What's more important when picking a uni to firm?

1.

The amount of money you will have to live on?

2.

or the course and city itself?

Basically, I'm hoping to do a degree in civil engineering in either Leeds or Sheffield but as I am Welsh, Leeds will not offer me any financial help. In Leeds I'd roughly have £65 a week, while in Sheffield I would have £95 (as accommodation is cheaper and I get a bursary).

I prefer Leeds as a city and the course itself is slightly better (although in civil engineering they are all very similar), but the fact my mum can't help me that much financially I have to rely upon loans, grants and bursaries. There is a scholarship I can get where I would get an extra £2,500 a year but there is only 20% chance I'll get it and will only find out a month into my course if I am successful. However I don't think I can rely upon this and should really think of it as an extra bonus.

So really I'm just wondering what you guys would do in this situation; firm Leeds (the city and course I prefer), or firm Sheffield (where I will have £30 extra a week to live on)?

Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

ellieHA

14

Is that £65 after accommodation? That's more than enough to live on to be honest with you!

Reply 2

TenOfThem

18

1. course
2. city
3. affordability

unless affordability were a major factor i.e. couldn't actually afford one

but since your can afford either, I think my list stands

Reply 3

Mathsz0r

11

£65 after accommodation? Being from Leeds, I'd be pretty shocked if you found yourself struggling in any way on that.

Reply 4

cyn_purple

10

Hey,

they are both important factors to think about. If you like Leeds and the course is better there. Will you able to live on the grants and loans you can get?
You might as well apply for the scholarship. Even though its 20% chance, you never know.

Do you have any savings that can help you if you are set on Leeds? You could get a job during the summer and save up?

Reply 5

Izzyeviel

19

Go to Leeds and get a part-time job.

Why is the fact you are Welsh a problem with Leeds?

Reply 6

Chris1216

7

Hey, I study Civil Engineering at Sheffield and was torn between here and Leeds when I was applying through UCAS but I went to open days at both and I ended up loving Sheffield a lot more than Leeds. If that money is after accommodation then it's more than enough to live on but if you can't afford to live as comfortably as you'd like in Leeds then rest assured that Sheffield is an awesome city and was in the top five universities in the country for Civil Engineering last year. Either way you're going somewhere really good to do a course that's rated really well. :smile:

Reply 7

chris_d

OP

4

Original post by cyn_purple

Hey,

they are both important factors to think about. If you like Leeds and the course is better there. Will you able to live on the grants and loans you can get?
You might as well apply for the scholarship. Even though its 20% chance, you never know.

Do you have any savings that can help you if you are set on Leeds? You could get a job during the summer and save up?

That's what I'm trying to figure out. I really have no idea how much I need a week to live off :s-smilie:

I've been saving as much of my EMA I can over the past year and a half and I'm also starting to save money form work. Hopefully in the summer I'll get loads of full day shifts!

Original post by Izzyeviel

Go to Leeds and get a part-time job.

Why is the fact you are Welsh a problem with Leeds?

Because the Welsh Assembly pays around £6000 of my tuition fees, so they class that as financial support

Original post by Chris1216

Hey, I study Civil Engineering at Sheffield and was torn between here and Leeds when I was applying through UCAS but I went to open days at both and I ended up loving Sheffield a lot more than Leeds. If that money is after accommodation then it's more than enough to live on but if you can't afford to live as comfortably as you'd like in Leeds then rest assured that Sheffield is an awesome city and was in the top five universities in the country for Civil Engineering last year. Either way you're going somewhere really good to do a course that's rated really well. :smile:

Aw cool, yeh I really like Sheffield as well it's just the architectural part of the course in Leeds interests me quite a bit. I still quite liked Sheffield though, and until I had my interview in Leeds I was set on going there! How much do you reckon the average person would need a week then?

Reply 8

cyn_purple

10

Original post by chris_d

That's what I'm trying to figure out. I really have no idea how much I need a week to live off :s-smilie:

I've been saving as much of my EMA I can over the past year and a half and I'm also starting to save money form work. Hopefully in the summer I'll get loads of full day shifts!

I would say you need around £50 maximum a week. But it really depends on what types of food you buy, how often you would want to go out and any travel expenses.

Reply 9

Chris1216

7

Original post by chris_d

Aw cool, yeh I really like Sheffield as well it's just the architectural part of the course in Leeds interests me quite a bit. I still quite liked Sheffield though, and until I had my interview in Leeds I was set on going there! How much do you reckon the average person would need a week then?

A few of my friends have have architecture modules, I think it's a joint course in Sheffield. It depends on how you live (the food you buy, how much you go out, how much you spend on train fare etc.) I generally live on less than £40 per week after rent since nights out here are really cheap and I only get a train home at Christmas but some people live on less than £30. No one I know would spend more than £60 in a week. Hope that helps.

Reply 10

chris_d

OP

4

Original post by cyn_purple

I would say you need around £50 maximum a week. But it really depends on what types of food you buy, how often you would want to go out and any travel expenses.

Original post by Chris1216

A few of my friends have have architecture modules, I think it's a joint course in Sheffield. It depends on how you live (the food you buy, how much you go out, how much you spend on train fare etc.) I generally live on less than £40 per week after rent since nights out here are really cheap and I only get a train home at Christmas but some people live on less than £30. No one I know would spend more than £60 in a week. Hope that helps.