Uni's

[shiato storm]

when I applied - some time ago - it was to
UCL
King's
Imperial
Bristol
Southampton
Nottingham

...I ended up at UCL which was as planned. though on reflection, and having spent time there I'd say King's is probably nicer, then i'd chose Bristol. Sadly you get a load of Oxford/Cambridge rejects at Bristol, loads of them wandering around with more than just a chip on the shoulders - there's hardly a shoulder there at all - complaining about how good they really are, I'd pilotely remind them if they were as good as they claim they'd actually be in oxford or cambridge...
and I wouldn't go to imperial (or 'gimp-erial') 'cause its full of arrogant rich rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishs - ok so I probably would have fit in but i'm not that arrogant or a rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish

[Aaron]

I applied to:

Imperial (ABB at A-level required)
Surrey (BB*)
UMIST (BBC)
Leeds (BBC)
Reading (CCC)
Liverpool (DD*)

..to do physics.

Imperial was over-crowded and too inpersonal (120 people to a class!), UMIST in Manchester was too windy and rainy for me, Liverpool was a dump (IMO).

Surrey, Leeds and Reading seemed pretty nice to me. Friendly staff, smaller class sizes and a decent enough social life. In the end I put down Surrey as my first choice and Reading as my back-up. Got into my first choice and haven't looked back since then.

[shiato storm]

i'd agree with you on imperial - just soulless there isn't it. And manchester,leeds, or liverpool, well who wants to go there?
go reading. i had a look round there, was nice.

[bertie]

I have a mate at reading finding it great, and my brother went to visit him and thought likewise.

[Zak33]

University of Life.....


err.....

I'll bugger off now

[Slick]

Originally posted by Elmo
slick, who pays for your accomodation and uni fees?

not the government like they do for you if you were born in Scotland

[ACiD303]

not the government like they do for you if you were born in Scotland

This wasnt the case when I went into Uni (way hey, I owe someone else money!)

A fair majority of Edinburgh Uni's students (not from Edinburgh) have got sound financial backing behind them. Everybody struggles (as that is what a student is really about) but for students to study then live (even for a while) in Edinburgh, it is expensive.

an avg rental price for a flat (nothing flash within walking distance of city centre) £200 pppm for 4 people - in Glasgow, you're probably talking about £25-30 less pppm for something ALOT nicer - much cheaper council tax too. And the difference is less than an hour by either bus or train.

[Slick]

Originally posted by ACiD303
This wasnt the case when I went into Uni (way hey, I owe someone else money!)

well they effectively do as they pay for your tuition fees so you can use your loan for accomodation. Wherever you go to uni you'll be short of money, don't worry about it, run up debt and have a great time, it's all part of the student experience.

[ACiD303]

well they effectively do as they pay for your tuition fees so you can use your loan for accomodation.

No, if your household income was too low, they'll pay your tuition fees. The loan was "optional" - in that since you were pretty much skint anyway, you'd have to take it. I tried not taking it, but not working, no other financial backing and going to uni meant by 2nd term I had no other choice.

"free" tuition wasnt reintroduced till after I left, but during my time at the uni, there were plenty of people who had to pay £1k per term (born in Scotland or not) - the only difference was the last year was for free because we have 4 year courses (for the benefit of those who do 1 year Scottish Highers as opposed to 2 year A-Levels).

Before all this, you got paid grants to go to Uni (so it actually benefitted to go to Scotland for education coz you get another year's paid pissing about) - I missed out by one year.

[shiato storm]

i hate the current gov. - as soon as they're through university they go and make impossible for anyone else to go...selfish buggers is all I can think.
students now coming out with more debt than ever it'll take years to get anywhere near enough mone to pay them off especially if you do something like vet. medicine or medicine where its 5+ years...
this country is in a state.

[Aaron]

* Aaron plays the devils advocate

I kind of agree with what the government is doing actually.

You're going to be the prime beneficiary to any degree you do, so why shouldn't you pay some money towards it?

At least with the new scheme you don't have to pay anything until after you start earning a fairly decent wage. Surely that's better than the current scheme where you have to cough up the money up front, when you're not working?

The NUS seem to be arguing that it's actually the country that benefits most from a well-educated population - we need doctors and engineers and (dare I say it) lawyers after all. If you ask me, that arguement is complete bollocks. Sure we do, but do we really need another 100,000 media studies graduates? Why should the average man on the street have to pay for them to watch films all day when a lot of people learning profressions that we do need, like electricians and plumbers, aren't getting any assistance? If you are doing a degree in an area that the country does need then the laws of supply and demand mean that you will find employment easy to find after graduation and will earn enough money to pay back the fees in an acceptable period of time.

What I don't agree with are varying fees for different universities, and I'd rather see the starting point for payback at £20,000 pa rather than £15,000 pa, but the new system sounds a lot better than having to pay up front. This system has already been introduced in a number of countries, including Australia, where they have seen a surge in applications from people from poorer backgrounds.

especially if you do something like vet. medicine or medicine where its 5+ years...

How much does the average doctor or vet earn? Enough to pay off a £15,000 debt, I'd reckon.

[shiato storm]

not when you start off straight after finishing at uni...you have to work up from being junior house doctor through all these pissy little levels before you can even afford a place of your own so its more than 5yrs that you run debt up. you are at uni for 5yrs but buggered for a good 2 or 3 more...

[ACiD303]

At least with the new scheme you don't have to pay anything until after you start earning a fairly decent wage. Surely that's better than the current scheme where you have to cough up the money up front, when you're not working?

I thought this was the only scheme? Loan repayment isnt coming off my paycheck (which is weekly) unless Im earning a certain amount. Though they might as well not bother with the £1 - £15 varying amounts they keep deducting - I wont have paid that much off by the time Im 55 when it gets nulled.

The NUS seem to be arguing that it's actually the country that benefits most from a well-educated population - we need doctors and engineers and (dare I say it) lawyers after all. If you ask me, that arguement is complete bollocks. Sure we do, but do we really need another 100,000 media studies graduates? Why should the average man on the street have to pay for them to watch films all day when a lot of people learning profressions that we do need, like electricians and plumbers, aren't getting any assistance? If you are doing a degree in an area that the country does need then the laws of supply and demand mean that you will find employment easy to find after graduation and will earn enough money to pay back the fees in an acceptable period of time.

The problem with supply and demand is that there is always going to be a "demand" for a certain area - and by the time people catch on, all of a sudden, there's too many graduates coming out with relevant qualifications and demand decreases past saturation. So people end up getting normal everyday jobs like me.

If you want to fill a gap in the industries and markets, then why not at least pay part of their education as an incentive? (other than other faculties will start raising questions of why their departments arent as important).

Alot of extremely bright people cannot go to university these days because of the fees and the government proposals - before, it was there if you wanted to go. And alot of people did because there was incentive (yes, call them greedy buggers if you want) - we are more educated as a population.

Capitalism at its best once again, the rich are favoured and the poor have less opportunitys.

[TomWilko]

I study Business Information Systems at Nottingham Trent, FANTASTIC UNI, FANTASTIC CITY (I live here so bound to be biased ) If you can handle the 'potential' crime that goes with City's like ours then come along!

[Zathras]

Originally posted by shiato storm
Sadly you get a load of Oxford/Cambridge rejects at Bristol, loads of them wandering around with more than just a chip on the shoulders - there's hardly a shoulder there at all - complaining about how good they really are, I'd pilotely remind them if they were as good as they claim they'd actually be in oxford

Hehe, soooo true. We (Oxford) took great delight in reminding Bristol of this fact when we stuffed them at BUSC '01 in the slalom, and most of the other events too. I'm sure I've still got some of the banner I stole guerilla-stylee from the fifth floor of their hotel

[Frosty]

Well thanks guys soz i didn't reply earlier just been off compy. Notice most of info on Edinburg, its my top choice but, its a high order and v popular so ill have to cross my fingers.One of the reasons im moving out of London is the prices tbh and aslong as its cheaper than london then yah!

4 financial stuff it'll mostly be student loans and workage, perhaps some small help from parents but i grudge to take any help (the whole independance thing lol )

lol as for Portsmoth its my only bk-up, but twas surprised to hear 1 guy saying it will let any 1 in considering course was asking for A-B-C(top) and lowest B-C-C (quite a spread i know thats why i chose it as a bk up )

Good to hear summit bout Nottingham-Trent considering i know nout about it tah

No new bout leicester?? surprising cos its my second choice,be nice to hear summit bout it.

Oh and b4 i forget i wanna do English Literature , sadly nay to do with computer directly Noticed some1 say Reading, woulda loved to go there but were asking like A-A-B, and im not getting that lol

And once again id just like to thank u lot for all feed bk, appreciated.

Adam