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What is the average age of people starting uni?

How many people tend to have a gapyear, and how many go straight to uni from college/sixth form. Regardless of a gapyear being relaxing/fun, is there anything to be gained in going straight to uni academically, if you're studying a course which requieres a grounding at A Level, would you struggle because of inevitabely forgetting some of what you've learnt?

Thanks

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Reply 1

EvilSheep

I don't know how many people take a year out, the number seem to be increasing though. Most people will go straight from college/6th form I think.
A gap year can teach you a lot actually, depending on what you make it. Of course, you can work in a shop all year and go on a two week holiday to Ibiza, but that won't teach you anything, apart from to stick with a boring job (and it'll earn you some cash). However, if you get yourself an interesting job, maybe one that relates tt your degree to some extent, work for a while and then travel around the less touristy places in the world, well, then you are going to learn some valuable things. It all depends on what you do with a year out.
I would think that some subjects are easier to do if you go straight from school, I'm thinking sciences, although that might be entirely wrong..

Reply 2

EarlHickey

At mine its mixed many seem 20-22 id say at least half if not more were that. And not to stereotype but most 18 year olds and quite a few 19 year olds seem to drop out by Janurary so that might have something to do with the amount of over 20's I see

Reply 3

Laus

I'll be 20 (almost 21) when I start uni. You could start a poll and people could say what age they were when they started?

Reply 4

HereWithMe89

well Im 18 n when i go to uni, Ill just be turning 19.

i think if i tried a gap yr, i would be too lazy to go back n do some more studying. im thinking, i might as well finish it all off first, the whole school/uni thing otherwise i wouldnt even drag my ass back to it. :p:

Reply 5

LaurenFah

I'd say about 19, depending on how you average.

Most people are 18, plenty of 19 year olds and some 20+'s.

Reply 6

Renal

Probably about 18.7. :p:

Lots of 18 year-olds, a large minority of 19 and 20 year-olds and a significant chunk of matures people.

But, naturally, it varies depending on the course.

18.

i think more people are taking gap years, or going later, 20/21.
but i'm not sure if theres more 18 year olds.

i'll be 18 when i go if i get my grades, if not i'll resit my exams maybe do abit of travelling/working.

i'd probably forget everything i'd learnt if i didnt go straight to uni.

Reply 9

kayzy

for me and my friends it seems that very few took a gap year and so most people are 18 when they start

Reply 10

AndyK67

Because I decided to leave at the end of 5th year I'll only be 17 when I start (I'm 16 right now).

Reply 11

pinksparkles2

AndyK67

Because I decided to leave at the end of 5th year I'll only be 17 when I start (I'm 16 right now).

Woah, how do you have the grades to get in? Did you skip a year or something?
I'll be 18 also, I hope most people are or I'll feel like a baby!
xx

Reply 12

justinliu

I will be 18 when I start this October but I imagine there are lots of older people too due to gap years, mature students, etc...

Reply 13

kates:)

I will have already turned 19 by the time I go!
I find it a bit sad :frown:

But I'm an early birthday soo..

Reply 14

dairynuts

i'll be 18 years and 4 months...i thought most people started at 18 straight after a-levels but perhaps more people than i think have gap years!

i've always been tempted by a gap year but its been easier just to follow everyone else and apply to university instead, all the teachers lead you into it and also my parents who feel that if i had a gap year that i'd prob end up not going to uni at all...and the really want me to go to uni!! as i'm from a farming family and some of my family hardly made it past school!! The promotional videos for gap years look amazing but then i feel like i've got the rest of my life to travel and i'd rather start traveling the world when i've got the finances to do it so i can stay in nice hotels and such...for example when i've got a high-paying job at the end of my degree. Also it would be nice to able to travel with a boyfriend, or friends, or collegues. At the moment if i went i would be on my own because no-one else i know would be able to afford it, it would be abit daunting meeting up with a bunch of strangers to fly away with. But then theres people other than teachers and parents who want you to go an experience the world! who tell you not to go to university and go and travel for abit! and they say its an amazing experience. Those are the people though who never went to university and if you asked a graduate they would say going to university was amazing too!! so im pretty split on the university vs. gap year debate...

hope i've made the right choice...

Reply 15

AndyK67

pinksparkles2

Woah, how do you have the grades to get in? Did you skip a year or something?
I'll be 18 also, I hope most people are or I'll feel like a baby!
xx

No, I didn't skip a year. Because I'm sitting all Highers (Scottish equivalent to A-Levels), I got conditional offers to all my universities. The two that I'm putting as my Firm and Insurances both wanted one A and three Bs, and since I got that in my Prelim exams I should be fine.

Reply 16

Henerz

I will be 18 the day after results day, and going straight to uni a month and a half later.

They say maths is the biggest thing you lose in a year out. For the more arty things (I hear) that you don't really lose the ability to critique a piece of liturature, but do forget how to solve differential equations. Weird huh?

Anyway, that's why i've decided to go straight to uni. This applies to most science/engineering subjects, not just Maths. Most scientists are shocked to see how much maths in in their course; I certainly was when I read the fine print in the syllabus!

Reply 17

jesscaa

I'm not 18 till july so I'll be only just 18 when I go to uni and I have a friend thats not 18 until the end of august.

Reply 18

undercover agent

i'll be 22 nearly 23.

im not really too concerned about the age of the other people, as long they're fun, and nice :smile:

Reply 19

LukeatForest

As an aside on this issue, I think a lot of people would benefit from having a year out from education to consider their options, rather than plunging deeper into the stress of education, and particularly the stress of University life (and there is considerable stress, especially if you come from a Sixth Form where it's almost like an isolated community). I expect the majority of people do start University at 18 though, probably as much because it just seems like the logical next step before clambering aboard the gravy train...