Prospective University Students- struggling with decision of going to university

I notice there are a lot of students already in the university system, as a prospective student could you please give me some advice? I have been accepted to UCL and am still undecided if I want to attend uni this year. A gap year would seem viable if I could actually do something like travel. I’m worried about the fact UCL is competitive and I won’t be able to get in next year. Especially with what Cambridge have said, I’m not sure I want to spend 9 grand for half a year of home study. Any advice would be really appreciated

Wait and see what UCL say, and then you can make a decision.

I do think you won't get the best experience at uni next year, although how good distance learning will be will vary by course- it'll be more problematic for sciences, for example.

You do have to weigh it up against the risk of not getting into UCL next year- especially if a lot of people are deferring, applications may be more competitive, but if you get good A-level results this year, you'll be a competitive applicant.

you can defer UCL without needing to be accepted again next year but that's dependent on the university's admissions department

distance learning would be slightly dead however its still more than possibly you'll be able to move in to hall and live with freshers which is the most important part of the first year uni experience, so that won't be dead

£9k seems like a lot but if you are still getting the education, it's not as bad as it might be and equally, taking a year out has its own costs since you'll be starting a year later that you otherwise might have and that's a long time

My only issue is that the deadline for funding is the end of this month (Scottish Student). Thus, my decision process is somewhat accelerated. I can only imagine UCL following suit alongside other universities and will keep studies online until next summer.
In so far as applying next year, my prelim results in advanced higher exams stand me in good staid for reapplication at these top establishments. However, as we know exam results are only part of the puzzle and you can never be certain.
As if it couldn’t be more confusing, if I was to reapply I am fairly certain I would apply for a different course. My current course is history, politics and economics. Having given it more thought I’m not sure I can deal with the shear volume of the course. I want my study to be more acute and specific, something I’m worried this course simply can’t provide. However, with that said had it not been for corona virus I would have happily studied this course for the next 3 years. I just can’t justify the monetary expense for a totally underwhelming year of university that could be better spent earning money, living free with my parents and perhaps even getting an opportunity to travel next summer.

(Original post by SarcAndSpark)
Wait and see what UCL say, and then you can make a decision.

I do think you won't get the best experience at uni next year, although how good distance learning will be will vary by course- it'll be more problematic for sciences, for example.

You do have to weigh it up against the risk of not getting into UCL next year- especially if a lot of people are deferring, applications may be more competitive, but if you get good A-level results this year, you'll be a competitive applicant.
My only issue is that the deadline for funding is the end of this month (Scottish Student). Thus, my decision process is somewhat accelerated. I can only imagine UCL following suit alongside other universities and will keep studies online until next summer.
In so far as applying next year, my prelim results in advanced higher exams stand me in good staid for reapplication at these top establishments. However, as we know exam results are only part of the puzzle and you can never be certain.
As if it couldn’t be more confusing, if I was to reapply I am fairly certain I would apply for a different course. My current course is history, politics and economics. Having given it more thought I’m not sure I can deal with the shear volume of the course. I want my study to be more acute and specific, something I’m worried this course simply can’t provide. However, with that said had it not been for corona virus I would have happily studied this course for the next 3 years. I just can’t justify the monetary expense for a totally underwhelming year of university that could be better spent earning money, living free with my parents and perhaps even getting an opportunity to travel next summer.