The key thing you must remember, and as the cliché goes, make sure you choose the course that you are most passionate about. The biggest mistake students can make is taking a course that friends or family have pressured them in to. The reality of student life is that you can never really know what a university course entails until you are actually undertaking your subjects. So Pogojo has listed the essentials to help you choose the right university choice. 

What interests you?

List the fields of study that interest you, and come up with a list of courses you would consider studying based on those interests. Think about the subjects you enjoyed at school and if you know of people that have an awesome job that you think you would like to do, then use these examples to come up with your list of courses to study.

Research

The Internet, newspapers, television and people around you are the best sources of information. Make sure you jump online and ask around about what course(s) you are interested in. Importantly, your study should be aligned to your career goal and it is a great idea to speak to people who are in the profession you think you want to work in, to ensure it is what you really want to do.

Even if you are thinking of a doing number of different courses, you will never really know what is involved until you speak to people that have done the course you are considering or are in the jobs that you are aiming to get.  

People who have completed university courses can give you insight from a student’s perspective - they can tell you the good, the bad and the ugly. You have to make exceptions sometimes, as not all courses are glamorous and interesting. Reality tells you that university is inevitably about studying and graduating, it’s up to you to incorporate the fun and positives while you’re there.

Course content:

To avoid making mistakes, make sure you review the course outline of the course(s) you want to apply for. Have a look at the subjects you must undertake and the types of learning, assignments and examination tasks involved. This will give you a dose of real study life and what lies ahead.  Then ask yourself, is this really for me?

University quality

If you are set on going to a particular university, don’t let this wholly dictate your course selection. Compare course outlines and studying facilities between universities to make sure you get the right fit for your educational needs and preferences. Pogojo agrees that campus life and positive university reputation is essential, but you need to make sure that you are fulfilled with what you are about to study inside the lecture theatres and tutorials, before you go out and party on campus, participate in sports and bathe in all of the other university perks. If possible, visit the university and sit in on some of the lectures to get a feeling of what some of the subjects will be like.

Course duration

To be certain that you will commit to your studies, find out how many years your course requires completing. Studying full-time is a different spread of workload compared to part-time students, and the same goes for those studying for double-degrees, honours and so on. If timing an issue for you, then be sure to factor in course duration. Pogojo also thinks that it’s worthwhile looking at study course duration for similar courses at other universities if you don’t have luck with your first preference. Study flexibility varies amongst universities.

Entry requirements

It is more difficult to be accepted in to competitive courses, especially those where there is high demand for places in. This is a good measure of whether you are actually capable of doing well in the course or not. Unfortunately, some courses are too hard to get in to, or just too hard to actually succeed in completing, so be honest with your course selection. Again, you should research other universities or similar courses if you are not confident in being accepted into your first preference course. Alternatively, if you are determined to go to a particular university but can’t get in first go, then study a similar course at another university and apply at a later date.

Cost of study

Affordability is another important point you need to factor into your studies, as well as the additional costs that pop up as you go along, such as text books, field trips and so on. But don’t let cost get in the way of course selection. There are a number of financial assistance options available to help you get the finance you need to complete your course. Look at your income stream and plan how much finance you need to complete your course. Base your repayment options on what you can afford, so that you do not spend too much time worrying about money whilst trying to complete your course - study is stressful enough as it is! It would also be remiss of us not to mention how you could make money by uploading your course work onto the Pogojo website!

Career opportunities

 
Look at the potential for work opportunities once you graduate. Research the industry that you would like to work in both here and abroad and the types of roles on offer based on your qualifications. It is also useful to know whether a future employer will continue to invest in your education - at Pogojo, we believe in lifelong learning as a creed!