So you have written the dreaded personal statement, potentially have had some interviews and had offers come through. Now, which ones do you choose to be your firm and insurance? It is so important to choose wisely as you need to decide on the one that’s right for you. Your firm choice should be your first choice, meaning if you meet the conditions then that place is yours! Your insurance choice should be your back-up choice, but still should be one that you would happy going to. Here are some things to consider when making your choices.
Entry Requirements
When you’re choosing your top two university choices, you need to really look at the entry requirements and think whether you will be able to achieve them. Ideally, your firm should be the one with the higher yet achievable entry requirement. Your insurance should be he one with a lower entry requirement, to ensure that you actually have an unconditional place at either university, depending on your grades. It is great to aim high but you should be realistic. Personally, I did not achieve the grades needed for my firm university when I was applying, but because my insurance university (Staffs) had a slightly lower entry requirement, I was able to get into the university.
Course Outline
Although the titles of degrees may be the same, the content taught and the way they are taught can be different. This is why you should look at what exactly is taught in each university and see if there are certain elements that are taught in some and not in others. You should also look if certain universities provide opportunities such as having a certain time (a month or a year) to complete a placement. This would be really good for you to gain experience. For some universities, this is mandatory whereas for others it is not. One thing I really wanted to do was to go abroad to do some work experience, so when I found that the midwifery course here at Staffs had 4 weeks for students to do some work experience, I was sold.
Geographical Area
Whether you are commuting or planning to live at the university, you should bear this in mind. How far is it from home? If something was to happen, would it be easy for you to travel back home? For me, Stafford and Stoke are not too far from my home, so if I need to travel back home in case of an emergency then I can do this at ease. You should also think about the general safety of the area. If you are studying and living there for the next three years, you might want to think about this.
Accommodation Costs
What also helped me to choose my firm and insurance choices by looking at the universities that also provided the most affordable yet good quality accommodation. You don’t want to be forking out a lot of money, especially if you aren’t in a position to do this. I know that just because accommodation is cheap doesn’t always mean it is best, so you need to decide how it will work best for you.
I know that these were a few simple points, but I hope that it will help you! Please choose the university that is right for you! Don’t choose an amazing firm and a not-so-great insurance choice, because sometimes things don’t work out. Take it from me, who was unable to get into her firm choice. Because I carefully selected my top two universities, I was not too disappointed when things didn’t work out!
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