Attending a convention will help you make the right decision

Choosing a university

If you've decided to go to university, the next step is to decide where you want to go. There are lots of universities and colleges to choose from, so think about where you'll be happy.

Different places suit different people, so it depends what you're looking for. Would you like to be close to home or live in a different part of the country? Think about what you want - each place and its nearby town will offer something different. Only some places will offer the courses you're interested in, so think about the course as well as the location.

In last month's article, we suggested writing down the reasons why you want to go to university. Use this list when researching universities and colleges and check that it offers what you want - this will give you confidence that you are making the right choice when you apply.

Preparing for a convention

You'll probably have an opportunity over the next few weeks and months to attend a UCAS convention, or other higher education fair, where universities and colleges come together in one place for you to find out about opportunities and lifestyles by talking to staff and student ambassadors.

Ask your school or college tutors if they will arrange for you to attend an event. If not, check our convention calendar at www.ucasevents.com/conventions and arrange to visit one yourself.

Before the convention or fair, try to carry out some of these preparatory exercises:

• Write down what you want from your university
• Make a list of the university stands that you'd like to visit
• Prepare a list of questions to ask representatives - examples are on the UCAS site at www.ucas.com/events/howtoprepare/questions
• Identify a useful seminar (if there is one)
• Have a go at using www.ukcoursefinder.com
• Follow these up by exploring the Course Search.

After a convention

If you leave the convention or fair with only one thing:

• Make it a diary date for an open day - preferably two or three!
• Ask your tutor if your school or college is able to organise a trip to the open days.

 

Open days are a brilliant way of getting a feel for a place - only you know if you'll be comfortable there, so take a trip to each campus and see what it's like for yourself. We'll be providing more information about open days in our following articles, but for now, take a look at the open days section of ucas.com.