Facilitator Manual – SESSION OVERVIEW: CHOOSING THE RIGHT COURSE
**PLEASE REFER TO FACILITATOR SCRIPT TO SUPPORT DELIVERY OF SESSION**
Running Time: 1hr 30 mins
Session Aims:
By the end of this workshop students will:



Understand the key words used in relation to university degrees and courses
Have a greater understanding of how to go about choosing the right course and
university for them
Feel more confident about how to access university
Session Summary:
This workshop has been designed to introduce students to the key factors that need to be
taken into consideration when deciding which university and which course is right for them.
By the end of the session, students should have a clearer understanding of the differences
between courses and higher education institutions.
Advance Preparation:
 Assign students into groups
 Layout tables into groups
 Prepare resources for the session
Equipment:
 Computer/ Laptop with PowerPoint
 Projector
 Flipchart paper/ markers
 Blank sheets of paper (can be scrap paper)
Resources Provided:
Notes:
 ‘Choosing the Right Course’
 If PowerPoint facilities are not
PowerPoint slides (includes ‘Who
available please see session script
Wants to be a Millionaire’ jargon
for alternative activities
buster activity)

‘Help Me Choose a Course’ A-Level
student profile booklets ( Years 1113)
‘Help Me Choose a Course’ GCSE
student profile booklets ( Years 7-10)

‘Footsteps to Success’ qualifications
card sort activity
‘Footsteps to Success’ where are
they now? card sort activity

Footsteps to be printed and cut out
(and laminated if possible).

‘Choosing the Right Course and
University Checklist’ handout

To be printed- one for each student

‘University Jargon Buster’ handout

To be printed- one for each student




Booklets to be printed and stapled
together. 1 for each student or 1
between 2
Different profile booklets available for
students in Year 12-13, Years 7-11
© IntoUniversity 2015
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of IntoUniversity.
Facilitator Manual – SESSION OVERVIEW: CHOOSING THE RIGHT COURSE
**PLEASE REFER TO FACILITATOR SCRIPT TO SUPPORT DELIVERY OF SESSION**
Action Points:
- Activities may take longer than planned, be sure to keep a close eye on the time.
- Organise groups to avoid individuals who struggle working together are in the same
team.
- Students to work at their own pace
**If PowerPoint facilities not available please see session script for alternative
activities**
© IntoUniversity 2015
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of IntoUniversity.
Facilitator Manual – SESSION OVERVIEW: CHOOSING THE RIGHT COURSE
**PLEASE REFER TO FACILITATOR SCRIPT TO SUPPORT DELIVERY OF SESSION**
Learning Activity/ Task
Time
Teaching Strategies/ Actions:
Introduction to the session
and the learning outcomes
10 mins
Introduce students to the session- inform
students that with over 160 universities and
50,000 courses to choose from, it can be hard
to decide which university and course is for
you. This session is all about introducing
students to the key steps that they can take to
help them decide which course and university
is right for them.
Who Wants to be a Millionaire
jargon buster!
25 mins
This activity interactively teaches the students
about the key terminology that they will come
across when looking at different degree
courses.
The students will need to be split into groups to
play the game so they could discuss the
answers as they may not know much
individually.
Facilitator to use the Facilitator Session Script
to explain the words as you go through each
answer.
Help Me Choose a Courseprofile booklets
25 mins
Now that the students have a better
understanding of the terminology, it’s important
that they get to grips with the different factors
that they need to take into account when
choosing a university and a course.
Use the ‘Help Me Choose a Course’- profile
booklets to get them thinking about entry
requirements, job prospects, different course
characteristics and university locations.
Two versions- one for students in Years 11- 13
(A-Level student profile booklets). One for
students in Years 7- 10 (GCSE student profile
booklets).
Footsteps to Success- card
sort activity
20 mins
When looking to choose a university course it
is important that students take into account
their end goals (should they have one), as
these could dictate what particular educational
path they should think about taking.
Use the Footsteps to Success (qualification
footsteps) to explain this. Students must try
and place the footsteps in the correct order to
reach the right qualification star.
Once this has been done, students must then
move onto the Footsteps to Success (where
are they now footsteps)
It’s important that students understand that
choosing a degree isn’t all about choosing a
© IntoUniversity 2015
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of IntoUniversity.
Facilitator Manual – SESSION OVERVIEW: CHOOSING THE RIGHT COURSE
**PLEASE REFER TO FACILITATOR SCRIPT TO SUPPORT DELIVERY OF SESSION**
subject that can get you into a high paying job.
It’s about choosing a subject that you enjoy
and that you would be happy studying in depth
for at least 3 years.
This card sort activity shows the different paths
that individuals have taken, and shows that
degree subjects don’t necessarily restrict your
job options. With 50% of graduate level jobs
not specifying a particular degree subject, only
a number of jobs require you to study a specific
degree.
Students must arrange the footsteps in the
correct order- starting with the footstep that
outlines what the person studies and ends with
the success star.
Answers for both of these card sort activities
are in the Facilitator Session Script
Plenary
10 mins
Wrap up the session by handing out the
‘University Jargon Buster’ handout and the, the
‘Choosing the Right Course and University
Checklist’ handout to students for them to take
home when researching their own choices.
Stress to students that it is important to do your
research about these universities so now is a
good time to start.
© IntoUniversity 2015
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of IntoUniversity.