For me, its 'crunch time' when I'm meant to be planning my gap year, deciding on my university place, doing my coursework, revising, socialising and looking for a job... but instead I'm blogging.
But I do not want to complain about being in Year 13, I have twitter/tumblr/family/friends for that! I'm here to tell you all about the beginnings of the university process because its that time of year, and I'm a university veteran. This time last year, I was madly booking open days to attend whilst looking into the course I wanted to do and checking I was on track to get those grades. For me, it was slightly easier when it came to the Uni process because my sister had already been through it. But, unlike her, I was determined to visit a wide range of universities because, quite frankly, I had no idea where I wanted to go. I ended up visiting 9 different universities.
So, to prevent you from getting completely stuck on how to start the 'How do I university' process, I thought I'd give you some pointers:
- What course do you want to do? Unfortunately, our culture seems to insist you know what you want to do with your life right now. Luckily for me, I had known since age 11 but others don't. Take a moment to think and don't be afraid to shop around for different options- Is uni right for you? If you are completely unsure, talk to teachers, friends, parents, etc. If you're utterly stuck and see no way out, take a deep breath and think. You cannot force a career choice.
- Where is your course offered? People always seem to miss this step. Your course isn't offered everywhere- I'm sorry to burst your bubble. You are going to have to use the UCAS website and search, which is possibly the worst website I've ever used. You will have to search for different variations of your course, and some places won't appear but don't worry! WhichUni and WhatUni are better, use them as well.
- Begin to shortlist! Get rid of Universities that don't float your boat, have ridiculously high grades for you, and are in the wrong country (Scotland is difficult to get into, they favour Scottish and EU students over other UK students). Do not get rid of cities you don't know/ don't like because you might be surprised.
- Book your open days. Just do it. Check the dates, ask for those days off from school/college/work and, if possible, get someone sensible to come with you (not friends that are choosing the same uni, if possible. They make decisions harder.) Once you visit, you'll get an idea of what that university is like and you can ask questions galore. Once you've done this, you'll be able to know whether you want a campus or city university, whether you want to go on tariff points or grades, whether you want to live near or far and, most importantly, who offers the best course for you.
Never forget that this is your process, nobody else's. If you really really really hate a university, don't be afraid to blacklist it, even if your parents/family/friends/teachers/guardian angel tells you otherwise. Trust your gut instinct! I visited the university my sister attends and hated it, it made me feel like I was in a bad crime drama. I also hated some very prestigious universities that my family wanted me to attend. I wasn't afraid to tell them because, in the end, I was the one who'd be there for 3 years+.
Try really really really hard, however, not to pick a favourite. You might not get your favourite and it hurts. I set my heart on a university which I could have pretty easily got into, but sadly they changed their criteria last minute and refused to allow deferred entry. I didn't know and, to my dismay, was very quickly rejected after submitting my application. It sucked, and I regretted every setting my heart on one place.
Best of luck my lovelies! Tweet/comment/tumblr message me if you have any queries.
Thanks for reading,
Kitty x
Kitty x
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