Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Effort is the bridge between dreams and achievements. Keep pushing forward, and you’ll reach greatness

-Unknown.

Introduction:

Looking back at my journey through sixth form one thing that I regret is not taking the time to really consider if my chosen university was actually the right one for me. In my head I had engraved this idea that if the University is right for my course then it was right for me, however this is not always the case. Although, it is important to go to a university that will provide you with ample amounts of opportunities centred around your course, it is equally important to go to one in which the culture, social life and overall environment is one that you like. In this post I will share a few things that you should carefully consider before choosing your University.

1) Do you like the University Campus

This may seem obvious to some but when I was choosing my university I didn’t take this into enough consideration. Most of your time will be spent on campus whether it is for studying or social events. Therefore, it is crucial that you enjoy what the University Campus has to offer. I recommend visiting all of your universities to get a feel of what campus life is like. Ensure that you like the campus, check out the library, your future lecture halls/buildings, cafes and shops.

2) Do you like the City the University is in?

Aside from the university itself it is important that you enjoy university life off campus, especially if you are moving away from home. I recommend taking a day out dedicated to exploring life off campus. Explore the area and see if you see yourself happily living there.

3) Does your university have clubs and societies that interest you?

Before choosing my university I never considered that I would be doing anything other than studying on campus, however after seeing the wide range of societies it had to offer I began spending more time socialising and trying new things. I was fortunate because, although I didn’t look into the societies mine had to offer beforehand, they had a whole range of things that I was interested in. One thing that I would recommend is going on the university websites to check out all the societies and events they have.

4) Does the university offer travel abroad opportunities for your course?

One thing that I wish I researched beforehand was if my course offered travel abroad experiences and if so to what countries. If travelling abroad whilst studying interests you it may be worth doing a quick search to see the requirements needed and the duration. Most universities have travel abroad opportunities, however these can range from only a semester to the whole year.

5) Does the university offer minor courses and optional modules for your course?

If you have many different interests that you would like to explore further whilst on your course then doing a minor or taking optional modules may be a great option for you. The reason this has made it onto my list is that not all courses offer optional modules or the ability to do a minor so it is definitely something worth researching about. However, if your university does not offer these do not worry as you can do other courses outside of the university such as language courses.

Final note:

Although the things mentioned above are something that should be taken into consideration I also believe that your university experience is what you make of it and you will probably enjoy it no matter what. I also hope that this post has helped you build an idea of the things that you want in your future University.