Choosing which uni to go to is never smooth sailing, no matter how set on a specific career you might be. The problem isn’t just that there are an overwhelming number of options – it’s that every option comes with an encyclopaedia worth of information and fine print. As soon as you scratch the surface, doubts start to appear, decisions begin to seem impossible, and everything gets relegated to the “too hard basket”.

But you’re not alone: the path to uni is a well-trodden one. All you need to do is give yourself enough time to move through all the stages: confidence, chaos, denial, optimism, then back to confidence. So: here’s what to expect when you start heading down the path of higher education.

I Have A Pretty Good Idea Of What I Want To Do, So I’ll Just Make A Tentative List…

Even if you haven’t had a framed picture of your university of choice sitting on your bedside table since you were five, you probably have at least some idea of what you might like to study. So you sit down to make a list and open a few websites, ready to knock out your preferences in maybe an hour or two. It’s going to be fine.

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Wait, Hang On…

Looks like lots of unis offer the course you want. Great! You can just compare and see which one’s best. But how do you compare location against years of study? Or class size to quality of extracurricular campus life? Oh and there’s overseas options too. And, actually, this entirely unrelated degree looks pretty interesting as well.

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Ok, Maybe I Should Be A Bit More Open Minded

The world is a big place and there are a lot of options. The first list is thrown out, and now everything is on the table. Maybe you should take the UMAT. Or the other one, for if you want to study medicine in England. It’s good to keep your options open, and who knows what will come in handy. Sign up to every open day! Read the fine print of every university in the world! You need more information! On everything!

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I’m In Too Deep

Right, you’ve got a bunch of pro-con lists going, tabs for your top choices are taking over your computer, and you’ve gone through two packs of highlighters narrowing down the field. You have all the information in front of you, it’s all very organised but… it’s just a bit much. There are A LOT of good options and you’ve been thinking through it all so much that it’s hard for your brain to make new thoughts. Even the word “university” has started to lose all meaning. Ok. Take a moment and put it all to one side. Maybe a season or two of Friends will help.

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Nothing Really Matters

Here is where the existential dread hits. Life’s short, who cares where you go to uni anyway. Just put your list on a dartboard and let fate decide.

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Ok, Maybe It Matters A Little

Oh, the dart is telling you to study philosophical maths in Russia. Maybe throw another one?

 

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RESET. RESET.

At this point it is good to go back to grass roots: what do you really want to study? Do you want to stay close to home, or do you want to travel? Is your priority going to the place that offers the best version of your preferred course, no matter where it is? Figuring this out means you can drop some of the more out there options off your list. Chances are, things will start to seem a bit more manageable. 

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Deep Breaths

You’ve nutted out preference order and narrowed everything down. It’s pretty much ready to go, but it’s still kind of a big deal so maybe put it off for a bit longer in case something happens to change your mind.

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Oh Hey Deadlines, Where Did You Come From?

WHAT THE HECK EVEN IS THIS LIST? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? PANIC STATIONS. PANIC STATIONS.

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Everything Is Going To Be Fine

Retrieve your list from the bin. It’s normal to have a bit of a last minute freak out. Just so long as you don’t ride that freak out all the way to Cheng Du to study astrological macramé or something you’re equally uninterested in because you made a stress decision.

Just remind yourself: you did the homework, you went to the open days, you went through maybe a few too many lists – you know what’s out there, and what’s right for you. Your preferences are solid, and your chances are good. Submit. Relax. You got this.

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Ready to dive into choosing a uni degree? See what Australia’s #1 university is all about at ANU Open Day on 26 August. Find out more here.