Top Tips

TOP TIPS (actually...there are seven!)

As you have already seen, there's lots of good advice describing what to to consider when choosing a degree course and a university. Below are some top tips that may not have appeared in what you have learnt so far, and also a few pit falls to be wary of.

Unconditional Offers

• An unconditional offer is when a university offers you a place on your chosen course but doesn't stipulate minimum grades that you have to achieve. Once the offer has been received this can have the effect of learners taking their remaining studies, assignments and exams less seriously resulting in them not achieving the grades that they should. Although this doesn't affect the unconditional offer, it can affect your future career as graduate employers specify a minimum grade at GCSE, A level and vocational for their applicants in addition to your degree.

• TOP TIP #1: continue to work hard to achieve or exceed your potential grades.

Open Days

• Open Days are offered by all universities and are a fantastic way to get a feel for the campus, the facilities and also to ask questions of staff who are 'In The Know'. Your chosen university may seem some distance away, but it is worth making the effort to visit as the alternative is not to visit than arriving and within your first days discovering something that you didn't know about and feeling like you have made a mistake. Many are now offering VIRTUAL open days, removing the need to travel.

• Top Tip #3: visit your chosen university no matter how far away it is (take a few days, book at B&B and treat your visit like a mini holiday!).

Course change

• It is not uncommon for people to arrive at university and within the first few weeks discovering that the course they have started isn't quite what they expected, but they love the university. In this situation it may be possible to change course but you need to speak to the university's registry team as soon as possible.

• TOP TIP #4: When at university, if you feel you have made a mistake, speak to your course tutors and also the university Registry team as soon possible. The longer you leave it the harder it will be to change courses.

Modular verses linear courses

• Some universities offer modular courses rather then the traditional linear courses. A modular course means that applicants can create their degree course by choosing a number of modules from a range.

• TOP TIP #5: If you can't find a linear course that matches what want you want to study, then consider a university that offers a modular degree system.

Jobs after graduating

• When applying for degree courses and universities thoughts of jobs are not always uppermost in people's minds. If you have a specific job that you want to do after completing your degree, or even if you have some vague ideas, it is a good idea to explore these at the same time as researching degree courses. This is because some jobs may require you to have certain level 3 grades and also a specific degree subject or grade, and the only way to find out is by exploring the job you are interested in.

• TOP TIP #6: Research graduate jobs using www.prospects.ac.uk

Degree classification

• You will hear these terms all the way through your university career and so it useful to familiarise yourself with them now. Like A levels and vocational courses, degrees are given a mark (or classification), and it is something that graduate employers use a lot.

• TOP TIP #7: Click here to familiarise yourself with degree classifications

End of lesson quiz

Click here to take a short quiz to test your learning.