21 Nov 2019

The uni you choose will have a huge impact on your degree – it’ll influence things like who your friends will be, how much you need to work while you study, and what you’ll do in your precious free time. There’s a tonne of different factors you need to consider; here’s some of ‘em.

1. Consider the location

You might think the easiest thing is to pick the uni closest to home and call it a day. But consider this: uni is your chance for a fresh start, an opportunity for you to get away from anything in your life that you’d rather leave behind you.

Uni is your first real step into the ‘adult’ world, so why not take advantage of it and experience what it’s like to really be independent? Consider moving away for uni, away from the same old routine of regular life and into something completely new.

Lemme tell ya, moving for uni could be the best thing you’ve ever done; it’s your chance to escape the horrors of high school and start anew – you can be whoever you want, hang out with new friends and explore your new hometown without running into people from high school every 100 metres.

2. Look at what scholarships are available

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that being a uni student ain’t cheap. Luckily, most universities offer a tonne of scholarships, for a bunch of different reasons. Whether you’re academically gifted, coming from a rural area, or just a deadest legend, there’s probably a scholarship for you (disclaimer: there are no “deadest legend” scholarships but we reckon there should be).

Places like the University of Tasmania offer relocation scholarships to help you out with moving there, which is pretty handy if you’re looking for a fresh start and new adventures but need some financial assistance to get there (if you want to find out more about relocation scholarships, or the University of Tasmania, head over here and grab your free info pack).

3. Suss out the living options

There’s plenty of options when it comes to where you’ll live while you study.

It’s handy if you’re close to campus and can live at home, but if your uni is further away, you don’t want a massive commute, or you just want to get out from under your parents’ roof - then you’ll need to look into things like campus accommodation or nearby share houses. While it might seem like a big task, it’s definitely worth looking into potential accommodation – it can have a massive impact on where you decide to study (plus, there’s nothing like rolling out of bed at 8:55am and still being on time for a 9am class).

Another benefit to living close to uni is that you can properly get involved in the community and immerse yourself into the university lifestyle. As tedious as study can sometimes be, universities are often the host of a variety of different events, from live music, to art exhibitions to workshops and seminars. The University of Tasmania is currently finishing off The Hedberg – a new cultural precinct in Hobart which will extend off the Theatre Royal and act as a platform to show the world the best that Tassie has to offer in the creative and performing arts. Check it out here – it’s going to be pretty bloody amazing when it’s finished.

We get it – it’s a stressful time picking a uni and it can be a pretty big decision. We’ve got a heap of info about your options over here. Plus, if you’re still thinking about how uni is your chance to start a new adventure, get out of home and travel, we reckon you should take a peek at the University of Tasmania and grab a free info pack over here.