The step of going to university is usually equated to choosing a university which may seem simple. If uninformed, students think that deciding on a school is simple and that giving it extra effort and time is not necessary. However, the fact is that your choice of school is crucial in your life in its professional and social aspects; your life, overall.
A student’s decision on which university to study in should be done with early and serious research. You need to visit universities and ask their staff and students on top of learning about them from their websites and prospectuses. Learn about their surroundings and educational culture so that you can have a picture of the overall student experience they can offer and determine which one suits you. You should also attend fairs for higher education. Universities will be more than happy to entertain your queries because it is proof that students want to choose the university which fits them best including students who apply to them. In selecting the best university for you, you have to consider its set up, distance from home and the duration of the course you want to study.
University’s Set Up
A university has an environment which is either a typical campus, a university in a city or a collegiate university. A typical campus university is a self-contained town which feature accommodation, academic and leisure facilities. This atmosphere is student-oriented like Birmingham, Leeds and Warwick. If you want a different alternative, there is the university in a city. Examples of cities with universities are Bristol, Edinburgh and London. A third option is the collegiate university set up in which the focus is more on the college you are in and not on the university. The strength of this set up is the more intimate community which may also become its weakness if it becomes too close-knit. Examples for this are Cambridge, Oxford, Durham’s colleges and less rigid ones like Ken, Lancaster and York.
Distance from Home
When you decide on which university to go to, you should also have foresight. What if in the near future, you will want to go home more frequently? You may want to consider applying to a university near your residence.
Duration of Course
Students who want to complete three years of full time study can explore choices among universities in the United Kingdom which is the standard in the location. But for those who want to study in the UK but want other duration options, there are also such in the location. If you want to study in Scotland, the standard duration is four years. For students who are looking accelerated degree programmes which can be completed in two years instead of three, they can go to private universities where such courses are taken up with shortened summer holidays. There are also universities offering part-time, evening and flexible study arrangements.
Bottom Line
The decision on where to study is very important. The institution, place and environment are factors which will contribute to your future success because they will really affect your studies. You need to get ideas on what are the different atmospheres different universities can offer to you and choose the one that suits you best.
