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How to choose a University?
**helen**
Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
This is coming up quite a lot in chat at the moment, put your hand up if you're in the middle of it all... 
We've got an article on TS you might find helpful here
but it would be interesting to know how you're approaching it and what kind of factors are really important...
We've got an article on TS you might find helpful here
but it would be interesting to know how you're approaching it and what kind of factors are really important...
Post edited by JustV on
0
Comments
Look at he course, he department, who does the teaching and how much teaching takes place.
I personally thought that things like the course content, location, (in terms of how far away from home it is and how accessible it is by public transport) facilities, etc. were important.
Of course, grown up stuff like what Scary Monster says matters too.
I was lucky, the uni I chose had both.
Think about other things that matter to you - look on the "current student" bits of uni websites and check out their support structures, student unions, advice services, etc. If you have any difficulties once you get there, those things will be your lifeline.
Don't forget The Student Room is a good way to chat with others who might already be at your uni of choice, they might have some additional insight.
If you choose the wrong uni it is an expensive error. You owe 25% of the year's tuition the day you enrol in England. £2400 is a tidy wedge to waste.
As for finance, have a gander at www.NASMA.org.UK before you do much else.
I used that to select my first uni, and had a great three years!
I do agree that location is important. As someone who lives in the south west, somewhere like a uni in the midlands was too far for me to even consider.
*cough*
I lived 4 hours away from home by public transport and that was enough for me. I admit I did love being in a different area of the country though.
It was actually quite amusing how I ended up at my current Uni (and stayed there even for my Master's...). When we got to the Uni it looked like a dump, and my mum and I both said well now we've driven here, we'll stay for the course talks. So we did and we were sold straight away - the passion of the lecturers, the course content, friendliness etc. And I'm so glad we did stay around because it was the best place.
Also ignore the Key Information Stats that HEFCE force all UK universities to display on their websites: they're utter bollocks.
1) As a musician, doing a music degree, I wanted access to a city centre with plenty of culture and plenty of opportunities to work in the music industry. I've gotten just that, and have already worked regularly on Broadway style musicals as well as performing various gigs with bands. My uni is also literally a 10 minute walk from one of the main streets in the city for live performances.
2) I also wanted to study somewhere that has a great reputation with regards to music graduates, and mine has just that. Music students from all over the country apply to my university for their final year and Masters, especially if they are going for the composition element.
3) The lecturers had to know their stuff. All of the regular lecturers at my Uni are well renowned on the music scene, worldwide as well as national. To put it into some context: we even have Johnny Marr of The Smiths as a guest lecturer from time to time.
So with all of that in mind I was more than happy to accept my placement, despite it being in an old looking building (the building has been there since before the 1st world war).
That said, universities do take it seriously and the departments in a university are measured on it, with poor performing departments and services being grilled about it. I'm sitting pretty right now because my service in my university got a good score