# University in the UK



## vanilla90 (Jun 22, 2010)

Is quite possibly the stupidest system of bollocks I've ever seen in my entire life. Where you are basically building a future debt by eating cut price ready meals, having extremely limited "teaching" and worrying every sodding hour if your student loan will kick in before your landlord throws you out. 

Maybe if the government just gave me a grant to snort cocaine every other weekend, instead of labelling it "education" I'd be moderately content. I'd happily pay to socialise and get hammered every weekend, without the added dribble that is university.

Education as we know it doesn't teach us any actual SKILLS to make us better people, it doesn't open our eyes to the wonders of the world, it doesn't make you interested to explore the finer details of this weird life. It just grinds you down, and beats you until you end up walking in line and comforming to this joke of a culture.

Is there a place where I can sign out of this awful social structure??


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## Donnie in the Dark (Mar 15, 2011)

I'm actually at uni to learn about Politics and Sociology, and have a stepping stone between living at home and completely moving out. I've moved out of my comfort zone and tried some new things, and met some interesting people. 
And of course I've also met lots of dull people, and I've dodged lots of awful nights out, and had to learn to live with housemates.
I'm not worried about the debt. I think tuition should be free, but it isn't too bad at the moment in that I won't have to pay it until I'm earning enough to afford to do so. That said, my loan hasn't been enough for living costs this year and I am using my overdraft.

"_Education as we know it doesn't teach us any actual SKILLS to make us better people, it doesn't open our eyes to the wonders of the world, it doesn't make you interested to explore the finer details of this weird life. It just grinds you down, and beats you until you end up walking in line and comforming to this joke of a culture._"

That really depends what you study. The sociology department at my uni is actually quite subversive with its material and teaching.


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## vanilla90 (Jun 22, 2010)

Very valid points, yet it's another differing opinion among many. I appreciate the insight though, very helpful. Situatonal, I guess. The whole process of applying is stressing me out, I don't know if taking a gap year and working will help me evaluate my future sigh


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## Donnie in the Dark (Mar 15, 2011)

vanilla90 said:


> Very valid points, yet it's another differing opinion among many. I appreciate the insight though, very helpful. Situatonal, I guess. The whole process of applying is stressing me out, I don't know if taking a gap year and working will help me evaluate my future sigh


 It's a difficult decision. I've grown a lot from being at uni, but I know people who haven't enjoyed it so much either. And, whilst I have enough people I get on with, I definitely don't "fit in" with student life, and I never really got into a social group really. 
My advice would be if you think you want to do it, do it without taking a year out, which could just turn into ear of a year of nothing. But of course if you really don't know, a year out might help. A bit of travelling would be a great experience, although money limits the options I know....

What are you thinking of studying?


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## vanilla90 (Jun 22, 2010)

Donnie in the Dark said:


> It's a difficult decision. I've grown a lot from being at uni, but I know people who haven't enjoyed it so much either. And, whilst I have enough people I get on with, I definitely don't "fit in" with student life, and I never really got into a social group really.
> My advice would be if you think you want to do it, do it without taking a year out, which could just turn into ear of a year of nothing. But of course if you really don't know, a year out might help. A bit of travelling would be a great experience, although money limits the options I know....
> 
> What are you thinking of studying?


Hmm yeah, I don't see myself "fitting in" much either. I have a little bit of money I could use for travelling if I take a gap year, European rail passes are cheap when bought in bulk. But a year of nothing will look bad and make it hard to get a place the year after.

English literature... But my grades have slipped, crashed and then burned. I'm currently targeted A B C and I need A A B in order to get a shot at the Russell group ones. It's a shame, I'm a very talented writer, I just find it hard to put the work in, and I lack a lot of motivation :/ My UCAS is currently in limbo because I need to choose a few more realistic choices, or I'll end up with only one or two offers. Really, I'm not getting an offer from somewhere like Newcastle or Sheffield with my grades at the moment.


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## Rixy (Oct 4, 2009)

Take a year out and get a job if you're not sure. Think about what you want as a career and then find out how to get there. Too many people go to university for the experience which doesn't seem like a good idea in the long run.


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## Paper Samurai (Oct 1, 2009)

Rixy said:


> Take a year out and get a job if you're not sure. Think about what you want as a career and then find out how to get there. *Too many people go to university for the experience *which doesn't seem like a good idea in the long run.


Yes, this sadly. People love the idea of the student lifestyle and new experiences, learning has very much become secondary.

University has become watered down to an extent as well, they want to cram as many paying students in as possible - so they offer a lot of duff courses for with only 5-6 hours of lectures a week. It's got to point where I would only recommend going to uni for a technical subject.

And remember, university does not make you more skilled in the classical sense of the word. What I mean by that is it does not provide you with higher employability chances - you couldn't walk into a job after graduating. You are more knowledgeable particularly when it comes to theory and perhaps writing a mean essay but you haven't learnt something that could be put to use by an employer. Case in point, the huge amount of university graduates who are unemployed right now who thought a degree was their ticket to success.

I went to uni, payed 3K a year tuition - and afterwards still felt that was over paying lol. The ridiculous prices you guys have to pay is simply not worth it 9 times out of 10.


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## march_hare (Jan 18, 2006)

I wish I'd never done it.
Or at least studied something that I got a practical skill out of. I did English lit and History.
It was fun. But I could have had lots of fun in three years studying something useful too.


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## tiredofitall (Sep 2, 2013)

You get out what you put in. But it is extremely overpriced. I study physics and I've learnt a lot about the world.


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## kiirby (Oct 8, 2010)

Consider why you want to go, and try not to complain about the debt and the uselessness of a degree as if you were forced into it.


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## vanilla90 (Jun 22, 2010)

Rixy said:


> Take a year out and get a job if you're not sure. Think about what you want as a career and then find out how to get there. Too many people go to university for the experience which doesn't seem like a good idea in the long run.


Will bear this in mind, good advice.



Paper Samurai said:


> And remember, university does not make you more skilled in the classical sense of the word. What I mean by that is it does not provide you with higher employability chances - you couldn't walk into a job after graduating. You are more knowledgeable particularly when it comes to theory and perhaps writing a mean essay but you haven't learnt something that could be put to use by an employer. Case in point, the huge amount of university graduates who are unemployed right now who thought a degree was their ticket to success.


I agree, it doesn't really supply life skills like a job abroad, or a sponsorship, or an internship somewhere. Yet people still think it is rather sought after? Maybe for the top universities, but for anything else it's kind of pointless.



march_hare said:


> I wish I'd never done it.
> Or at least studied something that I got a practical skill out of. I did English lit and History.
> It was fun. But I could have had lots of fun in three years studying something useful too.


English lit was my choice, and I'm weighing up switching it for Film and Media studies, because I've always had this dream of being a film producer haha.



tiredofitall said:


> You get out what you put in. But it is extremely overpriced. I study physics and I've learnt a lot about the world.


Yup, although I guess that is true for everything. I wish having a good work ethic came free!



kiirby said:


> Consider why you want to go, and try not to complain about the debt and the uselessness of a degree as if you were forced into it.


You are always rather bitter Kiirby and it's quite irritating. I'm not sure why I want to go, I'm not sure of anything, and not many people my age are. The way college promotes university it isn't a far off it being forced, there isn't much information given for other options.


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## WhatBITW (Jan 26, 2013)

One thing you shouldn't do is just rush into it and think that you automatically need to go straight from high school (or however it works in the UK prior to university) just for the experience and so that you aren't left behind your peers. This is how I thought - I just chose subjects that I had some sort of interest in and left it at that, and not to deter you in any way, but it ended terribly for me due to several issues but the fact that I hadn't planned out things in advance and thought situations through played a big part. 

As for your choice to do English Lit, I don't know about the UK but here, degrees in humanities subjects like that just aren't going to secure you a career and get you good jobs. Personally I like these sorts of subjects and therefore I've had a hard time over the past year wondering what career I want and what I would study when I go back to uni. 

The way I see it is that successful careers are going to come from technical, in demand areas like software engineering, and all those sorts of flashy IT degrees at polytechnics (technical schools - usually considered subpar to university) or the big degrees at university like law, engineering, the sciences, and of course, medicine. Of course these cost a lot more and require a sizeable amount of ambition and pre-existing skill. 

I think it's all just a case of knowing what you really want which often has to come with experience.


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## Donnie in the Dark (Mar 15, 2011)

I did English lit as a minor in my first year, and it was pretty brilliant.


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## Paper Samurai (Oct 1, 2009)

kiirby said:


> Consider why you want to go, and try not to complain about the debt and the uselessness of a degree as if you were forced into it.





vanilla90 said:


> You are always rather bitter Kiirby and it's quite irritating. I'm not sure why I want to go, I'm not sure of anything, and not many people my age are. The way college promotes university it isn't a far off it being forced, there isn't much information given for other options.


Kiirby's just a loveable cynic really :b Him and me have manly tussles on this forum from time to time (with words of course) but he's a good guy deep down I reckon.


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## vanilla90 (Jun 22, 2010)

WhatBITW said:


> One thing you shouldn't do is just rush into it and think that you automatically need to go straight from high school...
> 
> I think it's all just a case of knowing what you really want which often has to come with experience.


I think the huge jump in responsibility is quite daunting. People have their hands held too much at high school, which makes it seem like such a huge jump. I do wonder how different things would feel if people were given more responsibility at a younger age.



Donnie in the Dark said:


> I did English lit as a minor in my first year, and it was pretty brilliant.


Hmm yeah, I've had a number of conflicting reports about the course. I've heard some people say it's not too great. Probably depends on the uniersity.



Paper Samurai said:


> Kiirby's just a loveable cynic really :b Him and me have manly tussles on this forum from time to time (with words of course) but he's a good guy deep down I reckon.


He doesn't seem to hold back with the punches. Shame he doesn't hit that hard. It's cute. Like David Bowie, he has a good post maybe every other year.










I'm joking I think he's ok, reminds me of me. We'd make for a cute couple.


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## Paper Samurai (Oct 1, 2009)

vanilla90 said:


> He doesn't seem to hold back with the punches. Shame he doesn't hit that hard. It's cute. *Like David Bowie, he has a good post maybe every other year.*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


lol, gunna have to remember that quip :teeth


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## dal user (Dec 25, 2012)

It might be what you say it is but if you dont go your choices will be limited. Its either get a dead end 9 to 5 or hit the streets and sell drugs and i doubt you'd want to sell drugs. REALITY.


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## vanilla90 (Jun 22, 2010)

Rich91 said:


> It might be what you say it is but if you dont go your choices will be limited. Its either get a dead end 9 to 5 or hit the streets and sell drugs and i doubt you'd want to sell drugs. REALITY.


I think that is quite hyperbolic. I went to a good school and I'm currently at the "NUMBER ONE COLLEGE IN THE COUNTRY" or so the adverts say (I do think that is debatable). Choices aren't limited at all for someone in my position, infact I'd say I'm rather employable.


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## dal user (Dec 25, 2012)

vanilla90 said:


> I think that is quite hyperbolic. I went to a good school and I'm currently at the "NUMBER ONE COLLEGE IN THE COUNTRY" or so the adverts say (I do think that is debatable). Choices aren't limited at all for someone in my position, infact I'd say I'm rather employable.


Yeah maybe you are.

some people have no choice but to take to the streets tbh. I can see myself going down that route eventually, not that I want to but its hard without any qualifications.


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## vanilla90 (Jun 22, 2010)

Rich91 said:


> Yeah maybe you are.
> 
> some people have no choice but to take to the streets tbh. I can see myself going down that route eventually, not that I want to but its hard without any qualifications.


Damn, have you thought about maybe looking at some courses at a university? Anything you're interested in? You're really not as unintelligent as you think you are, I think you can definately get some qualifications. Just needs some self belief.


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## dal user (Dec 25, 2012)

vanilla90 said:


> Damn, have you thought about maybe looking at some courses at a university? Anything you're interested in? You're really not as unintelligent as you think you are, I think you can definately get some qualifications. Just needs some self belief.


I'd never get into a uni mate. I've got no gcse's at all and I was in a special needs class at school.


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## vanilla90 (Jun 22, 2010)

Rich91 said:


> I'd never get into a uni mate. I've got no gcse's at all and I was in a special needs class at school.


I'm sure there are courses available to people with a history like that?? There must be some sort of education to help you get some qualifications. Try and do some googling, some research into it. I'm sorry you feel so down about the whole thing :/ You have some insightful points from time to time, it's just the self esteem holding you back pal.


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## dal user (Dec 25, 2012)

vanilla90 said:


> I'm sure there are courses available to people with a history like that?? There must be some sort of education to help you get some qualifications. Try and do some googling, some research into it. I'm sorry you feel so down about the whole thing :/ You have some insightful points from time to time, it's just the self esteem holding you back pal.


There is I think but they are most likely few and far between. They will most likely be at special education centres which I'd rather not go to as it will damage my self esteem even more but I'd never get into a normal college for normal folk. I hate being special needs but its just the way things are for me.


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## Rixy (Oct 4, 2009)

I'm pretty sure an Access course for adults would accommodate you, Rich. You don't need GCSEs to get into those, just so long as you have a firm idea of what you want to do with your life.


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## Joe (May 18, 2010)

It seems like something that would force me to do stuff independently at the very least. 

My AS Grades were BDD (not including the two I failed, the B was in General studies so not worth much) and I'm not feeling a passion for any subjects so probably will end up just not applying tbh. I'm guessing you are 17/18 if you are considering a gap year?


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## jjh87 (Oct 25, 2012)

I've just started university 2 months ago. I feel like I've settled better than I thought I would socially. But people always go out clubbing. I go to a university known for clubbing and all people do is spend time going out getting drunk and not going to lectures. Thankfully I found housemates next year who don't do that. 

The most annoying thing for me is that although I want to concentrate on work I always feel anxious when my flatmates go out. That's the annoying thing I worry more about my SA and how I fit in than about how I get my degree. University certainly brings out many problems for me.


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