Guide for parents and guardians

Would your son or daughter prefer to stay at home and commute to university or live on campus in catered or self-catered halls at least for the first year. Would they then like to rent private accommodation in the local area?

Does the university have links in place to assist students in finding part-time work alongside their studies as well as internships and work placements to boost their employability after graduation?

Getting involved in sports |and activities at university is a great way for your son or daughter to make new friends outside their course and continue their hobbies throughout university.

 It’s vital for your child that a university has a good library|, IT facilities|, sporting facilities|, a careers service|, Students’ Union| and high-quality teaching areas|.

Other important factors include whether or not there are personal tutor programmes, medical facilities and disability support for students| if they need extra help.

This will have a big impact on your son or daughter’s experience so they need to decide if they want to stay close to home or move further afield. 

What size university would they prefer (they range from a couple of thousand to more than 40,000 students)? Campus or city? The best way to get a feel of a university is to attend an Open Day|, which you're welcome to attend with your son or daughter.

Universities are assessed on the quality of their teaching through the Quality Assurance Agency and their research quality is assessed through the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), which is worth checking out.