Congratulations. You have reached a point in your educational career in which you have to make your firm and insurance university choices. I assume you have been accepted into the five you could apply for. It’s okay if not, that will just make this decision easier.

There are a multitude of factors to consider when choosing a university. Location, grades, reputation, look, etc. However, I think when it comes to your firm choice, you need to follow your heart. It’s cringey, it’s cheesy, but it’s the truth. Your firm choice should be the easiest choice because it should be the one you want to go to. So, why not go for the one that you’re dreaming of?

Now obviously, it won’t be that easy for all of you. I hope it is and the majority now have a firm choice in mind. If not, for those who still need help deciding on their firm choice and those now needing to choose their insurance choice, lets get into the practicalities.

There are many factors we could think about. Simple things like the feeling you get from the university. Which universities out of your choices do you feel drawn too, do you feel connected too? That when you look at it, you feel excitement.

Location is a big thing to consider.  Would you prefer a city or campus university? If it’s a campus university, everything you need will be on the campus, which is brilliant, but would you feel stuck with nothing to do? It would be good to investigate how close the campus is to other places. At a university in or near a city centre, there might be many more jobs and much more to do but that can be overwhelming and for some, quite scary. University buildings are usually spread around the city as well, so it can get confusing.

You will also need to think about your university’s distance from home. Do you want to be close or far away from home? Even with your preference to the previous question, it is still important to consider how you’ll return home. Is there an easy public transport route, and how much would it cost?

Money is another extremely important factor to consider. How much is rent? How much student finance are you going to receive? What would be your best option for money? Another option I don’t think enough students consider is staying at home and commuting as you save a lot of money. Even if you don’t want to stay at home, have you considered the possibility of not enjoying living away from home? Would you be able to commute to your chosen university?

There are so many more factors to consider, what is your university famous for? What are they good at? What is their reputation? What amenities do they have available? What support do they offer? What societies and clubs do they have? There is so much research you can do to aid your decision.

In the end, the decision is yours. You have plenty of time to make this decision. Don’t rush. Keep researching, keep asking questions, keep getting advice and eventually you’ll whittle your options down and know exactly what you want. Good luck!