Things they wish they'd known before!

Get advice from other students to help you

We know we keep telling you about how you should research your options before you apply, and we're about to do it again. It's really important that you look into every part of the course and university so that you've got a proper picture of what's available and whether it'll suit you.

A lot of people start a course, realise it's not what they wanted, and struggle to either carry on with something they don't want to do, or leave and start again. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's best to get it right the first time if you can.

Talk to other students on yougo

We can tell you how we think you should choose a course, but if you want to get a load of advice and opinions from other people in the same position as you, get onto yougofurther, the UCAS student network and talk to other students. You can ask them what they think of the course or university and meet people who'll be starting the course with you. Ask what current students wish they'd known when they were deciding what to do.

Video case studies on ucas.tv

On our UCAS tv video site, you can find out what other students did to prepare, and how they've found uni life so far. We've lots of different case studies that you can watch, as well as how-to guides on how to choose your courses and make the most of the process.

Sam Honeysett, for example, found his move to university easier because he'd used yougo to help him make decisions. 'A lot of people met others looking at same course at the same uni and made friends prior to the final choice of where to go - and even if you didn't share the same universities, talking to others doing the same course makes make you more confident in your selection'.

Fancy studying waste management and dance?

You might be thinking about what subject or combination of subjects you want to apply for. This is the fun part because there are so many options to choose from. With so many different subjects available, in just over 38,000 different courses. It's amazing what combinations you can do. So before jumping in with a favourite subject you're studying now, see what else is available. For example, if you're studying biology, have you thought about a course in zoology, marine biology or forensic science? If you prefer English, what about journalism, creative writing or primary school teaching?

Each course is right for someone

It's a myth that you have to be really academic to go to university - there's a course to suit everyone, whatever your skills and interests. Start with the Stamford test on the UCAS website - answer a few questions and it will match your interests to courses.

So keep an open mind and take a look at the UCAS website for other advice.