1. MAKING YOUR CHOICES FOR UCAS

2. THINGS TO CONSIDER Academic Factors Lifestyle Factors
Financial Factors

3. Academic Factors Course Type of degree Facilities Faculty
Employment prospects
Support for special needs
College/university reputation

4. The Course Entry requirements Content and focus/style
Theory vs practice
Assessment methods
Contact hours/independent study
“Sandwich” course
Study abroad
Entry tests/interviews/portfolios
Number of applicants/popularity

5. Type of Degree Foundation degree Single honours degree
Joint honours degree
Combined degree
Interdisciplinary degree

6. Lifestyle Factors Location Campus layout Demographics Accommodation
Social/night life

7. Male/female Foreign students? Multi-cultural? Age Range
Campus Layout
Demographics
Easy to get around?
Proximity to classes
Accessibility
Safety
Facilities (sports, union, etc.)
Male/female
Foreign students?
Multi-cultural?
Age Range

8. Accommodation Type Board options – dining plan, self-catering
Location – on/off campus, transport needs
How modern?

9. Financial Factors Financial aid available Course-related fees
Personal expenses
Food
Living expenses (rent, utilities, ins., TV licence, etc.)
Socialising and entertainment
Travel (to and from home)
Local transport
Accommodation furnishings

10. Choose a course that
interests you
at a place you want to be!

11. Useful Websites www.ucas.com www.thestudentroom.co.uk
(finance – English students)
(Welsh students)
(independent guide)
university.which.co.uk

12. Things I Wish I’d Known . . .
The real cost of living, as opposed to the university’s estimates (paraphrased)
“How much money you spend”
“How much I needed to spend on books”
“How to manage my finances”
“How expensive the city is, especially if you live outside halls”
“How to budget properly”

13. More things I wish I’d known…
“The exact nature of my course”
“That I should have researched my course more effectively”
“That I should have looked at a wider range of courses to make an informed decision”
“That I should have visited all the places I applied to”

14. AND FINALLY… “how far my hall is from my lecture theatre”
“that the uni I chose wasn’t all on one campus”
“that you miss out a lot on social interaction in self-catering halls…”
“more about how to get around and public transport”

15. Need help? Have questions?
Annette O’Hara
Careers Advisor