Thinking About University by Evie Pugh
Like many other teenagers across the UK I’m starting to look at going to university. It’s proving to be quite a stressful process. There are soooooo many good courses to choose from, but it’s not just about the course, it’s about the location, where your friends are going, the cost of living and how far away it is from your parents so they can come and rescue you!
I recently went on a trip to Worcester Arena that College had organised. It was called a UCAS fair (a bit like the higher education fair that was held when I was in High School). There were loads of Universities there, it was hard to know where to start. I went to some good one’s like Bristol, Nottingham, Salford and Bedfordshire. I want to do Journalism Broadcasting preferably at Salford University, mainly because of MediaCityUK, which is where the ITV and BBC studios are based, so hopefully I can get a good placement there one day. I’ve booked a place on the open day through their website for June 22nd.
Recently I visited the University of Bedfordshire in Luton. Now I didn’t have high hopes for this open day as I had heard Luton isn’t the nicest place in the world and everyone who I spoke to about it had never actually been to Luton, but in fact the University was great! They had a 7-story library and our tour guide was nice and informative. It was helpful to look at what the student accommodation was like as well. They told us for £140 a week, you got a room with an ensuite and things like Wi-Fi and access to the gym. There were around 5 rooms on one floor and then you got a communal kitchen. For an extra £10 a week you can have the bigger room out of the 5. Even if you don’t like the Uni you’ve visited, it’s good to compare the different accommodation and courses and the opportunities they offer you
Originally, I wanted to go to a University in London like Birkbeck. But it’s too expensive (as my parents had warned me) and even though you get an increased student loan the price of everything is ridiculous. A good way to find what University is best for you, is the website “Which University?” you can filter exactly what you want like is it by the sea or in a city, is there good nightlife. The UCAS website is also helpful.
The thing that I realised is that, especially with a Journalism course, they want you to be passionate about the subject, so if they ask you why you want to do a specific course, be armed with an answer! It’s also important to go into every Uni with an open mind, because they’re all different.