If you’re thinking of going to university, deciding which courses and universities to apply to can be very daunting. No two courses, even with the same name, will have the same content, and there are lots of different descriptions for similar courses, so doing your research is essential before you even head off to a university open day.
Attending open days can be costly travel-wise and very time-consuming, so creating a shortlist of which universities you would like to visit in order of preference (by whichever criteria you decide on) is important – don’t just attend those you find at the beginning of your search. Start by using the UCAS search tool (search.ucas.com) using subject titles – this will provide a list of all single and joint subject courses that include your selected area(s) of study.

Record key information about universities and their courses
It’s a good idea to start a simple list or spreadsheet as soon as you start looking to allow you to record which universities and courses you’ve looked at, and to then cut and paste key information into a document you can save. This needs to include the institution, course title, course UCAS number, entry requirements (A levels or equivalents, GCSEs, any portfolio of work), modules that particularly interest you and any links to where you found the information so you can find them again!
Beyond this, you might want to identify whether it is a city centre or campus based university, whether you will be interviewed, how you are assessed during the course, what the course fees are, accommodation costs and location, and when they have open days. All these factors will help you determine whether it is the right place for you, and whether it is worth the effort in visiting and applying.

Identify the modules you’ll be required to study
If you want to do a joint honours degree, check if the subjects are equally weighted throughout the course or whether one subject takes up the majority of the course. Don’t assume that an institution which features high up in league tables will automatically have the best course for you, or even teach the subject(s) you want to study. If you can’t identify the compulsory and optional modules for the whole length of the course from the online or hardcopy prospectus, email the admissions tutor to find out. This is also the time to identify whether the modules you are interested in are assessed by examination or coursework, or a combination of both.
Once you have all this information you can start to make some objective choices. However, you need first to identify what it is you really want to study and what you want to get from the course and university so that you can, as far as possible, apply the same criteria to each one. Be wary of making a choice based on a desire to be taught by a famous name in academia or on a single specific module, as there is no guarantee the lecturer will be available or the module will run in future years.

Get a feel for the place
Attending an open day often reveals factors you hadn’t considered. It’s important to gather as much information as possible in order to help you make an educated decision on where you’re going to spend roughly 40 weeks a year. While the course content and structure are extremely important, sometimes you need to know if a place feels right – another great reason to visit any potential universities. Remember to pick up a prospectus from any university you are interested in, as they will contain a lot of information you may not have remembered to ask about on the open day.