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Higher Education
With so many courses and places to choose from, it's a difficult decision.
Higher education can be a lot of fun, but it's also a big commitment - in time, money and work. Graduates on average do earn more money and have greater employment opportunities than people who do not have a degree. There are some jobs for which you must have a degree.
There is a lot of information around about higher education so we only cover some of the key points here to get you started. As a general rule, young people need to have completed a level 3 qualification.
For detailed information, contact UCAS. Also, take a look at our publication for post 16 students 'Your Way Forward'.
HE Qualifications
Honours degree
Most honours degree courses take 3 years. Some take longer, e.g. language courses and degrees with a work placement. Most are full-time but many can be taken on a part-time basis. A degree is usually subject based (like history, politics) but some are vocational (like dentistry). You may see letters like BA, BSc, LLB or BEng when looking at information about degree courses. If you do an arts type course, you usually get a Bachelor of Arts (BA), if a science based course, a Bachelor of Science (BSc) - these are the most common degree titles. But some subjects have specific titles, for example, a law degree usually leads to LLB and engineering to a BEng.
Higher National Diploma or Certificate (HND/HNC)
These usually take 2 years, but may take three if you do a work placement. You can decide to go onto a degree course afterwards; this can take another one or two years. HNDs/HNCs are work related courses. You study a work area such as business studies or design not an individual subject like maths.
Foundation degrees
These are employment-related qualifications designed together with employers to give students the skills, experience and specialist technical knowledge employers need. Foundation degrees can be studied on a full or part-time basis, through work-based, distance or web-based learning. They take two years if you do them full-time. You can turn it into an honours degree with a further year of study.
Diploma in Higher Education
This two-year course is similar to a degree but covers less. Some people do an extra year to get a degree. Sometimes it is combined with professional/vocational courses.
What is student life like?
Going to university or college of higher education is an experience in itself. It may mean living away from home for the first time and maybe managing on a tight budget. It can also give you the chance to meet people from different backgrounds. You may not spend as much time in classes but you'll be busy doing your own research. And a lot of students now work part-time during term time as well as the holidays to supplement their income.
What do you need to do to get a place at university?
- In the first year of an advanced level course draw up a list of what you're looking for: subject area, geographical location, how long you want to study for, your learning style (exams or course work), and think about the grades you are likely to get.
- Use the UCAS website or University & College Entrance, The Big Guide to get a list of places offering courses that interest you.
- Then look at websites or prospectuses for universities and H.E. colleges that interest you.
- Find out about open days and visit if you can and check out the UCAS Events Calendar too. .
- Make at least one back up plan in case you don't get the grades you expect.
- Complete the online UCAS form - you can get this from your school or college. Always do a draft copy first and get someone to look over it.
Application procedure
There is a central application for universities and Higher Education colleges. The closing date is mid-January for most courses and mid-October for Oxbridge and for medicine, dentistry and veterinary science courses. Usually you will get to hear if you have a place by April.
And if you haven't got an offer, you can try UCAS Extra between the end of March and June. Later you can go into clearing, see what places are available and apply for these.
More information
As well as the links on the left side, try unistats.com for information about courses, and prospects.ac.uk for information on graduate destinations and opportunities.
University not for you?
Whilst many people who complete advanced courses do choose to go onto full-time higher education, it's certainly not the only option. You can go into employment or an Advanced Apprenticeship, for example. These can give you the opportunity to earn while you work and learn. You can work towards work-related qualifications and possibly higher education qualifications later on. There's a website aimed at young people who are looking at alternatives to university: www.notgoingtouni.co.uk
Posted on 28 September 2009
