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Can't decide if I want to go uni

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Reply 2
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20z12
OP
Made a mistake lol in first part. Ill be going uni but I can't make up my mind. I'm going to study chemistry but my maths skills aren't that good.
I've got an offer from a polytechnic uni, its just the student loan I'm worried about taking out. I know you have to pay it back after £21k. Is it worth going to uni. I'm not 100% passonoite about it. But I'm not sure what to do after if I don't?
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Original post by 20z12
Made a mistake lol in first part. Ill be going uni but I can't make up my mind. I'm going to study chemistry but my maths skills aren't that good.
I've got an offer from a polytechnic uni, its just the student loan I'm worried about taking out. I know you have to pay it back after £21k. Is it worth going to uni. I'm not 100% passonoite about it. But I'm not sure what to do after if I don't?
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Then just try the first year before committing to the rest of the degree. If you enjoy it then stick at it and research your career prospects and try do and look for internships and work placements to help you develop your skills and experience.
Reply 4
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Gonzales95
2
It could just be nerves, I'm going to university as well and I was a bit apprehensive about it a few weeks ago, but I think people's brains just try to make excuses for them. You must have applied because you wanted to go, so just go for it! I'm sure you'll have a great time and not regret it!
Reply 5
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StefiMarie
5
Original post by 20z12
Made a mistake lol in first part. Ill be going uni but I can't make up my mind. I'm going to study chemistry but my maths skills aren't that good.
I've got an offer from a polytechnic uni, its just the student loan I'm worried about taking out. I know you have to pay it back after £21k. Is it worth going to uni. I'm not 100% passonoite about it. But I'm not sure what to do after if I don't?
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Having a degree tends to improve your employability, even if you don't end up working in the same field as your degree. Science graduates are recognised for their analytical and logical approaches etc, which are transferable skills that can be highly valued by employers.
The money should never really worry you, beyond the application process itself. If you think of it as Graduate Tax, it's much easier to understand and deal with- once you earn more than the 21-grand threshold, you'll have an extra line on your wage slips, next to Income Tax and National Insurance. It's pretty much that simple. The money is taken direct and compared to your net pay, it'll be a very small amount. It's not that you'll get bills or have a direct debit, the money never makes it to you bank account, so you never really miss it- I doubt anyone who has a regular payslip ever does more than glance at the deductions column, but looks straight at the take-home pay amount!
I can't really advise you about whether the degree course is what you want, or if you'll be able to keep up with the maths. But keep in mind that you have 30-40+ years of your working life ahead of you, which is a long time to either build on the experience you'll get from university, or to try out different things, working out what really interests you and possibly going to university at a later date, in a subject you have a passion for.
Final note- you obviously have achieved high enough grades in Maths for the university to be confident you'll have the knowledge and skills to support your learning in Chemistry.... #justsayin

Good luck!
Reply 6
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20z12
OP
Original post by Vibenation
Then just try the first year before committing to the rest of the degree. If you enjoy it then stick at it and research your career prospects and try do and look for internships and work placements to help you develop your skills and experience.


what would happen in the term of student finance? say in i canceled within the first term? I applied for chemistry with the sandwich year, and i know some people that can help me get experience in the field. why i started this thread was, there is no other way out except going through uni. I've applied for hundreds of apprenticeships, most of them being relevant to chemistry but the apprenticeships website only advertise vacancies that have a dead end future and will be a waste of time doing. I've probably only seen about 2 or 3 good vacancies with companies that are good.
Original post by 20z12
Made a mistake lol in first part. Ill be going uni but I can't make up my mind. I'm going to study chemistry but my maths skills aren't that good.
I've got an offer from a polytechnic uni, its just the student loan I'm worried about taking out. I know you have to pay it back after £21k. Is it worth going to uni. I'm not 100% passonoite about it. But I'm not sure what to do after if I don't?
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It sounds like a good opportunity but if you're not sure to the point where you don't know if you want to go then it's a tricky one isn't it.

A lot of people go to uni not knowing what they want to do with their degree. A gap year working in various jobs and volunteering could help you learn more about what you do and don't like and how that relates to what you'd like to do but on the other hand, there's nothing wrong with doing a degree "just because"...just as long as you're aware that it *can* be harder to get funding for a degree a second time round and that's why it's important for your first degree to be a good choice.

Don't let the student loan put you off. A lot of people don't earn enough to pay it back and when you do it's only a small amount they take each month.

It's not easy but it's ok to have doubts.
Original post by 20z12
what would happen in the term of student finance? say in i canceled within the first term? I applied for chemistry with the sandwich year, and i know some people that can help me get experience in the field. why i started this thread was, there is no other way out except going through uni. I've applied for hundreds of apprenticeships, most of them being relevant to chemistry but the apprenticeships website only advertise vacancies that have a dead end future and will be a waste of time doing. I've probably only seen about 2 or 3 good vacancies with companies that are good.


Don't "just try it", if you do even one day of a course at a uni student finance counts that as a whole year. If you then wanted to go and do a four year course later, they won't fund it. If you're not 100% sure take a year and sort out what you want to do, don't rush in because it will affect your finance later!
Reply 9
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20z12
OP
Original post by infairverona
Don't "just try it", if you do even one day of a course at a uni student finance counts that as a whole year. If you then wanted to go and do a four year course later, they won't fund it. If you're not 100% sure take a year and sort out what you want to do, don't rush in because it will affect your finance later!


The thing is that my grades weren't top, as to why i had to settle for the polytechnic, i got onto the course easy through clearing. that's what i'm worried about. I've enrolled and everything onto the course, it's not that i don't want to do it, i don't have anything to fall back on like a job support my self so this is the only way i can for now.
Original post by 20z12
The thing is that my grades weren't top, as to why i had to settle for the polytechnic, i got onto the course easy through clearing. that's what i'm worried about. I've enrolled and everything onto the course, it's not that i don't want to do it, i don't have anything to fall back on like a job support my self so this is the only way i can for now.


Don't do it. I can tell you don't really want to and if you drop out you risk mucking up your finance. Just go back and retake your A levels and go to a better uni. It might be ok for some people to risk it but you don't seem that keen on the uni, you don't seem that keen on the course and you've mentioned the potential of dropping out in the first term already...it's one extra year in the grand scheme of your entire life, go back and resit some exams and go to a uni you choose for a course you really want to study!
Reply 11
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20z12
OP
Original post by laurakate1988
It sounds like a good opportunity but if you're not sure to the point where you don't know if you want to go then it's a tricky one isn't it.

A lot of people go to uni not knowing what they want to do with their degree. A gap year working in various jobs and volunteering could help you learn more about what you do and don't like and how that relates to what you'd like to do but on the other hand, there's nothing wrong with doing a degree "just because"...just as long as you're aware that it *can* be harder to get funding for a degree a second time round and that's why it's important for your first degree to be a good choice.

Don't let the student loan put you off. A lot of people don't earn enough to pay it back and when you do it's only a small amount they take each month.

It's not easy but it's ok to have doubts.


I've been volunteering with science museum and various other roles, in between studying also taught science subjects to primary/secondary schools. yes i know that i can be hard to get funding second time around. i'm just 'OK' with it, because i did apply to some chemistry type apprenticeships but these already had people who had Bsc's and Mchem qualifications. I understand that a lot of people don't pay it back, what happens when one wants to buy a house? need a least 30k saved up a job and qualify for a mortgage.
I hate the Term that people use, 'It's only after your earning more than 21K you'll pay back. Seems like all this government want to do is drive people into debt, fill there own pockets and leave this mess for someone else to sort out. It's like we live the reality they live the fantasy, for any poor or working class it's extremely difficult.
Original post by 20z12
..


What did you get in your a levels? If your not 100% then take a year out re sit some exams and find a job that way you will have some money. It will also give you a chance to think about what you exactly want to do and what you need to do to get there. It's only a year so its not the end of the world and it will give you more time to think about options. There is no point in doing something that you will regret. Just have the confidence in making a decision and stick with it, providing it is the right one of course!
Original post by 20z12
I've been volunteering with science museum and various other roles, in between studying also taught science subjects to primary/secondary schools. yes i know that i can be hard to get funding second time around. i'm just 'OK' with it, because i did apply to some chemistry type apprenticeships but these already had people who had Bsc's and Mchem qualifications. I understand that a lot of people don't pay it back, what happens when one wants to buy a house? need a least 30k saved up a job and qualify for a mortgage.
I hate the Term that people use, 'It's only after your earning more than 21K you'll pay back. Seems like all this government want to do is drive people into debt, fill there own pockets and leave this mess for someone else to sort out. It's like we live the reality they live the fantasy, for any poor or working class it's extremely difficult.


Listen, I tell you my experience. Basically last year, I ended up with 120 UCAS points in my BTEC when I was predicted 200 UCAS points due to only passing my BTEC. I still managed to get a place but its for foundation year in Engineering and Mathmatics at Sheffield Hallam even though I studied Business and IT in college. Because I did not know what to do and felt like I was "rushed" to applying uni due to lack of alternatives.

I dropped out 6 days before I was supposed to enrol for uni and took the year out.

I believe that even though it was tough at the time. It ended up for the better. I gotten a retail job until March and worked as security guard during the summer. During the year, I gotten few qualifications. Had time to research what I wanted to do. I reapplied for uni and will be studying Business Information Technology.

My advice to you, is take the year out and find a job or just resit your alevels or do an access to higher education course or do both and think about what you want to do. You can apply for 2014, going to ex poly is not too bad because the degree would have been the same standard. The only difference would be prestige but that not important. Its more or less, what subject you study that is important.

Also it give you time off education which would help yourself to learn better next year because you be hungry to learn.

Good luck on your decision.
Reply 14
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20z12
OP
Original post by Anonymousgirll
What did you get in your a levels? If your not 100% then take a year out re sit some exams and find a job that way you will have some money. It will also give you a chance to think about what you exactly want to do and what you need to do to get there. It's only a year so its not the end of the world and it will give you more time to think about options. There is no point in doing something that you will regret. Just have the confidence in making a decision and stick with it, providing it is the right one of course!


in my Gcse's i mainly got C's few b's and two d's. i wasn't really focused back then, so the college close to home offered me a BTEC extended diploma in applied science, the grades i got back where D*D*D* so 360 UCAS points, i had to resit my maths in the same year that's GCSE maths. As I've mentioned in a post before it's what sort of apprenticeships i was looking for where the chemistry ones. and i've been out looking for jobs, handing out C.v's checked by 2 or 3 of my teachers can't find anything relevant in stores applied to Tesco 40-50 of times. If i have to go back to college i will have to pay there fee's which are £700-£800 for each course, which at the moment i don't have.
Original post by 20z12
in my Gcse's i mainly got C's few b's and two d's. i wasn't really focused back then, so the college close to home offered me a BTEC extended diploma in applied science, the grades i got back where D*D*D* so 360 UCAS points, i had to resit my maths in the same year that's GCSE maths. As I've mentioned in a post before it's what sort of apprenticeships i was looking for where the chemistry ones. and i've been out looking for jobs, handing out C.v's checked by 2 or 3 of my teachers can't find anything relevant in stores applied to Tesco 40-50 of times. If i have to go back to college i will have to pay there fee's which are £700-£800 for each course, which at the moment i don't have.


oh right so what other options do you think you have. If you don't go this year maybe get a job and try to find some more apprenticeships.
Original post by 20z12
in my Gcse's i mainly got C's few b's and two d's. i wasn't really focused back then, so the college close to home offered me a BTEC extended diploma in applied science, the grades i got back where D*D*D* so 360 UCAS points, i had to resit my maths in the same year that's GCSE maths. As I've mentioned in a post before it's what sort of apprenticeships i was looking for where the chemistry ones. and i've been out looking for jobs, handing out C.v's checked by 2 or 3 of my teachers can't find anything relevant in stores applied to Tesco 40-50 of times. If i have to go back to college i will have to pay there fee's which are £700-£800 for each course, which at the moment i don't have.


Basically there a way, if you sign onto Jobseekers then you can study for free but do it as last option. You can do what I did, basically I told college I would pay in monthly installments while working.
Original post by Vibenation
Then just try the first year before committing to the rest of the degree. If you enjoy it then stick at it and research your career prospects and try do and look for internships and work placements to help you develop your skills and experience.


Original post by 20z12
Made a mistake lol in first part. Ill be going uni but I can't make up my mind. I'm going to study chemistry but my maths skills aren't that good.
I've got an offer from a polytechnic uni, its just the student loan I'm worried about taking out. I know you have to pay it back after £21k. Is it worth going to uni. I'm not 100% passonoite about it. But I'm not sure what to do after if I don't?
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Original post by Vibenation
Then just try the first year before committing to the rest of the degree. If you enjoy it then stick at it and research your career prospects and try do and look for internships and work placements to help you develop your skills and experience.


I would also recommend that you try the first year and you never know you might like it! and I think but I am not sure that if you don't like your course you can drop/change it within 2-3 weeks of start date but don't quote me on this because I am not sure.
Original post by 20z12
I've been volunteering with science museum and various other roles, in between studying also taught science subjects to primary/secondary schools. yes i know that i can be hard to get funding second time around. i'm just 'OK' with it, because i did apply to some chemistry type apprenticeships but these already had people who had Bsc's and Mchem qualifications. I understand that a lot of people don't pay it back, what happens when one wants to buy a house? need a least 30k saved up a job and qualify for a mortgage.
I hate the Term that people use, 'It's only after your earning more than 21K you'll pay back. Seems like all this government want to do is drive people into debt, fill there own pockets and leave this mess for someone else to sort out. It's like we live the reality they live the fantasy, for any poor or working class it's extremely difficult.


Your student loan doesn't have an effect on your ability to get a mortgage or take out personal loans. It's not like you have to pay back your student loan before you can get a mortgage. it really is just another line on your playslip...
Reply 19
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20z12
OP
The college close to home didn't let me do A levels, for the reason i didn't have maths at the time so i had to externally sit that, but they let me in for the btec extended diploma which i managed to get the highest grades possible which were D*D*D* = 360 UCAS tariff points.

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