What makes a good university?

　　The answer to the question of what makes a good university can be very simple - a good university is the university that's perfect for the student. However, there's a problem - all students are different. So, a perfect choice for one student may be a poor selection for another. A good piece of advice to any student who is choosing a university is to select the one that's right for you.

　　One major factor to consider, of course, is the country you wish to go to. Just like Asian countries, western countries are not all the same, they do have their own characteristics of geography, culture, history, art, science, politics, religion and more. And it may be easier to get into the university of your choice in some countries rather than others due to different selection processes.

　　Some people would love to study at a big university with tens of thousands of students in a campus the size of a town. Others would much prefer a less hectic environment in a smaller university. What's right for you?

　　There are universities set in big cities, great cities of the world such as London and New York. For some students working in such an environment would be heaven, with its museums, sports stadiums, restaurants, bars, shops, theatres, glorious venues that to live amongst would provide the exhilaration of a lifetime. For others, the bustle of a huge metropolis with its smoke, crowded buses, trains and pavements, people with no time for each other, noise and clogged roads sounds like living in purgatory. If they want to watch the New York Yankees or Chelsea play they can visit the city for the match, they don't have to live amongst all that smoke. What's right for you?

　　We all know people like to put universities into league tables. But just because one university is Number 42 on the list and another is Number 82 doesn't mean that the first one is better. Better at what? Better at teaching physics? Better to look at? Better teachers? Better facilities? Better transport? Better location? Better weather? Better activities? Better academic courses? Better students? Better accommodation? Better food? But one of these universities will be better for you.

　　Choosing a university is hard work, but it should be good fun. There are so many things to think about and they are important, because you will be studying there, thousands of kilometres from home, for three or four years. So what should you do to get this vital, life-changing decision right? It's simple. And it's difficult. It's difficult because no one else on Earth is just like you are. So choose the university which is right for … you know who.