[LateNightSkies]

Hi,

I ended up having a gap year last year because I missed the grades to my first choice and refused to go to my insurance. To be honest, I was actually quite glad when I didn't get in because deep down I didn't feel ready and I wasn't looking forward to university.

Anyway, I've had my gap year and I've now got an unconditional place at my first choice uni to start in Sept, but I'm still not feeling excited or eager to go. I thought that I'd have become jealous of my friends and that this year out would make me more enthusiastic but it hasn't.

In fact its sort of done the opposite. I look at posts on here saying 'Oh Uni has made me so much more mature and independent' and 'You make so many friends and everyone goes and gets pissed and does funny things' but the truth is I've already matured a lot in this year and I have always been mature for my age. During my gap year I've been working two ****ty jobs to help pay for university and I've gained a lot of independence, so I don't see how its going to help me prepare for the 'real world' in that way. I'm also not really that into the whole 'Lets get pissed and do something stupid for a laugh' thing. Having been working 7 days a week for the past year with no friends around I've got used to not going out and I was never that bothered about it in the first place.

I don't have any choice but to go to Uni if I want to get into my desired field, and I know that I don't want to hang around my hometown doing these menial jobs forever. I'm just worried that I'm going to find the uni lifestyle a bit hard to live with and that I'm not going to enjoy it or gain as much from the 'uni experience' as I should. I know I'm only a year older than the other freshers and there'll be plenty of other gap year students but I'm worried that I'm not going to fit in and my coursemates/flatmates will see me as the old boring fuddy duddy person.

I don't really know what any of you might say to help ease my mind but anything you can say would be very welcome!

[SamGee]

If you have no choice but to go to university to get a job in your desired field GO! You're obviously unhappy working menial jobs to pave your way through the gap year so what makes you think you'd be happy doing them for the rest of your life? Because without that degree you could well be in that position.

And as for the age, i went to university straight out of college but seriously, i was the youngest out of most of the freshers around me! One of my flatmates was around 23 when he started, and he got stuck in and loves university! Age is just a number.

You also say you feel you've matured and that you don't need you friends around or to 'get pissed' this might not seem like the smartest of advice but seriously, go to university and have some fun whilst at the same time getting your degree, its what universitys all about. You might not be excited now but when you get there you're in for the ride of your life..

Having said all that if you hate it, my bad D:

[georgia]

If you really don't want to go but feel you need a degree for career prospects etc, don't forget that the OU is an option.

[TheSownRose]

(Original post by LateNightSkies)
I don't really know what any of you might say to help ease my mind but anything you can say would be very welcome!

You know, you don't have to feel wonderfully excited about university. It's perfectly valid to see it as a stepping stone towards the 'next level', whatever that may be.

If you don't want to actually go to university, is living at home an option?

[cdoyle]

I took a gap year and at the end of it my excitement for going to uni was less. cant wait till its all over. roll on 2016! seems ages away....