time to start thinking about 2021

Uni applications have now officially opened for 2021 entry. The virtual floodgates were raised on May 19th, but don’t worry, it always starts with a trickle.

​The deadline is still a while away and you can’t actually submit your application until the 8th September at the earliest. But the dogs are now off the leash, the horses are out of the gates and the, erm, hamsters are out of the hutch.

Hopefully, your thoughts about what you might want to study have, like chewing gum on the pavement, been getting firmer.​

You should be asking how the universities will be recovering from the Covid pandemic and if they will still be affected come the 2021 start of year. It might mean a more blended approach to your course, with online and live offerings being offered simultaneously.

The next question is where to study? Sometimes this isn’t just about where it is in the country, but about what the place is really like – the atmosphere.

No two unis are the same. The surroundings and building affect how it feels, but so too do the people, the students. Some unis are posh, some are full of students from the area, some are ethnic melting pots, some are arty, sciency or businessy. Some are none of those things.

How can you get to know unis a little better?

Right now it might not be possible to actually get yourself there but universities are offering virtual open days that you're able to sign up for. So if there's still restrictions when you're wanting to visit universities check on their website to see of any upcoming events you can get involved with online.

Of course as we're moving back towards more normality you might actually be able to get yourself to a campus or physical open day to have a look around sooner rather than later. Make sure you get the most out of an open day or visit. Don’t let them only show you what they want. See the bits that will matter most to you. Make sure you're asking the specific questions. These might not matter to anyone else but if they matter to you, ASK!

Don’t just visit one uni and think you’re done. Try to get a feel of at least three so you can start to get a feel for how they’re all different.

Do you have any friends who went there? Get in touch with people and ask them what they think about the place. Get in touch with the course tutors and the lecturers who will be teaching you. These are people that are passionate about what they do and will be more than happy to answer your questions about what it is they teach.

Have a look at our video of our CEO Johnny discussing what he wishes he'd known about Uni before he went.

If you want more advice and tips on living in the Covid age have a look at our daily minute motivations here that are uploaded to our Instagram account and subscribe to our youtube channel advice videos, and our monthly newsletter.

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