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Regretting Choices

Hi there,

Looking for a bit of advice really :smile:

I've applied to study Marketing Management for September 2006 entry, and I've now had all my offers back. The problem is I'm kind of regretting my choices :frown:

(Btw. if it helps at all my AS grades were ICT - A, Media Studies - B, English Language - C.)

The offers I'm considering are from Brunel - BBC and Kingston - CCC. I've visited both of them on open days, and I actually quite liked Kingston but I'm worried about reputation and academic strength. Brunel is probably considered a "better uni" but I didn't really get a good "feel" for the place - e.g. I thought the campus was really dull.

Anyway I'm now regretting my uni choices. I feel that I could have applied to "better" universities than the ones I have done. I mainly made my choices because they offered a sandwich degree in marketing - but maybe I've narrowed my choices too much by doing that... Most of the older unis don't seem to do sandwich degrees :confused:

So I could just go to Kingston - but is it really considered as "rubbish"? and say if I get ABB at A2 then I might feel a bit stupid putting a CCC offer as my firm? On the other hand, I know someone who went to Kingston and they really enjoyed it, ended up in a good job etc.

If I don't want to accept any of my offers then I'd have two choices: re-apply next year, or go through clearing - but I don't know what kind of things get put on offer.

What should I do? If anyone has any experiences / advice then I'd most appreciate it. :smile:

I've seen some of the "snobbish" attitudes towards universities on this forum, and I'm not sure whether it's like that in the "real" world with employers and other people. Not being funny or anything, but I was thinking that the kind of people who bother to contribute to this forum may be at the extreme end of worrying about reputation - e.g. nobody I know seems to be as concerned about uni reputation as the people on this board. NO OFFENCE INTENDED :wink:

as you all seem lovely people :smile:

Looking forward to any help on offer.

Reply 1

username21537

2

you could decline all and try ucas extra? Or aply again next year?

Reply 2

Malik

12

I live near the Uni now and to be honest I used to be one of those people that would always laugh at it. But to be fair to the uni isnt bad at all, I know quite a few grads with respectable jobs and the Uni seems to be improving greatly year by year. The area is great I have actually always said to my friends if we didnt live in Kingston for most of our lives this would be really cool place to live. And to be blunt I dont think Brunel is that far off Kingston, its overated uni IMO.

Reply 3

beach surf babe

14

Forget what other people think of the uni- your gonna be going there so really its up to. I hate this uni snob attitude. Only you know how you feel about the uni's-if you like one place better than the other regardless of what other people think about it- then choose it. Good luck :biggrin:

Reply 4

chewing_phat

danxxx

I've seen some of the "snobbish" attitudes towards universities on this forum, and I'm not sure whether it's like that in the "real" world with employers and other people. Not being funny or anything, but I was thinking that the kind of people who bother to contribute to this forum may be at the extreme end of worrying about reputation - e.g. nobody I know seems to be as concerned about uni reputation as the people on this board. NO OFFENCE INTENDED :wink:

as you all seem lovely people :smile:

Looking forward to any help on offer.

Don't worry about this forum, it is nowhere near as 'Everyone must go to Oxbridge or LSE' in the real world. It really isn't. It's only because on here, everyone wants to go into investment banking.

Reply 5

beach surf babe

14

I don't, I've got a place at a "new" university doing PR....its hardly a classic subject but i think it will be more useful in the real world than doing a really academic course.

Reply 6

vaider

Its really up to you danxxx.Suppose you get ABB after all this then it may be worthwhile to take a year out and apply next year.I have kept Brunel as a firm to study Business and Management(accounting) mainly because of my AS grades and i had no choice but to apply to the mediocre unis and Brunels sandwich course was a big plus for me.Everybody has different opinons on unis its how you feel so dont let anyone influence your final decision.
As far as kingston i dont know alot about the uni!

Reply 7

teenage-monkey

I live near Kingston and I'm not a fan of the area. They also have limited accommodation at the moment.

Reply 8

PsychNick

8

Well if you definitely don't wanna go to the unis you've got offers from, decline em and go through clearance - and if you don't like anything in clearance then do a gap year.

Seriously, you've just gotta look at it from the point of view: do I wanna waste a year of my life in a gap year, or do I wanna compromise and go to a place where I'll hate it for three years of my life?

Its up to you, but personally I'd rather be a year older than have my time at uni spoilt in some way. Just because you've got offers from these places does not mean you are obliged to put your life in their hands so to speak. Its your life, and if you don't feel comfortable then don't do it.

That said, I don't think Kingston is that bad a place, and I would have thought it was 'better' than Brunel.

Reply 9

Ludivine

chewing_phat

Don't worry about this forum, it is nowhere near as 'Everyone must go to Oxbridge or LSE' in the real world...

Be that as it may, don't feel bad about wanting a bit of prestige if that's really how you feel. If you want to reapply, it won't make you "snobbish", it simply means you want the best for yourself that you can get (be that Kingston or somewhere "better" that you apply to having taken a gap year.)

I don't know much about Kingston but if you're really feeling that you want to change, do it.

Reply 10

danxxx

OP

Hi there,

Thanks for all your help! It is REALLY appreciated! :smile:

Perhaps I didn't explain my feelings towards Kingston very well... I actually REALLY liked the place - my only worry was reputation.

BUT after a lot of hard thought and research today, I think I've basically chosen to go with my instincts and choose Kingston.... bugger league tables and the like! :smile:

It's in a fab location, everyone was really friendly and it just felt like a good place on the open day. Of course we all have our own opinions though :rolleyes:

I was today considering the options of going through UCAS Extra etc, but it really doesn't seem worth the hassle. There isn't many places in the country that offer Marketing as a sandwich degree anyway.

I think I'll talk my decision over with my college tutor just to make sure though, but I think I've basically decided.

Once again thanks for all your help! If anyone has any more thoughts though I'd still like to hear them.

Dan.

Reply 11

ditto

Kingston isn't that bad. It might be not as good as the "top" unis but it's definately not worse than Brunel or a few other universities that are higher rated in the tables (who cares about the tables anyway? :|).

I've got a friend in City who's doing the same course as i'm doing in Kingston, and it seems that we're both learning the same material from the same books and both have a similar level of knowledge about the subject. That's why i think the importance of university tables is overrated. What matters is the classification of degree that you get.

Reply 12

notsoperfect

1

kingston is a really nice area!

Reply 13

hallucination

1

I live near Kingston (when at home) and it's a really nice place to live and study. Don't worry too much about reputation, my sister did a degree in Marketing at Bournemouth Uni (probably on a par with Kingston in terms of overall rep) and had no trouble getting job interviews and now works for one of the biggest companies in the world.

Reply 14

stupanico

2

For most jobs, most unis are fine as our courses. Many people on these boards have a view similar to me and it goes like this:

Aim high for a top job
We realize that the top recruiters usually target top unis and traditional courses. Thus the likelihood of getting that dream job is increased. This DOESNT mean there is no chance of a "top" (subjective) job if u go to an average uni. Its easier to get a foot in the door and it depends what u want to do; everyone has different dream jobs. Some more competitive than others. Do what u enjoy and ignore external influences.

Regretting Choices

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