Choosing a Uni - The Importance of Research

I don't want to disillusion you from going to University but my experience wasn't great, mainly because of the University I decided to study at. I was awarded good grades at college but careers advisors didn't educate or encourage me to research a University before making my choice.

Never make decisions based on discussions with one person. When deciding on your University go and talk to the third year students without the lecturers present, and ask if you can attend a lecture. Use all the aids available to you, including Youtube, Facebook and University league tables. Don’t forget the National Students Survey!

I vaguely remember taking part in a questionnaire which would recommend occupations that would be ideal for me, but I only participated in this once. According to my peers the Guardian or the Times newspapers are highly respected when researching universities.

NEXT: Read University reviews written by current students

I can't believe that some students enrol on courses without looking at the syllabus or modules in detail – this is one of the initial steps you need to take. Some courses have endless exams/presentations and you should consider whether exams are one of your strengths. In subjects such as maths I scored high marks, but in other exams I got low grades.

You should utilise all your strengths wherever possible. Prepare a list of questions before visiting a university. Ask if there any major changes to the degree, or if there are any planned. The degree I studied was marked on the final year only, giving me very little incentive to exert myself. Universities are increasingly abolishing this calculation structure though, because they're losing students to their rivals.

I think I've said this but never accept what someone says, even if they are meant to be experts and work at colleges or universities. Everyone is manipulating situations to their advantage, because if they don’t the universities near the bottom of the league tables would go bankrupt. Be independent and question everything. Why are some universities in the city centres every week attempting to attract potential students? The best universities NEVER advertise, because some universities even have waiting lists to do their courses.

Universities are increasingly under pressure to carefully consider the decisions they make, because any poor decisions are now being publicly advertised in the NSS or on Whatuni.com. The moral of the story I guess is don’t have any regrets and learn from others. If I had my time again I would probably go into accountancy or engineering. 

You should start thinking about which universities you are interested in up to two years prior to studying there. Spend a few minutes a day making notes on what you need to take into consideration, such as gap years, studying abroad, work placements, bursaries, your health, full- or part-time, etc. 

I hope I've given you sufficient guidance for you to be successful in your chosen career. Apply to the best university you can, preferably in the top 50 of world rankings. If they're anywhere near the bottom in the university league tables I doubt it will ever benefit you. 

Good luck with it all.

The author wishes to remain anonymous.