Are decisions about Higher Education 'all about the course'?

[KatyMac]

Is it all about the course when you decide or does the establishment or the accommodation or the travelling make a difference

DD is currently deciding & for me it's a complex balancing act between all of these things and DD's preferences

But one college is particularly prestigious & friends are saying to her "choose that one" despite cost of accommodation, distance to get there, how each course differs slightly

Does it matter?

I PM'd

Sorry Millymolly that was meant to say I PM'd you with the colleges

She had Italia Conti last year but no funding

Its not hard to make a decision its hard to live with the results.

I used to work for a company who hired out testing rigs, complete with an engineer, to oil wells. These were roughly $1 million dollars per day and could be in really remote places. The company credo was "Make a decision" and basically no one ever got fired for a wrong decision - the first time. Make the same error more than once then you had troubles, but at that cost employers didn't want to see someone going "Umm".

The point of that is there is a tie limit here, gather the info you can and make the decision. Very few things cant be fixed later. (Actually there was one decision involving a baby seal, bad decisions and a mental breakdown when a polar bear ate it but then generally neither are big on dance).

If you can afford it go and look. Good luck

The funding situation would be immensely important to me - assuming all the colleges are in the reasonably well known ones (and I have a reasonably good idea about which you're referring to I think) I don't think anywhere is so much better as to justify taking a place without funding over a funded place elsewhere. If she gets multiple funding offers then things are obviously more complex. If you PM me the colleges in question I'd be happy to give you my opinion on them.

We probably have until the end of May to make the decision

It is the funding that makes it complicated

I would hate to be in that job CDTaylor.......actually I'm not normally indecisive; I think the problem is she is making the decision not me

Thanks Purple I did PM you

Cauchy - really good undergraduates in my professional field often attend conferences (if they are lucky enough to be invited).

I know people at PC and TL and they are getting work (plenty) while on their courses. Don't know anyone at IC. The person who went to PC made a very informed choice about destination based on extensive industry knowledge and contacts (had other places). The person at TL was more guided by 6th form college but it's working out for them too. DD1 will probably apply to TL on the conservatoire side for a BMus. It's well reputed.

Thanks for the confirmation, GentlyB - as I say, from my experience (and like Cauchy I can only speak about the universities I've worked at), some undergraduates will indeed make the most of what's there. I know someone with a daughter at the LSE for example, who's able to attend all the open lectures given week-in, week-out in their programme of public lectures.

Equally, a good library is a good draw. I have a friend who spent much of his spare time at Manchester using their art history library, something that opened doors to his current career.

But, OP, I realise this is a bit off-topic and of course the essential consideration of costs now and earning potential afterwards are both really important.

I haven't really helped at all, have I?!