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Is a mid-tier university better than a RG uni for somebody with low stress tolerance?

During lockdown, I have had time to evaluate myself and my life etc... and I have realised that a life of ultra competitiveness and stress is not an environment I thrive in and I would like to prioritise my health and happiness rather than sacrificing my sleep for grades and being in such a toxic environment like I have witnessed in sixth form, for this reason, would you recommend me going to a mid-tier uni like kent or City instead of a RG uni like KCL or Nottingham thanks.

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Reply 1
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Cricket008
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Hi anybody Id love to hear your opinion! - thanks
Reply 2
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Cricket008
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.... - This is a really important issue and would really like some answers
Reply 3
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sy!¡
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well uni is stressful anyway, it doesn’t matter whether you go to a mid tier uni or a RG uni because you would still get a similar workload. i think you should try to work on techniques that could perhaps reduce stress as this would be most beneficial for you.

when you are searching for potential uni’s you could also focus on the student support available to you while studying as this would be really helpful for you.
Reply 4
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Cricket008
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Original post by sy!¡
well uni is stressful anyway, it doesn’t matter whether you go to a mid tier uni or a RG uni because you would still get a similar workload. i think you should try to work on techniques that could perhaps reduce stress as this would be most beneficial for you.

when you are searching for potential uni’s you could also focus on the student support available to you while studying as this would be really helpful for you.

yeh will - do, would you say that RG unis tend to have greater workloads than non RG unis?
Reply 5
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sy!¡
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Original post by Cricket008
yeh will - do, would you say that RG unis tend to have greater workloads than non RG unis?

well i don’t have the answer to that but i’m going to a less reputable RG uni this september so i’ll see. depends on your course really :smile:
Reply 6
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Cricket008
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Original post by sy!¡
well i don’t have the answer to that but i’m going to a less reputable RG uni this september so i’ll see. depends on your course really :smile:

So I have a offer for a course at KCL, called International development
an offer for industrial economics which seems really stressful at uni of nottingham
and Kent for Economics and politics which seems the least stressful of the lot!
Reply 7
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sy!¡
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Original post by Cricket008
So I have a offer for a course at KCL, called International development
an offer for industrial economics which seems really stressful at uni of nottingham
and Kent for Economics and politics which seems the least stressful of the lot!

wow well done into getting an offer from kcl and notts! you should have a look at the course and see which ones you prefer.
Original post by Cricket008
So I have a offer for a course at KCL, called International development
an offer for industrial economics which seems really stressful at uni of nottingham
and Kent for Economics and politics which seems the least stressful of the lot!


You need to sort out your ability to handle life first. Because adulting, employment, owning a house, managing bills, having children etc are all multiple times more stressful than any university degree you can think of.

There's no point getting yourself into 40k of debt if you aren't going to spend it on the best quality degree you can possibly get. Besides which, international development and industrial economics hardly lead to stress free jobs. Politics is pure stress!
Reply 9
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Cricket008
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Original post by sy!¡
wow well done into getting an offer from kcl and notts! you should have a look at the course and see which ones you prefer.

I know, but the thing is, while im happy I got these offers, I just dont think I have it in me to do well in hyper-competitive environments and im a rather relaxed and chilled out dude who would happily settle for a lower salary if it meant i could have a peaceful, happy and healthy lifestyle where I would feel I'm being most true to myself
Original post by threeportdrift
You need to sort out your ability to handle life first. Because adulting, employment, owning a house, managing bills, having children etc are all multiple times more stressful than any university degree you can think of.

There's no point getting yourself into 40k of debt if you aren't going to spend it on the best quality degree you can possibly get. Besides which, international development and industrial economics hardly lead to stress free jobs. Politics is pure stress!

this is true, to some extent and my parents tell me the same thing, but tbh - this is the same narrative I have been told all my life, prestige of unis is important but surely not as important as my inner happiness, I want to develop as a person and play sports like I did when I was a child, I have no interest in doing adulty stuff for as long as possible and I want to ultimately just enjoy the beauty of life and have inner bliss.

I am willing to sacrifice my future employability for this and just want to be happy as for the past few years, I have faced severe depression and a lack of fulfilment in my life, so I think going to a uni which will allow me to be do other things other than study and explore life will be more beneficial
Original post by Cricket008
this is true, to some extent and my parents tell me the same thing, but tbh - this is the same narrative I have been told all my life, prestige of unis is important but surely not as important as my inner happiness, I want to develop as a person and play sports like I did when I was a child, I have no interest in doing adulty stuff for as long as possible and I want to ultimately just enjoy the beauty of life and have inner bliss.

I am willing to sacrifice my future employability for this and just want to be happy as for the past few years, I have faced severe depression and a lack of fulfilment in my life, so I think going to a uni which will allow me to be do other things other than study and explore life will be more beneficial


How are you going to avoid adulty stuff and just enjoy the beauty of life and have inner bliss without food and a roof over your head and the ability to pay bills?
Original post by threeportdrift
How are you going to avoid adulty stuff and just enjoy the beauty of life and have inner bliss without food and a roof over your head and the ability to pay bills?

I live in the UK not Nigeria, going to a mid-tier uni still gives many employment opportunities and many employers barely put much emphasis on a degree in the specific industries i want to work in
How much more would a non-oxbridge RG uni be compared to a non-RG uni like kent? - like for real, sixth form has taught me that i cant thrive when being loaded with work and I can do well where there is a more managable workload
thanks, appreciate your input - I will look into this
Uni will be stress regardless mate.
Original post by Cricket008
I know, but the thing is, while im happy I got these offers, I just dont think I have it in me to do well in hyper-competitive environments and im a rather relaxed and chilled out dude who would happily settle for a lower salary if it meant i could have a peaceful, happy and healthy lifestyle where I would feel I'm being most true to myself


Have you considered not going to uni and applying for an apprenticeship? There you begin work straight away and the company release you for a day to study. You will not have a say on the course or uni but it means you can work at a slower pace and still work and earn.
Original post by mike23mike
Have you considered not going to uni and applying for an apprenticeship? There you begin work straight away and the company release you for a day to study. You will not have a say on the course or uni but it means you can work at a slower pace and still work and earn.

naa I want to do masters but I want to do it in a place where I will enjoy and will not crumble under intense workloads
Original post by Cricket008
I live in the UK not Nigeria, going to a mid-tier uni still gives many employment opportunities and many employers barely put much emphasis on a degree in the specific industries i want to work in

What industries do you want to work in?

At the end of the day, it’s your choice and not up to anyone else to tell you what to do, including parents. If you feel like you would get stressed it may be better to opt for a less stressful environment which I imagine Kent is, compared to Kings. Living and studying in central London is not going to suit everyone, while Nottingham would be more of a compromise.
Original post by Cricket008
this is true, to some extent and my parents tell me the same thing, but tbh - this is the same narrative I have been told all my life, prestige of unis is important but surely not as important as my inner happiness, I want to develop as a person and play sports like I did when I was a child, I have no interest in doing adulty stuff for as long as possible and I want to ultimately just enjoy the beauty of life and have inner bliss.

I am willing to sacrifice my future employability for this and just want to be happy as for the past few years, I have faced severe depression and a lack of fulfilment in my life, so I think going to a uni which will allow me to be do other things other than study and explore life will be more beneficial

DUDE, yes. I understand this. My anxiety was through the roof. But I swear, taking a gap year helped me so much. I understood for real what course I was content to do and pursue a career in. From the looks of it, your courses- I'm not sure if they are consistent (sorry if they are idk mate). Taking a year break will give you clarity on what you actually want to do. Make sure to look at how your course is taught and read the percentage of how many graduate which will show you how well it is taught which means less academic pressure since they are teaching it well. Also look at the social side, the student satisfaction.

Don't go to a RG if you dont want to! Seriously, trust yourself! You have clearly determined what type of person you are and your courses dont sound strenuous so why put ur self in the position of studying at a university that will make the course appear harder. At the end of the day you just need the degree, it doesn't even matter what uni it was given by.

Please research how everything is taught at each uni and all your facts so you can pick and genuinely take a year out- theres no harm. You can apply next year. I wasnt planning on taking a gap year but i ended up getting rejected and so I HAD TO. But it was the best thing because i was about to do a course that would've given me 5 years of mental breakdowns lol. SO BREATHE. You have time. Take the year, focus on your health. Do NEW things and get a job and just take baby steps with adulting because it is very overwhelming i hear you, but we have to push through.

I just want you to know your not alone. Take a step back. Take a year to register how you are growing up but thats not a bad thing, its a chance to welcome experiences that you were unable to experience when you were younger.

Finally, go to a decent uni- make sure their reputation is good for teaching and just work hard and you'll get through it. Lockdown has given us time to think but has also given us time to OVERthink. I always say to myself, had i known about GCSEs in year 6, i would have never gone to secondary school lol. It just shows in time you will grow up and you will be able to tackle whatever comes your way without realising.

Best of Luck mate. Take care of yourself
(edited 3 years ago)

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