As university offers fly, we thought it might be helpful to share some tips on how to get the best out of your university choices. There are so many facets to choosing the right university – our students are lucky to have dedicated Sixth Form staff to help guide them through the process, so here are some of our tips:
Subject
Make sure you are 100% confident in what you want to study, as you’ll be dedicating a lot of time (and money) to it! Check out the career options that follow too. Once you know what you want to study, research where the best places are for these courses. No university is good at everything, but every university is good for something! Finding a university that ranks highly for your field of study will mean you get better teaching, and you will gain more opportunities to specialise.
Location
What location feels right for you? Many people want to be near home, so they can live rent-free; others may be looking for more independence, or even an adventure abroad to study. Once you have a clear idea of what you want, consider the cost of your preferred choice. Studying abroad and/or in a capital city, such as Bangkok or London, will require a lot more financing than a smaller city, town or provincial campus. There tend to be campus universities (on a self-contained campus) and city universities (where faculties may be more spread out around a city).
Community
When looking at a university, try to establish what the atmosphere is like. How big is the university? Does the size or set-up appeal to you? For example, some universities are collegiate, meaning you belong to a college within the university. There are so many different universities – small, big, urban, rural, academic, relaxed, cosmopolitan, old, new – so you can narrow down your selection according to what might suit you best.
Facilities
Take a look at what the facilities are like and if they cater to your personal interests, such as sport, drama, art etc. There are almost always clubs, teams and societies to join within a university and this can be a great way to build your social life alongside your studies. If you love playing football, see what potential there is for this to be part of your university life at any of your preferred universities.
International networks
Many students enjoy a year abroad during their time at university; a great opportunity to broaden experience and studies. Look at the university networks of any institutions you’re considering as many facilitate exchanges and study opportunities at prestigious universities overseas.
Rugby School Thailand is a boarding and day British international school for two to 18 year-olds. If you’d like to find out more click here.
