don’t know whether to study in ireland or UK…

so back in 2022 I did my leaving cert. I’m an Irish student. I did one year of an occupational therapy degree however I left after the first year because I realised the course wasn’t for me and that my interests lie elsewhere. i have recently discovered that if i want to go and do the course that i’m interested in i will have to pay €8,371. this is a LOT of money and also add on top of the fact that if i want to do the course in dublin i will be paying for very expensive student accommodation.

i have an offer for a course in scotland through clearing and i know that rent in scotland will be a lot cheaper. however i’m really worried about leaving college with a big amount of money on student finance. if i was to do the degree in scotland it would be £36k in total. whereas in ireland i would only have to pay the €8,371 in first year and then it would be free in second, third and fourth year. but student accommodation in dublin is a LOT more expensive than it is in scotland.

but then again, part of me wonders if i could just wait another year and then apply for the course i want to do in northern ireland. it would be cheaper than studying in scotland and the courses would be £4750 per year and only 3 years instead of £9250 per year for 4 years. it’s just really confusing and my heads spinning thinking about it lol

this is just a rant

Uni subject?

Original post by McGinger

Uni subject?

i want to study social work :smile:

Reply 3

McGinger

Original post by lorelaigilmore

i want to study social work :smile:

Where do you want to work - UK or Ireland?

Reply 4

SoonToBeExpat

Hey, why just limit yourself to just the British Isles? If you're an Irish citizen, you have access to many other Universities in Europe which would charge tuition fees ranging from 0 to very little compared to back home! Many universities offer Master's in english, but a good portion also offer Bachelor degrees. Have a look, there might be something in Social work!
Take it from me, I've spent the last three years studying in Sweden whilst my friends back in the UK remained there... Being exposed to a new culture and integrating into a foreign society was the best thing that has ever happened to me. Once can learn alot about oneself and gives you a set of perspectives that will humble and mature you. Furthermore, if you study abroad and then return to Ireland or the UK, you'll probably find it helps sets you apart from the rest when applying for jobs. Social work values people who can operate outside of their comfort zone and are open minded to new perspectives - studying your whole degree in a foreign land (particularly if that's outside of the Anglosphere) will help to demonstrate this.

(edited 4 months ago)

Reply 5

lorelaigilmore

Original post by SoonToBeExpat

I’d love to but sadly I missed the deadline to study at many universities in europe :frown:

so I’d have to wait until september to apply for courses starting NEXT year

Reply 6

SoonToBeExpat

You know, just for that I'd say it's worth taking a gap year - earn some cash, gain some maturity and then apply to european universities next year. That's what I did, but your choice :smile:

Reply 7

lorelaigilmore

Original post by SoonToBeExpat

You know, just for that I'd say it's worth taking a gap year - earn some cash, gain some maturity and then apply to european universities next year. That's what I did, but your choice :smile:

yeah, I do know I could do a course nearby me where I could become a healthcare assistant. it’s one year and you qualify to become a healthcare assistant afterwards. i could do that or else I might just decide to work abroad 🫣