University decisions

I can’t decide between going to Gloucestershire university or Cardiff university to take part in the occupational therapy course.

1. I went to an interview with Gloucestershire and the lecturers were lovely and they said they loved my vibe and would love me to study there.
2. However, Cardiff can offer me an NHS bursery where my tuition is paid but I have to stay in wales for 2 years after graduating

I’m unsure whether I should go to a university just off of vibes and how much I like the lecturers or the bursery and the fact Cardiff is a Russel group.

Any advise which one to choose?

Hi there

Congrats on your offers! Ultimately, this is something you need to decide for yourself based on what is most important to you. It sounds like (based on your post) the financial difference isn't much of a decision-maker (please correct me if I'm wrong though) so, which university do you feel most comfortable with? may be worth writing down the pros and cons of each if you need to OR base your decision on where you'd genuinely prefer to study, don't put too much weight into the fact that one is a 'Russel group uni'

If you're able to, I'd recommend spending some more time visiting or interacting with any events each uni has (or even feel free to reach out and ask some further questions), dig deep into what they offer in terms of the whole student experience. What's the accommodation like? do you vibe with the city/location? what's their approach to teaching? think about what is important to you and then go from there. At the end of the day, your university has to be right for you as much as you do for them.

Hope this helps :smile:

Reply 2

Ibennett3562

OP

3

Original post by CamembertPaws

Hi there

Congrats on your offers! Ultimately, this is something you need to decide for yourself based on what is most important to you. It sounds like (based on your post) the financial difference isn't much of a decision-maker (please correct me if I'm wrong though) so, which university do you feel most comfortable with? may be worth writing down the pros and cons of each if you need to OR base your decision on where you'd genuinely prefer to study, don't put too much weight into the fact that one is a 'Russel group uni'
If you're able to, I'd recommend spending some more time visiting or interacting with any events each uni has (or even feel free to reach out and ask some further questions), dig deep into what they offer in terms of the whole student experience. What's the accommodation like? do you vibe with the city/location? what's their approach to teaching? think about what is important to you and then go from there. At the end of the day, your university has to be right for you as much as you do for them.
Hope this helps :smile:

When I went to Gloucestershire I felt more at home. However, it’s a newer course (from 2023) and the first graduates will be this year. I just want to make sure I get the best education I can and have the best shot at doing well in terms of job and pay at the end of it. Do jobs look at where you studied in university and make a big decision based on that?

Reply 3

claireoz1975

7

I loved everything about Cardiff. I had always wanted to move away from home. So my favourite two were Cardiff or Liverpool. But in the end I chose Liverpool because although paying no tuition fees at Cardiff was very appealing I didn't know if I could commit to working in Wales for two years afterwards. When I worked it out, the funding available to loan was less than if I was in England if I took the options of having my tuition fees paid by NHS Wales. I'm at Liverpool now and loving it! My second choice (lower entrance requirements) was Worcester which was completely different. Smaller cohort, smaller city, smaller campus than Liverpool. I am sure I would have had a great time at Worcester but Liverpool has so much to offer being a large city. Something to think about, good luck

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 4

claireoz1975

7

I also remember talking to another family at the open day in Cardiff. Their other daughter was already at Cardiff and was saying she would have expected more as a 'Russell' group university. (I think she was studying law). As for jobs post university I really don't think it matter where your degree is from as they will be looking for HPCP registration. As they are accredited degrees they will all need to meet certain criteria / cover similar content. One thing to ask is about course delivery. They are still using recorded online lectures from Covid times where I am!!!!!

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 5

normaw

Volunteer Section Leader, Clearing and Applications Advisor

19

Original post by Ibennett3562

I can’t decide between going to Gloucestershire university or Cardiff university to take part in the occupational therapy course.

1. I went to an interview with Gloucestershire and the lecturers were lovely and they said they loved my vibe and would love me to study there.
2. However, Cardiff can offer me an NHS bursery where my tuition is paid but I have to stay in wales for 2 years after graduating

I’m unsure whether I should go to a university just off of vibes and how much I like the lecturers or the bursery and the fact Cardiff is a Russel group.

Any advise which one to choose?

Attending a Russell Group uni is of no advantage for a healthcare course. All courses are held to the same standard by the HCPC and when it come to employment, the NHS won't care where you studied.

In terms of funding, I'm assuming that you currently live in England? If so, then the reality of choosing the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme is that you might struggle to pay for accommodation and living costs (unless your family supports you). The following is based on 2024-25 figures:

The NHS Wales Bursary Scheme provides the following support each year:
- payment of tuition fees
- non-income assessed grant of £1,000
- income-assessed bursary of up to a maximum of £2,643 (but falls to £0 if household income is above £50,000 per year)
- students may also apply to their funding body for a maintenance loan. Only a reduced maintenance loan is available from SFE of £2,670 (by comparison Welsh students can get up to £11,150).

In summary, the maximum you could get to cover your living costs is £6,313 per year. This might cover accommodation costs but not much else.

If you study in England, you could get a maintenance loan of between £4,767 and £10,227 (2024-25 figs, outside London, living away from home) and you would also be eligible to apply to the NHS Learning Support Fund for the annual training grant of £5,000 per year (you would not get this studying in Wales).

Try to go to offer-holder/applicant days before you decide. Also consider placement locations and timings - are they held in the holidays or do you get the normal uni holidays? This can vary a lot between unis.

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 6

Ibennett3562

OP

3

Original post by claireoz1975

I loved everything about Cardiff. I had always wanted to move away from home. So my favourite two were Cardiff or Liverpool. But in the end I chose Liverpool because although paying no tuition fees at Cardiff was very appealing I didn't know if I could commit to working in Wales for two years afterwards. When I worked it out, the funding available to loan was less than if I was in England if I took the options of having my tuition fees paid by NHS Wales. I'm at Liverpool now and loving it! My second choice (lower entrance requirements) was Worcester which was completely different. Smaller cohort, smaller city, smaller campus than Liverpool. I am sure I would have had a great time at Worcester but Liverpool has so much to offer being a large city. Something to think about, good luck

Ok thank you so much. I currently live in wales so I don’t know if it will be cheaper with loans and all that

Reply 7

normaw

Volunteer Section Leader, Clearing and Applications Advisor

19

Original post by Ibennett3562

Ok thank you so much. I currently live in wales so I don’t know if it will be cheaper with loans and all that

In that case, if you decided to study at Gloucestershire, you would apply to Student Finance Wales for the tuition fee loan and the maintenance loan and grants. You would also be able to apply to the NHS LSF for the annual training grant. If you decide on Cardiff, the NHS Wales Bursary is a no brainer.

Original post by Ibennett3562

I can’t decide between going to Gloucestershire university or Cardiff university to take part in the occupational therapy course.
1. I went to an interview with Gloucestershire and the lecturers were lovely and they said they loved my vibe and would love me to study there.
2. However, Cardiff can offer me an NHS bursery where my tuition is paid but I have to stay in wales for 2 years after graduating
I’m unsure whether I should go to a university just off of vibes and how much I like the lecturers or the bursery and the fact Cardiff is a Russel group.
Any advise which one to choose?

Hi there,

Choosing universities are a really touch decision! Everyone have said some really helpful advice, but at the end of the day, it's more about what you want out of a university :smile:

Have you thought about putting together a pros and cons list? It sounds basic haha but that's what also helped me decide between universities I wasn't sure about!

And of course, I'm always here if you had any other questions or wanted more input about Cardiff!

~ Fatiha, Cardiff University Student Rep

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 9

Tamlou1211

1

Original post by Ibennett3562

I can’t decide between going to Gloucestershire university or Cardiff university to take part in the occupational therapy course.
1. I went to an interview with Gloucestershire and the lecturers were lovely and they said they loved my vibe and would love me to study there.
2. However, Cardiff can offer me an NHS bursery where my tuition is paid but I have to stay in wales for 2 years after graduating
I’m unsure whether I should go to a university just off of vibes and how much I like the lecturers or the bursery and the fact Cardiff is a Russel group.
Any advise which one to choose?

Not sure if you interviewed the same time as me. Congrats on your offer for glous. Hope to see you in September if not wish you all the best at Cardiff

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