Choosing an HE Course Learning Outcomes By the

Choosing an HE Course

Learning. Outcomes By the end of this session you will be able to… ü Understand the different higher education (HE) routes by comparing universities and courses ü Identify your own decision-making criteria when choosing a course and universities ü Make an action plan using SMART targets

Kahoot Quiz https: //play. kahoot. it/#/k/bebab 560 -cb 45 -468 e-8 ff 65 f 1236 e 3 c 778 Username: Next Steps

Quiz 1) How many undergraduate university courses are there in the UK? 2) True or False? You can study higher education level courses in some local colleges. 3) True or False? Every course with the same title has the same content and assessments, no matter where you study. 4) True or False? All higher education courses take three years to complete. 5) True or False? Potential students can only apply to study for one course.

Where to start? With so much choice, deciding about what and where to study can be overwhelming. It’s important to know what matters to you. There are lots of factors to consider when choosing a course. In pairs, see how many you can you think of.

Things to Consider Subject Course length & study hours Location Modules, course content, assessment styles Entry requirements Extracurricular Career prospects Providers’ reputations, league tables, awards

Diamond Nine Ranking Activity • Location • Entry requirements Most important • Course content and assessment style • Teaching methods • Course length and study hours • Provider reputation • Extracurricular opportunities • Career prospects • Support Least important

Your decision-making process Use the Diamond Nine to choose your preferences. Can you think of any other criteria that could be considered?

Your decision-making process Now let’s think about how to choose an HE course in some more detail using the worksheet provided. Deciding about something so important can be challenging but having a structure to guide your decisionmaking process will help.

Making SMART Decisions S M A R T Be specific about what you want to achieve. Avoid ambiguity and communicate clearly. Ensure your result is measurable. Have a clearly defined outcome that you can measure. Make sure it is an achievable outcome. Check it is realistic. It must be possible when taking account of time, ability and money. Make sure it is time-constrained. Set yourself an achievable timeframe, deadlines and milestones to check progress.

An example: Objective Tasks Help Potential barriers to success Evidence of achievement I want to study a joint honours degree in French and politics but do not know where to study. Research the universities that offer French and politics. Use UCAS, university league tables, and provider websites. Limited time to do this research at the same time as A-level study. A comprehensive list of universities that offer both French and Politics. I want to study a joint honours degree in French and politics but do not know where to study. Find out which universities I would like to go to. Attend open days and speak to current undergraduate students. No open days coming up. Don’t know any current students at university. A list of five universities I would like to attend. A list of decision -making criteria that is important to me. Completion or review date 3 rd June 15 th September

What next? Continue working on these activities to help you choose an HE course. Make sure you ask your parents / carers, teachers and career lead for help. Don’t worry if you aren’t sure yet what course to choose. By taking your time and considering your choices carefully you are more likely to make the right decision for you.

Useful Websites The following websites are useful for further research into different courses. https: //www. ucas. com/ucas/undergraduate /choosing-undergraduate-course https: //www. whatuni. com https: //discoveruni. gov. uk/ https: //www. theuniguide. co. uk/courses

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