Final Thoughts
Thank you!
From a Reddit discussion thread:

"The people who fail...fail because they come in, encounter problems that are harder than anything they’ve had to do before, and not knowing how to look for help or how to go about wrestling those problems, burn out.

"The students who are successful, by contrast, look at that challenge, wrestle with feelings of inadequacy and stupidity, and then begin to take steps hiking that mountain, knowing that bruised pride is a small price to pay for getting to see the view from the top. They ask for help, they acknowledge their inadequacies. They don’t blame their lack of intelligence, they blame their lack of motivation."

http://calnewport.com/blog/2012/01/09/intelligence-is-irrelevant-an-mit-alums-advice-to-a-struggling-student/
Summing it up
Don't think "Where am I going?", instead think "Why am I going?".
Be selfish.
Best experiences go beyond a one-way service. Expect value, but seek it out yourself. It may be handed out on a plate, but you must still feed yourself.
Above everything else... WHY you want what you say you want.

Ask as many questions as possible, but in the right order. Academic & big picture first, nightlife/housing/facilities after;
Various possibilities, rather than a single answer or source of perfection/utopia;
Focus on subject matter, assess true interest & determination. Explore & research subject content, not just title & basics;
Look beyond marketing;
Open days are important but still not used by all applicants [http://theuniversityblog.co.uk/2011/01/11/best-and-worst-of-university-open-days/]
Weren't aware of realities of course;
Misunderstood what was on offer;
Unhappy with level of commitment necessary;
Inappropriate choice of subject;
Lack of concrete research pre-entry [HEA survey showed 41% of students who knew little or nothing about their course before enrolment had serious considerations of withdrawing, compared with 25% who knew a moderate amount or a lot].
What should young people consider when they apply?
Why do students leave?
How do students make 'the student experience' work for them?
Duna Sabri - "'The student experience' is inextricably connected to the assumption that all students have the capacity for free rational choice, unimpeded by the limitations of social and cultural background or financial resource."

'The Student Experience' = a 'mantra'. Implying a voice, but actually stripping it through massive simplification and lack of structure.

Foskett and Johnston - Experiences are always changing. And decisions aren't always rational.
What IS 'the student experience'?
What IS 'the student experience'?
What should young people consider when applying?
Why do students leave?
How do students make 'the student experience' work for them?
The Student Room - http://thestudentroom.co.uk/
Wanting answers:
Asking filter questions;
Looking for clues given no prior experience;
Attempting to find a comfortable starting place.
Don't compare yourself to others. The Student Experience is YOUR experience.

http://theuniversityblog.co.uk/2010/03/30/you-or-everyone-else/
Be involved!

http://theuniversityblog.co.uk/2011/08/11/why-being-involved-is-so-important-to-learning/
Seek out new opportunities and experiences rather than waiting for them to come to you.

http://theuniversityblog.co.uk/2010/05/28/act-on-ideas-or-fade-away/
Martin Hughes
http://twitter.com/universityboy
Embrace failure.

http://theuniversityblog.co.uk/2011/05/03/how-to-fail-brilliantly/
Pick yourself up, dust yourself down, keep going.

http://theuniversityblog.co.uk/2008/02/25/10-tips-to-pick-yourself-up-after-a-fall/
Take your experience seriously, even when you're having fun.

http://theuniversityblog.co.uk/2010/02/04/get-serious-about-university/
Enjoy the benefits, but do remember you can have too much of a good thing...

http://theuniversityblog.co.uk/2008/01/11/10-reasons-why-the-benefits-of-university-can-lead-to-downfall/
Embrace the unknown. Prepare for the unknown. But don't fear the unknown.

http://theuniversityblog.co.uk/2011/06/02/fearing-the-unknown/
Look beyond employability. Look beyond the piece of paper you get at the end of those years.

http://theuniversityblog.co.uk/2011/05/17/looking-beyond-employability/
Focus more on yourself, less on the degree. "Your degree isn't the source of awesome. You are."

http://theuniversityblog.co.uk/2011/10/27/grad-employability/
"The Student Experience"
martin@theuniversityblog.co.uk
http://theuniversityblog.co.uk
"Which university is best for course X?"
"What is the best city for nightlife?"
"Where should I go based on my predicted grades?"
"Where can I get the cheapest uni experience?"
"Which uni has the lushest accommodation?"
"BA or BSc, which one is better?"
"Should I stay at home or live at Uni?"
"What uni do I choose for the fittest students?"
Glamorgan Teachers' & Advisers' Conference 2012
Experience of a Lifetime:
Choosing the best student experience