Stay in ni or leave for England

Hello, I’d like some advice from really anyone who has something to say. Basically, all throughout my secondary school life I wanted to stay in NI for university, once the pandemic hit it really changed my mind though. Not being able to go out really made me think, do I even want to stay here if a major part of the student experience is taken away?
Many of my friends went to liverpool this year for uni and when I was visiting, I made my mind up that I wanted to go there. I think this was mainly down to the fact that although nowhere was open, you can still party in accommodations and since I was planning on going to ulster and their accommodation isn’t great I knew I couldn’t do that here. Now that everywhere seems to be opening back up I’ve got the notion in my head that I want to stay here again, I think most of it is due to loving the craic of people here and I can get along with them better.
I’m still in 2 minds because I really would love to do both, liverpool would be great to get moving away and living by myself and just experiencing something different. But as I said I love going out to local pubs here and getting on with the people from here. Obviously it would be so much cheaper to stay here aswell but going away might be worth the money.
So many people also talk about the small town mentality of NI which I really do get and understand, but I don’t really feel it as much as other people would.
I keep going back and forth between the 2 options but I don’t know what to do. It might also help to mention I’ve only got 1 offer for John moores and have been rejected from ulster so I either go away this year, or stay for an extra year and apply again for ulster next year.
If anyone has any advice or experience please let me know. Thanks!!

Reply 1

TinyPizza128

My suggestion would be if you are really struggling to decide is to go to the uni that has the best industry connections to what you want to study (both in the rest of the UK and Northern Ireland) as well as check the league tables and the courses modules. That's how I pick which uni I wanted as my firm choice

Reply 2

Archie 9

If you want to know the truth about the “small town mentality” or the “backward Northern Ireland “ stuff that you hear go to your nearest hospital and listen out to the multitude of English, Scottish , Indian and other accents that you hear there, all people who moved here to live and love it , it’s a load of bull.

Reply 3

markova21

Hi. Do you mind me asking where you live? I'm originally from Manchester, but have been lucky as I lived and worked all over the world in my younger years. Have now been living in and around Newry since 1999 with my then 2 year old son. I think if I had lived here my whole life I probably would have been desperate to move away. This was certainly the way I felt when I was 16, living on a Manchester council estate. Went to study in London for 2 years at 16 and i'm so glad I did. This gave me the travel bug to want to live in other countries and I know that I am a more rounded, emotionally rich person for my worldwide experiences. I would advise giving it a go. There would be nothing worse than looking back and having a regret you didn't even give it a try. Besides, Liverpool isn't exactly the other end of the world !!