Pure Potential

The Benefits of University

The benefits of higher education are endless and what you will learn both inside and outside the lecture theatres will stay with you well beyond graduation day. Adapting to life at university is one of the most rewarding challenges you will ever face. Whatever subject you decide to study, going to university will equip you with skills that you can apply to your academic work, your career and in your personal life. The chance to nurture an academic passion over several years guided by an expert in that field, while simultaneously enjoying independence, extra curricular activities and new friends is not to be easily overlooked. The main advantages of going to university are to immerse yourself in your chosen subject, enhance your career prospects, meet lifelong friends, explore extra-curricular activities and learn to live independently, but there are many, many more.

Studying

Studying your chosen subject over three years may sound like the last thing you want to do, especially if you're in the middle of your A-Levels, but it is quite different from your studies at school. First of all, you get to pick a subject you actually like. It doesn't have to be something you can study at school, there are hundreds of subjects that you can't study at school to choose from, as well as lots of courses which combine two or more subjects. At university you get to study in your own time and are given a wide range of choice on which particular aspects you want to focus on in your chosen field.

Career

Going to university and getting a degree will enhance your career prospects in a number of ways. Employers like the commitment and dedication that studying one subject for three years demonstrates. It also shows that you are able to work independently and are able to flourish in new, challenging environments. Most employers will tell you that as much as they need to employ someone with the right skills to do the job, they also need someone who can adapt quickly to their new colleagues and surroundings. At university you'll hone your interpersonal skills and get a chance to practice communication and team playing, all of which are high on your prospective employers' list of necessary attributes. The best thing is you won't even realise you're learning them at the time; they'll develop naturally as you open the doors to new experiences and people.

Social Life

Many people meet their lifelong partners at university, as well as a diverse range of friends. Study and socialising in such close proximity to a wide range of people from all walks of life will allow you to develop relationships and learn more about people then you ever thought possible.

Extra Curricular Activities

Don't forget university is not just about studying! It is unlikely that you will ever have the opportunity to take part in such a wide range of activities as you will come across at university. You can join all sorts of clubs, societies and teams, from the usual things like football, debating and theatre to the fun things such as salsa dancing. And the best thing of all is that if there isn't a society for what you love, then it's easy to start one yourself!

Being Independent

Living and studying on your own will be totally different from your pre-university life. To be able to study when you like, buy your own groceries, discipline yourself and indulge yourself is something you may never get the chance to do when you are in employment. You'll learn so much so fast - some of it the hard way but you'll have a great time laughing about it with your new friends. The university experience is to be grasped with both hands, to be appreciated as so much more than the venue of your studies. This is why graduates invariably look back on their university years as the best of their life.

Did you know?

• Graduates are less depressed, less likely to smoke or become obese, are more likely to vote in elections and help with their children's education and have a higher sense of well-being (study commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)
• A female graduate earns up to 26% more than a woman who did not continue her education beyond A-Levels (Research by the London School of Economics)
• Over a 40-year working lifetime, a graduate will earn approximately £415,320 more than someone without a degree (Labour Force Survey Figures)