Question students about what you need in a portfolio. What I thought the tutors would have liked I put in and they didn’t - it wasn’t the College’s style. So do a lot of research on the places that you’ll be applying to. - Kate Adamson, 21, Year 2 BA (Hons) Art Practice, Goldsmiths College

Check out aspirational, creative blogs like www.manystuff.org, www.itsnicethat.com and www.cpluv.com - Young Tate member, Tate Liverpool

Before applying to do my degree I e-mailed 10 graphic design companies and asked them which courses they respected. I felt that getting professional opinion was important and I got lots of responses. In the end though it did come down to personal choice and where I would be happiest. - Holly May Mahoney, 21, Year 3, BA (Hons) Graphic Design, University College Falmouth

I went to one University where the facilities were amazing but I saw everyone in this one room and just knew I couldn’t work there – I felt claustrophobic. I went to other places and felt like they were too far away. You’ll find that as soon as you get to the right place it’ll fit and you’ll be willing to stay there until 10 o’clock at night because you love it so much. The whole point of a creative atmosphere is that you’re going to be bouncing off one another and bouncing off other people who also really enjoy where they are. - Ellen Fearnley Foundation student, Kingston University

You need to be aware of what you want to get from the course you’re applying for - just because it says Graphics or Art or Illustration on the tin, courses are so different and you need to make sure that it’s right for you. I’ve got a friend studying English at another University who only has two hours of lecturers a week and that’s not suited for her, and that’s purely because she didn’t ask how much teaching time she could expect. - Danni Matthews, 19, Year 1 BA (Hons) Graphic Design, Chelsea College of Art and Design

I would recommend going to as many open days as possible and talking to existing students there. The city and surrounding area mattered a lot to me, and I think looking into the type of area you would like to live in helps narrow down the course and University as there are so many to choose from, too many sometimes, which is why people make the wrong choices. - Charlotte Tupper, 22, Graduated 2007, BA (Hons) Embroider, Manchester Metropolitan University