If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options
Uni !
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Today I went to the local Uni and they had little stalls from 110 different universities in England and it got me thinking about what Uni I would like to go to (if I decide to go).
Would any one recommend going to Uni and if so which one?
So far I like the look of Leeds, Southampton, Northampton, Bournemouth and Portsmouth.
Also when you're at Uni what sort of living arrangements would you recommend?
And for those of you that have graduated, are you doing a job that's relevant to what you studied at Uni?
Oh and one more question (sorry!) how bad is the debt damage and did you spend some of the money on other things?
If any one has the time to reply it would be really helpful as I don't have any mates that have graduated (although I've got a few that are currently both at Uni but I haven't seen one friend in ages and the other two hate it).
Thanks
Would any one recommend going to Uni and if so which one?
So far I like the look of Leeds, Southampton, Northampton, Bournemouth and Portsmouth.
Also when you're at Uni what sort of living arrangements would you recommend?
And for those of you that have graduated, are you doing a job that's relevant to what you studied at Uni?
Oh and one more question (sorry!) how bad is the debt damage and did you spend some of the money on other things?
If any one has the time to reply it would be really helpful as I don't have any mates that have graduated (although I've got a few that are currently both at Uni but I haven't seen one friend in ages and the other two hate it).
Thanks
Post edited by JustV on
0
Comments
Well, i went to uni...twice. lol
I started on a course at Leeds but decided it wasn't the right uni or the right course of me, so i left.
However, i then decided after a year off that i did want to go to uni. So i went and had a look at some others and settled on Sheff Hallam.
I'd definately suggest you go and look at your prospective univerisity choices. Don't just rely on what you've seen in a book. Remember that you will be spending 2-4 years of your life here, so it's definately worth a look round.
Uni life is good - living arrangements are up to you, but the norm is usually sharing with some other freshers, then getting a place in the 2nd year with your mates.
Yes there is the debt side of things, but i am so glad i went back to uni. I've met some great people - both students and lecturers who have changed my life. Some of them will be life long friends.
I've now got a job related to my degree and am earning a healthy £24k, which means i have to repay my loan. lol. However (even though a certain tax man steals about £550 a month) i still only repay about £100 a month on my loan, which at present is affordable.
Yep, i did spend some of my loan on other things, so did many people lol. Mine was stuff like general living and car insurance etc, whereas others preferred to spend it on stuff sold by the volume. lol.:thumb:
I had a part time job which helped to pay for my stuff though :yes:
Good luck with your decision.
(2) Putting together most of the advice I've received when I asked a similar question to my mates... "I think it depends how much you want to be involved in university life. If you want to enjoy the more social aspects of things and want to be close to the university, halls is probably a good bet for your first year. If you're going just to get a degree, you can live away and probably won't be affected. But bear in mind how much halls is going to cost you if you do go - always worth remembering the financial aspects nowadays."
living arrangements depend on what sort of person you are and what you want - when i first started uni i lived in halls and loved it. when i moved unis and started a new course, i lived in a house first and loved it just as much.
:yes:
northampton is really nice, it's not a 'top' uni or particularly esteemed as yet but it's very green and has a nice environment. and a good union :yes:
Depends on:
- Where you live (you'll get more loan if you live away from home)
- How much grant/loan you get
As for how lon it takes to pay back - it's related to your income.
I post on a student forum and someone decided it was a good idea to spend their grant/loan on a laptop.:eek2:
I went to an open day on Saturday and they gave out some pieces of paper which explain roughly how much money you'll pay back when you earn a certain amount of money. I will post it later if I can find it.
I'm in my final year, I've been here 4 years, I started uni before top-up fees, and I'm in debt in the order of £12,000 to £15,000. I try not to think about it too much.
I think with the new system it'll be twice as much ish.
Basically the only really good reason to do uni is because you really want to as I did. It helps that I'm doing a vocational degree (mech eng), and the average starting salary is about £20K and the average stable salary after several years of experience once chartered it's £50K+.
Any degree can give you a head start on the salary ladder, but like I said, it's only worth it if you actually want to do uni in the first place.
as soon as i got to leeds. that was it. i knew it was the place that i wanted to go
good luck
It all depends on the course as well, doctors for instance are at uni longer and rack up more debt.
what course are you taking!?
Modern History and Politics. I get lots of money and grants because I come from a poor background.
Top up fees? Sound familiar?
I recommend Leeds. If you do go to Leeds I recommend you go self-catering and have a good think about which accommodation you go to. My first year halls was very expensive for what I got, in comparison to over places too.
Debt management depends on your circumstances, in year 1 I found myself in a situation where I didn't get much because my mum and step dad earnt enough to reduce my grant to almost nothing. I get no support from them financial so I was dependant on a job to keep me going. THing have got easier this year as the bar has raised and their income has dropped a little, so the grant has gone up.
So you can see that my situation is quite unique, but I think if it something you want to do, you will survive. I know I came to uni very worried about finances but I was prepared to go through whatever it takes to survive!
HTH
Steve