Transferring by reapplying and student finance

I'm in my first year of my undergraduate course and I'm starting to question if this uni is right for me. I've personally not found a lot of satisfaction with it and believe I rushed the choice of selecting my unis and chose one I don't like. I was wondering how I would manage to change university.

I am aware of transferring, though I was thinking wouldn't it be much easier and simpler if I "dropped out" when this year concluded and re-applied for university on ucas with my A-level grades like before? Would this be easier/work at all? And the main concern is how this would affect my student loan, would I still get funding for my 3 year course or does the 3+1 year funding rule have a caveat which I am unaware of?

Would you plan to take a gap year after completing the year if you're talking about applying after you've finished the year?
All transfers require a UCAS application. And your UCAS application MUST include your full education history - so that includes your GCSEs and A levels AND your time at university plus any completed modules/early exit awards.
If you want to restart at another university in 2025 then your best option is to submit a UCAS application ASAP, ideally with a reference from your current university.
Student finance doesn't differentiate between someone who studied 3 weeks of a degree or someone who finished the year - both count as a "year" of previous study and use up your "gift year" of funding. So if you think you can complete and pass the year then staying put and getting the most you can out of your current university and course is often the best option and gives you the most amount of choice on what to do next year.

Thank you, I was thinking about finishing this year first. I am just worried that this is just a phase which I am going through and will eventually warm up to my uni. My biggest fear is that I will go through all the effort to go to another uni and it be the exact same feeling and I think "wow I just wasted 1-2 years just to end up feeling the exact same".

Would I be able to make my UCAS application, get my references and do everything, get my offers and then (if I feel like it) void it all and remain at my current uni? Would that effect anything like my current uni situation?

Absolutely - making a UCAS application for somewhere else doesn't affect your current course at all. Even if you ask for a reference from your current tutor you can explain that you're not certain about leaving but that you want to apply to have that option at the end of the year.
You're only committed financially to any university when you enrol onto the course for each academic year (and if you agree to an accommodation contract - in which case check the cancellation conditions!).

That's good! I do have an accommodation contract which requires me to do a full year of payments which I'm assuming is quite standard, so for that reason I will also probably stick through this year.

Another question is HOW I get a reference. University is so big that I doubt any of my professors even know my name, let alone how I perform within my course. During A-levels I saw my teachers very often and we were very friendly so when it came to references it was basically immediate. I guess this question boils down to, are references even that personal? Do they even have to know anything about me or do they just write "good performing student, good attendance, can do the work"?.

Oh and another question (sorry) if I do make another UCAS application and put down all my educational history, what should I put for my currently unfinished year? Do I have to say a predicted grade? And as it is only first year will I have to put either "Pass" or "Fail"? (also couldn't I just copy paste my previous application? I spent ages going all out on it and basically my entire personal statement still remains true)

Do you have a personal tutor? Head of year? it's up to you to figure out who would be best placed to provide a reference and then arrange to meet with them to talk through asking them to provide a reference. No UCAS reference should be personal - it's an academic reference. Unlike your teachers at college/school your university tutors will be aware what university staff are interested in seeing in a reference.
Have a read of the first post in https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1781424 - it includes worked examples of how to add your current course to UCAS. Your referee will have the option to add a predicted grade but it's not required or needed for transfers like this.
You can reuse a lot of your PS but I wouldn't recommend using it in it's entirety without any changes. Your reasons for wanting to study the subject are likely to still be relevant but you have had an additional year plus months of university study in your subject to talk about and refresh your PS content. It's also worth briefly addressing why you want to change universities (even just a sentence along the lines of "I believe I rushed the choice of university last year and want to explore the option of restarting elsewhere")

I do have a personal tutor, I will be sure to talk to them about this! I'm assuming I have to make my UCAS application and fill out all of that stuff first before the tutor can add a reference?

Would I even be considered a "transfer" though? If I do move to another uni, I would like to restart my first year as I feel like entering on second year would arise a lot of social and academic challenges. I thought that if I completely restarted at first year then id still be considered a "new student".

I've seen a lot of threads talk about having to call up the uni you desire to go to and sort out a whole separate system, but I was assuming that as I will apply through UCAS for first year, then I would be treated the same as someone who was freshly out of A-levels (with the obvious differences of me putting 1 year of uni in my academic history)

If you're moving from one university to another that's a transfer.
All transfers have to go through a UCAS application. You're just applying for first year instead of second year entry. If anything the extra year at your current university will improve your chances of an offer.

Ah okay, so in practice it is basically the same as a first time application (with the exception of the extra year). But on paper I'm considered a transfer. Does that also mean that I am a "returning student" for the new uni? Or does that title on apply for when you are doing a 2nd year at the same uni?

Do you mean for the purposes of student finance?
If you intend to complete the year and then continue your studies (even if that means repeating year 1) then for student finance purposes when it opens for 2025/26 applications you should apply as a returning student. As part of the application you have the option to say if you'll be studying at the same university/course in 2025/26 and if you tick "no" then you can enter the details of your new university and course. For returning student SFE applications your deadline will be in June which means you should normally know if you're edging towards staying in your current course or switching. If you add a reminder to your calendar to start your SFE application for 25/26 in May 2025 then you should be easily able to meet their deadline. And if you put one thing in and then change your mind then you can log into your 25/26 application and make changes after you've applied.
For student finance you would only need to apply as a "new" student if you withdrew from your current course before the end of the academic year.

Ah I see, I'm under the impression that before your induction, most things can be altered. What I might plan on doing is applying for student finance for my current uni if I am still undecided and then if I do fully decide to change about a month before start date, then I can change my application to the new uni? Surely the information can be changed before any payments have been made?
And also just to triple check, I will be able to get a full 3 years of funding if I do go to a new uni? That's primary concern I have. First year at first uni (current) will be 1 year, then 2 years at the new uni will be 2nd and 3rd year funding, then 3rd year at new uni would be my gift year? Of course assuming that I do not have to retake a year, or do placement/year abroad?

Ah I see, I'm under the impression that before your induction, most things can be altered. What I might plan on doing is applying for student finance for my current uni if I am still undecided and then if I do fully decide to change about a month before start date, then I can change my application to the new uni? Surely the information can be changed before any payments have been made?

And also just to triple check, I will be able to get a full 3 years of funding if I do go to a new uni? That's primary concern I have. First year at first uni (current) will be 1 year, then 2 years at the new uni will be 2nd and 3rd year funding, then 3rd year at new uni would be my gift year? Of course assuming that I do not have to retake a year, or do placement/year abroad?

Yes - if your default option is to stick with your current course then applying for finance assuming you'll be staying is fine. But I would suggest if you're applying elsewhere to hold off until May to apply for your finance and not immediately when applications open in February. Your plans could well firm up in those 3-4 months so by waiting until May you'll still easily meet the deadline but also be less likely to need to make adjustments later on.
Everyone is entitled to funding for the length of the NEW course PLUS 1 gift year. If you apply to a new course with a year abroad/placement year then those would be funded too. In theory your new course could have a foundation year AND a placement year AND be an undergrad masters degree and so be 6 years in length and all 6 years would be funded as long as that's the official length of the new course.
If you needed to retake a year of the new course then that repeat year wouldn't be funded. Unfunded means no tuition fee loan (for that year) but you would still get a maintenance loan. If you can provide evidence of Compelling Personal Reasons (for example illness, bereavement etc) leading to the repeat year then that would normally be accepted and an additional year of tuition fee loans awarded.

Alright just to QUADRUPLE check. I am currently doing a 3 year computer science course. No placement, no foundation, no undergrad master degree. I wish to also do a 3 year comp sci course at a new uni. This would mean I am fully funded for these 4 years of study? Sorry if this sounds repetitive but this is seriously the biggest deal breaker for me.