► Why choose Higher Education?
So you're thinking about going on to study in higher education (HE)! It's a big step and you need to be sure it's the right one for you.
► What are the advantages?
► you can get higher level qualifications - some careers require you to have a degree e.g. dentist, engineer, physiotherapist, vet etc.
► HE helps you to develop personally and socially; you'll meet new people and develop new skills.
► you can become more independent and self sufficient if you move away to another part of the country to study.
► you could get the opportunity to go abroad - some courses have opportunities to study/work in Europe and other countries.
► you could earn more in the long run with higher level qualifications - recent research has shown that on average graduates would earn over
£160,000 more than those who leave school with two A levels. Maths and computing graduates would earn over £240,000 more in a lifetime
However, HE is not for everyone and you will need to consider:
► will HE help you?
► what career you want to get into?
► what course you will do?
► what subject(s) will you study?
► where will you study?
► how much will it cost?
► where will you live?
► will you have a year off to get more skills and experience?
► is it your own choice or are you being influenced by parents, teachers or friends?
Remember, it's your decision, it's your future, no one else's!
If you are not sure about anything why not talk to a Connexions Personal Adviser in school, college or your local Connexions Centre.
► How to choose a University or College
Hopefully, you now have a good idea about the type of course you’re looking for and have begun to compile a shortlist. The next step is to decide where you want to study.
Where you study is as important as what you study as you’re going to be living in the place for a few years.
The choice of institutions is pretty wide with more than 320 institutions in the UCAS system alone. These are made up of universities, colleges of higher education and an increasing number of colleges of further education.
To help you decide, you need to take a number of factors into account:
