Researching Courses, Not Just Universities

Here is a mistake that thousands of applicants make every year: they choose a university first and then pick a course at that university. The decision sounds like "I want to go to University X" rather than "I want to study this specific course, and University X offers the best version of it."

This might seem like a subtle difference, but it matters enormously. You are going to spend hundreds of hours in lectures, seminars, and workshops. You will write essays, sit exams, complete coursework, and possibly do a dissertation on topics within your chosen course. If the course itself does not excite you, no amount of university prestige or campus beauty will compensate.

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The Same Degree Title, Different Realities

Two universities might both offer "BA History," but the actual experience could be completely different: