What is your experience of university - Good? Bad? Both?

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I'm a first year.

Good - course has had some really interesting experiences, e.g. dissection, labs etc.

Bad - flatmates in halls can be quite annoying sometimes but they are getting better and some of the course is quite boring.

Should pick up soon though with placements :smile:

Reply 61

awe

I adore some aspects of university - I have met my partner, whom I love and am forming a future with. Second year was horrific, as he was working in America, and I write that year off as an emotional mess - but we are so strong following his return that it has all been worth it. I have adored my experience of starting my animal welfare society and running it, and I enjoy, generally, simply being in a different part of the country.

I regret my degree. Not in a particularly negative way, but I simply do accept that I would likely have appreciated a different subject much more in the long term. I'm doing well enough and will graduate with a 2.1 from a great university, but that fact is, occasionally, slightly meaningless to me.

I am very happy with my university choice in terms of location, setup of the university, contacts within it, etc. I don't, and never have, gone out very much, but that is my own choice. I've never felt too pressurized to do so, but perhaps that's my own personality.

Overall my time at university has been very much structured by me and who I am. I've remained outside a lot of it in terms of social things, made a few really good solid friends but largely have kept to a select few and my partner. I don't really do much work - doing Literature yet haven't read a single book for my course in three years.... yet, I am doing fine. No real worries come results days, even if deadline days are hectic. I haven't had any life-changing experiences exempting surviving the LDR situation, and visiting him in America three times.

I will be severely in debt when I begin working - has it been worth it? Maybe not. Do I care? Not really!

Reply 62

Jackal The

Original post by -aimz

As I'm nearly halfway through final year, I think I can say that, discounting any proper miracles next semester, it's been pretty poor for me. First year was disappointing - I struggled to make friends and became very depressed and isolated, and don't have the fun memories that a lot of people do of that year. Things were better in second year once I moved in with a couple of friends, but we also had to deal with a complete nightmare living situation with the worst housemates ever. Third year has been pretty grim so far, so much work on a course I don't care about anymore and not enough play.

I've enjoyed living in a city and being independent - uni has taught me that I'm a lot more responsible and intelligent that I give myself credit for. I'm also quite proud of myself for sticking it out through the dreadful times I've endured, especially in first year when it would have been so easy for me to just pack it all in and leave. I've had some good times, but they've been few and far between, and made only a couple of good friends. I feel more sad and disappointed than anything else, when I think back to how excited I was before uni and how it's turned out to be for me. I think I'll be glad to leave next summer.

That hits pretty close to home. Ah well, at least you've only got a few months to go. Good luck. :tongue:

Reply 63

Zyekanz

I'm a first year, hating my course, hate the university, not enjoying living in my halls. So pretty much a mess. Trying to re-apply to a different degree at a different university closer to home for first year entry, just trying to get a-hold of the course leader - which isn't turning out so great as he never seems to be there when I ring and he's not rang me back yet. :l

Reply 64

Wimbs

I dropped out of university after sliding into a severe depression that kicked off when I got placed in a house mainly full of mature students off campus (I was 18.) I did go out with people from the house but felt I was 'missing out' and transferred to campus, but by then I felt I had 'missed the boat.' I tried changing courses to promote a fresh start and because I found the course I was on difficult (everything is when you are in depression) but after around 6 weeks I dropped out.

Bravely perhaps I reapplied to another uni closer to home and also opted to give Halls a go. So a year later I started. However the old feelings came flooding back very quickly and I asked to leave so I could commute from home but they said No. I did hang around with a group of friends for awhile but became socially very insular, shutting myself in my room and going home at weekends. Weirdly, towards the end of the second term I came out and sat with people from my hall one evening but by then it felt 'too late.' I did complete my degree commuting from home and now I am in my mid thirties I feel more confident. This has had the side effect though of really wishing I could go back in time and give my younger self a massive kick up the arse - now I feel I missed out socially.

If anyone is reading this feeling similarly and you are still in your 1st year, if you can, try not to dwell on 'missing out' on Freshers. Try and love your hall mates platonically. Try and not worry about being 'boring' etc to them, when you get older you realise people care less about you than you think! Even if you have locked yourself away for most of the term, human nature is predominantly good.You WILL get invited out again if that is what you want. Live the life while you are young and have the chance!

PS in some ways that mature student 'stuck' with 18-19 year olds sounds like heaven! If I won the Lottery I would consider it myself!

Reply 65

Wimbs

This thread is really heartening - you get the feeling 'everybody' is enjoying halls but you when there - clearly this is not true and i am not alone! Weirdly after graduating I never really looked back on my experience at uni but on going to a nightclub in the same city as the uni and dancing with what could have been 1st years(!) it came flooding back to me as if it were yesterday!

Reply 66

fybyth

On a year abroad currently and im having a good time but the first two years were just dull. To be fair I don't do socialising as I don't like it but still; months spent in your room playing games and watching films does get old after a while (although I got my main on LOTRO up to level cap and nearly did the same with my second alt so every cloud has a silver lining).

Reply 67

fedz

I've wasted my time at university. I go somewhere I don't like and skip the vast majority of my classes. I feel very guilty and have no social life what so ever. The only positive is I get excellent grades (so far).

Reply 68

LazyBazooka

This thread is slightly making me dread university, sounds like most people had a bad time.

Reply 69

bellaboo8

Check out my video on my 3 years experience at University- http://youtu.be/h--3Bs7b5jcX

Reply 70

cole-slaw

Original post by LazyBazooka

This thread is slightly making me dread university, sounds like most people had a bad time.

No - 99% of people have a great time. The thing is, they're too busy out having fun to have time to come and post on TSR.

Its selection bias - if you're the kind of loser who refuses to leave their room and talk to people, then you will have a **** time. You will also have plenty of time to whine about it on TSR.

You have nothing to worry about.

Reply 71

Film

I am graduating next week from Exeter, and it has been the most amazing, positive and enjoyable experience. The time passed too quickly. I would really recommend Exeter to everyone as the student experience here is unbeatable. Plus I was able to find a graduate job already which is the cherry on the top of the cake!

Reply 72

ChemicalBond

I've just finished first year, and on the whole it's been excellent.

Good:
- Adore the course (environmental science)
- Made lots of truly excellent friends on the course (and am living with six of them when I go back in September)
- Plenty of field trips (which is great as I didn't want to be on campus all the time). They're always a right laugh, and I can't look back on any of them without laughing my head off.
- Become far more independent and street wise
- Like the city (Plymouth)
- Parents says I've become a little chef (even if it means they have to be a vegetarian/vegan some nights when they want me to cook!)
- Due to some pretty nasty circumstances, I had zero confidence in my academic abilities at sixth form. Then the gap year I was forced to take (I didn't believe in myself enough to apply for university while still at sixth form despite the school reassuring me I was more than smart enough) went wrong, so I had visions of uni going wrong and I'd fail. However, I've come out of first year with a very strong first

Bad:
- Had almost nothing in common with my flatmates. Sure, some of them I could talk to while cooking my dinner, but apart from that there wasn't any closeness between me and them (although they were like a family)
- Said flatmates could be very, very loud until 2 in the morning and then they'd wake me up with their drunk pranks at 5.
- Home and uni are 300 miles apart, making it expensive and difficult to get home. I only went home once outside of holidays, and that's because I had to go to a hospital appointment back home. But I guess that also helped me gain my independence and made going home more worthwhile!

Can't wait for Year Two! :biggrin: