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already regretting uni choice :-(

i’m studying law at uni in september, with university of nottingham as my firm and university of liverpool as my insurance.

while nottingham seems great as a uni and as a city, i have always wanted to live in london. i was turned off by the low student satisfaction at the two of the top russell group london unis (lse/kcl) and i didn’t think i had the qualifications for ucl. i was also rejected from oxford post-interview, which would’ve given me the chance to live close to london.

what is bothering me is that i have now found out that lse/kcl aren’t actually that bad, and there is a high chance i could’ve received an offer from ucl and oxford (if i had applied specifically to lady margaret hall), as both offer access courses and/or lower grades for working-class BAME students such as myself.

i’m just conflicted. i don’t know if i should take a gap year and work (especially considering coronavirus), so i can study in london in september 2021, or just lie in this bed i’ve made and give nottingham a chance. like i said, i like the uni and the city, but neither compare in prestige or reputation to what i could have had in london, if i had done better research in the past two years. advice on the best course of action would be appreciated, even more if you are at UoN or a london uni, and ESPECIALLY if you’re doing law in either.
(edited 3 years ago)
bump
Original post by heartsabhorrence
i’m studying law at uni in september, with university of nottingham as my firm and university of liverpool as my insurance.

while nottingham seems great as a uni and as a city, i have always wanted to live in london. i was turned off by the low student satisfaction at the two of the top russell group london unis (lse/kcl) and i didn’t think i had the qualifications for ucl. i was also rejected from oxford post-interview, which would’ve given me the chance to live close to london.

what is bothering me is that i have now found out that lse/kcl aren’t actually that bad, and there is a high chance i could’ve received an offer from ucl and oxford (if i had applied specifically to lady margaret hall), as both offer access courses and/or lower grades for working-class BAME students such as myself.

i’m just conflicted. i don’t know if i should take a gap year and work (especially considering coronavirus), so i can study in london in september 2021, or just lie in this bed i’ve made and give nottingham a chance. like i said, i like the uni and the city, but neither compare in prestige or reputation to what i could have had in london, if i had done better research in the past two years. advice on the best course of action would be appreciated, even more if you are at UoN or a london uni, and ESPECIALLY if you’re doing law in either.

Original post by heartsabhorrence
bump

I'm moving this to the Law forum where you might get more response :smile:

Only you can make the decision but there is no need to feel trapped if you are having doubts about Nottingham. You can withdraw at any time including after the results come out and you can see what you have got and what all the unis in Clearing are asking for. Nottingham is very prestigious for Law though and you won't be disadvantaged by going there compared to going to a London uni.

The other thing about taking a gap year is that you would need to have plans for how to spend it productively (not easy at the moment) as it won't be good for your CV or your mental health if you are just sitting around for a year with still no guarantee that you would get into a "better" uni. Still, if it means a lot to you to be in London or to try to get into Oxford then a gap year may be the best thing in your case.
Original post by harrysbar
I'm moving this to the Law forum where you might get more response :smile:

Only you can make the decision but there is no need to feel trapped if you are having doubts about Nottingham. You can withdraw at any time including after the results come out and you can see what you have got and what all the unis in Clearing are asking for. Nottingham is very prestigious for Law though and you won't be disadvantaged by going there compared to going to a London uni.

The other thing about taking a gap year is that you would need to have plans for how to spend it productively (not easy at the moment) as it won't be good for your CV or your mental health if you are just sitting around for a year with still no guarantee that you would get into a "better" uni. Still, if it means a lot to you to be in London or to try to get into Oxford then a gap year may be the best thing in your case.

the way i see it: nottingham is a small, but nice city with a good uni, while london is a huge city that i’ve always loved with brilliant unis, so obviously the latter is more appealing. i just wish i had actually thought about this back in october when i submitted my ucas application. :-(

i’ve decided i’ll see what happens with my results and try to get into ucl/lse/kcl through adjustment or possibly clearing, if the absence of international students due to coronavirus causes a lot of spaces on the law courses. if that doesn’t work, i’ve considered qmul, but i’ll
need a bit more advice on that bc it’s always low in rankings and people seem to love to **** on it :-/ if i don’t end up going to qmul, i think i’ll just suck it up and go to notts. i’m really trying to avoid taking a gap year bc i did good on the lnat and i reallyyy don’t want the stress of doing it again haha.

all of this being said, i appreciate any more advice anyone has for me, i’ve really goofed up so i trust others’ perspectives more than mine at this point 💔

(also thank you for moving this!)
Original post by heartsabhorrence
the way i see it: nottingham is a small, but nice city with a good uni, while london is a huge city that i’ve always loved with brilliant unis, so obviously the latter is more appealing. i just wish i had actually thought about this back in october when i submitted my ucas application. :-(

i’ve decided i’ll see what happens with my results and try to get into ucl/lse/kcl through adjustment or possibly clearing, if the absence of international students due to coronavirus causes a lot of spaces on the law courses. if that doesn’t work, i’ve considered qmul, but i’ll
need a bit more advice on that bc it’s always low in rankings and people seem to love to **** on it :-/ if i don’t end up going to qmul, i think i’ll just suck it up and go to notts. i’m really trying to avoid taking a gap year bc i did good on the lnat and i reallyyy don’t want the stress of doing it again haha.

all of this being said, i appreciate any more advice anyone has for me, i’ve really goofed up so i trust others’ perspectives more than mine at this point 💔

(also thank you for moving this!)

Those London unis don't tend to use Adjustment much (apart from QMUL) but this year could possibly be different. I haven't visited QMUL myself but I do know some people don't like the area whereas others are fine with it. There will be people on this forum who have visited the places you are interested in so let's hope they can be tempted to comment. Off the top of my head, some of the people with knowledge about the London unis include @Euphoria101 @Catherine1973 plus @Realitysreflexx is Nottingham's biggest fan
Original post by harrysbar
Those London unis don't tend to use Adjustment much (apart from QMUL) but this year could possibly be different. I haven't visited QMUL myself but I do know some people don't like the area whereas others are fine with it. There will be people on this forum who have visited the places you are interested in so let's hope they can be tempted to comment. Off the top of my head, some of the people with knowledge about the London unis include @Johnny ~ @Euphoria101 @Catherine1973 plus @Realitysreflexx is Nottingham's biggest fan


I think the whole ‘I could’ve gotten in if I applied’ thing is so dangerous.

Point is you didn’t apply, so no one knows - NO ONE - if you could’ve gotten in. Oxford and UCL and LSE are so so incredibly competitive. Just because you got an offer from Notts (which is a great university) doesn’t mean you would’ve gotten offers from Oxford, LSE or UCL.

Point is, there’s nothing you can do know without your grades anyway.

If you really want to, I’d wait until results day. If you get A*AA , then you can consider it. Until then, try and focus on the positives of Notts. I don’t know much about the university but they have a great social life and whatnot.

The main thing to consider is that you’d have to redo the LNAT. What if you get a worse LNAT mcq? What if your essay’s worse? Then you could be rejected from the three PLUS Notts.

It’s all a risk and I don’t think it’s worth it personally.

Again, if I were you I’d wait for results day. Until then, think of the positives when it comes to UoN.

Edited to say: if you really believe that those London unis are your DREAM, then do it. But once you’ve made the decision you can’t go back, and you’re not guaranteed another Notts offer. At the end of the day, only you know how much you want LSE/UCL
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by heartsabhorrence
the way i see it: nottingham is a small, but nice city with a good uni, while london is a huge city that i’ve always loved with brilliant unis, so obviously the latter is more appealing. i just wish i had actually thought about this back in october when i submitted my ucas application. :-(

i’ve decided i’ll see what happens with my results and try to get into ucl/lse/kcl through adjustment or possibly clearing, if the absence of international students due to coronavirus causes a lot of spaces on the law courses. if that doesn’t work, i’ve considered qmul, but i’ll
need a bit more advice on that bc it’s always low in rankings and people seem to love to **** on it :-/ if i don’t end up going to qmul, i think i’ll just suck it up and go to notts. i’m really trying to avoid taking a gap year bc i did good on the lnat and i reallyyy don’t want the stress of doing it again haha.

all of this being said, i appreciate any more advice anyone has for me, i’ve really goofed up so i trust others’ perspectives more than mine at this point 💔

(also thank you for moving this!)

Nottingham is really quite good for law... Has a brilliant campus...and is just as prestigious as QMUL...but if your coming from a pretty minted background then i would suggest London if you feel that's where you'll feel better. It's very expensive and tough financially being a student there... I attended Nottingham but also did foundation in London with a private provider (A levels)...had US highschool... But the cost of living in London really wears on you after a while... You pay so much to simply survive....before you've even had fun... While in Notts you can have loads of fun......and not be nearly as broke...you have two uni's and 60K students in a medium sized city in a compact area... My student experience in Nottingham on balance was far better. London simply gets too pricey after the initial excitement wears off.
Original post by heartsabhorrence
i’m studying law at uni in september, with university of nottingham as my firm and university of liverpool as my insurance.

while nottingham seems great as a uni and as a city, i have always wanted to live in london. i was turned off by the low student satisfaction at the two of the top russell group london unis (lse/kcl) and i didn’t think i had the qualifications for ucl. i was also rejected from oxford post-interview, which would’ve given me the chance to live close to london.

what is bothering me is that i have now found out that lse/kcl aren’t actually that bad, and there is a high chance i could’ve received an offer from ucl and oxford (if i had applied specifically to lady margaret hall), as both offer access courses and/or lower grades for working-class BAME students such as myself.

i’m just conflicted. i don’t know if i should take a gap year and work (especially considering coronavirus), so i can study in london in september 2021, or just lie in this bed i’ve made and give nottingham a chance. like i said, i like the uni and the city, but neither compare in prestige or reputation to what i could have had in london, if i had done better research in the past two years. advice on the best course of action would be appreciated, even more if you are at UoN or a london uni, and ESPECIALLY if you’re doing law in either.

If its your dream and you are that confident, then just make an adult decision and take a gap. Live by your decisions and dont sleepwalk into ones you feel are bad. You seem to be spending more time making yourself a victim. You havent started yet so you have the option to change.
You seem intoxicated by reputation and prestige.
Hi, I’m kind of in the same situation but opposite. I changed my firm choice from one university to another because I let people get into my head about prestige and ranking, even though I knew I liked everything about the course at the previous uni, and now I’m regretting it big time. I’m planning to go through clearing to apply to my original uni.

That being said, prestige isn’t everything. Nottingham is still a reputable university. Consider the course modules, the uni experience, facilities, accommodation and whatever else before you make any drastic decisions. I live in London and let me tell you, London gets old quick.

But if it’s your dream, you’ve got to go for it. The worst thing would be going to Nottingham feeling as though you’ve made a mistake, which in turn might reflect in your grades. If it means you have to take a year out, then take a year out. It’s your future, you don’t have to settle for something your not happy about. When your at Kings or UCL or even LSE I bet you’ll be glad you took the year out and reapplied. But don’t do it on the basis of prestige, prestige means nothing if you come out of uni with a third. You’ve got 5 weeks to think about it, just use these next five weeks to do research and then you can make a decision upon receiving results x

I totally understand how you feel though, wish I’d done some more research too :frown:
I attend qmul and the area is okay. It’s clearly a less prosperous area of London but then lots of universities are based in cheaper areas of town (I went to Southampton many years ago)
The law department is good. The London universities are the most diverse in the country if that is a factor for people.
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Avatar for Eye-na
Eye-na
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What about SOAS Law? It's in London...
If your clearing/adjustment plan doesn't work, why not go to Nottingham and try to transfer to LSE/UCL/KCL by reapplying through UCAS? If you get an offer and disliked your year at Nottingham, you're sorted. If you decide that you like Nottingham, stay.

Do remember that London will be waiting for you once you graduate, and you'll probably be doing vacation schemes and whatnot in London too.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Eye-na
What about SOAS Law? It's in London...

as snobby as it sounds, i also didn’t consider soas bc of its low rankings in most league tables. also it seems to be another uni that people will clown on you and make fun of you if you went there, and ngl i’m just too insecure to deal with that haha
Original post by Diplomatic
If your clearing/adjustment plan doesn't work, why not go to Nottingham and try to transfer to LSE/UCL/KCL by reapplying through UCAS? If you get an offer and disliked your year at Nottingham, you're sorted. If you decide that you like Nottingham, stay.

Do remember that London will be waiting for you once you graduate, and you'll probably be doing vacation schemes and whatnot in London too.

this is a good idea, but if i do go to nottingham and dislike it, this would mean i’d have to do an entire first year of law at lse/kcl/ucl all over again, which would make the year at nottingham feel like a giant waste of time. like at that point, i might as well have taken the gap year :-/
i think i’ve kinda gotten to a point where i’ve decided, it’s either the adjustment plan works or i go to nottingham tbh. i guess if it’s the latter, i’ve just gotta remind myself of what you’re saying about the vacation schemes and doing my lpc in london after the degree haha
Original post by heartsabhorrence
the way i see it: nottingham is a small, but nice city with a good uni, while london is a huge city that i’ve always loved with brilliant unis, so obviously the latter is more appealing. i just wish i had actually thought about this back in october when i submitted my ucas application. :-(

i’ve decided i’ll see what happens with my results and try to get into ucl/lse/kcl through adjustment or possibly clearing, if the absence of international students due to coronavirus causes a lot of spaces on the law courses. if that doesn’t work, i’ve considered qmul, but i’ll
need a bit more advice on that bc it’s always low in rankings and people seem to love to **** on it :-/ if i don’t end up going to qmul, i think i’ll just suck it up and go to notts. i’m really trying to avoid taking a gap year bc i did good on the lnat and i reallyyy don’t want the stress of doing it again haha.

all of this being said, i appreciate any more advice anyone has for me, i’ve really goofed up so i trust others’ perspectives more than mine at this point 💔

(also thank you for moving this!)


I wouldn't bank on LSE or UCL having adjustment spaces for law- due to student number caps they aren't allowed to make up full international student spaces using home students. KCL does usually enter adjustment/clearing for some courses, but if they have any spaces for law, I would expect these to fill up really quickly.

Personally, I think Notts is a much better uni than QMUL, but if you have your heart set on studying in London this year, it's likely to be the only option. I wouldn't say people love to put it down, it is still a good uni, but it doesn't really have the reputation of the other unis you have mentioned, and that can be really important for law.

Also, even for QMUL, it's very likely that any law spaces in clearing will fill up fast. If you exceed your offer and can get a place through adjustment that's great, but if you decide to go via clearing, you'd have to decline your place at Nottingham first and you could end up with nothing. You've said you really don't want to take a gap year, so how would you feel if you ended up without a place at either uni?

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