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i have no clue how this works lol but i got an unconditional for law from napier and university of stirling i live in edinburgh so i’m very torn between choosing to live at home as it’s easy to study from home in napier or moving to stirling for law. Anybody else confused? i am nervous about the move i think i don’t know what to do honestly what if i don't make friends ahhhh

Hi! I did the opposite when I went to college. Stirling to Edinburgh. I also went to Stirling unis open day when I was in 6th year at school as well and one of my best friends goes to Napier so I'll try and help you as much as I can.

Stirling University is honestly a lovely university. The campus is amazing and there are so many clubs/societies (I remember there being walls of posters of each club/society in one of the halls). When I also toured they had just finished building new halls that were stunning! I don't think you'll have any issue making friends.

I have been to one of the Napier campuses once and again, it was also lovely. Different from Stirling though. Napier is definitely smaller with more campuses and Stirling is bigger with less campuses. I also frequented the student halls there too, they were also lovely, defenetly bigger than Stirlings halls but I don't know what the price difference is.

If you haven't done so already, I would definitely be looking at the social aspects of what both involve, you'll have to make friends regardless of which university you pick. I would also look at what you want out of your university experience and if you really think you're ready to leave home yet.

Moving into halls doesn't automatically mean you've made friends and you won't always get along with those you live with... Plus you don't want to hang out with the same people all the time. However, living at home can feel like you're a bit removed from the action. There are definitely pros and cons to both, I know people who hated halls and went back home and vise-versa. Remember your school friends might also be moving, so your instinct might be to stay somewhere familiar but you might find that because your friends from school have moved you might chat/see them less. Because they've moved out and found friends of their own, that doesn't mean you won't stop being friends or seeing each other but your friendship will change and you'll want to find new ones.

Also money, is a large factor that has to be taken into account, and if you feel you're ready to be in charge of your own finances (I won't lie, I still don't feel like I'm in charge of mine, but that's besides the point!) and being able to budget and whatnot.

Sorry if that wasn't very helpful! But I remember being absolutely indecisive about moving out and am happy to help someone in the same shoes I was in.

Hi thank you for replying did you study in napier if you don’t mind me asking did you commute to edinburgh everyday? if yes how was that? was it tiring how long it took? i have been on a 2 gap years after school because i wasn’t eligible for saas yet and now i’m turning 20 and starting uni so i do understand the whole not having as many friends situation i think that is the reason i’m really struggling with the thought of moving away i’ve spend the pandemic at home and become antisocial

Also i did end up accepting stirling uni for law yesterday and i am planning on moving out for the first year and if i can’t do it i’ll move back and commute. I am a little afraid of commuting it might take long but hopefully it’ll all be sorted out. i also feel like moving would get me out of my shell a bit and if i don’t like it i’ll move back i am afraid of living in halls tho it’s going to be noisy and stuff and honestly i wanted to party more at 18 then now i do at 20 and 20 is still young but i think i’m bored of it and my priorities have changed which is why i’m afraid if i move into halls and don’t wanna party and stuff all the time people might see me as a buzzkill or whatever but hopefully not i really appreciate your perspective thank you

Hi! No I didn't go to Napier, as I said one of my best friends went. I went to Edinburgh College. I had some personal issues and I ended up commuting from Granton home to Stirling at the beginning of 2020 to around March time. It was fine, but I defenenetly felt like I was out of the action, my friends would be going out and I'd be too tired and I'd still have an hour and a half commute home...if the busses were quick! I really struggled in the mornings but if you're organised and whatnot I think it's fine.

I'm the same, I've spend the last year doing college at home and I'm getting ready to move to London and my social skills are non existant. I'm the same age as you and I have to agree, I feel like I'm happy spending time with myself and don't feel the need to party and drink to have a good time.

Tbh when I was in halls I was the only one that wasn't really a drinker or partier, I think I can count on one hand the amount of times I drank with my flatmates. But I had a couple people in their early 20s in my flat so you've got other people with different priorities and as long as they understand that you're not really into that, and respect that, you should be fine. But you'll find people who aren't in your halls and socialise with them too!