University is an opportunity for your child to study something they are genuinely passionate about, gain life experiences and build on key skills that make them more employable. A degree can be essential if they have a particular career in mind, such as nursing, law or architecture. Degrees in wider subject areas are also invaluable in gaining the knowledge, expertise and confidence to begin an exciting and fulfilling career journey.
For many students, university is also a chance to gain independence as a young adult - living away from home for the first time, maybe in a new city and with new friends. At university they can enjoy opportunities such as volunteering and joining sports clubs and societies, and benefit from expert careers advice, placements and internships, all in a safe and supported environment.
Understanding your child’s reasons and motivations for wanting to go to university may help you better understand if it’s the right choice for them.
Everyone will have a different idea of what their ideal university offers. It’s a major life decision that will impact not only their time at university but the early part of their adult life. It’s not a decision to be rushed and doing some research will help them make their decision with confidence.
The first step to finding the right university is for your child to decide what subject they want to study and do some research into which universities offer courses in it. To get started, they can view the range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses offered at DMU.
- Facilities: They might want to think about the facilities that are available for their preferred subject.
- Graduate opportunities: Have they explored career opportunities their course could lead into after graduation?
- Placements: Are they keen on gaining vital work experience to prepare them for the job market after graduation?
- Commuting: Do they want to experience living away from home or would staying at home and commuting suit them better?
- Location: Where do they want to live during their studies – would they like to be close to home or further away? And what are the transport links like?
- Campus: On a campus or in a city? And what would they like that location to offer, such as transport links, culture and activities?
- Teaching style: Do they prefer hands-on learning, project work or more traditional lectures? At DMU, we use an innovative approach called block teaching where your child will focus on one subject or module at a time for deeper learning and better results.
Finally, they will probably want to think about the extra things that they would like to gain from their university experience, including careers support, sports clubs and societies, and opportunities to travel or study abroad.
After they’ve shortlisted some universities (they can put up to five on their UCAS application form) you may want to encourage your child to check out some Open Days.
Open Days are the best way to get a feel for whether they will feel happy and safe at that university for the next three to four years. At an Open Day you can learn about everything from course content to extracurricular activities and student support, and take tours of the facilities and accommodation. Perhaps most importantly, there will be plenty of current students and tutors on hand to answer questions about their own experiences.
Other ways to experience DMU
We know it can sometimes be difficult to attend an open day. There are a variety of ways to get a feel for DMU from the comfort of home. Why not take a stroll through our virtual campus tour or join one of our upcoming livestream events. You can also watch past livestream events and a host of helpful videos on our YouTube channel.