The Student Room Group

Will you take a gap year if university is still online in September?

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Original post by archiemorris_
I’ve got a job right now and I’m being furloughed as well. I’m just nervous about the whole situation and doing the right thing. Thanks for taking time to give me some advice. I guess I just want the decision to be taken out my hands but this is something that I’ll have to put a lot of thought towards.

Honestly there isn't a right answer for many people. People either just deal with the fact that some (not necessarily all) learning will be online and still choose to go to university despite them not thinking they are getting good value for money. Or they take a gap year and risk sitting at home unemployed/not travelling anywhere. Still too early to decide imo.
I’m not going into first year but second, however my partner is away to start in September - probably online at this rate certainly. To her it’s obviously disappointing not getting the freshers week experience - but for her it’s better to start studying than sit around for a year doing nothing.
Reply 62
Original post by mma_jd
So I'm due to start uni this September but I'm now seriously considering taking a gap year due to the whole corona virus situation. Actually, a second gap year - I'm already on a gap year now and was looking forward to starting uni this September, but I just won't be doing it if things like freshers week, moving into dorms, etc are all cancelled, because to be honest that's a huge part of university that I don't wanna miss out on. I'd rather wait until things are back to normal. Anyone else in the same position?

Me too that’s what I was thinking. If the first year or first couple terms are gonna be online then I’m gonna tale gap year because I wanna be able to experience freshers properly.😂I’ve heard Cambridge have decided they’re doing their first year online, so I hope other unis don’t do the same.
Original post by HazL
Me too that’s what I was thinking. If the first year or first couple terms are gonna be online then I’m gonna tale gap year because I wanna be able to experience freshers properly.😂I’ve heard Cambridge have decided they’re doing their first year online, so I hope other unis don’t do the same.

That’s if you get permission to defer - if not you potentially gamble with your place for next year - with a larger pool with student applying. What do you plan on doing for a whole year? Freshers is only a small part of uni life - you can go drinking on night outs anytime.
Reply 64
Original post by DudeinSolna
That’s if you get permission to defer - if not you potentially gamble with your place for next year - with a larger pool with student applying. What do you plan on doing for a whole year? Freshers is only a small part of uni life - you can go drinking on night outs anytime.

Yeah your right, I guess it would be more competitive next year and harder to get in. Thing is the course I want to do (Biomedical Science) is heavily research lab based, so preferably I don’t want to have to do the first year online. It’s not so much about the drinking and going out for me, tbh I’m not really a party animal.😂It’s more the experience of meeting new people and learning to live independently that I don’t want to miss out on. But fingers crossed unis start this year as normal🤞🏼
Original post by HazL
Yeah your right, I guess it would be more competitive next year and harder to get in. Thing is the course I want to do (Biomedical Science) is heavily research lab based, so preferably I don’t want to have to do the first year online. It’s not so much about the drinking and going out for me, tbh I’m not really a party animal.😂It’s more the experience of meeting new people and learning to live independently that I don’t want to miss out on. But fingers crossed unis start this year as normal🤞🏼

How much lab work do you have in your first year?
Reply 66
Original post by TigerRoll
How much lab work do you have in your first year?

There’s 5 hours of labs per week, so honestly I’m not even too sure if it would even work online?🤔
Original post by HazL
Yeah your right, I guess it would be more competitive next year and harder to get in. Thing is the course I want to do (Biomedical Science) is heavily research lab based, so preferably I don’t want to have to do the first year online. It’s not so much about the drinking and going out for me, tbh I’m not really a party animal.😂It’s more the experience of meeting new people and learning to live independently that I don’t want to miss out on. But fingers crossed unis start this year as normal🤞🏼

My partner is doing the exact same course - so I understand how you are feeling about this - however she feels the same way - a bit concerned about it being online and missing the social aspect.

I think you should just continue and see how it goes, my partner is just staying with her parents with the first year while it’s mostly gonna be online and see about second year.
Original post by HazL
There’s 5 hours of labs per week, so honestly I’m not even too sure if it would even work online?🤔

I though unis were only putting lectures only and planning to do seminars/tutorials/labs if possible with social distancing rules in place
Reply 69
Original post by stereotypeasian
I though unis were only putting lectures only and planning to do seminars/tutorials/labs if possible with social distancing rules in place

hopefully that is the case as it would be a shame not to do them at all
Reply 70
Original post by DudeinSolna
My partner is doing the exact same course - so I understand how you are feeling about this - however she feels the same way - a bit concerned about it being online and missing the social aspect.

I think you should just continue and see how it goes, my partner is just staying with her parents with the first year while it’s mostly gonna be online and see about second year.

Yeah exactly I will just have to see how it goes.
Is taking two gap years an issue in regards to starting Uni at 20 and social life with 18 year olds?
Original post by lumos1337
Is taking two gap years an issue in regards to starting Uni at 20 and social life with 18 year olds?

Not at all, I started uni at 21 and many students were surprised I was not younger like 18. Being older is not a bad thing - hopefully you can be more wise than the rest 🤣
Original post by lumos1337
Is taking two gap years an issue in regards to starting Uni at 20 and social life with 18 year olds?

No, it's two years lmao.
Original post by mma_jd
So I'm due to start uni this September but I'm now seriously considering taking a gap year due to the whole corona virus situation. Actually, a second gap year - I'm already on a gap year now and was looking forward to starting uni this September, but I just won't be doing it if things like freshers week, moving into dorms, etc are all cancelled, because to be honest that's a huge part of university that I don't wanna miss out on. I'd rather wait until things are back to normal. Anyone else in the same position?


I'm kinda in the same position, kinda in the opposite position... I'm currently on my first gap year and I was going to take 2 but I think I'd rather start uni in September than sit around for another year. In my opinion, travelling next year is unlikely, and that was my original plan. So instead, I've just applied. A lot of unis have said that lectures will be online next year and this is completely understandable because it is unlikely that hundreds of people will be able to be in the same room anytime soon and this included clubbing. At the moment unis are trying to make as much on campus as possible but if I'm honest neither option is that great and so that's why I've chosen to apply this year. Another thing is that current statistics are showing that 25% of people who would've gone to uni this year are planning on deferring, this might not be a problem for you but for me with A level grades of CEE, the entry requirements will go up and I wouldn't be able to compete with people next year for a place.

In essence, the things you should consider are;
Do you rank "uni experience" higher than uni degree?
If you don't go to uni, what will you do instead?
If you stay a home, are your parents going to charge you rent? How will you pay for this?
Are your grades good enough to risk waiting another year? (Bear in mind that not only are there an extra 25% deferring, but also we have been in a demographic dip for the last couple years and its on its way back up- basically more people applying again. Also due to the pandemic there will drop in apprenticeships available so anyone who might've been planning to do one will now be considering uni, so more people again)
Reply 75
Original post by bingbong9214
Hey nice Channel and some good content keep it up :smile:
Can I ask which uni and course your gonna do?

Hi,
Last year I applied for politics (or related courses) at Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh, Warwick and Royal Holloway (as well as Dutch universities - see video for more details). I was really hoping to study in the Netherlands but it all fell through. Manchester was my back-up but I decided that course wasn't right for me either. Hence, the gap year! During this gap year, I've changed my mind completely, I'm doing a different subject at a different university this September. I'm making a video all about it soon, so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss it! :smile:
Well Exeter have sent out an email which pretty much makes it sound like they're going the online route. Trying to spin it as blended online learning, bore off with that nonsense. 9 grand for what is probably the same level of an open university course...
Original post by Malevolent
Well Exeter have sent out an email which pretty much makes it sound like they're going the online route. Trying to spin it as blended online learning, bore off with that nonsense. 9 grand for what is probably the same level of an open university course...

What have they actually said?
Southampton have said that they are still planning to run uni as normal in Sept
Original post by bingbong9214
Southampton have said that they are still planning to run uni as normal in Sept

Most unis are trying for it to be as normal as possible but if there are still social distancing measures in place things like lectures won't be possible

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