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Choosing a university or college

Step 1: Choosing courses

Your son or daughter will benefit from your advice when considering where to study. The final decision will be theirs, but you can help them to see the positive and negative aspects of their choices.

Things to consider

Your son or daughter should consider two issues when choosing where to go: the institution and its location. Universities and colleges come in different 'styles': some are based at more than one campus, whereas others are on one site; some are formal and academic and others are more modern and relaxed. The location can have a big impact upon their experiences.

Attend an open day

Open days are one of the best ways to discover the good and bad points of a place - they will give your son or daughter an idea of what is on offer, and a chance to see if they will feel comfortable spending three or four years at the institution.

Dates are listed in the list of universities and colleges - click on the university or college you are interested in to see what open days are available, or contact the university or college direct.

Which is the best university or college?

Different places suit different people, so it depends what your son or daughter is looking for. There is no national curriculum for higher education courses, but The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education carries out external reviews of standards and quality - you can read their official reports on universities and colleges to help make your choice. The Unistats website contains statistics and reports from students about the quality of teaching.

There are different guides and league tables that can help, but check the source as it may be biased: some universities post league tables on their websites which show their courses at number one. For information and impartial advice check the Times Online (requires a subscription) or The Complete University Guide, an interactive site where they can choose their requirements and create their own unique table.

League tables can be useful as long as you read them with an intelligent and critical eye. They can tell your son or daughter how the institutions fare in other people's opinions but the best way to decide is to get a feel for a place and go from there.