Careers Advice

University

• How to choose your degree subject

  For those that have a particular career goal in mind - such as dentist, teacher or broadcast journalist, for example - making this decision might be quite straightforward.

  However, if you're torn between a number of possibilities, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What subjects do I enjoy studying?
  • What am I good at?
  • Are the subjects I'm interested in ones that I have studied before?
  • What do I see myself doing after university?
  • How would the subject choice affect this?

  It's necessary to question your reasons as you go along to try to get it right first time.

  While some students do consider leaving their course, you can save yourself a lot of trouble further down the line by exploring your subject choice thoroughly.

• Types of undergraduate courses

  The subject(s) you pick will determine the qualification you'll study, but the Bachelors degree is the most popular type at undergraduate level.

  This may be in the form of a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) and you can expect it to last between three and four years - although shorter courses do exist, for instance, a foundation degree (FD) or Higher National Diploma (HND).

  You sometimes have the opportunity to: spend a year in industry as part of a sandwich degree; study more than one subject by taking a joint honours degree; or engage in learning away from the university campus by choosing an online/distance learning degree - for example, with The Open University.

  
  

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• Comparing courses

  To choose the best course for you, consider:

  • Reputation/ranking of the university for this course and subject
  • Accreditation that you'll gain from completing this degree
  • Course structure, modules and timetable - assessing whether they're in keeping with your study preferences
  • Methods of teaching - for example, the percentage of time spent in lectures
  • A-level grades that you've been predicted against the course entry requirements
  • Employability prospects presented by the programme.

  
  

• Finding the right university

  Narrow down your list of universities by:

  • Thinking about location, including the financial and practical benefits of staying closer to home versus the study opportunities further afield - for example, you may be intrigued by the prospect of studying abroad
  • Considering local road, rail and air transport links in terms of the ease of getting back home;
  • Factoring in the distance and daily travel costs in getting from your student accommodation to the university, and whether you'd prefer a campus-based or city location
  • Weighing up other costs, including accommodation, tuition fees and general living expenses - for instance, it will be more expensive to live and study in London than Manchester
  • Reading prospectuses and discovering the culture of the place, as you work out whether this would be the right study and living environment for you
  • Attending university fairs and open days - giving you the opportunity to talk to staff and students, so you have a better idea of what it's like studying there
  • Researching the reputation and level of student satisfaction
  • Looking at rankings/league tables to see where the universities stand in comparison to others for certain subjects.

  
  

  Information sourced from prospects.ac.uk