Location, Location, Location

When students think about choosing a university, they tend to focus on league table positions, entry requirements, and course titles. Location often comes as an afterthought — something they will "figure out" once they get there.

But here is the reality: the city you live in can shape your university experience as much as the university itself. You will not spend all your time in lectures and the library. You will be walking its streets, shopping in its supermarkets, socialising in its bars and cafes, and commuting on its transport. For three or four years, this city will be your home.

Getting the location wrong can turn an otherwise good university experience into a difficult one. Getting it right can transform a solid academic experience into something genuinely wonderful.

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Campus vs City University

This is one of the most fundamental choices and one that significantly affects your daily life.

Campus Universities

A campus university has its buildings, accommodation, social spaces, and facilities concentrated on a single site — usually on the outskirts of a city or in a semi-rural location. Examples include: East Anglia (UEA), Lancaster, Warwick, York, Loughborough, and Sussex.