How to choose a university?

[Celeriacacaca]

DS (year 12) may, or may not, go to university (he may go into an industry apprenticeship instead) but we are looking around now so that he has options when the time comes. DH and I were not educated in this country nor go to Uni here so please could you give me pointers regarding what to look for, what to ask etc when we visit? Assume I know nothing!

We're going to the summer shows for one uni in a fortnight, and are being given a tour and visit to the relevant departments, i.e. won't be there on an open day so I imagine will have more opportunity to ask questions. Thanks for your help.

[floraloctopus]

TBF to Cardiff and Bristol he did a very late application.

[stucknoue]

Think about what he wants to study, not just "school" subjects, there's so many more options. Ask school for an idea of grades eg is it likely to be A's, b's etc. Then find out where it's offered, in that grade bracket (ish, it's worth looking a bit higher as aspirational, but also lower as insurance). Finally think about the kind of setting he wants (not you) eg big city or smaller town, north or south etc.

As parents we guide but we need to let them choose, too many young people drop out of courses chosen by their parents or suggested by school.

My dd2 starts in September, a course I never would have imagined 2 years ago!

[stucknoue]

Ps for arts courses a foundation year is often required but they can change institution between that and degree

[ifonly4]

There are only four unis offering DD's course. One I guess is around 600 miles away and not easily accessible (Highlands), two are 350/400 miles away, one 60 miles away, so that limited her choice. The last three have fantastic reputations, but courses better for DD at the two middling ones which will provide totally different uni experience, city verses St Andrews. Some DCs particularly want a cut experience, others campus. Your DS will have to way up what's important, but it will help looking at some.

[Miljah]

celery My DS2 looked at Bournemouth Arts for his subject, Graphic Design. We were initially impressed but we subsequently saw Kingston (and will visit the arts uni in Leeds, and Loughborough).

Some poking around on The Student Room revealed that AUB is considered BU's poor cousin, reinforced by DS1, Computing, at BU.

I think it's true to say that 'names' come into it rather less in modern subjects. No one will care where DS1's First (😉) comes from as long as it isn't one of those 2xE entry 'unis', that will go bankrupt in the next few years. Like someone said, a health based course anywhere, including Lagos, will have employers queuing!

In fact, we visited Edinburgh with DS2, but, really felt he'd have the mick taken rather more doing 'Graphic Design' along with the Atomic Physics and Theoretical Maths students also prevalent at Edinburgh, iykwim.

[MarchingFrogs]

Marching, also meant to say that's interesting to hear your dds thoughts after visiting the unis.



On that occasion, University 2 was Bristol - great on paper and she quite liked the city, just not the set-up and she preferred other places' versions of what she wanted to do, IR and French. (me, I had already all but got the house on the market and put my name down for a new allotment, DH and DS2 would just have to tag along behind, so I was a little disappointed, but hey ho), The other one was Reading. Campus attractive, didn't like what she saw of the town, course so-so.

Obviously a completely different subject from your DS's intended one and I'm not sure where DD looked where they coincide, apart from Leeds (the city, that is, different university - loved it. I think it was the one place I went to with her that I had never been to before and it was quite different from what I had imagined).

[pyramidbutterflyfish]

To put my "reputation" comment in context, Warwick and Birmingham are both well respected unis, but Gloucester... most employers wont even know it IS a university, so who cares how well the course is designed, you'd be mad to choose it over the other two.

[Itscoldouthere]

Celeriacacaca If you are comparing AUB and Falmouth then I would suggest you see if you can find out contact hours, I’ve known of some students being very unhappy about the contact hours on certain courses.
Also location wise some struggle with Falmouth being so far away, but obviously it depends where you live.
I have several of my friends children who are current students at both, and all are having positive experiences.
My DS has a current offer from AUB (not the same course) and a second offer from a small (not very prestigious) university, he really likes the course at the Uni, but it’s rather close to home and won’t offer the same university experience.
I’m trying to leave him to make his own choice (he’s 21) because I’m biased I went to AUB (a long time ago) and my DH also went to a Scottish Art school and I feel being in a dedicated art school is very different than being on a art based course at University, however the actual course is really important, so I do think you need to compair course units and contact hours if possible.
In the creative work world Art Schools have a different standing than looking at them on the standard university league tables, if that makes sense, most design companies know where the good students come from.

[Celeriacacaca]

Thanks again all. Some very interesting and really helpful information and advice here.

[Itscoldouthere]

www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?s=Art%20%26%20Design

League table based on art and design

[BubblesBuddy]

Students are meant to do work on their own. Contact hours will be minimal because it’s not school. They are not told what to do, how to do it and then do homework without any further effort. It’s a far more subtle teaching style. It also completely depends on the course requirements as to how much hand holding there is. Some students think the courses are not value for money if they don’t have a lecturer presenting/demonstrating/teaching 5 days a week.

What I think is value for money is whether anyone gets a decent job upon graduating!

[Itscoldouthere]

Both the courses the OP is looking at have information on their website which shows how many contact hours students get, Arts courses are different to most degree courses as students usually spend most of their time in their studios, rather than in lectures, or the library etc, the technicians are often important and very helpful.
Both courses look very good OP.

[Celeriacacaca]

This is really helping, thanks again for taking the time to give tips etc.

[maryso]

The consensus here on the right course for your DS being most important consideration is sound.

As for 'reputation' the consensus on the top five universities targeted by the largest number of top graduate employers (and this may not be relevant if your DS has already chosen a more niche career, rather than the broad spectrum) last year, which was a pretty typical year, were Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Warwick, and UCL, in that order. So what real employers and graduates say is a little different from the 'reputations' touted by some of the chattering classes.

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

As it's a VFX course, you can largely ignore the MN perception of reputation, which applies to an English Literature degree but not a subject like VFX.

Have a look at Escape Studios - cracking reputation within the industry and while it's taught entirely in Central London the validation agreement means the degree certificate is actually issued by the Uni of Kent (which is the sort of uni MN 'approves' of)
www.pearsoncollegelondon.ac.uk/escape-studios.html

[corythatwas]

I think Avocados makes a good point: artistic/creative subjects have to be thought about in a different way to more traditionally academic subjects. At the end of the day what is going to matter is the portfolio you leave with and the contacts you have been able to make within the industry: it's not going to be a case of rocking up and saying "my university was best in the general league tables". Perhaps not even "in the specific art and design league table", though that, of course, can be helpful.

Apart from what has already been said, find out how alumni are doing. Are they getting work? Are they in the kind of job your ds might see himself in?