[kelseyvail]

I'm a senior in Washington state in the USA, I am very hopeful that I will be able to study in the UK next fall (2013), but I have not figured out where I want to study yet. I want to study education, as my primary career choice is a primary or kindergarten teacher. I am interested in any part of the UK. I would LOVE to study in a place where the university has a good student life with lots of fun things to do but also somewhere not too pricey for misc. things i.e. probably not in London. I really am open to suggestions and I would greatly appreciate any help in choosing the right school for me!

[noodlecup93]

(Original post by kelseyvail)
I'm a senior in Washington state in the USA, I am very hopeful that I will be able to study in the UK next fall (2013), but I have not figured out where I want to study yet. I want to study education, as my primary career choice is a primary or kindergarten teacher. I am interested in any part of the UK other than Ireland. I would LOVE to study in a place where the college has a good student life with lots of fun things to do but also somewhere not too pricey for misc. things i.e. probably not in London. I really am open to suggestions and I would greatly appreciate any help in choosing the right school for me!

Say what?


http://www.ucas.ac.uk/
That would be a good start.

[ifstatement]

(Original post by kelseyvail)
I am interested in any part of the UK other than Ireland.

That's just like saying I'm interested in any part of the United States other than Canada.

http://www.ucas.ac.uk/

^ Website to start your searching for a course. Once you found a few, research the university and location its in before making your 5 choices .

[kelseyvail]

(Original post by ifstatement)
That's just like saying I'm interested in any part of the United States other than Canada.

http://www.ucas.ac.uk/

^ Website to start your searching for a course. Once you found a few, research the university and location its in before making your 5 choices .

Dear lordy I don't actually remember typing that. I was typing this up while speaking with my mom about her recent trip to Ireland. My mistake!!

[kelseyvail]

So far I'm thinking about Portsmouth, Chichester, Brighton, and University of Wales, Newport as well as Plymouth Uni. Those international tuition fees are right around my price range. I would absolutely love to go to a university like Edinburgh but I'm afraid that even with loans that my family may not be able to afford it. Would you guys recommend any of these schools?

[ifstatement]

(Original post by kelseyvail)
So far I'm thinking about Portsmouth, Chichester, Brighton, and University of Wales, Newport as well as Plymouth Uni. Those international tuition fees are right around my price range. I would absolutely love to go to a university like Edinburgh but I'm afraid that even with loans that my family may not be able to afford it. Would you guys recommend any of these schools?

Chichester is a nice little city, it has beautiful summers. The primary school program they have at the university is pretty good also, you should check it out.

[catoswyn]

(Original post by kelseyvail)
I'm a senior in Washington state in the USA, I am very hopeful that I will be able to study in the UK next fall (2013), but I have not figured out where I want to study yet. I want to study education, as my primary career choice is a primary or kindergarten teacher. I am interested in any part of the UK. I would LOVE to study in a place where the college has a good student life with lots of fun things to do but also somewhere not too pricey for misc. things i.e. probably not in London. I really am open to suggestions and I would greatly appreciate any help in choosing the right school for me!

The Telegraph newspaper can be accessed on line and has a series of features entitled 'The ten best universities for...' One of these features covers the ten best universities for value in terms of reputation v living costs. This may be useful for you to look up. There are also university tables subject by subject in the Guardian newspaper with a write up on each university. Look under 'education... universities... 2013 subject guides.

Social life at most universities tends to be good. All British universities tend to offer clubs, societies, events and so forth for their students with perhaps campus universities having easiest access.

In basic terms food and essentials tend to cost pretty much the same across Britain. Travel costs such as buses can vary widely area to area. However the main cost that makes the difference is in private rental of somewhere to live with London and the South East coming in highest, the South West second, followed by the Midlands, East Anglia, Wales and the North. However the amount that universities charge for their own accommodation does not always reflect the same patterns. So for instance the cheapest university accommodation at Exeter in the South West is c. £4800 per annum while in Bristol up the road it starts from £3600. A Northern University may charge as much as a Southern in some cases. Look carefully at the accommodation prices university by university. Most students move out and share a house in the second and third years but some stay in university accommodation if allowed throughout.

There are excellent universities in all regions of the country. There is also a range of area types from rural to large city universities and everything inbetween. So it also depends on what kind of landscape, environment and setting you think you would prefer..... Weather wise the North is colder with slightly shorter summers, the West country milder but wetter.

Finally it depends on your qualifications and subject interest. Entrance requirements range widely and some universities are renowned for some subjects.

Education as a degree is possible here as is childhood studies, child development and so forth. Again it depends on your personal interests. Cardiff for instance offers a BA in Education also accredited by the British Psychology Society so its emphasis will be more scientific/psychological. Other universities will take a different approach.

Good luck with your research!

[kelseyvail]

(Original post by catoswyn)
The Telegraph newspaper can be accessed on line and has a series of features entitled 'The ten best universities for...' One of these features covers the ten best universities for value in terms of reputation v living costs. This may be useful for you to look up. There are also university tables subject by subject in the Guardian newspaper with a write up on each university. Look under 'education... universities... 2013 subject guides.

Social life at most universities tends to be good. All British universities tend to offer clubs, societies, events and so forth for their students with perhaps campus universities having easiest access.

In basic terms food and essentials tend to cost pretty much the same across Britain. Travel costs such as buses can vary widely area to area. However the main cost that makes the difference is in private rental of somewhere to live with London and the South East coming in highest, the South West second, followed by the Midlands, East Anglia, Wales and the North.

There are excellent universities in all regions of the country. There is also a range of area types from rural to large city universities and everything inbetween. So it also depends on what kind of landscape, environment and setting you think you would prefer.....

Finally it depends on your qualifications and subject interest. Entrance requirements range widely and some universities are renowned for some subjects.

Education as a degree is possible here as is childhood studies, child development and so forth.

Good luck with your research!

Wow I had no idea that pricing really didn't vary much. I thought it was pretty ranged through the UK. It's nice to hear that the social scene is generally good. I think I would like to live in a larger city, but I'm almost leaning towards Chichester a bit (or somewhere with a similar location) being that it seems to be on or near the beach (I think it's Chichester at least) and it seems to have a rather large city on the other side, but please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm also very interested in a Scottish university though, if any come to mind!

I really don't know what sort of degree I would need to earn to become a primary school teacher in the UK, as I plan to apply for citizenship and continue to reside over there after college.

One major setback for me though, is that my family doesn't have the money to travel to the UK on a whim and tour these places, which I understand can sometimes make or break your decision when it comes down to two or so universities. I have taken a few 'virtual tours' but they just don't give you the full experience. What would you recommend for me in this department?

One last thing I think is worthy of mentioning: I don't necessarily want to be at a university with a high number of other Americans. I want to get out of the US majorly to experience another culture, and while I'd appreciate a few American friends at uni, I would love to meet people from other countries as well. The other major thing I want to think about when it comes to location is crime- not unlike probably most other kids attending university, I would like to attend in an area where crime isn't a predominate issue.

I know I addressed a lot there, but any help would be very much appreciated, as deadlines aren't here for another few months but I've got to get the ball rolling.
Thanks in advance

[kelseyvail]

(Original post by ifstatement)
Chichester is a nice little city, it has beautiful summers. The primary school program they have at the university is pretty good also, you should check it out.

Awesome, I'm glad to hear it. I hope I haven't got the university mixed up with another, but it appears to be on or very near to a beach? Is this correct? Also is the city sort of a college town or more of a bustling city like you would imagine a small-scale New York City to be?

[ifstatement]

(Original post by kelseyvail)
Awesome, I'm glad to hear it. I hope I haven't got the university mixed up with another, but it appears to be on or very near to a beach? Is this correct? Also is the city sort of a college town or more of a bustling city like you would imagine a small-scale New York City to be?

It's by the beach yeah, I used to live down by the beach area very near to Chichester around 10 years ago (pagham). I just recently visited last year to visit a good friend and it was great weather all round and has got hands down the best houses/atmosphere out of the whole UK I would say, family wise anyway.

I would not call Chichester a small scale new york city nor a college town though. The population is around 20k while the population of new york city is past 8 million so you can't really say they are both similar. Coming to UK may be a culture shock to you since you're American. Cities in the UK aren't really at all like American cities, they are not tall buildings and flashing lights.

To put it simply the UK likes to do it pretty old skool. Example:

America:

- Tall skyscrapers
- Fast food/chain resturants
- Malls

UK:

- Terrace houses
- Pubs, Bakeries
- High streets

Though it's nice you're interested in other cultures, some Americans are put off by the culture of the UK when visiting and just prefer to stay in their own bubble. However it seems like you're not one of those people... Good for you!

[dbou]

(Original post by kelseyvail)
Wow I had no idea that pricing really didn't vary much. I thought it was pretty ranged through the UK. It's nice to hear that the social scene is generally good. I think I would like to live in a larger city, but I'm almost leaning towards Chichester a bit (or somewhere with a similar location) being that it seems to be on or near the beach (I think it's Chichester at least) and it seems to have a rather large city on the other side, but please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm also very interested in a Scottish university though, if any come to mind!

One last thing I think is worthy of mentioning: I don't necessarily want to be at a university with a high number of other Americans. I want to get out of the US majorly to experience another culture, and while I'd appreciate a few American friends at uni, I would love to meet people from other countries as well. The other major thing I want to think about when it comes to location is crime- not unlike probably most other kids attending university, I would like to attend in an area where crime isn't a predominate issue.

What do you mean "where crime isn't a predominate issue"? I think the UK will be very much like the US for crime; it is proportional to how close you live to a city, but I live in Edinburgh and it isn't like crime is on my mind 24/7. The Scottish universities you may want to look at are Aberdeen, Napier, Heriot Watt, and Dundee. I don't think you will find that many Americans outside of Oxbridge, London and St. Andrews, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Come to Edinburgh! (Napier and Heriot Watt are here)

[kiss_me_now9]

(Original post by kelseyvail)
So far I'm thinking about Portsmouth, Chichester, Brighton, and University of Wales, Newport as well as Plymouth Uni. Those international tuition fees are right around my price range. I would absolutely love to go to a university like Edinburgh but I'm afraid that even with loans that my family may not be able to afford it. Would you guys recommend any of these schools?

Newport is more backwards than the deepest depths of Texas. It has one of the highest crime rates in the whole of the UK and honestly should be scorched off the map with a blow torch... (I'll await the negs from angry Newport people).

If you want to see Wales, try Bangor. It's nice and has a good primary ed. program, set in the Snowdon National Park and we get a lot of American students on exchange so there's a good community to sit in. UKC in Canterbury is also a lovely town with a good American community - have a look at those.

[rattusratus]

first off just to correct a few things : we dont have kindergarten because were not german, we also study degrees a university not college

(now that im finished being a douche lol)

everything within england will seem pricey to you if your anything like my other american friends (who only took into account the exchange rate and not that fact that unfortunately most things over here are just blatantly more expensive like food, clothes and petrol)

if you want to get an idea of university then you should check out the university league tables and then you can find one based on area/course/student satisfaction ect... its a useful tool to compare things but dont throw too much weight on going to the top university, find one that really suits everything you need as it will benefit you more in the long run to go somewhere you personally like

hope that helps

[kelseyvail]

(Original post by ifstatement)
It's by the beach yeah, I used to live down by the beach area very near to Chichester around 10 years ago (pagham). I just recently visited last year to visit a good friend and it was great weather all round and has got hands down the best houses/atmosphere out of the whole UK I would say, family wise anyway.

I would not call Chichester a small scale new york city nor a college town though. The population is around 20k while the population of new york city is past 8 million so you can't really say they are both similar. Coming to UK may be a culture shock to you since you're American. Cities in the UK aren't really at all like American cities, they are not tall buildings and flashing lights.

To put it simply the UK likes to do it pretty old skool. Example:

America:

- Tall skyscrapers
- Fast food/chain resturants
- Malls

UK:

- Terrace houses
- Pubs, Bakeries
- High streets

Though it's nice you're interested in other cultures, some Americans are put off by the culture of the UK when visiting and just prefer to stay in their own bubble. However it seems like you're not one of those people... Good for you!

Oh I LOVE the idea of the UK, especially without the skyscrapers and fast food! America is a bit embarrassing with how extravagant and ostentatious some cities are. I am so very excited to be coming to the UK. Is the city that Chichester is in (sorry, I'm not exactly sure what city) pretty warm year round? How would you describe the climate? I don't want to buy 100 scarves for the UK and then not put any to use!

[kelseyvail]

(Original post by kiss_me_now9)
Newport is more backwards than the deepest depths of Texas. It has one of the highest crime rates in the whole of the UK and honestly should be scorched off the map with a blow torch... (I'll await the negs from angry Newport people).

If you want to see Wales, try Bangor. It's nice and has a good primary ed. program, set in the Snowdon National Park and we get a lot of American students on exchange so there's a good community to sit in. UKC in Canterbury is also a lovely town with a good American community - have a look at those.

I'm VERY glad you addressed crime! That was one thing I was concerned about! Do you know much about Chichester at all? I'm thinking I'll end up applying there at this point. I'll look into Bangor a bit more as well as it's right around the price that my family would definitely be in the market for (with loans of course). What's the weather like there?

[kelseyvail]

I keep remembering new things: another thing I would really like out of university is a uni where around holidays it isn't completely dead, as I don't think I'll be going back to the states but once a year. Is Wales big on the fifth of november thing (guy fawkes day??) I'm sorry if I'm being 110% politically incorrect here, I'm still a little new to the idea of foreign traditions!

[Juichiro]

(Original post by kelseyvail)
I'm a senior in Washington state in the USA, I am very hopeful that I will be able to study in the UK next fall (2013), but I have not figured out where I want to study yet. I want to study education, as my primary career choice is a primary or kindergarten teacher. I am interested in any part of the UK. I would LOVE to study in a place where the university has a good student life with lots of fun things to do but also somewhere not too pricey for misc. things i.e. probably not in London. I really am open to suggestions and I would greatly appreciate any help in choosing the right school for me!

London always.

[kelseyvail]

(Original post by jaffa1)
can you tell me your SAT scores or ACT scores, GPA and APs? ill then try to help you (im from london btw)

Unfortunately, I haven't taken the SAT or ACT yet (i'm registered for both next month) and I don't have any AP scores down. I'll have 2 AP's this year though and I plan to get above the national average of 1500 on the SAT with no issues. I haven't estimated my ACT score though. I'm very confident that I will exceed a 1500 on the SAT though, and I really don't know yet how I would estimate my AP's at the end of the year. I know this isn't much information to go on but any help/advice would be really helpful.
Thanks in advance!

[kiss_me_now9]

(Original post by kelseyvail)
I'm VERY glad you addressed crime! That was one thing I was concerned about! Do you know much about Chichester at all? I'm thinking I'll end up applying there at this point. I'll look into Bangor a bit more as well as it's right around the price that my family would definitely be in the market for (with loans of course). What's the weather like there?

Rainy with a side order of rain for the weather in Bangor It's pretty wet and windy as it's in a valley and next to the sea! However the scenery is stunning, there's a fair amount to do and see, and the uni is pretty nice. Bangor is pretty low for crime rates AFAIK. It's very small though and can get a little claustrophobic - the population is only around 25k, with about half of them being students (so in summer, it's pretty much a ghost town).

I'm afraid I don't even know where Chichester is

[kelseyvail]

(Original post by kiss_me_now9)
Rainy with a side order of rain for the weather in Bangor It's pretty wet and windy as it's in a valley and next to the sea! However the scenery is stunning, there's a fair amount to do and see, and the uni is pretty nice. Bangor is pretty low for crime rates AFAIK. It's very small though and can get a little claustrophobic - the population is only around 25k, with about half of them being students (so in summer, it's pretty much a ghost town).

I'm afraid I don't even know where Chichester is

What about around winter/Easter holidays? I'll be going back to the states again in the summer, but I probably won't go home during those times. Also, the weather sounds perfect. My scarf collection won't go to waste