Tips for choosing a university course

I would like to start by saying that this post is not pushing people down the university path, obviously I loved the uni journey, so much so that I am still here 6 years later. However, for many people university isn’t for them & that is completely okay. This post is for people who have decided university is for them, and want to know how to choose a degree! If that is you read on!

Maybe you have to choose between a few different universities, or maybe you know the general area of study you want to go into but not the exact degree. Here are some tips for working it out!

1)      Look at the courses that you will be studying- online you should be able to find a list of the courses (or subjects) you will be studying in the degree, some universities will even let you click on the courses to get more information about them (e.g. the type of assessments). This will give you an exact overview of the type of content that you need to do (sometimes you don’t realise that a degree may include chemistry, and you hate chemistry for example).

2)      Look at the opportunities available to you in a particular degree- e.g. placements, student exchange programs, networking etc. This could help you choose between universities.

3)      Try to determine the required contact hours- Calculate how many contact hours (hours required on campus) the degrees have. This may help you choose a degree that best suits your lifestyle and style of learning.

4)      Talk to people who have been there, done that- Try to find others who are in or have completed the degree- the best way to find out about the course is to ask someone with firsthand experience

5)      Use the university support staff- Most university have people who can talk to perspective students about the course so that you completely understand what is required of you in the course and any other important considerations

6)      Remember you’re not locked in for life- Even when you have selected and started a university degree, you haven’t signed a binding contract, you can always drop out or transfer! Hopefully that gives you a little peace of mind.