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should i decline ALL my offers for a london uni?

i've got 4 offers for psychology- birmingham and bristol (and cardiff/ sheffield but i didn't like them)

But now im thinking i should have chosen a london uni to apply to. the student life there seems so much better- independence and a city buzz and quirky, crazy, variety of people you dont seem to find anywhere else (everywhere else seems so boring in comparison!!)

I still feel like i need to get out of london because i live here, but maybe taking a gap year and working abroad would solve this?

If i decline all my offers and apply ucl next year thats a really big risk. im predicted 4 A*s a level but i still might not get in, and the whole uni situation at the moment makes me feel like i should take the opportunities i have.
but maybe i'll regret not taking the chance to be a london student- you only do uni once!

is the london experience really worth declining my offers for??

also............
i want most of all to come out of my shell. i have a little recently but im always still so anxious around people. i really dont want to go to uni and waste the experience before i'm ready.

maybe a gap year would help this too or maybe uni would help this and i should just go to birmingham straight away. (unsure about bristol. it seems very posh and cut off from the world is it like that really?)

options i have:

go uni this year (probably birmingham)
defer my uni offers (gap year and birmingham 2011)
decline them all (gap year and possible london)

advice on any of the points (bristol, birmingham, are london unis that great/ gap years and confidence) would be really useful- im so confused!

thank you. x

Reply 1

guy_89

You might be able to transfer at a london uni in your second year. But the 2nd year is much harder, hence you won't enjoy the student life as much as in the first.

Reply 2

Bunkd

1

If you actually get 4 A*s UCL will not be an issue; nor will anywhere really..

Reply 3

cakel

Ive just quit university in London to reapply this year for a university elsewhere. I hated it. I got mugged once in leicester square, with my bag, camera, ID, Money, all my cards including uni ID and room key card taken, and also a group of us got threatened at the local shell garage by a big foreign guy who said he had a gun, yeah its lovely if you stay in your room all night and only visit the lovely toursity areas (which gets pretty dull after a while) although I suppose you already live in London you must know what to expect.. If you really feel that you want to live in London then do it, but the student life there is going to be hardly any different to student life at any other university, apart from the obvious price difference.

Reply 4

rougelipstick

9

I know this won't be helpful to hear, but it's got to be your decision, and the fact that you're doubting your university choices suggests you aren't sure whether it's for you. Personally, I'm from Birmingham and so excited about getting out and going to a London uni, and you say it's a big risk but in my opinion it's better to take a risk then always look back and wonder whether you would have been happier elsewhere. Maybe taking a gap year and thinking about what to do would be best for you, and you can always reapply to brum or other unis.

Reply 5

Marie-Claire

9

Personally I'd defer and go for Birmingham 2011 if you like it, since it sounds like you'd like to take a gap year, and remember that Birmingham's still a city, albeit obviously not as big as London. I don't know much about Bristol uni but the city seems lovely and not boring at all. But if you really don't want to go to any of them you could reapply next year, though remember that it's probably going to be even more competitive than this year and the grade requirements are likely to go up even further. Also, I don't think it's true you won't meet any "quirky, crazy" people in other cities, there are interesting people everywhere, you just have to find them.

For me, it wouldn't be worth it, but you should do whatever you genuinely think will make you happiest in the long run.

Reply 6

rougelipstick

9

cakel

Ive just quit university in London to reapply this year for a university elsewhere. I hated it. I got mugged once in leicester square, with my bag, camera, ID, Money, all my cards including uni ID and room key card taken, and also a group of us got threatened at the local shell garage by a big foreign guy who said he had a gun, yeah its lovely if you stay in your room all night and only visit the lovely toursity areas (which gets pretty dull after a while) although I suppose you already live in London you must know what to expect.. If you really feel that you want to live in London then do it, but the student life there is going to be hardly any different to student life at any other university, apart from the obvious price difference.

:O what uni were you at?

Reply 7

mfc20

11

London is ******* horrible. Dangerous, overpriced, and overrated. Don't know what people see in it tbh.

Reply 8

cakel

rougelipstick

:O what uni were you at?

I was at Kings, I came back home in January though, I'm sure it doesnt happen to 99% of the people that go to live in London but it sure was a huge eye opener. Needless to say this year I've applied to universities a lot closer to home that I already know the area around.

Reply 9

cardine92

10

turquoise-duck

I still feel like i need to get out of london because i live here, but maybe taking a gap year and working abroad would solve this?

Idk, you live there. I do too and the "student experience" is precisely why I'm leaving. It is very unlikely that I will get accomadation, I could get some privately but do I really want to add thousands of pounds to my student debt to live a few miles away from home.

BUT if I stay at home to cut costs, it would take me the best past of an hour if not more to get to lectures everyday and all of my new found friends would probably be living nearer to uni so if I want to go out with them I have to worry about trekking across London by myself at 2am.

Reply 10

rougelipstick

9

cakel

I was at Kings, I came back home in January though, I'm sure it doesnt happen to 99% of the people that go to live in London but it sure was a huge eye opener. Needless to say this year I've applied to universities a lot closer to home that I already know the area around.

Ah right, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience :frown:

I guess if everyone had such times noone would ever live there though.
Hope things work out for you :smile:

Reply 11

Mythic Madness

12

turquoise-duck

i've got 4 offers for psychology- birmingham and bristol (and cardiff/ sheffield but i didn't like them)

But now im thinking i should have chosen a london uni to apply to. the student life there seems so much better- independence and a city buzz and quirky, crazy, variety of people you dont seem to find anywhere else (everywhere else seems so boring in comparison!!)

I still feel like i need to get out of london because i live here, but maybe taking a gap year and working abroad would solve this?

If i decline all my offers and apply ucl next year thats a really big risk. im predicted 4 A*s a level but i still might not get in, and the whole uni situation at the moment makes me feel like i should take the opportunities i have.
but maybe i'll regret not taking the chance to be a london student- you only do uni once!

is the london experience really worth declining my offers for??

also............
i want most of all to come out of my shell. i have a little recently but im always still so anxious around people. i really dont want to go to uni and waste the experience before i'm ready.

maybe a gap year would help this too or maybe uni would help this and i should just go to birmingham straight away. (unsure about bristol. it seems very posh and cut off from the world is it like that really?)

options i have:

go uni this year (probably birmingham)
defer my uni offers (gap year and birmingham 2011)
decline them all (gap year and possible london)

advice on any of the points (bristol, birmingham, are london unis that great/ gap years and confidence) would be really useful- im so confused!

thank you. x

I'd go to Birmingham.

Well done on getting four offers though.

Reply 12

cakel

rougelipstick

Ah right, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience :frown:

I guess if everyone had such times noone would ever live there though.
Hope things work out for you :smile:

at least I can say I tried! haha.
Thanks though :smile:

Reply 13

orca92

13

turquoise-duck

i've got 4 offers for psychology- birmingham and bristol (and cardiff/ sheffield but i didn't like them)

But now im thinking i should have chosen a london uni to apply to. the student life there seems so much better- independence and a city buzz and quirky, crazy, variety of people you dont seem to find anywhere else (everywhere else seems so boring in comparison!!)

I still feel like i need to get out of london because i live here, but maybe taking a gap year and working abroad would solve this?

If i decline all my offers and apply ucl next year thats a really big risk. im predicted 4 A*s a level but i still might not get in, and the whole uni situation at the moment makes me feel like i should take the opportunities i have.
but maybe i'll regret not taking the chance to be a london student- you only do uni once!

is the london experience really worth declining my offers for??

also............
i want most of all to come out of my shell. i have a little recently but im always still so anxious around people. i really dont want to go to uni and waste the experience before i'm ready.

maybe a gap year would help this too or maybe uni would help this and i should just go to birmingham straight away. (unsure about bristol. it seems very posh and cut off from the world is it like that really?)

options i have:

go uni this year (probably birmingham)
defer my uni offers (gap year and birmingham 2011)
decline them all (gap year and possible london)

advice on any of the points (bristol, birmingham, are london unis that great/ gap years and confidence) would be really useful- im so confused!

thank you. x

See what grades you get in the summer; if they are as good as you say and your not ready for uni then i would personally gap year and apply to UCL; maybe Royal Holloway as well if you definitely want London, i think RH has a good rep for psychology. If you get worse grades; say no A*s or something then go to Birmingham.

Reply 14

infintywhirls

2

I can't help with anything but I live in Bristol and I can vouch for it. Friendly city and great for students I reakon considering the uni is basically in the centre so it's pretty close anywhere. And its got a huge variety of stuff to do and its smaller than Birmingham so transport is easier. It can be a bit quiet I guess but considering Bristol on a friday night, I reakon students have it pretty good. But if you're really looking for excitement then Brummy may give you more. I have a load of mates that go to London unis and I think the main advantage for them is that its so diverse and apprently the clubbing is great. But they have all complained about how expensive it is.

Reply 15

donej1

quirky and crazy people....the country is full of freaks and druggies, not just london.

Reply 16

StarryEyed91

The novelty of London will soon wear off. Stick with Birmingham- Broad St and the Arcadian are really good for nightlife btw :biggrin:

Reply 17

turquoise-duck

OP

thank you everyone for your replies! :smile:

given me some more to think about...
also cakel thats terrible :frown:

i hope it works out too.

StarryEyed91

The novelty of London will soon wear off. Stick with Birmingham- Broad St and the Arcadian are really good for nightlife btw :biggrin:

the other thing about birmingham tho is that i know its a good uni and everything but on the student survey thing its r e a l l y low- only 74% are satisfied with the course, 32% thought feedback was good, 58% felt confident, 58% got help making study choices, compared to 80/90% for most other psychology courses! :frown:

i don't know if this is something i should be really worried about?

Reply 18

StarryEyed91

turquoise-duck

thank you everyone for your replies! :smile:

given me some more to think about...
also cakel thats terrible :frown:

i hope it works out too.

the other thing about birmingham tho is that i know its a good uni and everything but on the student survey thing its r e a l l y low- only 74% are satisfied with the course, 32% thought feedback was good, 58% felt confident, 58% got help making study choices, compared to 80/90% for most other psychology courses! :frown:

i don't know if this is something i should be really worried about?