University

[ScouseFox]

I'd assume, as with pretty much every place in the world, it has good and bad parts, and good and bad points. For example you tell people you live in Liverpool and they think there's burnt out cars on the corner of you street, boarded up windows on most houses, groups of kids lashing things at you as you walk down the street etc. Well yeah, it is, if you live in the shit part.

From what I've found out so far, Swansea University is on a beach, which is cool.

(I actually want to go to Birmingham, which again is shit in parts but bits of it are fucking cool.)

[Houdini Logic]

I'd assume, as with pretty much every place in the world, it has good and bad parts, and good and bad points. For example you tell people you live in Liverpool and they think there's burnt out cars on the corner of you street, boarded up windows on most houses, groups of kids lashing things at you as you walk down the street etc. Well yeah, it is, if you live in the shit part.

From what I've found out so far, Swansea University is on a beach, which is cool.

(I actually want to go to Birmingham, which again is shit in parts but bits of it are fucking cool.)

But with Liverpool or Glasgow or anywhere considered a bit rough that's generally on the estates.

Both of those cities have amazing city centres and well worth going to uni there, whereas even the centre of Swansea is a boarded up chav mess. I can't stress this enough, and I know I'm going to upset people saying this, but please do not go uni there - it's a hole!

Cardiff is a lovely place, go there!

[ScouseFox]

But with Liverpool or Glasgow or anywhere considered a bit rough that's generally on the estates.

Both of those cities have amazing city centres and well worth going to uni there, whereas even the centre of Swansea is a boarded up chav mess. I can't stress this enough, and I know I'm going to upset people saying this, but please do not go uni there - it's a hole!

Cardiff is a lovely place, go there!

Haha well I've gotta stop over if I go for an interview so I'll go down for a few days and form my own opinions and that. It's 4th choice anyway, after Brum, Bangor and Leicester.

And you've got to be clever to go to Cardiff!

[Houdini Logic]

Haha well I've gotta stop over if I go for an interview so I'll go down for a few days and form my own opinions and that. It's 4th choice anyway, after Brum, Bangor and Leicester.

And you've got to be clever to go to Cardiff!

May as well then...

Birmingham is great fun if you choose the right place to live and Leicester is actually a good uni city if you're not from here already (I went Leics and sadly wished I went somewhere I hadn't already been for twenty odd years!).

I'm sure you'll make the right choice and wherever you go you'll love it

[Father Ted]

I did physics, not at any of those but i did apply to warwick. Any questions?!

Where did you go? Im assuming youve finished... Did you do a masters? Was it hard to find a job after, what jobs did people go into after? Did you find it a lot more challenging compared to A-level? Was the maths ridiculous at any times?

[Frost]

Probably not relevant, but Sunderland didn't look great when I passed through on the Megabus...

Correct.

Sunderland is pretty damn awful. I wouldn't dream of going to half the places, yet I live in the second roughest area.

There are some 'decent' parts, but generally its about 10 years behind.

[DB11]

I don't like Uni. Never really wanted to go, but hey, you need a degree nowadays

I only do academic related things to do with Uni, too, so no student lifestyle

[lcfcadam]

I don't like Uni. Never really wanted to go, but hey, you need a degree nowadays

I only do academic related things to do with Uni, too, so no student lifestyle

I'm in the process of quitting university in my 2nd year, not prepared to put up with it any longer. No one should believe what they get told about "needing a degree" - your chances of employment these days seem pretty similar whether you're a graduate or a school-leaver anyway. Definitely think more emphasis should be put on getting practical skills whilst you're young, earning a decent amount of cash (and hopefully saving some of it), and then going in to further education as a mature student when you're financially stable and you can actually concentrate on your study.

That said, I have absolutely no regrets about coming to uni in the first place as moving away from home and making all my new friends and getting a whole load of new experiences has been awesome. Basically I feel like I've got all I needed to out of university and the actual degree isn't an important part of it, if that makes any sense...

[leicsmac]

Thought I would bump this as it is the time of year again that Uni applications, etc begin.

Anybody studied/studying Physics and/or is at UCL, Warwick, Nottingham, Leicester, Lougborough, Leeds or York??

Did Physics at Leicester a few years ago, going on to postgrad next year at Cranfield Uni after a couple of years working to raise money for it.

Would recommend Leicester for its Physics course - good course structure, good department, good academic staff and support structure and plenty of expensive cool toys to break in your main project in final year.

Also the specialist areas - Astrophysics/Space Science etc are very good and well-taught too.

[The Doctor]

One thing I would say is, don't go to Leicester if you already live there, or at the very least move into halls instead of staying at home.

Going to uni should be as much about growing as a person and life experience as the course and degree at the end of it. You need to get out of your comfort zone at home and push yourself, get experience of living independently.

[Guest Bilo]

Agree with LargeAl on moving out.

It's far more conducive to growing as a person than staying at home, give you some experience of independence and living with people who aren't your immediate family. Most of the people I met at uni who didn't move out were either mature students with existing commitments, regretting missing out on the whole student life experience by the third year or really rather dull.

Generalisations are kind of my speciality by the way.

[Leicester_Loyal]

Hoping to do Business Management at DMU.

Don't think I'll be moving out, its about 6k a year in living costs.

[Langston]

Moving out is essential, in my opinion (unless the desired course in your given field is in Leicester) - no matter how daunting it may be. Everyone else, for the most part, will be in the same situation as you, experiencing living independently for the first time, once you start to socialise you'll not wonder what the worry was about.

When I moved out I was eighteen and went to UCL - was completely overwhelmed by everything to begin with but ended up having the time of my life living in Camden during my studies. Ended up finding my girlfriend of what's now four years (who I share a flat with), I've landed a sweet job I know I'm lucky to be in, made some great friends, and can generally reflect on a class time.

[Leicester Lass]

Thought I would bump this as it is the time of year again that Uni applications, etc begin.

Anybody studied/studying Physics and/or is at UCL, Warwick, Nottingham, Leicester, Lougborough, Leeds or York??

I'm in my fourth year doing Physics now, at Birmingham mind, but let me know if you've got any questions.

[lcfc"weasel"]

Anyone else taking a year out?

[RobHawk]

I'd assume, as with pretty much every place in the world, it has good and bad parts, and good and bad points. For example you tell people you live in Liverpool and they think there's burnt out cars on the corner of you street, boarded up windows on most houses, groups of kids lashing things at you as you walk down the street etc. Well yeah, it is, if you live in the shit part.

From what I've found out so far, Swansea University is on a beach, which is cool.

(I actually want to go to Birmingham, which again is shit in parts but bits of it are fucking cool.)

I work at Swansea university! Came down to go to Uni and lived here ever since! If you wanna know anything about Swansea Uni let me know!

We are the 2nd closest University to a beach in the world! and completely surrounded buy singleton park! Great place to work and sudy in my bias opinion!

[ajthefox]

I really couldn't reccommend moving out highly enough.

I have a few mates who haven't left home and they are the same person they were 3 years ago whereas the rest of have changed.

Whilst fucking about and getting pissed are a big part of uni life, there is so much more to it. It's a completely different lifestyle and it really will change you. To be really blunt, the student experience IS moving out and living away from home, the actual degree isn't part of it.

You'll regret not moving out if you dont.

[m00nie]

my daughter is looking at going to leicester uni, just had an offer from there. she went to look at a few but preferred this, shes got her self a part time job, passed her test, got a car so shes happy as she is.. city season ticket holder also so she wont lose out on that ..

older daughter is in her last year at northampton uni but she tends to come back every weekend anyway so....

[ousefox]

Applied to LSE, Durham and Newcastle to do either Business Management or Sociology.

Anyone on here been to any of them?

[lavrentis]

Move out.

[Christoph]

Thing is about moving out. Your looking at paying 9 grand a year plus another 4-5 grand for accomidation and living expenses. Thats looking aroudn £39,000 in debt. I agree, living away from home is definitely better for the experience (trust me, i live at home! And the worst part is i live about 4 miles away from uni) but if you can find some good friends then you'll find you wont miss it as much as you think. I do hate living at home sometimes, but when I come round my friends house and see the absolute pits they live in, the complete shit they eat and the amount of money there paying all the time, it makes me glad im living at home. I'd say only live at home if you have a good solid relationship with your parents though, where you get along with them and pretty independent to do what you want. As i've had pretty much the same social side of it then if i lived away, as any parties that go on, people in your lectures and your friends will just tell you. You just have to get yourself involved more. Saying that, if you have money to blow then go for it. I'm just not sure getting in £39,000 odd in debt with a media studies degree is going to be something you want when your older. Live at halls for the first year would be the best idea though, then the 2nd and 3rd you can live with your parents and you'll be able to knuckle down with work easier as your friends wont be there distracting you.

I'm in my third year of uni right now. Driving me mad and I can certainly say the novelty has well and truly worn off. **** dissertations.

[themotivator]

i went to uni to study something i was interested in and wanted to get better at. i spent time learning and gaining important skills. moved out of home and lived with some amazing people. ended up with a 2:1, but havent bothered to pick up the degree certificate because i had a £60 library fine. skipped graduation too.

im now in the final stages of setting up my own not for profit company as a director only a few months after i graduated.

wouldn't advise anyone without any kind of passion for something other than scratching their own arse and getting pissed on a friday night to go to uni.

also about 80% of people i came into contact with were utter utter douchebags.

[Unit]

i went to uni to study something i was interested in and wanted to get better at. i spent time learning and gaining important skills. moved out of home and lived with some amazing people. ended up with a 2:1, but havent bothered to pick up the degree certificate because i had a £60 library fine. skipped graduation too.

im now in the final stages of setting up my own not for profit company as a director only a few months after i graduated.

wouldn't advise anyone without any kind of passion for something other than scratching their own arse and getting pissed on a friday night to go to uni.

also about 80% of people i came into contact with were utter utter douchebags.

Agreed, there's a lot of rich kids that get a superiority complex at uni. For example yesterday I asked a lad if his Bursary had been paid in as mine hadn't, his genuine reply was "I don't get one, I'm not poor like you" without any injection of sarcasm or humour. Just wow.

Also, I've not enjoyed uni one bit, in my third year now.

Edit: thought I'd clarify my reasons for hating uni, I don't know how it is for everybody else but I feel my course hasn't prepared me in any way for the sort of jobs I will hopefully be getting post-degree (McDonalds...) and has instead focused on the dull, overly snobbish and academic bullshit that I can't imagine any real life boss would be interested in.

I do have one module which focuses much more heavily on the practical side, the tutor works in the industry outside of uni and so his module is by far the most interesting and useful. DMU have come down on him for not being academic enough, ridiculous.

[Houdini Logic]

wouldn't advise anyone without any kind of passion for something other than scratching their own arse and getting pissed on a friday night to go to uni.

Eh? Getting pissed on a Friday night is for those of us that work.

Getting pissed for a tenner on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday is the reason to go uni, and probably the most important reason of them all.

Live a little...

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

Opposing everything which has basically been said so far............

I have recently turned 20, left sixth form in 2010 with three A-Levels at B,C,C grades. I absolutely didnt want to go to university at all, a few reasons really, but it never appealed to me.

Since leaving school I can now drive and have had a couple of jobs, currently working at Lidl (decent job, wouldnt say I enjoy it but its not too bad most of the time). I'm also in training (near to completing) to become a Special Constable with Cambridgeshire Police, with the view of joining as a regular in a couple of years or so (they generally only recruit from Specials and PCSO's now).

I'm still really glad I didnt go, I'm earning at the moment and am certainly not going to be looking at 40K debt in a couple of years.

I suppose there is also the chance I will regret not going in later life, though at the moment Icant see myself ever thinking that. And I could always go later in life anyway, but it still doesnt appeal to me at all.