MARCH NEWS: YEAR 12 & 13

9It seems like only yesterday we were welcoming you back to school and wishing you a Happy New Year, but here we are, weeks away from Easter.

But just before we let you run riot and commit yourself to a self-induced chocolate coma, have a look below to make sure you've covered everything you need to for the month. You can reward yourself with extra chocolate if you have.

Year 12:

Location, location, location

How are you fixed for September 2019? If you've already taken some time to weigh up your options and decided on uni, we hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s the easy bit over. The next question is which uni to go to. A good way to start is to figure out where you might want to be.

Here’s just three questions you might like to ponder when thinking about location:

How far do you want to go? Do you fancy the idea of being able to nip home at the weekend to get a roast dinner and a load of laundry done? Or would you prefer to put at least a couple of hundred miles between you and any chance of a surprise visit from Mum and Dad?

What kind of weather suits you? Do you crave the rays? Or are you happy in a T in mid-winter?

What’s your attitude to latitude? The climate across the UK may not be tropical anywhere, but more southerly generally means warmer. You’re guaranteed rain anywhere, but in some places more than others.

What kind of a place? Do you get jitters being more than three metres from a decent cappuccino and a shopping mall? Or does your heart belong in the hills, lowing with the cattle? Do you need the sand and sea? Or do you want to be part of community of students?

Universities can be found all over the place, in all sorts of environments. Some are dotted around the middle of major cities.

Some are on campuses, like small towns of their own, out in the countryside. Your surrounding can have a big effect on how you spend your days as a student and whether the atmosphere suits you.

Location is just one of the many factors for you to consider along the winding path towards university. For an idea of what universities offer what take a look at our Uni Chooser for a bit of extra help.

If you’d like to get further away, you may be thinking of studying overseas — it’s something lots of people consider. If so, try comparing unis globally with our friends at U-Multirank.

Or if you can’t really be bothered doing all that leg work, ask your teacher to get us in for a Choosing a Uni talk. We break down everything you could ever want to know and more.

Year 13:

Open Days
By now, you've probably heard from most – if not all – the unis you applied to. If not, don’t worry. They're supposed to let you know by 31 March, but if you just can’t wait until then, it won't hurt to give them a call.

Now, while we’re sure that you made an effort to see all 5 of your choices before applying, we also understand that sometimes life gets in the way and you might not have had time for them all (err... or any of them). Whoopsie.

Don’t worry, all is not lost, just make sure you get round to as many of them as possible before replying to your offers (deadline 2nd May).

Unis usually hold several official open days (or 'applicant days’) each year, but you don’t have to wait — most unis are happy for you to come any time. Some will ask that you let them know first and it's only polite. Besides, they may be able to make sure you're getting the most out of your trip.
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It's certainly important to let them know that you'll be coming if you plan on talking to any of your potential lecturers. (Something we'd definitely advise — it’s a great way of finding out about the course).

Open days involve a bunch of talks and presentations by lecturers and other staff. And there are campus tours, usually by current students. It's good to get an overview, but, it's also worth breaking away to have a bit of a nose around yourself.

Don't just think about what they're most proud to show you. What do you want? How does what's on offer here suit you? Has it got what it takes to become a place you'd call home?

You're going to be spending three or more years of your life in this place, and you're going to be paying quite a bit of money to do so. If you're not happy with it after an hour, imagine how you'll feel after a year.
You can use your visit to answer some the other questions about university life, some of which you'll find here.

Even if you've already been, you could do worse than go back for another look. You get a different perspective on a return visit and it can help cement your choice, especially if you’re juggling offers and trying to decide — and remember, Push is always on hand to help.