Choosing a Course

Much depends on how you want to use the course. Those who are looking for land management skills should head for the more vocational courses where you'll learn the skills you'll need, which may also include the now customary fallback for the post-BSE, post-foot-and-mouth farmer, rural tourism and marketing. The traditional farming colleges may well be for you.

You may, on the other hand, be more struck by the applied science side of the subject, and if so you should make sure you head for the more academically biased courses at the universities.

Generally, the older institutions teach the more conventional courses and assess the same way, with exams and a level of continuous assessment. The newer places go for a more modular and flexible approach and a wider range of assessment options. So look at what's on offer, and check the options for more specialised study, and make certain that if, for example, sustainable agricultural development is your bag, that it's one of the opportunities offered.

The level of debate about the future offarming has not gone unnoticed in the agribusiness world and it is apparent that as the talking goes on, some departments are linking themselves ever more closely to companies whose agenda may be narrow, to put it kindly. If you have strong opinions on the future roles of agriculture and forestry in this country's ecosystem, then make sure that the department isn't in thrall to a multinational you can't abide. Three years of arguing with your tutors can be exhausting and is unlikely to be rewarded.

And it's worth giving some consideration to the exact location of the course. Some agricultural schools are based in lovely old buildings on acres of lovely land, and it can be a fantastic place to he - or rather isolating. Agriculture and forestry courses can involve a whole lifestyle choice, so check exactly where you'll he based and make your decisions accordingly.