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It was an exciting time for the whole family, and a little stressful too, when my daughter was looking at universities and deciding on the best university to go to. Melanie had done very well in her school examinations and could pretty well pick which university she wanted to enroll at. With our help, she drew up a short list of six different ones and we set about visiting each one.

Melanie had selected the six by looking at the courses available and narrowing them down to a certain radius from home. They were all in the North of England. She is an independent, capable person but she still didn’t want to be too far from home. Being able to get home on the train in a couple of hours was important to her and to us. If she was feeling homesick, she could come home without too much hassle, and she wanted to maintain regular contact with family and friends. There were other criteria for choosing the best university.

Another factor was the status of the university, and where it came in the league of educational excellence. Melanie was well qualified to go to the best five establishments in the country. She wanted the best university for her chosen course of Film Studies and one which would impress future employers. It’s also true that the cost of living in England is more expensive in the South and that was another reason for staying in the North.

After looking at the course on offer, and the prestige and location of the place, it was time to consider downtime activities. We appreciated that the best university in the world is not just about work. Students need to relax too, and we wanted Melanie to go to a campus with an active social life. Next, we thought about accommodation possibilities. She would be in Halls of Residence in her first year. That too, needed a decision, as some Halls offered cafeteria facilities and some were for self catering. After weighing the pros and cons, Melanie decided she preferred the flexibility of preparing meals for herself.

So, the six were chosen and the glossy brochures arrived in the mail. Visiting dates were arranged and we went to them, one by one. Gradually, the six came down to two. This was the hardest decision of all. What to do? Both could be considered the best university, they had equally good reputations as universities generally and for the Film Departments. They were of roughly equal size and both offered good accommodation. In the end, the decision was a matter of geography. Melanie chose the one nearest to home and we are very glad she did. We got to see her quite a lot and she ended up with a good degree. Now, where is the best university to do her Post Graduate Course?

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