Business is a multidisciplinary course - it sits some way between a science and a humanity - that can encompass a huge range of extra areas, and the temptation is to take as broad an approach as possible to get to know a little of everything.

It's economics that runs the world (or ruins, if you're a dreadlocked anarchist) - or as the 20th century's greatest economist, John Maynard Keynes, rather more elegantly put it: "Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist."

Your attitude to maths may influence your choice of course. Some universities require A-level maths, while others ask only for a good grade at GCSE. These requirements are often reflected in the courses, some of which involve more figure juggling than others.