Choosing the right University course for you

There are hundreds of University courses to choose from in the UK. These days the choice is a lot more varied than it used to be, with courses such as Brewing and Circus studies it can be pretty confusing and overwhelming trying to choose a subject.

Sadly it seems there is still a lack of solid and sensible advice available in the UK. It's been some years since I chose my University course, and the help and support I had in doing so was being given the Ucas book (very similar to a telephone directory in size and layout) and told to 'pick a course'. Then I was asked what I wanted to be when I was older, and where I wanted to live. My answer was 'a Teacher' and 'Brighton' so there it was, the choice was made and application form filled out.

Very little thought went into the course I chose. I committed to a 4 year course, and failed miserably in my 3rd year and gave up. The fact was that I didn't enjoy the course, didn't really want to be a teacher and could have moved to Brighton any time in my life. I chose the course because I didn't know what else I could do, didn't know what skills I wanted to gain and wanted to leave home asap. Now I'm in an uninspiring job paying back a large student loan, dreaming about all the things I could have done, and considering returning to University.

The most important thing to remember is that for most of us, we only have one chance to go to University and it can be one of the biggest decisions we make in young adulthood. Some people are lucky and can afford to study as a leisure activity. This hub is aimed at those who want to graduate to better their career prospects. 

I would say if you're not sure, don't rush into it. Take some time out while you are still young to work out what you want to do. There's no law saying you have to go to Uni straight from sixth form. You can earn money while you have a think, and working full or part time for a year will help you realise some of your goals. A lot of people take a gap year and go travelling, which is great for character building, and understanding culture. 

The best way to use a gap year would be gaining work experience. You may be lucky and be able to find paid work experience or short term internships, although these are hard to come by. By offering businesses your help for free for at least a week and maybe up to 6 weeks you could get experience in some great industries, meet some inspiring people and learn a lot about what you do or don't want to do. Try signing up to a temping agency too. It's suprising how working in a dull office can motivate you to go out and get some better skills and experience! If you're an arty or creative type of person looking to get in to film, photography, fashion there are a lot of individuals and charities running private projects that you could get involved in. A lot of time researching on the internet can go a long way. 

• Think of things that you enjoy doing. This doesn't just mean the subjects you enjoy at school, as the National Curriculum is very limited. It can be anything that you do as a hobby or in day to day life. The key to being successful in your course is enjoying it. You will have to study your subject for at least 3 years, and possibly sit in 3 hour lectures on it.
• Think of some of the skills and experience you already have, and how you could apply these in the outside world. 
• Look at online job boards. This may be along way off yet but it shows you the type of career paths available and will give you a good understanding of the skills and experience employers are looking for
• Don't forget college! If the thought of signing 3 years of your life away is too much straight away, there are a huge range of short courses available at local Colleges. These courses tend to be a lot less expensive and more vocation based and will teach you more about a subject before you commit to long term study. 
• Don't choose a University just because of where it is. If you really want to do a course, it shouldn't matter where it's based. If you're worried about the social life being affected by a town or city's reputation then it won't be. Any town that has a University will have a large population of students with plenty of pubs, social groups and things to do. You can move anywhere in the UK once you've graduated!
• Visit Open Days wherever you can - most of the Universities will hold open days. Its a great way to get a feel for a place and the learning environment it offers. 
• Make the most of the people around you to learn about their career paths and what they have found helpful or done differently.