Ask questions! Before you choose a university! Ask yourself - and anyone else whose opinion you value - the following questions:

1. Do I have a particular career in mind? 2. Am I seeking a higher education qualification as a requirement for initial entry to a specific profession? 3. Do I just want to chill out for a while, maturing gradually and developing my thought processes? 4. Is there a specific subject I want to explore thoroughly? 5. Do I want to develop my key skills? 6. Do I want to make myself generally more employable? 7. Do I want a clean break from my present circumstances and the chance to make a fresh start? 8. Do I want to study full-time / part-time / by distance learning, at home / away from home? 9. Can I afford it? 10. What are the alternatives?

These are not the sort of questions that have simple right or wrong answers. In fact, an answer which may appear right now might well look wrong (and vice versa!) when your personal circumstances change in, say, 10 years time. All you can hope to do is gather all the available evidence, weigh up all the pros and cons and make the decision which best relates to your current priorities and circumstances.

Student Life

Student life can be very rewarding, but it can also have its pitfalls.

Student Action Plan

If you are on the brink of choosing a degree course, this Action Plan will help you to make the most of your university years, even if you are not yet sure of your career.

In the future you will need the skills to manage a varied career and to be an effective learner. These are the skills which will allow you to develop and make use of your own individual strengths. They could easily be called "enabling skills" because they will enable you to be effective in managing your work and its relationship with the rest of life. They will put you in charge, instead of being at the mercy of your work.

The task is not impossible. There are simple things you can do to develop these Self-Reliance skills. The Action Plan lists a number of things suggested by employers and academics, which can be done to make the most of the opportunities which exist at university to develop these skills.

1. Increase your self-awareness

List your strengths and weaknesses. Use others to help. Continually update the list. Actively seek feedback from colleagues, staff, close friends and family. Get outside your comfort zone! Notice which experiences really motivate you. Write them down. Make an effort to establish your values and underlying beliefs. You will not be comfortable if you do things which work against these values.

2. Make an informed decision about what, how and where to study.

In a Guardian/Gallup survey of recent graduates, 30% said they would probably not take the same course if they had their time over again.

Think about your reasons for doing a degree. Can you define exactly what you will gain from a degree? Is it the best option? Is now the right time? Is a full time or part time course best? If you are a sixth form student, should you take a year out? A degree can be immensely rewarding, but you need to have a clear idea of what you will gain from it. If possible, think about what you would like to be doing in five or ten years' time, and plan accordingly.

Get to know your preferred learning style. How do you learn best? Alone or in groups? In the morning or evening? Via computer? With unstructured challenges or set questions? Do you prefer books, lectures, projects, home study, essays? Do you prefer an academic or vocational approach? What motivates you? These questions need to be answered before you can make an informed decision about where to study.

Ask universities some searching questions. This is vital. If necessary show them the checklist on the back of this action plan so you don't appear too pushy.