The Student Room Group

Should i go to uni or not...

Ive been accepted at plymouth and york, plymouth to do computing with a foundation year, and York to do Electronic engineering with a foundation. Im doing a foundation because i didnt finish my a levels.
Well i went to the open days and i just felt so out of place, everyone seemed so brainy, and i had no idea what they were on about. I dont think either course is for me tbh, i only chose them because i thought i was interested in them and they offered foundation years.
I dont know weather or not to go, if i go i may get bored then come home after a few weeks, which i wouldnt want to do :redface:.
Thing is my family own a builders merchants, and my uncle said he wants me to come work for the company in a year or so (once ive had some experience in the real world). This job would be great, because i could one day be high up in the company (I think i want to be in some kind of business role). Doing this though would mean stayin around here for awhile. But i dont think im ready for uni, plus my as levels went bad, and i didnt do amazingly well at GCSE, i just dont know what to do anymore :frown:.
Anyone got any advice for me, it would be very much appreciated.
Go and see what it is like. If you don't like it, you can reapply for a different course at a different uni for the following year.

Oh coruse, I would also say go to York and forget Plymouth too.

You might have felt out of place on one day, but trust me, you won't be the only person feeling like that. Many people will, even if it is not true. You wouldn't have been accepted on a course if you weren't good enough would you?
Reply 2
Well maybe they just accepted me because they need to feel seats.
Its just everyone seemed so clever on the open day, and i was nothing like them. Also there isnt alot of choice for the course, because these ones only offered a foundation.
Cloud_Strife
Well maybe they just accepted me because they need to feel seats.
Its just everyone seemed so clever on the open day, and i was nothing like them. Also there isnt alot of choice for the course, because these ones only offered a foundation.

I doubt they accepted you just to fill places. Not with electronic engineering at York.

Any yep, I found it to be true everywhere at open days. Many people seem to put on a show at open days. I never really met many 'nice' people t the ones I went to, but when I started uni people seemed much nice and less like show off.
Reply 4
Well what if i go for a few months, then decide to drop out, do i have to pay the fees for what ive already had?
Cloud_Strife
Well what if i go for a few months, then decide to drop out, do i have to pay the fees for what ive already had?

Yeah, you would, but surely it is worth more for your future to try out what you are obviously good enough for (otherwise you wouldn't have the offer) and not to let what some other people appear to be like putting you off.

If you aren't sure at all about the courses, then maybe wait, but if you have any thought that either may actually be for you then go for it. A year is a long time to put things off. And if things don't seem right at uni I'm sure you'll know within a month or two, so not a great amount of fees there. Plus there might always be the option to change courses to something else once there (not a guarantee you can though).

Best bet it to go ahead now thinking that you are going to go somewhere (either Plymouth or York) and see how you feel when the time comes to make a decision on whether to accept a place or not after your results come out.

There will also be the option of going through clearing (that still exists doesn't it), so you might want to look into that too. The courses available through that are unpredictable, but if you want a bit of excitement of what you might study or where you might study, it is always an option and you might drop on with your perfect course :smile:
Reply 6
Do Electronic Engineering at York! At least that way when/if you do go and work for your families business you will be able to add another part to the company - Electronic Engineering. Give it a go, when you get there you will enjoy it.
Reply 7
Well im not waiting on any results. I dropped my a levels in october (I only did the first year), this is why i have to do a foundation course first.
Reply 8
Its got nothing to do with York, ithink its a great uni. But i just dont think the course is for me, and theres way to much maths in it, which im not good at :frown:.
Reply 9
Is there anything else you are interested in degree wise? I pretty sure its not too late to change and there is a lot of courses which have a foundation year.
Is there? I couldnt find any :frown:.
Reply 11
I'd say take the job. Don't go to uni.
By taking the job in your uncle's company, you'll get where you want to be faster, for what you're good at, and without racking up mountains of debt.
I am utterly against the governmental targets of sending 50% of young people to university. I don't believe it helps the country as a whole and we will always need people who can actually do useful things.
Take the job.
Angelil
I'd say take the job. Don't go to uni.
By taking the job in your uncle's company, you'll get where you want to be faster, for what you're good at, and without racking up mountains of debt.
I am utterly against the governmental targets of sending 50% of young people to university. I don't believe it helps the country as a whole and we will always need people who can actually do useful things.
Take the job.

I agree.
Going to uni isn't right for everyone and you seem unsure about a number of things - people and coursework and the academic life in general. Why not go into employment? There is always the option of applying as a mature student if you decide to go down that route later.
Reply 13
Angelil
I'd say take the job. Don't go to uni.
By taking the job in your uncle's company, you'll get where you want to be faster, for what you're good at, and without racking up mountains of debt.
I am utterly against the governmental targets of sending 50% of young people to university. I don't believe it helps the country as a whole and we will always need people who can actually do useful things.
Take the job.


Couldnt have put it better!!

Uni is not the be all and end all. I wouldnt not have gone if I had had a prospect of a job but I didnt and uni was the only thing I could think of doing. I had the same feelings towards it as you seem to and while its not terrible, I am not particularly enjoying it and am looking forward to leaving.
Reply 14
I'd go with the job if you are so unsure. There you are guaranteed a good job, something a degree doesn't give you. If I could bypass the degree and just do the PGCE and then teach I would. I love the idea of spending three years reading History and having fun but I hate the debt that comes with it.
Reply 15
Take the job! i'm not passionate about my course and it makes things a lot harder. although socially i'm having a great time i'm really fed up of the course so if its not right don't settle for second best! there's plenty of opportunities when you're older to go to uni if you decide there's something you want to do otherwise you could always do a part-time degree/distance learning type thing whilst you're working.
Reply 16
if you don't like maths, then DON'T do electronic engineering. I'm doing civil eng and there is alot of maths in it and its hard. Electronic is probably even more focussed on maths and more obsure types of.

I think uni is great, but only go if you like the course and see it being usefull for you for the future.