Activity 3: Designing Your Dream University!

Activity three is designed by The Brilliant Club to allow you to think creatively and imaginatively about what your ideal university campus would look like and what it would have to offer students that decide to attend. In the UK, there are more than 130 universities! ... all of these universities offer different subjects, clubs and sports, some are bigger than others, some are traditional universities with buildings that are hundreds of years old, whilst other universities are quite new and have very modern buildings with lots of high tech features. Below are three tasks which you should complete in order to design your dream university. Once you have completed this, make sure to show your dream university to your parents and carers! Explain to your parents what features you have included in your university design, what makes your university unique from others in the UK and why students should want to come to your university to study. 

Task 1: Answer the following questions (a small paragraph each) to get an idea of what your dream university might be like. In each of your answers, remember to give a reason why you would want your university to look and be this way. 

Question 1: City vs. Campus - Would your university be a campus university or a city university? Can you explain why?

CAMPUS Universities (such as Nottingham University) have the majority of everything you need in one place, which is called a campus, e.g. sports facilities, social spaces, buildings where your lessons are, cafes etc. are all in the same place!

vs.

CITY Universities (like Kings College London University) are different, as the buildings are spread across a large city (London, Durham, Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool etc). Students will have to travel from their accommodation (where they live) to their lessons, either by bus, car or biking.  

Question 2: What subjects will be offered? Why would these subjects be available?

Will your dream university offer traditional subjects that you have already experienced and studied at school, such as English, Maths, History, Geography, Science and Art?

Or..

Will your university offer subjects like Nursing, Astronomy, Criminology, Drama, Psychology and Film Studies?

Or both?..

Question 3: What societies/clubs will be on offer? 

A lot of universities have clubs on offer so students can join in, discuss their hobbies and make friends who have similar interests to them and like the same activities/things. These clubs are created by the students at the university, not the teachers, and the students have a lot of involvement in running the clubs. These clubs could involve ANYTHING... e.g.

• Hide and Seek Society 
• Ultimate Frisbee
• Cooking and Baking 
• Yoga club
• Philosophy Society
• Harry Potter Society 

These are just some ideas from clubs that universities around the country have to offer. What clubs/societies would your dream university have?

Question 4: What sports can you participate in? Will there be competitions?

Universities across the country offer a wide range of sports, from traditional sports, such as football, hockey, running, rowing and dance, to more unique sports like underwater hockey and even Quidditch (from Harry Potter)! Students can participate in these sports for fun, to make friends and to keep fit and healthy. Students can also get involved in these sports to compete against other universities around the country and win tournaments. 

Task 2: Write a couple of paragraphs all about your dream university. Remember, be creative and make sure your university stands out from other universities around the UK! Don't forget to explain why you have chosen these certain features/characteristics.

Try to include the following points in your paragraph ...

• Where will people live
• What type of places to eat will there be?
• Places to have fun - what will there be to do at your university?
• What will the university buildings look like? 
• Places to stay fit and healthy - how will the students exercise on your campus?
• Places to relax - what can your students do after university lessons are finished?
• How will your university be unique?

Task 3: Creating your own Campus Map!

Your final task is to draw a picture of what your "Dream University" Campus map would look like. Use lots of colour, be creative and have fun with it!  Remember to think about:

• Would there be lots of trees, flowers and wild life?
• What would the student accommodation look like?
• Would the buildings be close together or spread out?
• Would the buildings be colourful?
• Would the buildings be old-fashioned/traditional?
• Would the buildings be modern with lots of technology?

Take inspiration from the images below to come up with ideas for your perfect campus map.