York this year, or Oxbridge/London next year?

Hey all, I'm facing a bit of a dilemma. This year I achieved AAB in my A-Levels and went through the adjustment program to turn down my offer at Newcastle University to go to the University of York to study History. I'm studying History because A) I enjoy it, and B) I don't know what I want to do for a career.

Thing is, recently my school's exams officer rang me up and told me that two of my papers deserved a remark, so I agreed to have them put forward and re-evaluated. One of the papers has returned and my overall grades are now AAA. The other paper, English Literature, is only one mark of an A* and I'm currently waiting on it coming back. If I've went up to A*AA which is possible (touch wood) I'm stuck between two options and I'm having a hard time choosing. Either I go to York anyway because I have my heart set on there now and I move in in less than two weeks, or alternatively I take a year out and apply to LSE, UCL, Durham, Oxford or Cambridge next year and in the mean time do work experience.

Thing is, is the workload at the top-band uni's so intense that there's high levels of stress and little time to enjoy yourself? I don't know if I'll be studying history then, maybe English or Law, and in all honesty I want to go to uni to have a good time as well as get a good degree (in balance, of course). I'm also a city lad, and think I'd probably be more suited to LSE and USL/ISL's scene and culture.

My A-Levels are Biology, Literature and History.

Any advice is appreciated, basically what I'm facing is a conflict between two things: Happiness and certainty with good career prospects; potential unhappiness and uncertainty with excellent life-time career prospects.

Any advice is appreciated, thanks all.

Reply 1

Jacketh

Tough one. Massive congrats on your grades.

Forgetting about the possibility of Oxbridge/London for a second, a year out used sensibily to gain some experience could look very good and would most certainly help when your application and more importantly when you graduate.

Its really up to you. Are you eager to get to Uni? York is obviously a fantastic Uni and a great place; there is no shame going there. I'd personally wait and apply to Oxbridge as, I guess, would love the opportunity to have a degree from somewhere with a the pretegious of Oxbridge or somewhere like LSE. People will tell you 'prestige isn't everything', and, well that is true to an extent. Fact is though, a degree from Oxbridge can open so many doors for you around the world. When the truth is the majority of global businesses won't have a clue what a Durham or York is, despite them being excellent Universities and great for prospects in the UK.

Reply 2

Nymthae

If you actually want to go to York

Either I go to York anyway because I have my heart set on there now

then go. Don't feel obliged to the big reputations and names because your grades ended up better than expected. Honestly, your career prospects won't be drastically different in the real world, because most of it is down to you as an individual. If you're thinking of academic research type thing, maybe, but there's the option of doing an MA at Oxbridge and the likes. There's absolutely no guarantee that the big names are going to give you an offer either. If there's some very relevant you can do in the year, then it's probably worth stepping back and doing that, but i'm guessing you've not got anything much planned (given how sudden this all is).

As a city lad then I doubt Oxbridge and Durham are where you want to be. York is alright, but it's no patch on London for what you probably want. I would recommend getting your backside down to visiting Oxbridge colleges if you're genuinely looking to apply (or obviously wait for interview if applicable) because it's not the lifestyle for everyone. I think I would've done my nut there (i'm sorry, but what's the point in all that grass in the courtyards if you can't even go sit on it :wink:

).

If you're having reservations about the course then it's wise to take a year away from it and rethink. If Oxbridge is any goal in that though, you don't have long to decide - not sure you're necessarily going to make a "better choice" unless you've already thought about this extensively. I'd wager if only career prospects are what bother you then I don't think English offers much that History doesn't. If you fancy Law as a profession then different story.

Are you going to sit here with what-ifs if you don't do this? If you are going to spend the next three years going "but what if..." then I think it's telling you you want to do this. I'd probably just try go to York and get on with my life, but i'm not faced with this decision :smile:

I found a university I was happy with, and didn't even want to look at adjustment when the time came. Best of luck with whichever!

Reply 3

DylanJ96

Original post by scurr

I would advise you to go for York this year and just start your degree. I'm interested, why York over Newcastle? I only know two people from school going to Newcastle, one turned down UCL for Newcastle and the other got A*A*AB.

Reply 4

scurr

Original post by Nymthae

If you actually want to go to York

then go. Don't feel obliged to the big reputations and names because your grades ended up better than expected. Honestly, your career prospects won't be drastically different in the real world, because most of it is down to you as an individual. If you're thinking of academic research type thing, maybe, but there's the option of doing an MA at Oxbridge and the likes. There's absolutely no guarantee that the big names are going to give you an offer either. If there's some very relevant you can do in the year, then it's probably worth stepping back and doing that, but i'm guessing you've not got anything much planned (given how sudden this all is).

As a city lad then I doubt Oxbridge and Durham are where you want to be. York is alright, but it's no patch on London for what you probably want. I would recommend getting your backside down to visiting Oxbridge colleges if you're genuinely looking to apply (or obviously wait for interview if applicable) because it's not the lifestyle for everyone. I think I would've done my nut there (i'm sorry, but what's the point in all that grass in the courtyards if you can't even go sit on it :wink:

I found a university I was happy with, and didn't even want to look at adjustment when the time came. Best of luck with whichever!

Very insightful, cheers! I think I'd have a brilliant time at ICL/UCL/LSE to be honest, and as a person (I don't mean to boast or sound like a prick here) but I have quite a bit going for me. Even though I'll miss the club-heavy hustle bustle of Newcastle, I'm only an hour away and I'll be up for Christmas anyway so I'm not missing out regarding being a city lad if I stay at York. York's full of pubs/bars anyway, and I prefer that and I generally like the city.

This still remains a tough decision, but I don't think Oxbridge is necessarily the best idea if I do decide to take a year out (in which I will have to find something to do), I'd definitely be more suited to London.

Reply 5

scurr

Original post by DylanJ96

I'm from Newcastle and would have been living at home in the first year; a decision I had regretted not long after I made it. The appeal of moving out, the city, and the fact that it's higher up on the league tables than Newcastle for history (11th place in fact) swayed me towards York.

Reply 6

username638250

A*AA is below average for Oxbridge and probably about average for LSE. Imperial doesn't offer the courses you're interested in, lol, since it only offers science and engineering courses.