Playing mum as usual

Best of luck in what you do Maff

Ok. so hopefully if I can get the A and 2 B's that they want me to get, I'm going to be going off to York to do ?English and History. Failing tht though, I'm going to go to Birminham and do Medieval Studies. I'm really hoping that I get into York though, as I kinda went out and bought the text books already ! It was my mums fault...shes getting all excited ! Shes already gone out and got me a toaster and a kettle !!!

I'm really looking forward to the idea of uni - not too sure about all this being in debt malarky tho.

The debt is fine, don't worry about it till after you graduate, have fun, don't spend too much time in paid work it is not worth it. It effects your grades and destroys the university expierience. A low degree will hold you back in the future so don't think about earning money short term to avoid debt, it will be worse in the long run.

I am about to blow my debt to massive levels and worry about it after by starting a one year MSc in Northumbria (Newcastle) in Information and Library management, I will not be working (though may take a bar job for fun and socialising) just so I can go out every night and still be able to spend some of the day on my course.

Don't actually want to do the degree, but spent a whole year working having defered the course to think about it and hated the year, (Fell off a University campus "Royal Holloway" and could not cope). Then lost the chance to do another degree in film and television production, as felt the risk was to great of being unemployed and unable to pay back a 12,000 bank loan (Not student loan but career development loan) after it. So now I have no option but to hope I can get into halls and party for a year, maybe get an MSc as a bonus, then try and get a job in a university, party for a few more years then as I hit old age and mid 30's start a PHD, actually take the course seriously and then set myself up in a position to become a lecturer by my 40's or start to look for what kind of graduate jobs are available in the real world.

That may sound Crazy, but I don't seem able to adjust to non-university life, when I left Southampton University I did not adjust, I ended up doing a manual job for 10-12 hours a day 5-6 days a week for 3 years, cost a relationship but it meant I did not get a chance to think about how I was not able to just go to a students union with friends, then had a great year at Royal Holloway (as a member of staff pretty much spending all my time in the students union with friends) but it was a fixed graduate training contract and could not be extended beyond the year as it was designed to lead to library school, then moved away from there and again could not cope, but this time was unable to throw myself into a job as I was getting told off for doing more than 8 hours.

So I figure stay close to universities and just have fun in the students union till I grow up, I do know people who have grown up and say they do not wan't to be students again, but I think I have made being a student a career ambition.
Guess that was too much of a rant sorry.


(Edited by Gopher 10/07/2002 12:12)

I'm hopefully going to Huddersfield to do Theatre Studies and Media Studies combined, that's if I can get my 2 B's and a C!! I'm sure it'll all turn out alright in the end!!

I do want to go to uni but in a lot of ways i'd rather not, to be honest I want this summer (if you can at all call it a summer) to last forever!! It's not that uni scares me but I don't want to leave everything I have at home behind!! my friends, my boyfriend, my bed!!

I'm sure by the time september comes round i'll be a little more fine about the whole thing!! anyways.............i'll stop now!! hehe!!

Does anyone know when the GCSE results are?. My nephew has just taken his and i was wondering when in August the results are. He's planning on going into sixth form with a view to perhaps going on to teach physical science.. as he's very into sport amongst other things

They are on the 22nd of August I think...a week after the A Levels

Keenangel,
If he does not get the GCSE grades, which he probably will, just tell him it won't make any difference whatsoever to getting onto A-levels as doing GCSE's at college when 16-17 is far more fun, easy, better organised, normally more choice, relaxed than doing them at school. Then A levels can be done from 17-19 or even 18-20 before University.

Gopher: thanks for the advice, however well-meaning, but he's already got his heart set on sixth form. And thanks also to head2head for the date of the results

Another 12 Months and i'll be anxiously awaiting my GCSE Results -and still moaning that i'm too young

University, is now not long off for me (well 3 years) and i've got a fiar idea what i'd like to do. Mainly, i wanna end up going into Law or Journalism but i'm not going to do the specific courses, espeically if i want to procede into Journalism afterwards as i've heard that employers much prefer someone having a degree in something else.

I'd like to do something fairly wide, such as English, or Economics - but i'm still unsure.........


But i know how i'm gonna choose my uni - the one with the best bands playing

Best of luck to all those who are going off to uni this year. I'm sure you'll all have a great time

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by Ferretgirl
Mainly, i wanna end up going into Law or Journalism but i'm not going to do the specific courses, espeically if i want to procede into Journalism afterwards as i've heard that employers much prefer someone having a degree in something else.

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In my experience journos with degrees in journalism or media studies tend to end up with the Blackpool Evening Post or Shetland Radio, whereas ones with degrees in history, economics or english end up with the nationals.

Bear in mind that you don't have to do law to go into law - after a degree in (semi-random other subject) you can take the Common Proffessional Exam (CPE) to qualify as a solicitor.

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I'd like to do something fairly wide, such as English, or Economics - but i'm still unsure.........

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Economics is never a bad thing, but can be tricky to get on, you'll need a decent grade in maths at at least AS level, prefereably at A level esp. if you want to go LSE, UCL, oxbridge etc.

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But i know how i'm gonna choose my uni - the one with the best bands playing

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Leeds or London, go to Leeds for the full studenty effect (Leeds university is the studentiest place in the entire universe), or one of the London colleges to be in the capital - plus the obvious advantage over Leeds of not being oop norf

I'm waiting for my GCSE results!

Then college then university. I want to do a nursing degree at Bristol Uni.

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by Maffrew
I was reading Stake's thread about changing course at University

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Follow up!

It's gone pretty well so far i got onto the english and film studies course at my uni (Bristol UWE). It's just on a different campus. I was reaaallly lucky to get onto it as well since it was harder to get onto than law! When I did my A-levels i was predicted an A and 2 B's but because of personal reasons I ended up getting 2 c's and a D! Even so I still managed to get on to the law course i wanted to do at the uni I wanted so don't be too upset if you don't get the results you wanted they may still take you. But like I said i was really lucky to get this course i had to have an interview which was pretty nerve racking. Advice to anyone else going through that show you have a background interest in the subject and be prepared for the question, "If you couldn't succeed on your previous course what makes you think you can on this course", or something like that. Anyway everythings going really well i found a great house on the same road as my campus! So no excuses for not turning up for lectures. I also feel more excited about this course than the law one I did this year. My advice to anyone unsure of what course to take is to go to a university site and go to the list of course they have just look throught the list and see what appeals to you.

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by Stake
(quotes)so don't be too upset if you don't get the results you wanted they may still take you.

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Universities understand that some people do badly on exams, and allow for it - they place a lot of weight on your predicted grades and interviews. I needed ABB for my first choice, was predicted A A/B A/C but only got A C D, I got in without any trouble, inspite of having dropped 3 grades.

I'd make two suggestions - speak to your teachers about how you're doing, what grades they think you're capable of, and what work you need to do to achieve these grades - do this a week or two in advance of the UCAS forms being filled out; also when interviewing for universities try to do the unis/courses your less interested in first, this will let you practice before you have the 2 or 3 interviews you're particularly interested in.

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by Callum
or one of the London colleges to be in the capital -

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Do not go to one of the London colleges if you want Student life, everyone I know who has gone has said London sucks as a place to be a student,

It is too expensive, however most importantly it is too spread out, you rarely end up living near to the uni (stagering distance) (only your first year in halls can you get that close), you have to train or bus it back, most of the Students Unions are small and people just tend to go to non student nightclubs (student nights but open to anyone, so these tend to be more dangerous, particulary if you want to go off with someone you just met, at least on a campus or near campus environment you have the added security of knowing more or less where you are going, also a campus or near campus events means that you have more chance of meeting friends of friends, again more confirmation that that person is ok.
The Students Union at UCL is tiny (more like a college common room, ULU (University London Union tends to be underused. Kings and Imperial tend to have better reputations for student life than most of the other London based sites, halls closer to college, despite the science and medical degrees that they tend to do (I know they both do wider ranges) being very work intensive).
The only exception is one London College, the reason is that it is 15 miles from London and is in Surrey, in a small town and is totally campus based (well most people spend their second year in Englefied green (no Ali G jokes as he mentioned the Englefied Green massive). As it has to be self contained it has its own adequatly sized students union and is a safe campus to walk around drunk in and can despite its size put on large events. That one is Royal Holloway College.

From people I know who've gone to London universities, it seems mileage varies quite considerably. My brother is currently studying Russian at UCL and not really enjoying it, partly because of the money/travel problems. But then I have a friend who started at Durham, absolutely hated it and transferred to UCL in the 2nd year, and had a great time.

The student union situation is very strange - none of the London unions seem to be affiliated to the NUS, so when I went to visit (as a student in Manchester), I could only get in by being signed in as a guest, and it seems the colleges are very fragmented - in a city the size of London, you might think it would make sense for the students from all colleges to stick together, but that doesn't seem to be the case at all.

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by Ferretgirl
But i know how i'm gonna choose my uni - the one with the best bands playing

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For that I'd recommend Manchester. I spent much of my time as a student going to gigs, and there's a full range of venues, including 3 run by the Student Union.

Anyone heard anything about the reputation of Northumbria at Newcastle (or even Newcastle University as from what I am told students from both end up at each others Students unions).

I am going in September, but am having second thoughts, especially as I decided finally to go when I was feeling very unsettled living in London, now I am starting to settle into London.

From what I can tell Newcastle has a great student reputation, but would like to hear from anyone who has experienced it.

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by Dru's Dead Bird
I'm hopefully going to Huddersfield to do Theatre Studies and Media Studies combined,

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I live near Huddersfield!

If you end up going there, drop a mail and we can meet up if you like