When I moved to Worcester I was unaware that it was in the Midlands. I was also unaware that the Midlands meant ‘middle of the land’ and, therefore, there would be no seaside which I am so used to at home.
You might say I was unaware of a lot of things when I moved to Worcester: how to defrost the chicken, how to reference, how to operate a tumble drier, but what I was aware of was I really wanted to be at Worcester.
I wanted to be at Worcester, not only because it was a lovely city but because the course was perfect for me and for where I wanted to go.
There are so many things to think about when choosing your course, but here are a few pointers about how to choose the course that’s right for you.
Pick what you are most interested in.
Look at what subjects you do now, look at what exact parts of those subjects interest you and from that, you can look at what courses are tailored around that.
For example, I loved psychology at A-level, I didn’t really like the elements of criminology, but I really enjoyed learning about how psychological theories can help people’s everyday lives.
So after a lot of researching, I found that I was really interested counselling, and found I could do a degree in counselling psychology, which I did and really loved.
It’s about what interests you, it’s about what inspires you, the whole point is: it’s about you.
Think about where that degree can take you.
Look at the jobs you think you might be interested in, and look at the requirements they ask for, see if they require a degree, see if they prefer certain types of degrees.
For example, my friend wanted to go into sports journalism, but didn’t want to narrow his options too early on, so instead of doing a degree in sports journalism, he took English Language and Sports Studies.
There are so many different degrees and combinations you can do, it’s about finding out what suits your needs, what will get you where you want to go and what you will enjoy.
Talk to the lecturers.
Go to open days, go for visits, the Uni and the course may look great on paper, it may hit every one of your criteria, but until you go, you won’t know what it feels like to be there.
Open days are a great opportunity, not only for you to see what the place itself is like, but also to be able to have the chance to speak with the lecturers that actually deliver the course you’re interested in.
It’s really important to go and talk to the course leaders, ask them about their course, tell them what interests you and where you want to go and just see if all the pieces fit together.
For example, I was very set on a university and its course of Psychology with Mental Health until I went to visit it and spoke to the course leader and discovered it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be and that actually, I was more suited to counselling psychology.
It’s all about making sure the university, the course and your expectations come together to form the picture that you envisage of your future life at university.
Good luck, everyone! Any questions, tweet me @uinsiders.
Worcester Student Life 