Thinking about the future can be daunting (I know – stressful and confusing!) especially when you have recently chosen your A-level subjects, or BTEC’s.

Sometimes, you could want a change in career by the end of your A-levels and this is completely normal being young. Heads up – you don’t necessarily need to pursue a career in the subject you have got your degree in since if you do want to pursue a Master’s (Level 7), you would be able to study a different subject.

There’s no age limit on how old you have to be to study university as an adult, you could be interested in studying Social Science/ or Health courses but could be looking for a career change. Bournemouth University is a welcoming community and equality with diversity within our campuses and courses.

Making the right university choice can be a daunting decision for the next steps after A-level results or if you are returning to education after a gap year applying through clearing.

University and choosing the right course can be important decisions to make since you are financially investing and investing your time on a 3 year course, you want to make sure that the decision is the right one for you!

I wanted a university that was close to home and had a good reputation, and Bournemouth was the place for me. I came to university as a mature student after realising I wanted to change careers and I wasn’t sure what I was going to commit to a course after college.

My advice would also be to take a Foundation Year if you are unsure about a university because it would help you understand the university environment more and the area without being thrown into Level 4 studies. Being an mature student, I did a Foundation Year at another university since I had been out of education for a while when I originally applied for Film Production to study at Bournemouth University, but I intended to go the same route as Ridley Scott, and other filmmakers by studying a Marketing Communications Advertising degree since my professional background is film, business, content creation, and photography highlighted the perfect mix for an degree for Marketing Communications with Advertising (including a placement year between year 2 and 3).

Regardless of the course you are studying, students have the opportunity to undertake a Placement Year before completing their final year. Depending on the course the Placement time-frame varies, from a short Placement to a longer Placement, at Bournemouth University, we have students who have worked for their Placement Year at companies such as The Walt Disney Company, Loreal, Gymshark and Sony Entertainment. Students also have the opportunity to participate in a study abroad scheme in their second year.

Open Days can help when you are deciding on a university, and you would develop a better understanding about the accommodations at the university, the town, students, lecturers and the campus such as the room/lecture theatre’s etc.

Talking to other students can assist you in the decision making process but you don’t want to consider too many options because you will get confused about many universities that there are in the UK. You can talk to BU students on Unibuddy who are current students here, and they will provide insight into the course, helping you decide if the university and course is the correct one for you. This would give you an insight about what to expect as a student at Bournemouth University.

If you do get the chance, I recommend going to a UCAS Fair local to you, where there will be stalls from universities that you are able to talk to the students at Bournemouth University and other universities at the fair.

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Open Days at BU