a long way to go but a lot to choose from

You'd be forgiven for thinking that with around a year to go until your first application deadline looms, you've got time to perfect your Beyonce dance routine. While this is a perfectly legitimate leisure activity and will look fierce when you whip it out at parties, choosing a uni is much easier if you take the time to do it right

Maybe you've already got a career in mind, but don't know what you need to do to get there. Perhaps you know what subject you love, but don't know what kind of job it can lead to. Perhaps you’ve got a talent but don’t know how to realistically turn it into a profitable career. This is fine, breathe, don’t worry. Tech is advancing leaps and bounds in the space of a few years and new careers and jobs are being created all of the time. So if there’s not the perfect job for you just yet, chances are there will be soon or perhaps you could even create it (for the entrepreneurs amongst you).

That’s why now, more than ever, it’s important to build a skillset that you can utilise in a variety of roles. You’ll constantly be retraining throughout your life as you move from role to role so if you don’t have a particular job in mind just yet, think about the skills you want to work on from the things you enjoy doing and are passionate about. That might give you a good idea of which direction to take your thinking when deciding about your next steps.

If you're further down the road and you're already looking at universities, then it can be easy to get lost. With over 140 different universities offering thousands of different degrees, you're spoilt for choice. One useful tool for thinning the herd is the Push Uni Guide which gives you an overview of the universities on offer throughout the UK. At a time where it isn’t simple to just go and have a look around the university campus this might be a good (virtual) alternative for you to begin browsing.

Don’t just consider the course when looking at the universities though. Research into the place and see if that’s the kind of thing you’d be wanting from your university experience. Is it big enough for what you want? Would you prefer a more laid back, quiet environment? Is it close enough for you to go hiking at the weekend? What sports do they play there? These might be questions you ask in your research. If you’re going to spend at least three years there you want to make sure it’s a place you feel happy and comfortable living in.

So whatever you do, hang up your dancing shoes for now and start looking. Just a smidge of effort now will save night terrors and sweaty palms in the lead up to submitting that application

Author

ARON TENNANT is the Talks and Editorial manager and designated GDPR Data Controller for Push. He is originally from South Yorkshire and has a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Sheffield. He also has a MA degree in Creative Play and Screenwriting from City, University of London and came runner up in Nickelodeon's international screenwriting competition in 2018 and his short film ''Donkey Tooth'  was screened at the London Raindance Film Festival in 2018. He is IMDB credited and alongside Push he does screenplay work for independent production companies and is working on his own independent film and theatre projects and writes articles for JumpcutOnline.com.