How is life at UCL?

I live in Romania and want to go to UCL Econ and Stats. How is life there? Are the courses demanding? Do I have future job prospects?
(idk if this is the correct forum to ask this question in)

Reply 1

Anonymous #1

Life in London is incredibly expensive. But then again, it's London. A beautiful and vibrant city with a million things to do, a million people to meet and extremely exciting in general. If you like big cities then you will like London.

The courses are demanding, yes. UCL is the 8th best university in the world so naturally the courses will be difficult. However, it's nothing you won't be able to do if you work hard and enjoy the subject you choose.

UCL graduate prospects are very good. It is seen as a very good university, as I've already said, so a degree from there is impressive. Also, it's in the centre of London which obviously provides many job prospects.

University College London

London

Reply 2

andrei4563

Original post by Anonymous

on the topic of money, how high are the fees for UCL?

Reply 3

Noodlzzz

Original post by andrei4563

on the topic of money, how high are the fees for UCL?

google them. They will be similar to the majority of UK universities. The real cost with UCL is living, accommodation and travel expenses

Reply 4

andrei4563

Original post by Noodlzzz

google them. They will be similar to the majority of UK universities. The real cost with UCL is living, accommodation and travel expenses

yes, sorry I meant the overall fees: accommodation, expenses and whatnot

Reply 5

empeño

Original post by andrei4563

yes, sorry I meant the overall fees: accommodation, expenses and whatnot

It's expensive but this does depend on your lifestyle, too. If you want to live in Central London then you're looking at £200+/week for accommodation, but if you're happy to live in zones 2-4 then it'll be a bit cheaper. Of course then you'll have to factor in tube/bus fare (you can pay as you go or buy monthly/annual passes). Tube is more expensive than bus, but is often quicker. There are so many places to eat out, but this can be done cheaply. Of course the more you eat out, the more expensive it'll be. So the base cost that's expensive for everyone is rent, but aside from rent, you can live on a budget if needed.

Reply 6

Anonymous #1

Original post by andrei4563

on the topic of money, how high are the fees for UCL?

Around £9,000 for the academic fees.
Accommodation in halls costs around £12,000 per year. The second year of university most people move out of halls and rent a flat; this costs around the same: £12,000 per year.
Living costs depend entirely on how you live. It can range from £50 (if you live very very modestly) to £500+. Really depends on how you live!

The maintenance loan is £12,100 per year. This is supposed to cover accommodation and living costs, but it only covers accommodation because it's so expensive in London.

Reply 7

andrei4563

Original post by empeño

Original post by Anonymous

well I can't say that I'm a stranger to modest life so I can manage

does UCL have a campus? if so, is it, you know, liveable?

Reply 8

Anonymous #1

Original post by andrei4563

well I can't say that I'm a stranger to modest life so I can manage

does UCL have a campus? if so, is it, you know, liveable?

Yes it has a campus but not in the way that you think. It has buildings across the city and accommodation halls across the city as well (all in central London though). Unlike many other UK universities which have huge campuses where you live, study, eat and socialise, UCL is in central London so it doesn't really have the space to do that. Basically, you'll be living in London, not in the campus.

Reply 9

empeño

Original post by andrei4563

well I can't say that I'm a stranger to modest life so I can manage

does UCL have a campus? if so, is it, you know, liveable?

I would disagree with Anon that accom is £12000, especially in first year. Halls are often only 38/42 week contracts so even at say £220 a week, it'll only be around £8000-9000 (which I know is still expensive). Also, they mention £12000 in maintenance loan, I'm not sure if all EU students are eligible for this so you'd need to check that out. If you are eligible, £12000 in the maximum and is based on household income.

In terms of a campus, technically it does have a campus (in Bloomsbury), but like all central London uni's, it's not a typical campus in that you don't live on it. Aside from the main campus, UCL has lots of buildings mostly within a 5-10minute walking radius, so where you'll be based will depend on your department. Most UCL halls, and a lot of intercollegiate halls, are also within a 15 minute walk of the main campus. I personally think Bloomsbury is a beautiful part of London to live in. I loved being in the west end with the theatres, but it's slightly out so you also have lots of parks etc.