Party days are over for students

The class of 2012 will no longer consist of "hard partying" students looking for a "laid-back" course.

A survey of 1,236 school and college leavers reveals that teenagers seeking to go to university this autumn are adopting a more "savvy" approach to enrolling for courses.

The findings by Unite, a supplier of student accommodation, emerge as universities prepare for a large fall in student numbers. The final figures, to be published on Monday, are expected to show a fall of between five and six per cent.