Making my final decision about which university to choose was no easy task. Only because I had selected 5 different universities and 5 different locations for my UCAS choices!

So essentially for me there was a lot of debating and listing pros and cons still trying to decide which university was best suited for me. It got to the point where I seriously couldn’t decide so I turned to the family members who I knew had left home and gone to university. One of them had already come to Manchester to study and was very enthusiastic when it came to telling me how I should choose to Manchester to study. Another family member who went to Coventry University (which was one of my other choices) was being just as enthusiastic when it came to describing Coventry. I did ask my dad before all this and he told me, “Go with which ever one you think is best for you.” In my head I was just thinking, but they all offer me the same thing (a degree) and they all have great campuses and great prospectuses and they’re all great locations. The stress was overwhelming, and plus I was at college as well and revising for exams and doing all the coursework I had been assigned!

The person who made the final decision for me was no one else other than my dear grandma. This was back in January 2017 the last time I officially saw her before she sadly passed away. I had gone over to visit her at home, like I did every weekend to spend the day with her and while we watched The Big Bang Theory (a show she hated but she watched it cos she loved to see me laugh), I turned to her and told her about my quandry and which universities I had received offers from. Before I even finished listing them she just told me “Manchester.” Now I bet you’re wondering just like I was, why Manchester?

She told me, “Because when I came to England back in the 60’s, my sister lived in Manchester and I experienced so many great things and met so many people who helped me out and you have family down there who can help you with whatever you need, but the main reason is that you need to go somewhere new and live for yourself.”

With no argument, I decided to choose Manchester Metropolitan University just from what she said. Then a few days later I get an e-mail I was so excited because I got an unconditional offer and I was about to go tell her, then I found out the news about her passing. I had accepted the offer because she told me to and because I made a promise that I would make her proud of me. So for me personally this is everything I went through when it came to making my final decision when it came to choosing a university.