Still undecided on which university to choose and wondering where to start? We’ve got the answers.
It doesn’t matter what your career path looks like – but what does matter is your university environment, and how it shapes your future. Choosing a university is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make, and it can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. That’s why we’ve broken down the five most important factors to think about so, when you eventually do come to decide, you’ll have no second thoughts!
What to look for in a university
With thousands of prestigious universities out there to choose from, you’ll need to do a lot of digging and research to find the perfect one for you. Whether you’re thinking about location, budgeting, the modules you’ll study or the support on offer, choosing a university comes with a lot of questions. So if you’re wondering “which university is best for me”, we’ve got you covered.
Find out more about how to choose a university – and what to look for in a university – in our guide below.
How to choose a university
Now you know what to look for in a university, where do you go looking for it? It can be tricky to gauge accurate information just from perusing through a university website, especially if you have a lot of questions to ask that are personal to you and your future as a student. To get you started, here are some useful sources that can help you to clarify some of the above factors.
- Open days – Whether you’ve narrowed down your choices or not, visiting as many universities as possible is one of the best ways to get a feel for the campus and resources available to you. If you’re venturing to a new place to study, it’s also worth spending a bit of time in the town or city the university is located in. At Arden University, we have regular open days throughout the year, and a dedicated team of over 80 support staff and tutors who are always happy to guide you.
- Speak to current students – Although it’s not always practical to find and speak to current students, it can definitely be arranged. Most universities have student representatives at university open days who you can talk to and ask questions. You can also do a deep dive on social media by finding groups on Facebook or Twitter.
- Admissions advisors – If you have more specific questions, don’t ever hesitate to get in touch with admissions officers at universities. They will have heard every query under the sun, so make the most of them!
- Statistics and rankings – University rankings and alumni reviews are both good sources for an overview of how a university is performing, but you should also look at rankings to determine how successful other students studying the same course as you have been. At Arden University, 95% of students are employed or in further study within 6 months of graduating. Not only that, but one of our most popular courses - the Bradford MBA – is one of the Top 10 MBA qualifications in the world!
Which university is best for me?
Now you’ve got a better idea of which universiy to choose, it’s time to take a more detailed look into the course you’ll be studying. Are the modules up to date and relevant to your dream career? Is there flexibility in the way you can learn? Have fellow students found the course valuable? Head to our course finder page to start your exciting and prosperous journey as a student.
