#SurvivalGuide - The University Decision

University of Salford Campus Media City!
My old Home from Home! 

To go to University or not? Is one of the biggest decisions you will make when you are at College. 

Since Leaving High School your only focus was on furthering what your favourite subjects were at School, but with University it's time to think about the future in the long term. The questions about what Career you would like to have and in what field all becomes apparent as well as taking on the biggest financial decisions you will make. 

Don't be alarmed as there are steps you can take to make sure that you know what you want to do when you do truly decide that University is right for you. You don't have to make a decision right away but always have it in the back of your mind for when your lecturer finally asks you about applying for university. 

University is a massive step for any Aspergers person to take and shouldn't be taken lightly. There are other things to worry about besides what course you want to do. 

You have to think about your emotional and physical health, what support systems need to be put in place, where do you want to live whilst you are at university and the big one which is MONEY!

Now before your panic attack kicks in, you don't have to make these decisions on your own and the first step would be to talk to a careers advisor and more importantly your parents. 

Between you and your parents work out what sort of support networks do you need so for a start the first question to ask would be: 

"Can I live away from home with strangers?" 

If the answer is yes then you can broaden your search to universities further away from where you live currently. Always take into consideration what living arrangements you will need, so for example: 

1. Do you need to have a ground floor flat? 
2. Your own room, Not Shared? 
3. Your Own BATHROOM?
4. Closer to your campus building or with good transport links? 
5. Will I need to get a bus pass? 
6. Budgeting money for food and rent? 

All these questions will need to be addressed when applying for university and later on when looking or being placed into accommodation. 

If the answer is no, then certain questions need to be answered, which in my case when I began to think about before I applied for University. 

Questions such as: 

1. How far away from home do I want to study?
2. What local Universities in my area, course wise have to offer? 
3. Could I do my degree at College? 
4. How am I going to travel to University and back? 
5. What services are on offer to me if I can't cope with public transport? 

All these things need to be taken into account and sitting down with your parents is best place to start as they know you better than you do.  The discussion can be sometimes awkward and can lead to an argument or two based on the difference in opinion. 

In my experience I wanted to go to Salford because they had the best course in what area of Media I wanted to study which was Radio Production. Also being on campus at Media City UK was another big tick for me in regards to wanting to study there. But although I wanted to aim to go to that certain university I just didn't set my heart on them, I looked around at other Universities that combined Media Production with Film Studies and what the College I was at had to offer in regards to Degree Courses. 

This is when you should be going to a Careers Advisor! 

Either in college or externally seeing someone who can narrow down the Universities and also look at where is best for you to go with the requirements you have. Going to University is not just all about the social aspect of Freshers Week! You can't just commit to a three year course with a loan attached to it and then drop out a month into your  first semester. 

With the advisor they will take a look at prospectuses with you and what courses you are interested applying for. They will then have to have a look at your predicted grades for the whole two years of your BTEC or A-Level course and match it up to the amount of points you need to get onto the University course. 

(I'll go through UCAS next week!) 

If you're grades are too low or boarder line, you'll have to have a word with your lecturers about seeing whether you can work on the modules you've already done to get them to a higher grade to meet the points you need to apply or help you to get a higher grade in your up and coming modules. 

Note: 

In BTEC you can be reassessed on any module to gain a higher grade. Usually this is done at the end of the year. But if key modules are at a Pass Grade,  you do have the chance to get a Merit or Distinction by looking at the marking criteria and adapting your work to fit it. 

Ask your tutor/lecturer to find out more! 

All this work does count if you do have your heart set on a certain course at a certain University! TRUST ME!!! 

Knowing where you want to go to study is the main thing and location is not always the right choice it is about the course and the subject. If you don't know what you want to do then it's well worth looking at other things. As you might have changed what career you want to go into from when you first left school or not enjoying the course you are doing at the moment. 

I'd hold off applying for University if you are unsure and having a look at all the other options. If you are unsure if the subject you are studying now is the right career for you, whether you want to do something different?

Some things have to be taken into consideration and if you don't want to go to university that is ok. 

Don't feel pressured into applying because all your friends are or because your parents want you to! It's your life and your decision!!! 

The most important tip I can give out now is:

DON'T RUSH INTO ANYTHING!!! 

Really think about it, way up all the pros and cons and write it up and look at it with your family. If there are more cons than pros then there is something up with the whole thing. 

I'd also see your counsellor and talk it all through with them, get to know if your cons are more to do with your anxiety and fear surrounding University and taking another massive Leap into the unknown. 

Think about what is making you want to hold back and work through it and come to some sort of conclusion with the decision. 

If you're happy then take that leap into a new adventure in education. If not then find other routes you want to take and progress them. There is no rush or pressure. 

Next week it will be all about UCAS and Applying for University!