(s). Courses can be found on university websites, as well as venues that relate to your subject of choice.

Personal statements are sometimes needed to apply for Summer schools, but they needn't be daunting! Focus on showing your passion for your subject (but make sure to actually show it, don't just say 'I have a passion for this subject') and your commitment to studying and living it. Detail your academic success, but don't just list your qualifications; they'll have a list of them already. I'm not an expert, but I'd be more than happy to look over anyone's personal statement (or mini statement, as is usually asked of a Summer school) and offer my advice if you're feeling unconfident.

Good luck, and happy applying!