How to decide if university is the right choice for you

You can be forgiven for thinking that all roads lead to university. However, university is not the right choice for everyone, there are plenty of other options to consider. So, to help out, here are five factors to consider whether university is the right choice for you – or not.

1. You have a passion

If you do what you love, you’ll love what you do. The purpose of a university education is to give you the time and space to study something that interests you. Most of your time spent at university will be studying, so if you don’t enjoy it you will be miserable. If you don’t know what drives you or where your natural strengths lie, it may be worth taking a gap year to work it out – you don’t want to invest your money and time in something you’re not sure about.

2. Your end goal

Why do you want to go to university? What are you hoping to do when you finish? Understanding your end goal can help you explore other options and work out if university is your best route. Some people choose university because they don’t know what else to do; make sure you are clear about your motivation for a university education.

3. Your career prospects

One of the main reasons for going to university is to put yourself in line for a better job and make yourself more employable, so career prospects should be a top consideration. Be sure to research the field you want to study; you don’t want to go through years of studying to find no jobs at the end.

4. Your return on investment

The average graduate is shouldering £50,000 worth of debt, while the average graduate salary is currently £28,000. Take some time to research the average salary for the profession you hope to go into post-university. If your dream job pays lower than the national average, and the tuition fees leave you in lots of debt, you will need to assess if going to university is worth it.

5. The cost of the entire university experience

There are many different costs associated to university. In addition to tuition fees, you have to cover accommodation, living expenses, travel, course books and a laptop. It can get expensive quickly so you need to decide how valuable the experience will be to you.

Can you do things differently?

All you need to decide is whether university is the right choice, right now. If you aren’t sure, then take some time to figure out what you really want. Don’t follow the crowd and go to university because that’s what everyone else does.

Nowadays there are plenty of other choices for those who want to further their career. Make sure you research all your options before you apply as this will help you to decide if university is a worthwhile investment.

There are different and more flexible ways to get a degree which may suit you better:

• A part-time degree – you can combine studying with other commitments.
• Degree apprenticeships – you can enjoy practical on-the-job training alongside studying.
• Distance learning courses – you can study at a time and pace to suit yourself.

Top-up courses with Online Business School

Earning a full Degree or MBA is a simple and low cost option with Online Business School. We provide students with the opportunity to earn their diploma online and then top up to a full Bachelors or MBA degree through distance learning or on-campus through at a UK university. You can read more about our university pathways here.