28% of students wish they’d done their homework when choosing a university

A recent study conducted by the University of Derby has revealed that 28% of current students and recent graduates wish they’d done more research before choosing a university.

With the UCAS application deadline looming the University is calling for students to do more research into institutions before making the final decision to avoid disappointment, as the study also found a quarter of recent graduates (24%) said their course didn’t meet their expectations.

One in five (22%) also said that their school or college did not give them enough guidance when applying for university, and 30% of current students said they felt rushed during the application process.

Surprisingly a quarter of those surveyed said that they chose their university due to location rather than academic reasons. This again could be a recipe for mistakes given that 22% of current university students didn’t attend the Open Day for the place they are now attending.

Russell Roberts, Head of Academic Services at the University of Derby, said: “We would urge all students to avoid these kind of pitfalls when going through the university application process.

“I would advise students to start thinking about the courses and subjects they might be interested in, and then have a look at the universities that cover those. UCAS is a great resource for matching up the subjects and the locations where they are taught.

“Once you have done that it’s important to look at the academic record of those universities, see what their student satisfaction score is and look at what their graduates go on to do.

“For example at the University of Derby 96.9% of our graduates are in employment or further study six months after graduating, and that’s the sort of thing students need to be considering – where will this degree take me when I finish?

“Teaching quality is also integral because that’s what you’re investing your time and your money in. Recently the University of Derby was placed in the top 10 for teaching quality in The Times and The Sunday Times league table.

“That’s a strong record and that’s the sort of thing students need to look for.

“Open Days are also really important, going to see the facilities and talking to the tutors that will be teaching you. Have a look around the city you are going to be based in and have a look at the accommodation.”

The deadline for UCAS applications is January 15, 2016.

For more information and advice watch this video here.