Let's have a chit chat :D

bmth blink182 years and years list goes on

Me too but I hate mindmaps, I don't find them useful. I have to re-write things (I think I'm a visual learner?) and yep, I love baking. Ah, I can't cook much either lol

That is good and a gap year sounds good. I was thinking of doing that but then I would not go to university and everyone expects me to go and yeah haha I love my essays. Chemistry is really fascinating and I've heard you can get a good job. Will you go travelling in your gap year?

That is a good idea because uni can rake up too much debt. Where would you apply?

Gap years are great fun. Gives you a bit more life experience, particularly if you work!

That said, I took one and still haven't been to university yet! (That was 5 years ago...)

Right now, not too sure but would want to stay near home. I'll definitely have a better idea when I get my results.

Another Years & Years fan, they just keep popping up haha



Same here. I am a visual learner and when I rewrite things, it makes it clearer for some reason. Baking is awesome but I end up burning down the house lol!

Omg I burnt some toast yesterday, I started listeningto music and completely forgot lol my poor food

That is true. I've always seen the appeal in because it prepares you for the real world. I think too many people graduate and lack the work experience that other people without a degree have instead, but that is subejctive and depends on what job you do go for. If I go and do a gap year, I probably won't even go to university at all. Would you consider applying to university now?

Well, the way I see it is, you've got the rest of your life to gain life experience. That said, I'm not a huge fan of the conveyor belt of school/university/graduate job - it churns out a mindless middle-class.

I think it's not just about life experiences, it's about experiencing actual hardship. A bit harder to manufacture but I think most of us need something to toughen us up and knock a bit of sense into us. Not many people find that, even on a gap yah but it's pretty vital imo. You can't get all the life experience you need just from a gap year, anyway.

Yeah, I've applied to uni this year to go in as a mature student as my work have agreed to pay for my degree. I graduated with top grades at A-level but just haven't used then at all. I'm off to Durham in Autumn - hence my presence on TSR.

I agree. I also feel as if some people expect university to be their ticket into finding a job. Whilst it can improve your chances, you do forget that you go to university to study and learn a subject further in depth. I know plenty of people who went to university and ended up finding jobs in other fields. I'm a big fan of apprenticeships, I understand how they work and why people apply and do them but I've never seen myself wanting to do one purely because of the fact that if I can't get a job I like, I will end up becoming a teacher. Too many people think they can get a job and keep it - it requires skill and determination. Apply for a job because it appeals to you, not because you can't find any other job.

Being a mature student will put you further than a lot of the students - you've experienced life differently and your mindset won't be just 'drinking' and partying - that's where university life gets a massive negative reputation. I think you are quite knowledgable and could teach lot of users on TSR about the truth on life.

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Ahaha, that's very kind of you to say so! I feel I'll be behind most students as I haven't touched my subjects in ages. I'm soooo behind in maths, I've forgotten everything.

I really like apprenticeships too! I actually did one in design drawing, which was pretty good fun.

Whatcha gonna study?

No problem, I do mean it. I would consider an apprenticeship but the hardest part is what to do... all the ones around me around quite business oriented. I can't even draw so design drawing would be out of the question! And aww I'm guessing you're doing a STEM subject of some sort?

English. It sounds boring but I love it a lot. I was thinking Law too but I can't imagine being a lawyer to be fair.

Computer Science for me, aye. I need something that is going to get me a job after uni.

I know a few lads that went into apprenticeships and they're now making absolute bank. Probably a lot more than me even after I graduate! They've gone for the engineering type apprenticeships, though. One went into an IT one and he's an awesome coder - again probably way better than I'll be even when I finish uni!

Ahhh, my brother and sis both did law degrees. You don't have to go into law, though. My twin is doing a graduate scheme at the moment for quantity surveying and my sister is teaching English in the city. They both said, whilst other students are out partying, law students are stuck in the law library grinding out essays. ^^

That said, I have a soft spot for English too.

Oh wow, that sounds really interesting and fun at the same time. CS is a booming industry and if I chose better GCSEs and A Levels, I might have gone for it. Yeah engineering jobs and apprenticeships do offer a lot. And I'm sure you'll be able to code perfectly - what sort of job are you looking into going into?

That is true. My teacher did a Law degree and did a Masters in English and now teaches me the very same subject. I think what puts me off a law degree is that a lot of people go for it purely because there isn't so much a restriction on subjects and places are so oversubscribed. I was nearly going to do Law as an A Level subject but then realised how disliked it is when it comes to applying to universities.

Guess I've got 3 years to decide what I'm going to do! I'm thinking cybersecurity/cryptography. Don't really fancy becoming a software engineer.



I know what you mean. Lots of people just go in for a law degree because it's a law degree. That said a law degree from a good uni unlocks almost every door imaginable.

Law A-level is a bit like CS A-level. The top unis prefer you have to more academic subjects like maths, physics, chemistry etc for going into a CS degree rather than CS A-level. That said, they've probably got an advantage when everyone starts out!

What subjects are you doing at the moment? You're on A-levels, right?

I think 3 years would be more than enough to decide!

I chose to do an English degree purely because I want to go into the media industry but a media degree doesn't unlock a media job. And yeah I am on A Levels, I apply for uni in October time. I fell behind one year and had a lot of catching up to do but honestly, I am grateful because it made me realise what I want to do. I'm doing English Literature, English Language and an OCR Cambridge Technical in Media. I wish I could swap Media but my school doesn't have the best options to choose from.

Ooo media industry. Quite difficult to get into, right? What's your plan for standing out?