As I mentioned previously the focus for my next few posts will be a "Guide to University" where i hope to basically cover all aspects of Uni and reflect on my experience! With that said it is important to note that these are my experiences and my views on university so do not take them as absolute fact because a) your university experience is what you make it and b) every course/uni/town is different and that greatly impacts upon uni life.
So, Today's post is going to cover the big decision of going to university which I think a lot of college/A-level students for this academic year will have already done by now (correct me if i am wrong); but if you are having a gap year or even still studying your a-levels then I hope this post will be of use.
Is university a worthwhile experience?
YES! However, I think it is really important to think the choice through thoroughly before making any final decisions. If you are going to university make sure above anything that it's what you want to do. I know lots of people who went to university as a result of pressure from sixth form/friends/family and it is increasingly the "done thing" but do not let that push you into going. I myself remember sitting through hundreds of assemblies where the head of sixth form would emphasize the glory of university and make it seem like the only option if you want to go somewhere in life but that is not true and there are lots of alternatives such as apprenticeships, training on the job and college courses! With that said i truly believe that university is such a valuable and life changing experience that will push you, excell you and challenge you; especially if you choose to move away from home where you have to quickly develop responsibility and independence.
Picking the right course:
If you are certain that university is the path for you then picking the right course is a crucial. A lot of people make the mistake of assuming that all universities offer the same course, but in fact universities can offer completely different takes on what appears to be the same degree on paper. If you check the prospectus or course information they usually offer you a list of modules/course content and this is a good indicator of whether the course is going to be of interest to you. I had a friend who studied psychology at A-Level and loved it but went to a university where the modules did not cover her areas of interest and she ended up leaving. I strongly advise doing a bit of research to make sure the modules sound interesting because you will loose motivation to do work/attend lectures if you are not engaged in the content or interested in the module. Once you know which universities offer course content that you like the sound of its a good idea to visit them. When I decided that I wanted to go to university it was a bit last minute and lots of the open days had already taken place; luckily my degree required an interview so I was able to visit the university, tour the campus and check out the facilities during the interview days. I quickly realized that I preferred campus universities where everything was in one place and that narrowed down my options as two of my choices were city universities with the buildings scattered around. I would definitely recommend booking yourself onto a few university open days so that you can get a feel for campus life and the location. If you do this early in the year (before christmas) then that gives you plenty of time before you have to make your choices and send your application. Remember most courses are three years and you may find that the location and style of university affect how happy you are during the degree; if you enjoy nights out, shopping and city life then you want to pick a university that can offer you good links to the town or is based in the town, some universities are quite rural and the only nights out available are in the SU.
Move to university or stay local/commute?
This is highly dependent on your choice of university. I would hugely recommend moving to a different town for university, I think this really adds to the adventure and makes university a new chapter in your life, where everything is new and fresh. For me, my home town and university town are in a reasonable distance (40 minutes) so I had a realistic option of commuting by car or train for lectures. I personally chose to live at university for the entirety of my degree but some of my friends that i lived with in second year decided to commute for the final year as the cost of living was a strain and the lecture hours were reduced. Even if you live locally i highly recommend living in student accommodation particularly in the first year! Living at university really does ice the cake and provide the full package; as well as the academic side of things a huge part of university is the social life and that covers partying, clubs, societies, sports and just generally socialising. Living at university gives you better access to a social life where you can enjoy the freedom and independence of living with friends and everyone is in the same boat. A lot of people publicly slate student living and I am not going to lie at times it can be quite poor but that is part of fun and you spend about 90% of the time enjoying your friendships, having a laugh and just being a care-free student and only about 10% of the time worried about a bit of mould in the bathroom so do not let that put you off! The key thing to remember is everyone there is in the same boat, away from home and looking to have a fantastic three years!
I hope this post was of help to anyone thinking about university in the future or still unsure about their choice to apply. I hugely recommend university and I genuinely think it is the best few years of your life.
My next post will be on the moving to university process, what to expect and what to take with you? So look out for that!
NICOLEPOWNALLX
