Universities

[mark-2007]

So, as the title suggests, this is a topic for universities.

 

I'm only familiar with the British way of applying for things, and even that I'm not totally sure on. You register via UCAS and then send a few applications to different universities. I'm busy with a personal statement at the moment (I'm just at the end of my AS year), any tips?

 

So, any advice for applying? How and when do I need to sort of the financial side of things? How good is student accomodation? Do you recommend moving away? How many universities can I apply to? What are the lowest grades needed to do History? How easy is it to apply for a university abroad?

 

Also, what university do you go to/are thinking of going to? And what course do you do? Do you enjoy it?

 

Also; gap years. I was thinking, if I manage to save up enough money, that I'd go somewhere for a while on a gap year. I was thinking around the Americas, but am still not sure if I'll even go on one.

 

Have you done a gap year/plan to do one? Where did you go? How much did it cost? When can I take one? Would you recommend a whole year or just between terms?

[Taste Of Chaos]

I'm a 'drop-out'.

 

My college sucked, so I decided not to waste my time with it anymore. I have a pretty decent paying job at the moment.

 

I'm thinking of going back to a college for photograpy in a year or so though, perhaps moving onto University after a while.

 

My reason for taking a gap year, is simply just to sort myself out financial-wise and to make more friends, (my social life really went down the sh*tter at some point.) and to build up my photography portfolio.

 

If not, I'll turn to the adult film industry.

[Raven_Nytez]

You can check out all the government pages on further education, they'll give you a more solid understanding of how to apply. Also, search around for good universities for your chosen subjects as you can usually attend an open day/evening to talk to lecturers, heads of departments & such.

 

Student accomodation varies on where you want to study, I'm at London Met & my girlfriend lived & works in one of their local student accomodations & I've got to admit the flats aren't too bad, whereas one of the other London places the rooms are quite cramped. An ex girlfriend I went to stay with stayed on campus at Reading university but again, the rooms were quite cramped.

 

Student funding can be arranged via the same site, different section where you can get a basic idea of what kinda monies you're entitled to & if it's what you want you can sign up & apply for the financial help upto.. 9 weeks into the student year I believe. Also, I don't think you start paying it back until you're earning over £15,000 & even then they only take out a small amount each month. I'd advise you take the money as I did a year at uni without working & without funding & christ but it was annoying, lol.

 

I dropped out of school at 15 but didn't think to go to uni until I was in my 20's by which time I applied directly to the uni as a 'mature' (ha..) student. Alot of the people I'm at uni with have moved in from all over & they all seem to cope quite well, I have to travel for an hour but it's not too bad.

 

Please forgive all spelling, I'm just a student!

Edited July 16, 2008 by Raven_Nytez

[mark-2007]

Haha, thanks for the help from both of you.

 

I'm so far planning on doing a course on History, although I might mix it with something like Politics if the university does not do a plain old History course that I like. In a recent assembly, the head of sixth-form tolld us to try get all the money we can, so I'll give that a try

 

By the way, how do you get in to Uni without qualifications? Surely dropping out at 15 means no GCSEs or A levels?

 

Yeah, if I'm struggling after Uni I might try my hand at being a rent-boy. I'll probably fail at that too though.

[Swarz]

I did politics at Nottingham for three years. Good fun, good course, good tutors. No complaints.

 

I went by the Times Good University Guide (comes out around application time), selected the top 10 for politics and ommitted the following:

- Oxbridge (I wanted to have fun at uni, not work my bollocks off).

- Any London Universitys (I wanted to move away from home).

 

Here's some quick fire answers to your questions:

 

How and when do I need to sort of the financial side of things?

Soon as possible. You don't wanna start your uni course and be skint. Talk to the parents/guardians about it, as it may be they have to support you as they did me. There's a chunky form for a student loan. I took it, all 12k, which I'm now repaying. Alot may criticise them, but the repayment rate is tiny once you're in full time employment, so I back them. Some people work part-time jobs at uni. Some people work for 3-4 months during the summer and earn loads which sees them through the year. Everyones finances are different.

 

 

How good is student accomodation?

For the most part crappy, but that's part of student life. You life in a sh*t tip, get wasted, sleep, and wake up in a sh*t tip. Student life. You'll get used to it.

 

Well, that's halls, and if you share with messy folk. You can always get student houses with clean freaks who'll rip your head off for not de-scaling the kettle if that's your cup of tea.

 

Do you recommend moving away?

Yes, yes and yes again. I think nothing builds you more as a person than moving away to a completely different part of the country. New friends. New place. Fend for yourself. A bit daunting for some, but after an hour you realise everyones in the same position and you drag each other through. Can't back that enough.

 

How many universities can I apply to?

Six, when I applied.

 

What are the lowest grades needed to do History?

Depends on the Uni. Lowest offer I got for politics was 3C grades. Highest I got was AAB. Depends on the Uni. Visit each individual site/prospectus for details.

 

How easy is it to apply for a university abroad?

No idea, didn't do it. I'm adventurous, but I'm not Mr. Palin.

 

Re: Gap years

Didn't do one. Don't like travelling to unknown places. Don't trust the unknown. That said, got plenty of mates who did them and loved it. Either way, your choice, but I can't advise you more than that.

 

Any more qs, gimme a PM or reply here and I'll check it out.

 

Good luck bud.

[Lioshenka]

You will in UCAS thing and wait until October for a positive replay from the Uni. If you get few, accept only one you like.

 

When you have settled down at the Uni, circa November you may apply for student Grand. Because you apply late, they will pay two sums in one.

 

Go for whatever you like. Polish usually go for IT, Indians usually go for law and criminology, Chinese usually go for medicine and business. If you want British around you go for History and Geography! But mind you, you will have to find job after that.

 

Don't know about gap year and accomodations. Accomodation suck, stay at home. And I don't know, why the hell everyone goes to Australia. I mean, who want to walk upside down???

 

When in Uni stay away from 18 year olds, they always drink and skip lectures and eventually you all will be kicked out. Find clever people as friends, and they will help you out if you are stuck. Work hard(-ish) for a year and then get 4-5 months off!!!

 

if you are doing history you will have 2 lectures a week and lots of reading, if you are doing IT you will have 5 lectures a day and no reading at all. If you are studying Celtic languages you do a mix of both.

 

How about applying to college first, getting Double Distinction and going to Oxford??? Will be looking great in CV. Too bad I failed my A levels, would be in Oxford by now hehe.

Edited July 16, 2008 by ˸øåíüêà

[Raven_Nytez]

Haha, thanks for the help from both of you.

 

I'm so far planning on doing a course on History, although I might mix it with something like Politics if the university does not do a plain old History course that I like. In a recent assembly, the head of sixth-form tolld us to try get all the money we can, so I'll give that a try

 

By the way, how do you get in to Uni without qualifications? Surely dropping out at 15 means no GCSEs or A levels?

 

Yeah, if I'm struggling after Uni I might try my hand at being a rent-boy. I'll probably fail at that too though.

Yea, no GCSE's or A levels for little old me. I wasn't a fikko or anything just had a few problems with being the fat kid but when I applied I was over 21 to which they cared very little as to qualifications. Then again, I'm not studying anything like History or Politics, just on a Computer Animation course trying to get into computer game modelling so I don't really have to be the smartest peanut in the tu...

 

Just had a quick search on the London Met website for History & got this but there are other History courses aswell. On the left it says ou can just apply through UCAS.

 

Be careful when looking for a Joint course though as a few people on my course started as Joint students doing Fine Art also which they dropped as one of our lecturers told them that some of the Animation modules they'd miss were kind of crucial so.. you could either do a single course & be 100% in your chosen subject or do a joint & be 50-50 with each course.

 

But he's a little crazy...

 

Check out all the Uni wesites & order some brochures & such, & whatever happens I hope you're happy with your decision

[Swarz]

Go for whatever you like. Polish usually go for IT, Indians usually go for law and criminology, Chinese usually go for medicine and business. If you want British around you go for History and Geography! But mind you, you will have to find job after that.

Way to f*cking sterotype, you twat.

 

 

When you have settled down at the Uni, circa November you may apply for student Grand. Because you apply late, they will pay two sums in one.

 

No, you don't apply for the student grant in November once you're at Uni, you can apply much, much earlier so you get the money when you first arrive. Otherwise you'll have nothing to spend in freshers week/first few weeks when everyone's out socialising.

 

 

if you are doing history you will have 2 lectures a week and lots of reading

 

So why did my history housemates have 6-8 lectures a week for history? It depends on the uni, the course and your module choices.

 

 

When in Uni stay away from 18 year olds, they always drink and skip lectures and eventually you all will be kicked out.

 

That's funny. I went to Uni at 18. I drank. I skipped lectures. I also took an active part in sports and completed my 3 year course. Nice factual groundwork there. And if you reply "well, most people get kicked out", that's a load of bollocks. I found it's the minority of folk who drop out of Uni.

 

Please don't advise this chap if all you're gonna do is talk bollocks.

[Struff Bunstridge]

Took a gap year but didn't travel, I just worked and saved. I went to Nottingham to study French and beginners Russian, but decided at the end of the first year not to continue; I just never got in the groove. It was awesome, but I was f*cking stupid with money and got myself into a lot of debt. I'd highly recommend the whole experience though; halls were a blast.

[dills]

How many universities can I apply to?

Six, when I applied.

It's been reduced to 5 now (if no one else has mentioned it).

[Eddie280]

Antoher decent site when looking into choosing a uni is whatuni.com this site is good as it gives you a student's opinion of their uni's rather than trawling through the prospectuses and uni websites. However I would advise you to visit as many open days as possible. They have helped me decide which unis I want to apply to.

 

I am in the same boat as you though, end of my AS year and I too am writing my Personal statement.

[mark-2007]

 

Go for whatever you like. Polish usually go for IT, Indians usually go for law and criminology, Chinese usually go for medicine and business. If you want British around you go for History and Geography! But mind you, you will have to find job after that. 

Way to f*cking sterotype, you twat.

Yeah, everyone knows Polish are plumbers and Indians own corner shops! [/slightly offensive sarcasm]

 

 

Antoher decent site when looking into choosing a uni is whatuni.com this site is good as it gives you a student's opinion of their uni's rather than trawling through the prospectuses and uni websites. However I would advise you to visit as many open days as possible. They have helped me decide which unis I want to apply to.

 

I am in the same boat as you though, end of my AS year and I too am writing my Personal statement. 

That's a great site, thanks. Never heard of it either, but it seems to be quite helpful.

 

I'm still unsure on moving away or staying local. On the pro side, I'll get to see more of the world and see if I can become independent, but on the other hand I don't see the point as I have what I need where I am right now and dunno if I'd have the motivation if I didn't have someone giving me a kick up the arse every now and then. I thought of perhaps settling midway and maybe moving out of the house but staying local, dunno if it'd be worth the expense though.

 

Any advice on what to put in a personal statement? Is it really that vital?

 

Thanks for all the help, answers are still welcome. Questions from others are also welcome, this is a topic for everyone to ask questions.

Edited July 17, 2008 by mark-2007

[Struff Bunstridge]

Personal statements are uber vital. Think of it like a job interview, but you get a chance to think about what you're writing and edit stuff before you go in. If your head of Sixth Form is any good, he or she should guide you through it and let you know what's good and what's bad. Mine was an Oxford graduate so he knew the drill pretty well.

 

Go for the extra-curricular and social stuff and concentrate on them; I played in a band throughout college, and argued that it showed not just that I'm not a hermit, but also that I work well as part of a team, I have a skill, I'm not afraid of public speaking/performance, and all this reflects well on me as a person. Take each aspect of your hobbies or social life, and think of how you benefit from them and what skills they prove you have.

[mark-2007]

Personal statements are uber vital. Think of it like a job interview, but you get a chance to think about what you're writing and edit stuff before you go in. If your head of Sixth Form is any good, he or she should guide you through it and let you know what's good and what's bad. Mine was an Oxford graduate so he knew the drill pretty well.

 

Go for the extra-curricular and social stuff and concentrate on them; I played in a band throughout college, and argued that it showed not just that I'm not a hermit, but also that I work well as part of a team, I have a skill, I'm not afraid of public speaking/performance, and all this reflects well on me as a person. Take each aspect of your hobbies or social life, and think of how you benefit from them and what skills they prove you have.

Well I've played guitar for four years, but never in a band. I guess I could spin out some bullsh*t about dedication or whatever. I don't socialise much anymore, I used to do it a lot. I'm really not that interesting

[Swarz]

Like most job applications and CVs, personal statements do permit a certain degree of 'artistic licensing'.

 

Be aware though that for some universitys you'll have entrance interviews, whereupon they may well pick up on stuff you've put in your personal statement and ask you to expand on it.

 

As Struff said, anything extra-curricular is a winner. I put down various sports stuff, any clubs/associations I was a part of, certain academic reading I'd done 'above-and-beyond' my current course in preperation for uni. It all helps.

[YeTi]

It's good that you're applying nice and early, Universities like to see that .

 

I haven't got any experience with the uni lifestyle yet, I'm going there in September, ask me again in a few months and I'll be more helpful.

 

Regarding the applications though, I would advise you to get everything applied for ASAP, student finance forms are a bastard to fill out, mine took me the better part of a month (mainly due to my mother refusing to give me my passport). I would also think carefully about how much money you're going to need and how much you need to borrow, it's all good and well borrowing as much as you can get your hands on until it comes to paying it off and you're still paying it off in 30 years. I've only gone for the tuition loan and and grants/bursaries I can get my hands on. I've got quite a bit of money saved though so my situation may be different to yours.

 

Also regarding the choice of uni, don't just think about the distance, think about the quality of course too, for example, Nottingham (or is it Nottingham Trent) offers one of the best law courses in the country. Although distance is crucial, you want to be far enough away as your parents won't be bothering you all the time, but you want to be close enough to go home whenever you want.

 

As for living there, I've opted to live at home for the first year, the uni I'm going to is only about 45 minutes drive from my house and I'd rather keep my costs down as much as possible until I'm 100% that the course is going to be good and until I'm sure that I can finance my way through. I am planning on moving out there for at least one of the years I'm there though.

 

UCAS is a bit of a bastard to fill out, I always said it was a method of weeding out the dumb sh*ts, the student finance was the second 'dumb sh*t' test. But don't just try and get the forms quickly filled out, spend as much time as you can to ensure that they're up to scratch, double and triple check spelling, grammar, punctuation the lot. As for your personal statement, there are web sites where you can view example ones, they give you some idea as to what universities are looking to see on statements and what they don't want to see.

 

I would recommend using all five of your choices up, you've got a better chance of getting in somewhere then, the only problem comes when they all make you an offer. Depending upon the offer that may give you some indication of the quality of the course, if one university wants three C grades (or MMP or something), but another wants three B grades (or DMM etc) then it's more likely that the latter is a more in depth course where they think to succeed you need to be a bit 'smarter'.

 

You should go to the Open Days that universities hold too, going now probably isn't a good idea as most are currently holding clearing where students are trying to get in for this years entry. You should wait until there are full open days, they'll show you around the campus, accommodation, class rooms, lecture theatres, they'll explain the courses and just about everything really. But they do give you a good idea of what the university will be like.

 

I'm off to Derby next year, studying Computer Games Programming, I got kind of lucky, they made me a conditional offer of me getting a MMM (overall Merit) on the BTEC Diploma I've just finished, but they're putting the conditions up to DDD (overall Distinction) next year. Which has reminded me of something else, ask the tutors what the plans for the course are, are they going to be moving campus, how much practical experience will you get etc. If there is going to be anything that may affect your studies there you should know about it before you make your decision. Now I know that the previous students and probably a few on my course won't be too bright and a few will end up dropping out, but next years lot will probably be smart f*ckers eager to prove themselves.

[JoeyLeone25]

ACCOMODATION: PLEASE READ!

 

Now I've got your attention, I'm pretty much in full-time employment, and have just finished my first year at Sheffield Hallam (did nothing, blagged it, first year = easy!). I live on the outskirts of Sheffied with my parents, and the worst decision I made? Staying at home.

 

Even if your going to a University only thirty or fourty minutes away, move away, get into student halls and properly embrace the student lifestyle. I didn't and I regret it like a bitch, also my social life suffered as I couldn't get out as much (public transport...sh*te) to meet my mates from Uni.

 

If I could start my first year again, I'd definitely move into student halls/flat.

[Machida]

I took my gap year in 2006.... I'm still on it! Best job I've ever had!

[Lioshenka]

 

 

 

 

Go for whatever you like. Polish usually go for IT, Indians usually go for law and criminology, Chinese usually go for medicine and business. If you want British around you go for History and Geography! But mind you, you will have to find job after that.

Way to f*cking sterotype, you twat.

Stereotypes rule. And this is true, at least in my Uni.

 

 

When you have settled down at the Uni, circa November you may apply for student Grand. Because you apply late, they will pay two sums in one.

 

No, you don't apply for the student grant in November once you're at Uni, you can apply much, much earlier so you get the money when you first arrive. Otherwise you'll have nothing to spend in freshers week/first few weeks when everyone's out socialising.

Yeas, but is so much easier to sort out allpaper work once you've settled down in Uni. And IMHO it is kind of a crap idea starting something (i.e. going to Uni) without well earned 3 grand in a bank.

 

 

if you are doing history you will have 2 lectures a week and lots of reading

 

So why did my history housemates have 6-8 lectures a week for history? It depends on the uni, the course and your module choices.

Doesn't make much difference, as long as IT modules are about 25 lectures a week. Still not many lectures, too much reading.

 

 

When in Uni stay away from 18 year olds, they always drink and skip lectures and eventually you all will be kicked out.

 

That's funny. I went to Uni at 18. I drank. I skipped lectures. I also took an active part in sports and completed my 3 year course. Nice factual groundwork there. And if you reply "well, most people get kicked out", that's a load of bollocks. I found it's the minority of folk who drop out of Uni.

With a group of 160 people like mine was, there is no problem for Uni management to kick out 30 people a semester who fail to show up on the lectures. We will be entering the next year with just over 100 students.

 

 

Please don't advise this chap if all you're gonna do is talk bollocks.

Let him decide what to do.

 

Back to original topic.

 

I would highly recommend you stay at home. It will allow you to save hellava lots of monies (accomodation, travel etc, yet you still are eligible for all loans and grants), you will (hopefully!) gain a reputation locally which will give you some good reputation when applying for job locally (if you decide to stay in your area after Uni), you can always go home if you forgot something instead of buying new towel, shoes etc and you can stay on your job (if you have one) with slight changes to the shifts time which will also give you some good income.

 

Just from my own experience, since I started Uni I am still working on a good job in the same place earning the same amount as before while my GF who has moved to Uni accomodation has spent random weeks working as a cleaner, waitress and waitress again before finding a job in end of April. When she applyed for one job in a quiet hotel we were waiting in the reception to hand in her CV/app form and a minute later the guy came in with exactly the same app form, so you have to be skilled and quick to get a decent job if you are moving to a new town. Depends on which Uni and town you go to of course.

 

Staying locally saves you loads on your phone calls as you can go straight into the local Council and sort you problems out without listening to 70-ies bands for hours on the phone Again, example - it took me about 2 weeks to fill in my Student Support Fund W/E form and then I handed it in and sorted all the paper work in an hour, while my GF spend couple of hours on the phone and then waited for a week for her application to be accepted. Probaly doesn't occur very often, but anyway.

 

Oh and if you are wealthy, and can book an accomodation AND live at home. Thats what my friend does, he only lives 10 miles away, so whenever he wants he goes home and between the lectures or after nights out he goes to accomodation. Another girl I know went to accomodation looking for new exciting life and the came back nearly crying week later. Depends who your roommates are really, and how good your social skills are. Mine are crap (skills)

Edited July 20, 2008 by ˸øåíüêà

[Psych]

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forums

 

Very helpful place with hundreds of people in your position.

[Struff Bunstridge]

Absolutely no f*cking way do you want to do anything other than live in halls for your first year. You'll miss out on everything, all the corridor parties, promiscuous sex, hanging out at 4am... Seriously, hang the expense, stay in halls.

[Bendy]

Yeah if i was going to uni i wouldnt do anything else other than stay in halls!! I've stayed at friends halls and they seem like a right laugh.

[mark-2007]

Struff seems to have swung staying in halls for me, haha.

 

The local unis to me are Newcastle and Northumbria, both based in the centre of Newcastle. About an hour away on the Metro is Sunderland University, but I don't want to be around mackems too much

 

Newcastle is seemingly a good night-out, I've heard it referred to as having the best social scene in the country. I've also heard that said about Liverpool and Manchester though too, so that doesn't decide much. Still, as you've all said, I'll have to get to some open days in places. Nottingham did appeal to me, but then a family friend's daughter went there and a guy broke into her apartment and kept her hostage for her bank cards and all that, so that was a bit off-putting...

[Struff Bunstridge]

Nottingham did appeal to me, but then a family friend's daughter went there and a guy broke into her apartment and kept her hostage for her bank cards and all that, so that was a bit off-putting...

I've lived here for four years. Your family friend was unlucky, I reckon mate. Nottingham's got a pretty bad rep, but it really isn't as bad as people make out. Obviously there are places you don't go at night on your own, but there are places like that in every city, right?

[Rob.]

I live in Birmingham, and I didn't want to live at home, in the end I applied to;

 

Exeter

Cambridge

Durham

York

Loughbrough

 

All to study maths and Physics, by applying to Cambridge I got my UCAS form done early before other people in my year becuase the deadline for oxbridge is early.

Got offers from 4 of the above, had an interview at Cambridge but got declined, but I didn't really enjoy the place much really at all, like Swarz said, I want to have fun at uni.

 

I've chosen to go to Durham if my results go well to Study Maths and Physics, York is my insurance.

 

Definantly looking forward to going to Uni, but i'll miss aload of things too by moving away from home.

[Lioshenka]

 

I've heard it referred to as having the best social scene in the country.

Aberystwyth is We have most pubs per square mile than any other town in the UK. And they work 24/7.

 

And we ar the safest place in the UK to study too, I think we have the lowest level of Crime (in your face, Brighton !).