Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Is this true...

A friend told me recently that by going to Scotland to study I will be amongst students who are a year younger than me, as they finish school a year earlier.
Is this true? I really would rather be amongst people my own age!

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Reply 1

randomgirl

I don't think a year will really make that much difference. Don't worry about it.

Reply 2

musicbloke

Yep, it's true, and they do an extra year of university.

MB

Reply 3

Joe555

musicbloke

Yep, it's true, and they do an extra year of university.

MB

That sounds pretty awesome to me....Going to uni early! Although OP, you go into the "second year" effectively, so you'll be with people of your age.

Reply 4

IChem

Don't you generally have the option of going directly into second year if your results are good enough?

Reply 5

lolimemma

Yep but they're all 18 by February and you don't notice the difference anyway. And a lot will be 18 regardless.

Reply 6

LaurenFah

If they're Scottish, yeah - but it generally doesn't make a difference.

Reply 7

Emmerald

Joe555 I am studying Pharmacy which has no option of entering into second year so I will be amongst people a year younger than me.

Will this not mean that I'll have no-one to go out with cause they won't be 18?!?!?!?

Reply 8

username36063

Do not forget that a lot of Scottish students also stay on to do SYS as well so many do go at 18.

Reply 9

asilornum

if your that worried enter into the second year but bare in mind that you'll have missed a year of socilising and as one guy above said they'll be 18 in feb and there are lots that are already 18!
if its the course you want at the place you wana go, go for it as they'll catch up soon enough!
xx

Reply 10

Schajin

What Uni are you looking at? I might be going to St Andrews and I'll be turning 20 in January (Gap year). I'll definitely be old enough to go out :wink:

And also, all english and international Students should be your age (or older) its just the scottish, that are younger!

Reply 11

asilornum

i was lookin at harriot watt but its just too far away for me so i decided not to go, if it was closer i would hav gone mind, im down in bristol!!! and at 20 you might have some probs but girls dig older guys :wink:

so there may be some advantages!!! just enter into the second year if thats your main concern although you wont get the "easing in" that you do in the 1st year or at least on my course you didnt!
xx

Reply 12

Schajin

Do you think they'd let me change my application to second year entry? I'm not sure if I'd want that though, I like the flexibility the four year course gives you...
And thanks for opening this thread by the way, I wasn't even aware of this problem (even though, I was wondering why everyone else at the open day looked so young!), now you've got me worried! grrr :mad:

but girls dig older guys

now that sounds much better :smile:

PS: theres a few people on the facebook group (freshers 08) that are born in 89 or even 88, so I think it'll be fine.

Reply 13

asilornum

lol soz to get you worried but if you've found others who are closer to your age, if you do decide to go there, add them on facebook and get to know them a little bit before you go so then you'll at least have a few people you knw will be your age!
to change to second year entry give the uni a call and ask them, i dont see why they'd say no, you got an unconditional after all!
xx

Reply 14

sheryl06

why does it matter? If you go to uni in England you will still be with people of different ages. When I moved into my halls only one other person was my age, the rest were older as they'd had gap years and it really made no difference at all.

Reply 15

laura-rad

In Scotland you have the option of going to University at 17, but in my experience not a lot of people have acted upon it because it depends if you get your Highers or not.

Reply 16

TheOneWho

When you start half of the year will be 18, half won't. If you leave after fifth year then, technically, it is possible to start at sixteen. There is a girl in my class who started at 16. It's not a problem to be served in the unions but outside it might be a bit more tricky.

Reply 17

Meteorshower

Most people who go to uni as far as i'm aware in Scotland stay in school the same length as you would England

Reply 18

L i b

flexiblefish

Do not forget that a lot of Scottish students also stay on to do SYS as well so many do go at 18.

Even then, they're still a year younger school-wise; if you leave at the end of 5th year you can, much like my older sister, be at uni when you're 16.

Moreover, SYS has been called Advanced Higher for years now.

Reply 19

L i b

laura-rad

In Scotland you have the option of going to University at 17, but in my experience not a lot of people have acted upon it because it depends if you get your Highers or not.

Well, in many cases 6th year can simply become a doss-around. As both of my older siblings left school at the end of 5th, my father was pretty annoyed at me staying on to 6th year: especially when I had an outright rejection to my preferred uni, and unconditionals to all my others.

There were quite a few of us who just took it as a year to "piss about" as my Rector put it before telling us we should therefore use our time to contribute to the good of the school.