Five reasons why I chose to study at Falmouth from overseas

This article was written by Creative Writing BA(Hons) student, Lottie.

Researching universities from abroad was a unique challenge for me, as I found it to be all about reputation and ranking.

In America, there are university rankings for everything - could be the best department for stem cell research in the country; could be the best tacos on Taco Tuesday out of a list of 3000 institutions. The trouble was, breaking into that bubble for another country's university system felt impossible. It seemed like every list I Googled and consulted offered the same advice, but drew different conclusions of which universities were best! 

It took weeks of research to narrow down my list of unis - with Falmouth as my top choice. Here are five reasons I found along the way that helped it secure the top ranking on my list: 

Number one: Falmouth is extremely walkable. I’ve never been particularly practiced or adept at navigating public transport and I have my driver’s license back home - so I had many preconceived nervous notions about feeling caged or limited at university, about never leaving campus or the accommodation property. Reading about Falmouth got me excited to live somewhere where the community, restaurants and shops were all right at my fingertips! I’ve lived here now for three years, and I’ve got to say this point still stands.

Number two: Course flexibility. When I began curating a list of possible writing courses, I found that many of them had particular goals for their students already in mind - they felt a bit formulaic. At Falmouth, I've found many courses do a fantastic job of personalising modules to students, providing them with every opportunity to practice and master the art forms that they most want to and how they want to. I found on the Creative Writing course, I had options to specialise in half a dozen different types of writing, such as poetry and video-game writing. My advice to anyone conducting similar research - dig into information about every year you’ll spend on your prospective course, not just the first! Uni websites tend to highlight how they’re going to help you get started and how far you’ll have come by the end - but all the classes you get to take in the middle? That’s where you’re going to learn most of your learning - so be sure you'll enjoy them!

Number three: The wide and strong international student community. If you pick the right university, you’ll be lucky enough not simply to immerse yourself in a single new culture, but dip your toes into dozens! When beginning my university search, I found that the unis with the strongest international environments were in London, or other major cities, which I found disappointing, as I knew a city environment wouldn't suit me at all. Falmouth was the marvellous exception!

Number four: The staff. To any prospective uni students who have to undergo an interview to secure their spot - I implore you, bring your own questions! It’s just as important for you to convince your interviewer that you're passionate as it is for them to convince you that they have the resources to fuel your passion, mould it and inspire it. Near the end of my interview, I asked my interviewer all the questions I could - I told him exactly what I wanted my future to be and why I lacked the skills to make it real, and he told me how he could help - offered up his own experience and that of his colleagues. He is the reason I made Falmouth my top choice.