Am I making the right move? - I need advice

Hello, guys

By this time, one year ago, I was very excited because I was accepted at a danish university to study Mechanical Engineering.
On August, I left Portugal and I headed to Denmark. After two months, I didn't feel good there (I didn't like the teaching, I felt it wasn't as demanding as I was expecting).
I decided to make an application for the UK (in theory, british and american universities dominate in rankings) and I was accepted at three Universities (Sheffield, Manchester and Southampton) for Aerospace Engineering.

The problem is that I'm afraid to be disappointed again. My mother and some of my friends look to me as "you're not as good as we thought you were" or "you failed to live up to your potential". Sometimes, I feel they are right. Ok, I had some excellent grades in high school, but so do lots of students. I believe, now more than ever, that it is the determination to overcome the obstacles that make people successful. I am just not sure if I have that determination. This is the price of being an adult... I miss the old days, where I was confident and had plans for a solid future. Going to Denmark was my worst mistake ever. At what cost? I don't know yet.

If you were in my shoes, what would you do?
I could stay in Portugal, but... trust me, we don't have conditions to pay a decent wage to aerospace engineers.

You'll never know unless you try. You could stay in Portugal and wonder "What if...?" For the rest of your life, and confirm what (you think) other people think about you.

Or you can stick your chin in the air, commit to the course, get on with it and prove them wrong.

In your shoes, I'd be brave and do it. There's nothing to lose.

If your not happy at a uni it's always a good idea to move. I lived in Southampton for a few years and it's a great city for students with lots of pubs bars and clubs. Not to mention a dry ski slope several sports centres Swimming pools and cinema also if your in to watersports you could do worse oh and great links to the isle of white and an airport and one of the lowest crime rates against students in the UK it also has a really nice feel around the place have fun.

Well, if I fail my future and my life start to get complicated. What would I do if I fail?

I'm afraid of not getting along in the country, not get used to british university life, not get use to social life in the UK...

I can understand the fear, but what will you do if you stay where you are? You're already doing nothing - what sort of future do you have where you are? It sounds like you need to do *something*.

The unis you list are well respected in the UK and they wouldn't have let you in if they weren't confident that you could pass the course.


Ultimately, you need to work out whether you're more afraid of trying to make those things work for you, or staying where you are and never trying. There's no doubt that life in the UK will be different to the life you're used to (it'll be a lot colder and wetter, for starters!) However, every university student has this type of problem on some level - life as an independent student who has to look after themselves, is very much different to living at home, even if you're from the UK. You won't be alone in those aspects, at least.

Ultimately, only you can make that decision.

One of the fears I have is having troubles with my roommate

or not being able to pass the classes (do you enjoy the teaching method?)

I've moved already... I'm in Portugal since January, doing, literally, nothing.
And about Sheffield and Manchester, do you know anything?

Do what's right for YOU to succeed. If your gut is telling you to go to a British uni because you feel you'll do better, then go for it and sod the rest, it's your life not theirs.

Unless you're at one of the London unis, you'll generally have your own bedroom and you won't have to share it. You'll be able to spend time privately and the door will have a lock to keep your things safe. You'll probably be based in a larger flat, sharing kitchen and bathroom facilities. However you aren't going to have to socialise with your flatmates if you don't want to. A lot of activities in your first week at uni will aim to introduce you to as many other students as possible.


I liked the learning style, which is very much more based on independent learning, with lectures as a starting point for further reading and research of my own. You can look at the syllabus in detail on each uni's website, to see the type of learning strategies and assessments that each will involve for your chosen subject.

No sorry I've only lived in the south I was in Southampton (Solent) for uni which is why I know about the city.

Thank you anyway, mate

How can I be sure I'm doing the right thing?

How can I be sure I'm doing the right thing?

let us know what you decide and I really hope my contribution helped a bit. it is a big decision but you are doing the right thing

Objectively, I'd say your future is likely to be brighter in the UK. I don't know whether or not you'll enjoy it here but if you go anywhere then do it with a positive mindset (or at least that's what I do meaning I'm less likely to look for/find things I dislike). I can only really speak for London atm however which is rather different from the rest of the nation (very multicultural and diverse; if you don't like where you are in London there's so much variety that rather than move country you can move an hour away and be in a whole different place). Whatever you do, best of luck with it

You can't - nobody can see into the future.

No student knows how well they're going to do when they start university. It's the same leap of faith that everyone makes. You'd be in the same situation if you went to uni in Portugal.

Perhaps make a list of things you want, and make a list of things you'll get if you decide to make this move. If the two lists match up, then maybe that's an indicator that this is the right thing?

What do you consider to be the right thing?