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Help!! Which University?!?

SchoolLeaver2014

Hi guys

So basically I am in need of some help. I applied to study Psychology at University and Abertay and Stirling have made it to my short list. But I really don't know which to choose! The courses are pretty much the same, both unis have good facilities and lecturers. Abertay is a lot smaller which I think I prefer but Stirling seems to be more specialized in psychology and seems to be more highly thought of. I want to have a good social life at uni as well which I feel Abertay will provide me with more as it is based in the city, however Stirling does have a few social places/events at the university. Do you see my problem? Does anyone have any advice on how I can make my decision? How have other people made a decision when they have been in a predicament like this?

Many thanks :smile:

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Reply 1

SchoolLeaver2014

Bump

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Reply 2

VannR

University prestige vs personal preference. Only you can decide which one will win; however, I can suggest that you look more closely into how much the prestige of Stirling will affect you as an undergraduate. If you intend to do postgraduate research/qualifications, the prestige of the institution which you did your undergraduate studies will not matter so much as it would for someone who goes no further than undergraduate.

Reply 3

SchoolLeaver2014

Thank you for your help :smile:

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Reply 4

hker96

I would go with what your heart wants, as cheesy as it sounds. If the modules are pretty much the same and maybe Stirling has a bit of a better reputation - so what? If you feel like you like Abertay more, I say go for it. Don't force yourself to go somewhere just because people admire the uni more - in the end it is really about how well you do your course and not necessarily where you went.

Reply 5

minastauriel

"Follow your heart" is a familiar phrase. I recently had difficulty in choosing which university to go to for Illustration (between AUB and Falmouth). For me it came down to realizing I want to be comfortable for 3 years. There's no knowing if you make the right decision until you're there but if you can feel you're leaning to Abertay and you just dont want to admit it because you're doubting some things like reputation and course quality- go with it.

1. A way of trying to find out which one you ACTUALLY want would be to go into UCAS and click 'reply' - you can click on your firm and insurance without anything happening and when you click continue, it will show you which universities you're declining and which your firm and insurance are. Nothing at this point is settled, but perhaps seeing this will give you a gut feeling of if what you've selected is right or wrong. I did this for about a week before I confirmed anything, after a month or so of wondering and not being able to decide. If you select Abertay as your firm and look at it in this official way you might just go "you know what- yeah. I have a good feeling about this". Alternatively you might click this and think you're making a mistake missing out on what Stirling has to offer- to me you sound like you're leaning to Abertay but perhaps if you dont know about the social things available at Stirling you should research more if you havent already. Make sure you're completely informed.

2. I dont know if you've used this already but I used Which University to look at my courses. Though very close, this started to show me that Falmouth had generally better statistics than AUB - even by a little - and on top of the general feel of the university and the location, this helped me lean towards a decision. If you havent already, looking at how you'll be assessed and how much time you'll spend in lectures might help you find a course that can play to your strengths.

But if you really are still stuck and completely uncertain - I think you talk a lot more positively about Abertay. But decide what matters to you at university. Social life or quality of course. Pretty much all universities have social opportunities but if you have a FEELING you'll fit in more at Abertay stop feeling held back just because you feel like the expectation is to go to a specific kind of university. There's no telling what sort of environment will suit you more as long as wherever you end up you make it work for you. You might look and find all the statistics might be unimportant for Stirling. They have a higher satisfaction rating but there's no telling how that would be for you. Be careful you're not just avoiding Stirling because you're scared of its reputation though, really analyse why you feel like you should go.

(3. A pros and cons list might also be a thing to try (though I found it unhelpful as my courses ended up tied!). Be brutal and dont just doubt yourself into thinking they both have the same pro. To me if you started a list the first think you should say is that Abertay- Pro- More preferrable social life and put the opposite as a weakness for Stirling. It has it, but you don't seem as keen.

Good luck with your difficult decision! I'm sure you'll figure out what you want! :smile:

Reply 6

The Empire Odyssey

Original post by SchoolLeaver2014

Hi guys

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You should choose whichever uni you'd feel more comfortable at which is why they always say you should visit the uni and the town to get a "feel" for it. And it will be well worth it. You should try this. If you have already done, weigh up the pros and cons such as which one has a better night life, places to shop, restaurants, social activities. Which one has better accommodation (not just for 1st year but for student housing), is the city clean, is it safe, expensive to live there, etc.

Just go with whichever feels more like "you".

Reply 7

Sir Candour

A tough choice.

Both universities will have you earning a similar wage, and students seem equally happy at both!

Have you visited either? Your personal impressions are really the only criteria left to distinguish them by.

https://unistats.direct.gov.uk/Subjects/Overview/10007849FT-C800-PSYCS/ReturnTo/Search

https://unistats.direct.gov.uk/Subjects/Overview/10007804FT-U16-PSY/ReturnTo/Search

Reply 8

SchoolLeaver2014

Thank you all so much! A few days ago I was sure on stirling because I think I was being a bit hard on the social life and the course looks really good. But I'm stuck again because I just want to make sure it is the right decision!
I have visited both unis and both were equally as good as eachother. The key thing that I wanted was to feel comfortable which I did and then I started taking other factors into consideration. Stirling has a better campus but Abertay is more central. Stirling has an option for completely different modules to be chosen with your course, but Abertay only let's you choose modules to do with the course (or the one that I'm doing anyway). As mentioned Abertay is a lot smaller but I think Stirling has better facilities for my course. I compared the assessment for 2 of the same modules between them and Abertay only had 2 multiple choice exams at the end of it whereas Stirling had essays, reports and a multiple choice exam. Although I will admit my essay writing isn't the strongest, I feel I would learn and benefit so much more with doing the essays, reports etc. but I also know that Abertay will have that as part of the assessments with other modules. I had a look on Which University and both unis were pretty much identical. I have tried making a list of advantages and disadvantages but that didn't help either. I need to reply by the 6th of May so whatever I decide I'm going to need to decide fast!
Thanks again :smile:

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