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Making Informed Choices for UCAS: Factors to Consider

Explore academic, lifestyle, and financial factors when choosing a university course. Consider entry requirements, course content, location, fees, accommodations, and more. Useful websites and valuable insights from students provided.

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Making Informed Choices for UCAS: Factors to Consider

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

  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 • www.sfengland.slc.co.uk(finance – English students) • www.studentfinancewales.co.uk(Welsh students) • www.opendays.com • www.push.co.uk(independent guide) • www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk • university.which.co.uk • www.whatuni.com

  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 01432 365312 oharaa@hct.ac.uk

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