University of Surrey
Guildford
Ask a recent graduate of Surrey anything
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Original post by Jonnyishman
Good day Wrobeldominaika,
Congratulations on your offer. I think you should choose Surrey because it has three starbucks, an Alan Turing statue, and because I once graced it with my presence with would make any uni a better place.
I kid you of course. But in all serious I doubt there's much I could tell you that would tip the balance in your favour that either you don't already know, or that actually matters to you. As the stuff that does matter to you you would have already researched and asked about during your open days at all of the unis you've mentioned. Choosing a uni can be a really personal thing as everybody have different priorities and I'm always in favour of choosing what uni you could see yourself having a great and successful 3/4 years, while still coming out with a worthwhile degree that will lead you to a great career afterwards. Rather than choosing a uni which may have a great reputation but you can't see yourself having an enjoyable time at. As 3/4 years is a long time and you actually having an enjoyable social and home life is only going to aid you academically.
I know what you mean about the feeling Surrey gave you on the open day. I got exactly the same feeling of seeing myself belonging there and that played a long way into me making Surrey my first choice. It sounds like you've gone to all the open days which are very important, and you've done a fair bit of research in what is important to you. You should probably sit down and write out a massive pros and cons list for each uni. Picture yourself having already made a choice to firm one uni, write down what you think you'll miss out from not going to the other two unis. Then repeat the process again with the second uni you're looking at, then one last time with the third uni.
I never checked out Sheffield or Reading (the Physics department in Reading had actually closed down a year before I was applying). So I can't say much on how they compared to Surrey. When I was in your situation my main three were Surrey, Warwick and Bristol. But using the process above and especially the open day at Surrey helped me realise I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else but at Surrey.
In regards to which uni you could firm and which you should put as your insurance. I could highly advise to ignore the actual grade requirements and really just to put down your favourite as your firm and your second favourite as your insurance. The reason that I advise this is that Universities aren't always going to be strict with the grade boundaries they set out in there offer. Very often if you miss their grade boundary by a grade or two, they still may offer you a place if you've impressed them in other regards. This could be your personal statement or the references your teachers will have written for you.
Essentially there's four possible ways your offers could go come results day. Say you've narrowed down your top three to two. You have Uni A and Uni B. Uni A you much prefer however Uni B has higher grade requirements. So you think to yourself surely Uni B has to be firmed and Uni A insurance? So those four different possibilities are;
1. You didn't get accepted by either Uni A or Uni B. In which case you will go through clearing and it doesn't matter which Uni you firmed.
2. Uni A gives you an offer and Uni B doesn't, in which case it doesn't matter which Uni you firmed because you'll be going to Uni A.
3. Uni B gives you an offer and Uni A doesn't, again it doesn't matter which Uni you firmed as you'll be going to the only Uni which gave you an offer, Uni B
4. You get accepted by both Uni A and Uni B. This is the only option when it matters which uni you've firmed. As that's the Uni you're going to be going to. If you firmed Uni A, fantastic, congratulations, off you go to your favourite Uni. If however you firmed Uni B (because it had the higher grade requirements and not because you preferred it) then it's Uni B you'll be going to, even though you would rather go to Uni A.
I choose Surrey as my firm even though it actually had the lower grade requirements of my top three (Surrey was ABB, Bristol AAB and Warwick AAA). Eventually my UCAS had Surrey as my firm with an ABB offer, and Warwick as my Insurance with an AAA offer. Even though it looked silly I would have kicked myself if I choose Warwick as my firm as I would then have had to go to Warwick when I had already decided that Surrey was my favourite Uni of the three.
Sorry if I've waffled on a bit. If you have specific questions about Surrey I'll be happy to answer them to help you make your choice. But in terms of generally selling Surrey to you over any other Uni. That's only really something I believe you can truly do yourself. Every Uni has its own personality, but how does that personality get along with yours?
EDIT: One extra thing I will mention is the surrounding towns to those Unis. Surrey being in Guildford, and Reading and Sheffield obviously being in Reading and Sheffield. I don't know how much you've checked out the towns the Unis are in but if you haven't you definitely should. Most 1st years will spend all their time on campus but after one year you'll get bored of campus and want to head out to other places. Especially since for most unis students will only be on campus for their first year then will move into private housing. Reading I've always found to be quite rough and doesn't have the nicest town centre. While Guildford is the grand county town of Surrey with a very historic town centre and lots of nice and safe places for students to live, however this does push the price up a lot for rent and nights out. Sheffield will be cheaper being up North than both other unis, and is its own city which means there'll be plenty to do. However it's far from London and will have both dodgy and nice places. Again it's completely up to which town/city you would prefer to live in but it's definitely a good thing to keep in mind when you're considering their different campus'.
Let me know what Uni you decide to firm in the end.
Congratulations on your offer. I think you should choose Surrey because it has three starbucks, an Alan Turing statue, and because I once graced it with my presence with would make any uni a better place.
I kid you of course. But in all serious I doubt there's much I could tell you that would tip the balance in your favour that either you don't already know, or that actually matters to you. As the stuff that does matter to you you would have already researched and asked about during your open days at all of the unis you've mentioned. Choosing a uni can be a really personal thing as everybody have different priorities and I'm always in favour of choosing what uni you could see yourself having a great and successful 3/4 years, while still coming out with a worthwhile degree that will lead you to a great career afterwards. Rather than choosing a uni which may have a great reputation but you can't see yourself having an enjoyable time at. As 3/4 years is a long time and you actually having an enjoyable social and home life is only going to aid you academically.
I know what you mean about the feeling Surrey gave you on the open day. I got exactly the same feeling of seeing myself belonging there and that played a long way into me making Surrey my first choice. It sounds like you've gone to all the open days which are very important, and you've done a fair bit of research in what is important to you. You should probably sit down and write out a massive pros and cons list for each uni. Picture yourself having already made a choice to firm one uni, write down what you think you'll miss out from not going to the other two unis. Then repeat the process again with the second uni you're looking at, then one last time with the third uni.
I never checked out Sheffield or Reading (the Physics department in Reading had actually closed down a year before I was applying). So I can't say much on how they compared to Surrey. When I was in your situation my main three were Surrey, Warwick and Bristol. But using the process above and especially the open day at Surrey helped me realise I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else but at Surrey.
In regards to which uni you could firm and which you should put as your insurance. I could highly advise to ignore the actual grade requirements and really just to put down your favourite as your firm and your second favourite as your insurance. The reason that I advise this is that Universities aren't always going to be strict with the grade boundaries they set out in there offer. Very often if you miss their grade boundary by a grade or two, they still may offer you a place if you've impressed them in other regards. This could be your personal statement or the references your teachers will have written for you.
Essentially there's four possible ways your offers could go come results day. Say you've narrowed down your top three to two. You have Uni A and Uni B. Uni A you much prefer however Uni B has higher grade requirements. So you think to yourself surely Uni B has to be firmed and Uni A insurance? So those four different possibilities are;
1. You didn't get accepted by either Uni A or Uni B. In which case you will go through clearing and it doesn't matter which Uni you firmed.
2. Uni A gives you an offer and Uni B doesn't, in which case it doesn't matter which Uni you firmed because you'll be going to Uni A.
3. Uni B gives you an offer and Uni A doesn't, again it doesn't matter which Uni you firmed as you'll be going to the only Uni which gave you an offer, Uni B
4. You get accepted by both Uni A and Uni B. This is the only option when it matters which uni you've firmed. As that's the Uni you're going to be going to. If you firmed Uni A, fantastic, congratulations, off you go to your favourite Uni. If however you firmed Uni B (because it had the higher grade requirements and not because you preferred it) then it's Uni B you'll be going to, even though you would rather go to Uni A.
I choose Surrey as my firm even though it actually had the lower grade requirements of my top three (Surrey was ABB, Bristol AAB and Warwick AAA). Eventually my UCAS had Surrey as my firm with an ABB offer, and Warwick as my Insurance with an AAA offer. Even though it looked silly I would have kicked myself if I choose Warwick as my firm as I would then have had to go to Warwick when I had already decided that Surrey was my favourite Uni of the three.
Sorry if I've waffled on a bit. If you have specific questions about Surrey I'll be happy to answer them to help you make your choice. But in terms of generally selling Surrey to you over any other Uni. That's only really something I believe you can truly do yourself. Every Uni has its own personality, but how does that personality get along with yours?
EDIT: One extra thing I will mention is the surrounding towns to those Unis. Surrey being in Guildford, and Reading and Sheffield obviously being in Reading and Sheffield. I don't know how much you've checked out the towns the Unis are in but if you haven't you definitely should. Most 1st years will spend all their time on campus but after one year you'll get bored of campus and want to head out to other places. Especially since for most unis students will only be on campus for their first year then will move into private housing. Reading I've always found to be quite rough and doesn't have the nicest town centre. While Guildford is the grand county town of Surrey with a very historic town centre and lots of nice and safe places for students to live, however this does push the price up a lot for rent and nights out. Sheffield will be cheaper being up North than both other unis, and is its own city which means there'll be plenty to do. However it's far from London and will have both dodgy and nice places. Again it's completely up to which town/city you would prefer to live in but it's definitely a good thing to keep in mind when you're considering their different campus'.
Let me know what Uni you decide to firm in the end.
Thank you soo much! I've finally firmed Surrey and I chose Reading uni as my Insurance! I had to go with my gut feeling and even though the other universities I had offers from (Sheffield, Exeter, Sussex) probably have better 'prestige', I didn't want to base my choices purely on that. So hopefully I will be at Surrey in September... I am sooo excited! Thank you for you help again!
University of Surrey
Guildford
Original post by wrobeldominika
Thank you soo much! I've finally firmed Surrey and I chose Reading uni as my Insurance! I had to go with my gut feeling and even though the other universities I had offers from (Sheffield, Exeter, Sussex) probably have better 'prestige', I didn't want to base my choices purely on that. So hopefully I will be at Surrey in September... I am sooo excited! Thank you for you help again!
I'm glad I've helped you make the correct decision.
Original post by kyriakos_
Hello. 
I was just wondering, how expensive is life in Guildford/Surrey University? I suspect the accommodation is at a considerably lower price than in London, but what about the everyday costs (in comparison with London)?
Thanks in advance
I was just wondering, how expensive is life in Guildford/Surrey University? I suspect the accommodation is at a considerably lower price than in London, but what about the everyday costs (in comparison with London)?Thanks in advance
Hey kyriakos,
there's been a couple of questions I've answered about living costs hidden within the thread. Below is an example answer I've given.
"What you've read is right. Guildford is indeed quite an expensive place to live. To give you an idea the county of Surrey is easily the most expensive county outside of London and Guildford is the county town of Surrey. Also Guildford is a commuter town for London which usually helps drive prices up. Naturally it won't be expensive as London ( Few things are) but students in London are allowed a higher maintenance loan. Which many of 1000s of current and past Surrey students agree Guildford should get too seeing as rents in Guildford can easily be 50% more than those in student towns `tup North but what can you do, `ay?
I was in a similar situation as it sounds that you are. I had to rely completely on student loans to live on. However luckily Surrey does have a very generous scholarship and bursary program. I managed to get £3000 a year on this scheme from Surrey ( Plus another £1000 from the institute of physics for doing physics). This actually changed my situation from struggling to get by to actually having a bit of extra cash to have quite a bit of fun with. Which is good as I'm actually quite bad with money, I brought an Xbox in my second week in. The scheme has changed a bit since my day but you should check out what you could be entitled to
http://www.surrey.ac.uk/discover/bur...arships-us-you
It really could make all the difference. Some of course will be more helpful than others. Getting a discount on your tuition fees isn't going to help much when you're trying to pay your rent.
On the plus side of Guildford being so expensive it is a very safe place to live and the town is over 1000 years old with a lot of old and historical parts and buildings (and pubs) and lots of fun things to do in Guildford for a town of its size with easy access to London, but all that isn't that important to a student who's struggling to get by. A part time job is of course very common and there's a great many jobs you can do on campus working for the uni or for the union which will be very flexible with your timetable when you have coursework and exams on the horizon. Along with plenty of retail and office work in Guildford town centre. But you have to consider how demanding your course might be and if you have the time to study, work and have fun as well. As I said before your experience at university won't even be half as good if you don't get stuck in to the social side and go out and do stupid things. Which can be damped if you don't have the time or the money to do so.
To end on a positive note the placement year can work wonders for some people. If you're smart with your money lots of people are able to put a few grand in the bank during their placement year assuming you get one that pays unlike those poor psychologists. That means instead of having to worry about three years you only really have to worry about the first two. Summer break is also a great opportunity to save up some money if you can get a full time job or internship."
Guildford will indeed be cheaper than London in probably every respect. Accommodation, food, and drink. But Guildford is also probably the most expensive place outside London that isn't a city.
Original post by Jonnyishman
Hey kyriakos,
there's been a couple of questions I've answered about living costs hidden within the thread. Below is an example answer I've given.
there's been a couple of questions I've answered about living costs hidden within the thread. Below is an example answer I've given.
Thank you very much
Original post by Fonzee
Hey Jonny, I've been given an offer to study Law at Surrey, however I can't find much information from current or past students about the Law department. You may not be able to give me much information on this as you studied a different subject entirely, but any information you have about the competence and quality of teaching at the Law school will help me a lot in making my decisions. Thanks
ThanksOMG! Hi, I'm currently in year 12 and our sixth form is already pressuring us to choose a uni. I really want to go to either Surrey or Kent to study Law... Can I ask what did you do to get an offer? What A-levels did you study? Did you go for any law practice experience? What grades did you achieve? I'm sorry for all the questions but I find it so interested and I really want to go to Surrey! (Or Kent) Thanks
Hi Johnny
1) I'm an obsessive freak when it comes to hygiene! Would you say that the Uni of Surrey is generally a clean place? I'm thinking of getting a shared bathroom as it will be a whole lot cheaper than an en-suite, it's a compromise I have to regrettably take!
2) Also, does the Uni provide a lot of help for it's students when it comes to finance? Because I'm not incredibly rich and I'm scared about the costs of the course and living etc...
3) One thing I've always wondered about Universities... Do you have classes, lectures, seminars etc on the weekends like on Saturdays and Sundays? (Stupid question I know lol) And do universities have half terms? and if they do, do you have to go home during this period?
4) And also which of the university's accommodation is the cheapest?
Thank you so much! And sorry for the long questions, just really curious!
1) I'm an obsessive freak when it comes to hygiene! Would you say that the Uni of Surrey is generally a clean place? I'm thinking of getting a shared bathroom as it will be a whole lot cheaper than an en-suite, it's a compromise I have to regrettably take!
2) Also, does the Uni provide a lot of help for it's students when it comes to finance? Because I'm not incredibly rich and I'm scared about the costs of the course and living etc...
3) One thing I've always wondered about Universities... Do you have classes, lectures, seminars etc on the weekends like on Saturdays and Sundays? (Stupid question I know lol) And do universities have half terms? and if they do, do you have to go home during this period?
4) And also which of the university's accommodation is the cheapest?
Thank you so much! And sorry for the long questions, just really curious!
Original post by Lyrical Prodigy
OMG! Hi, I'm currently in year 12 and our sixth form is already pressuring us to choose a uni. I really want to go to either Surrey or Kent to study Law... Can I ask what did you do to get an offer? What A-levels did you study? Did you go for any law practice experience? What grades did you achieve? I'm sorry for all the questions but I find it so interested and I really want to go to Surrey! (Or Kent) Thanks
Hi, I'm also going to be starting at Surrey in September studying Law with Criminology, so thought I would write a quick reply to this
First of all I will say that starting to look at unis now is quite a good thing, as it gives you the chance to go to open days over the summer/next few months before you have to start applying in September/October. These open days will really help you to get a feel of the unis you want to go to, and they might even make you apply to unis that you hadn't originally thought of.
In reply to your questions - I studied Law, Maths and Sociology at Alevel (and Sport at AS), I achieved ABB at Alevel, and I don't really have any law practice experience, but I am hoping to build on this.
I hope you manage to make your uni choices a bit easier than I did - as I had about 19+ to choose from. You never know, I may see you around Surrey in a couple years time
Original post by Lyrical Prodigy
Hi Johnny
1) I'm an obsessive freak when it comes to hygiene! Would you say that the Uni of Surrey is generally a clean place? I'm thinking of getting a shared bathroom as it will be a whole lot cheaper than an en-suite, it's a compromise I have to regrettably take!
2) Also, does the Uni provide a lot of help for it's students when it comes to finance? Because I'm not incredibly rich and I'm scared about the costs of the course and living etc...
3) One thing I've always wondered about Universities... Do you have classes, lectures, seminars etc on the weekends like on Saturdays and Sundays? (Stupid question I know lol) And do universities have half terms? and if they do, do you have to go home during this period?
4) And also which of the university's accommodation is the cheapest?
Thank you so much! And sorry for the long questions, just really curious!
1) I'm an obsessive freak when it comes to hygiene! Would you say that the Uni of Surrey is generally a clean place? I'm thinking of getting a shared bathroom as it will be a whole lot cheaper than an en-suite, it's a compromise I have to regrettably take!
2) Also, does the Uni provide a lot of help for it's students when it comes to finance? Because I'm not incredibly rich and I'm scared about the costs of the course and living etc...
3) One thing I've always wondered about Universities... Do you have classes, lectures, seminars etc on the weekends like on Saturdays and Sundays? (Stupid question I know lol) And do universities have half terms? and if they do, do you have to go home during this period?
4) And also which of the university's accommodation is the cheapest?
Thank you so much! And sorry for the long questions, just really curious!
Good day Lyrical,
In regards to your previous post. You can trust me in saying that you will be glad that your sixth form is pressuring you into looking at universities now. My college did the same and I am so thankful as I was able to go to all the open days the universities host over the summer which are massively important for you choosing which unis to apply to. If you didn't worry about it until you start Year 13 you'd probably miss a lot of open days for a lot of unis.
Now, on to your questions.
1) I would say Surrey was a clean place. As clean as any other private establishments or universities. How it works at Surrey regarding campus accommodation is you can choose between Band A to Band F. Band D to Band F are en-suite rooms. Band C and below are shared bathrooms. Band C is by far the most popular non-en-suite. All Band C rooms (but one) will have wash basins in the room. So personal grooming and the like you can do in your room which is up to you to clean so you can have it as spotless as you like.
All shared areas will be cleaned by professional cleaners. So this will be the kitchen and hall ways for all courts, and the shared bathrooms and shower rooms for Band A to Band C rooms. They come every other weekday. So if the place is clean enough for you I can't say. However since people have wash basins in their own rooms the shower rooms are just going to be used for quick showers and there will always be a few shower rooms you can choose from.
2) Surrey has a fair amount of help financially for students. Help and advice for how to manage your money you can pop in all year and ask. In regards to actual scholarships and bursaries be sure to check out their site to see what you could be entitled to. They do change the schemes occasionally but you can always find the latest schemes here
http://www.surrey.ac.uk/discover/tuition-fees-bursaries-scholarships
Most of the stuff on that page will be free money for you which you won't have to pay back. They're not loans. So check thoroughly to see what you are eligible for.
If you're still having trouble making ends meet you can go see the help and advice people and they may offer you financial help from the hardship fund which will usually be a small interest free loan to help to get to your next loan payment. But only if they think you both need it and deserve it.
If you think you wouldn't be entitled to any of the bursaries on the above link, or you don't think they will be enough then there's always the option of getting a part time job during your studies which a very large number of people do, including myself. The best way is always to work for either the university itself or the students union. They will understand you're a student and may need time off occasionally for coursework or exams. Guildford town centre also has a lot of shops which you can work at too and is very close by.
3) Universities won't make go to lectures on the weekends and they don't have half terms. University is very different to school, even boarding schools which are the only schools I know where you have to go in over the weekend, and they definitely won't ever make you go home at any point. Once you get you uni you will be 18 years old and independent. You can do whatever you wish. You can even stay at uni over Christmas if you wanted to. Many international students do. You don't even have to go to the lectures if you don't want to. Although I don't recommend it.
Occasionally you may hear things called reading weeks which some courses have. Don't fool yourself into thinking this is a half term. It's just a week where you won't have any lectures scheduled because your department will expect you to catch up on the reading and coursework you've been given over the semester. Revision classes usually occur over this week anyway.
4) The cheapest accommodation will be Band A. Which can either be shared rooms on campus, or very small rooms on this very small court very far away from campus called Hazel Farm. The next cheapest will be Band B (I bet you can see the pattern here), which are small outdated rooms on campus, or decent sized rooms in Hazel Farms. The next cheapest will be the last non-ensuite band which is Band C which is the most popular non-ensuite band and are all decent sized rooms on campus. You can find all the info about the courts and their prices here
http://www.surrey.ac.uk/accommodation/index.htm
I hope that has helped. Please feel free to ask about anything else if it comes to you. My best advice to you now would be go to any university fairs that are near you. You sixth form should offer you take you to one some point before summer. Grab all the prospectuses of the unis that interest you, and if some aren't there, you can order their prospectus online for free. Then literally go to every single open day you can find over the summer for the universities you're interested in, even some you may not. Nothing will give you a better idea of what university life is like. Eventually you know exactly what unis you want to apply to through UCAS.
Original post by Lyrical Prodigy
OMG! Hi, I'm currently in year 12 and our sixth form is already pressuring us to choose a uni. I really want to go to either Surrey or Kent to study Law... Can I ask what did you do to get an offer? What A-levels did you study? Did you go for any law practice experience? What grades did you achieve? I'm sorry for all the questions but I find it so interested and I really want to go to Surrey! (Or Kent) Thanks
Hey! I've actually been given offers from both Surrey and Kent
I didn't do A levels, instead I went with an Access course which is like A levels but crammed into one year instead of two. I'm currently studying Law, Business and ICT in that course, still got three exams to do in June and I've already met the requirements for all of my offers . The Access course is actually the reason why I am going to study Law. My original plan was to apply for International Management, however while studying I realised how much more interested in Law I was than business. I've not had any Law practice experience but I did go down to visit the courts and watch some cases on numerous occasions. I would recommend doing that as it gives you something to write in your personal statement or talk about if you are invited anywhere for an interview.
If you are genuinely interested in Law then make sure that comes across in your personal statement. These institutions will be looking for people that have a genuine interest in the subject, and if you just miss your required grades they may turn to your personal statement to look for a reason to give you an offer.
Good luck with your A levels
and if you want to ask me anything else feel free to PM meOriginal post by Fward
Hi, I'm also going to be starting at Surrey in September studying Law with Criminology, so thought I would write a quick reply to this
First of all I will say that starting to look at unis now is quite a good thing, as it gives you the chance to go to open days over the summer/next few months before you have to start applying in September/October. These open days will really help you to get a feel of the unis you want to go to, and they might even make you apply to unis that you hadn't originally thought of.
In reply to your questions - I studied Law, Maths and Sociology at Alevel (and Sport at AS), I achieved ABB at Alevel, and I don't really have any law practice experience, but I am hoping to build on this.
I hope you manage to make your uni choices a bit easier than I did - as I had about 19+ to choose from. You never know, I may see you around Surrey in a couple years time
First of all I will say that starting to look at unis now is quite a good thing, as it gives you the chance to go to open days over the summer/next few months before you have to start applying in September/October. These open days will really help you to get a feel of the unis you want to go to, and they might even make you apply to unis that you hadn't originally thought of.
In reply to your questions - I studied Law, Maths and Sociology at Alevel (and Sport at AS), I achieved ABB at Alevel, and I don't really have any law practice experience, but I am hoping to build on this.
I hope you manage to make your uni choices a bit easier than I did - as I had about 19+ to choose from. You never know, I may see you around Surrey in a couple years time
Haha, that's fantastic! Thanks for your response
Original post by Fonzee
Hey! I've actually been given offers from both Surrey and Kent I didn't do A levels, instead I went with an Access course which is like A levels but crammed into one year instead of two. I'm currently studying Law, Business and ICT in that course, still got three exams to do in June and I've already met the requirements for all of my offers .
The Access course is actually the reason why I am going to study Law. My original plan was to apply for International Management, however while studying I realised how much more interested in Law I was than business. I've not had any Law practice experience but I did go down to visit the courts and watch some cases on numerous occasions. I would recommend doing that as it gives you something to write in your personal statement or talk about if you are invited anywhere for an interview.
If you are genuinely interested in Law then make sure that comes across in your personal statement. These institutions will be looking for people that have a genuine interest in the subject, and if you just miss your required grades they may turn to your personal statement to look for a reason to give you an offer.
Good luck with your A levels and if you want to ask me anything else feel free to PM me
I didn't do A levels, instead I went with an Access course which is like A levels but crammed into one year instead of two. I'm currently studying Law, Business and ICT in that course, still got three exams to do in June and I've already met the requirements for all of my offers . The Access course is actually the reason why I am going to study Law. My original plan was to apply for International Management, however while studying I realised how much more interested in Law I was than business. I've not had any Law practice experience but I did go down to visit the courts and watch some cases on numerous occasions. I would recommend doing that as it gives you something to write in your personal statement or talk about if you are invited anywhere for an interview.
If you are genuinely interested in Law then make sure that comes across in your personal statement. These institutions will be looking for people that have a genuine interest in the subject, and if you just miss your required grades they may turn to your personal statement to look for a reason to give you an offer.
Good luck with your A levels
and if you want to ask me anything else feel free to PM meWow, congrats on your offer! And thanks for your detailed response
Original post by Jonnyishman
Good day Lyrical,
In regards to your previous post. You can trust me in saying that you will be glad that your sixth form is pressuring you into looking at universities now. My college did the same and I am so thankful as I was able to go to all the open days the universities host over the summer which are massively important for you choosing which unis to apply to. If you didn't worry about it until you start Year 13 you'd probably miss a lot of open days for a lot of unis.
Now, on to your questions.
1) I would say Surrey was a clean place. As clean as any other private establishments or universities. How it works at Surrey regarding campus accommodation is you can choose between Band A to Band F. Band D to Band F are en-suite rooms. Band C and below are shared bathrooms. Band C is by far the most popular non-en-suite. All Band C rooms (but one) will have wash basins in the room. So personal grooming and the like you can do in your room which is up to you to clean so you can have it as spotless as you like.
All shared areas will be cleaned by professional cleaners. So this will be the kitchen and hall ways for all courts, and the shared bathrooms and shower rooms for Band A to Band C rooms. They come every other weekday. So if the place is clean enough for you I can't say. However since people have wash basins in their own rooms the shower rooms are just going to be used for quick showers and there will always be a few shower rooms you can choose from.
2) Surrey has a fair amount of help financially for students. Help and advice for how to manage your money you can pop in all year and ask. In regards to actual scholarships and bursaries be sure to check out their site to see what you could be entitled to. They do change the schemes occasionally but you can always find the latest schemes here
http://www.surrey.ac.uk/discover/tuition-fees-bursaries-scholarships
Most of the stuff on that page will be free money for you which you won't have to pay back. They're not loans. So check thoroughly to see what you are eligible for.
If you're still having trouble making ends meet you can go see the help and advice people and they may offer you financial help from the hardship fund which will usually be a small interest free loan to help to get to your next loan payment. But only if they think you both need it and deserve it.
If you think you wouldn't be entitled to any of the bursaries on the above link, or you don't think they will be enough then there's always the option of getting a part time job during your studies which a very large number of people do, including myself. The best way is always to work for either the university itself or the students union. They will understand you're a student and may need time off occasionally for coursework or exams. Guildford town centre also has a lot of shops which you can work at too and is very close by.
3) Universities won't make go to lectures on the weekends and they don't have half terms. University is very different to school, even boarding schools which are the only schools I know where you have to go in over the weekend, and they definitely won't ever make you go home at any point. Once you get you uni you will be 18 years old and independent. You can do whatever you wish. You can even stay at uni over Christmas if you wanted to. Many international students do. You don't even have to go to the lectures if you don't want to. Although I don't recommend it.
Occasionally you may hear things called reading weeks which some courses have. Don't fool yourself into thinking this is a half term. It's just a week where you won't have any lectures scheduled because your department will expect you to catch up on the reading and coursework you've been given over the semester. Revision classes usually occur over this week anyway.
4) The cheapest accommodation will be Band A. Which can either be shared rooms on campus, or very small rooms on this very small court very far away from campus called Hazel Farm. The next cheapest will be Band B (I bet you can see the pattern here), which are small outdated rooms on campus, or decent sized rooms in Hazel Farms. The next cheapest will be the last non-ensuite band which is Band C which is the most popular non-ensuite band and are all decent sized rooms on campus. You can find all the info about the courts and their prices here
http://www.surrey.ac.uk/accommodation/index.htm
I hope that has helped. Please feel free to ask about anything else if it comes to you. My best advice to you now would be go to any university fairs that are near you. You sixth form should offer you take you to one some point before summer. Grab all the prospectuses of the unis that interest you, and if some aren't there, you can order their prospectus online for free. Then literally go to every single open day you can find over the summer for the universities you're interested in, even some you may not. Nothing will give you a better idea of what university life is like. Eventually you know exactly what unis you want to apply to through UCAS.
In regards to your previous post. You can trust me in saying that you will be glad that your sixth form is pressuring you into looking at universities now. My college did the same and I am so thankful as I was able to go to all the open days the universities host over the summer which are massively important for you choosing which unis to apply to. If you didn't worry about it until you start Year 13 you'd probably miss a lot of open days for a lot of unis.
Now, on to your questions.
1) I would say Surrey was a clean place. As clean as any other private establishments or universities. How it works at Surrey regarding campus accommodation is you can choose between Band A to Band F. Band D to Band F are en-suite rooms. Band C and below are shared bathrooms. Band C is by far the most popular non-en-suite. All Band C rooms (but one) will have wash basins in the room. So personal grooming and the like you can do in your room which is up to you to clean so you can have it as spotless as you like.
All shared areas will be cleaned by professional cleaners. So this will be the kitchen and hall ways for all courts, and the shared bathrooms and shower rooms for Band A to Band C rooms. They come every other weekday. So if the place is clean enough for you I can't say. However since people have wash basins in their own rooms the shower rooms are just going to be used for quick showers and there will always be a few shower rooms you can choose from.
2) Surrey has a fair amount of help financially for students. Help and advice for how to manage your money you can pop in all year and ask. In regards to actual scholarships and bursaries be sure to check out their site to see what you could be entitled to. They do change the schemes occasionally but you can always find the latest schemes here
http://www.surrey.ac.uk/discover/tuition-fees-bursaries-scholarships
Most of the stuff on that page will be free money for you which you won't have to pay back. They're not loans. So check thoroughly to see what you are eligible for.
If you're still having trouble making ends meet you can go see the help and advice people and they may offer you financial help from the hardship fund which will usually be a small interest free loan to help to get to your next loan payment. But only if they think you both need it and deserve it.
If you think you wouldn't be entitled to any of the bursaries on the above link, or you don't think they will be enough then there's always the option of getting a part time job during your studies which a very large number of people do, including myself. The best way is always to work for either the university itself or the students union. They will understand you're a student and may need time off occasionally for coursework or exams. Guildford town centre also has a lot of shops which you can work at too and is very close by.
3) Universities won't make go to lectures on the weekends and they don't have half terms. University is very different to school, even boarding schools which are the only schools I know where you have to go in over the weekend, and they definitely won't ever make you go home at any point. Once you get you uni you will be 18 years old and independent. You can do whatever you wish. You can even stay at uni over Christmas if you wanted to. Many international students do. You don't even have to go to the lectures if you don't want to. Although I don't recommend it.
Occasionally you may hear things called reading weeks which some courses have. Don't fool yourself into thinking this is a half term. It's just a week where you won't have any lectures scheduled because your department will expect you to catch up on the reading and coursework you've been given over the semester. Revision classes usually occur over this week anyway.
4) The cheapest accommodation will be Band A. Which can either be shared rooms on campus, or very small rooms on this very small court very far away from campus called Hazel Farm. The next cheapest will be Band B (I bet you can see the pattern here), which are small outdated rooms on campus, or decent sized rooms in Hazel Farms. The next cheapest will be the last non-ensuite band which is Band C which is the most popular non-ensuite band and are all decent sized rooms on campus. You can find all the info about the courts and their prices here
http://www.surrey.ac.uk/accommodation/index.htm
I hope that has helped. Please feel free to ask about anything else if it comes to you. My best advice to you now would be go to any university fairs that are near you. You sixth form should offer you take you to one some point before summer. Grab all the prospectuses of the unis that interest you, and if some aren't there, you can order their prospectus online for free. Then literally go to every single open day you can find over the summer for the universities you're interested in, even some you may not. Nothing will give you a better idea of what university life is like. Eventually you know exactly what unis you want to apply to through UCAS.
I couldn't have asked for more, thanks so much! this is really helpful... You're a star! If ii have anymore concerns i'll definitely let you know.. Thanks a million
Original post by wrobeldominika
Thank you soo much! I've finally firmed Surrey and I chose Reading uni as my Insurance! I had to go with my gut feeling and even though the other universities I had offers from (Sheffield, Exeter, Sussex) probably have better 'prestige', I didn't want to base my choices purely on that. So hopefully I will be at Surrey in September... I am sooo excited! Thank you for you help again!
If it's prestige you're after, Surrey has the best graduate employment record on average over the last 15 years - better that even Oxbridge, and many courses are in the top 5 in the country, some top 3 or 2 and two of them even number 1. Surrey is definitely a strong choice
Original post by Lyrical Prodigy
I couldn't have asked for more, thanks so much! this is really helpful... You're a star! If ii have anymore concerns i'll definitely let you know.. Thanks a million
One thing I'd like to add to Jonathan's points regarding weekends - exams can be timetabled for a saturday!
Original post by orionmoo
One thing I'd like to add to Jonathan's points regarding weekends - exams can be timetabled for a saturday!
Seriously? Well, thanks... It's good to know!
Original post by Lyrical Prodigy
Seriously? Well, thanks... It's good to know!
There was a big survey done a couple of years ago by the university and the student's union. The survey looked at whether we would like more less exams per day, but the possibility of having them on saturdays, or if more exams per day, and possibly exams earlier/later in the day.
In the end it came back that more people would rather have exams on Saturdays, but not be allowed to have more than two exams a day. There's quite a big set of rules now on exam scheduling, and in general they work pretty well.
Original post by Lyrical Prodigy
Seriously? Well, thanks... It's good to know!
Original post by Dan1909
There was a big survey done a couple of years ago by the university and the student's union. The survey looked at whether we would like more less exams per day, but the possibility of having them on saturdays, or if more exams per day, and possibly exams earlier/later in the day.
In the end it came back that more people would rather have exams on Saturdays, but not be allowed to have more than two exams a day. There's quite a big set of rules now on exam scheduling, and in general they work pretty well.
In the end it came back that more people would rather have exams on Saturdays, but not be allowed to have more than two exams a day. There's quite a big set of rules now on exam scheduling, and in general they work pretty well.
Agreed! People used to moan so much that they'd even have two exams in two consecutive days, and moan until examinations moved them. I don't mind Saturday morning ones, much better than having two in one day
Original post by orionmoo
Agreed! People used to moan so much that they'd even have two exams in two consecutive days, and moan until examinations moved them. I don't mind Saturday morning ones, much better than having two in one day
Yeah, I suppose so because at the end of the day you're at uni to study
Did you go to Surrey too?Is the whole "you don't need a TV license because they aren't allowed on campus" thing true or BS? Don't want to get caught out!
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