Is University really some of the best years of your life?

[Garee]

University has been a huge anti-climax for me. I'm doing Computing Science at Glasgow. I live at home and the only times I am actually at the university is for the lectures I go to and any laboratories.

 

[Dave]

University has been a huge anti-climax for me. I'm doing Computing Science at Glasgow. I live at home and the only times I am actually at the university is for the lectures I go to and any laboratories.

Well your answer is there really - living at home isn't great for branching out and making connections.

Undergrad years were great, halls of residence first year then moved out with some great friends for the other 3. Always working (Engineering) but plenty of time to drink, muck around and do whatever you fancied. I stayed on to do a PhD, not quite the same experience as the free time is now sorely lacking!

 

[OriginalJonty]

Yes it is. Sure the studies are tough but for the experience both social and, for many, being independent for the first time propped really gives you freedom. I wish I never had to graduate.

 

[semi-pro waster]

This thread is why all our tax monies are going down the drain, it is where you either make yourself or break yourself.
As others have said not enjoying university will pay off in the long run, if you work hard you will end up with what you wanted, anyone who goes to university and does a dos subject and goes out at night is just a waste of space. The whole point of university is to educate, certainly the people who founded these institutions would not want to see public money going down the drain just so you can drink your life to waste.

I'd hope that most people can manage to both enjoy university and get a decent degree out of it at the same time. There's a balance to be struck as to have one at the exclusion of the other is not good.

Sure it is because afterwards can't get a job without experience and be in over £20k debt! But the cheap nights worth it..

If your point is that in many jobs you can simply work your way up without incurring the time/debt of university then that is true to an extent but I feel it's missing the wider benefits of university also.

 

[flibbage0]

I will tell you how awesome my school is at the moment.

They decided that we have mocks this week and because the teachers mucked up the timetable I now have 3 exams on thursday, only have a 15 minute gap, no lunch break

Oh yeh and I also get my results that day.

 

[memyselfandi]

How hard it is will depend heavily on what course you do and how much work you want to put in ... I know people who just played around the entire time and people who worked hard ... just depended on what they wanted.

As for if it's the best years of your life ... depends ... personally no. I enjoyed my time an Uni overall. It was fun and I met some great friends but not being into the whole drink culture and being quite a shy person I can't say I was happy the entire time.

Best period of time I have had (so far) would have been probably the three years starting a year or so after leaving Uni. Was settled into a good job with great colleagues and being paid far to much to do interesting work which I'd have done for a lot less ... really fun times. Group I work with now don't have the social aspect we had back then which is a bit of a shame.

 

[Dinomania]

Timetabling is super-complicated.

When the A1 Levels first came out, my school even had kids going home with teachers (camping out, like, nothing dodgy) to keep them separated from other kids having to do the same exam the day after. It was impossible! Don't underestimate the head timetabler in your school, his or her job is a real head-twister....

 

[vicisthebest]

Is University life really that good as people make it out to be?

No. I only went because I needed a degree for my career. I didn't really engage with uni that much, lived at home and though I had plenty of friends at uni, I didn't do masses of socialising. I'm sure many people will think I wasted the experience I could've had but I really don't think uni is for everyone and it wasn't for me. It was just necessary.

 

[flibbage0]

Timetabling is super-complicated.

When the A1 Levels first came out, my school even had kids going home with teachers (camping out, like, nothing dodgy) to keep them separated from other kids having to do the same exam the day after. It was impossible! Don't underestimate the head timetabler in your school, his or her job is a real head-twister....

LOL?

Its mocks, not the real thing.

 

[Ewaf]

University is the best thing thats happened to me. Before uni I was overweight, shy, anti social, played counter strike all the time. Moving away and going to uni put me completely out of my comfort zone, and I never looked back. I am a totally different person now, lots of friends and been with my gf for over 2 years. I am in my last year now and really don't want to leave

Anyone thinking about it. Do it, put yourself out of your comfort zone, dont, dont, DONT go to uni and live at home, unless you actually have to due to financial reasons. Talk to everyone, learn the international drinking rules by heart, and enjoy.

 

[ringo747]

I lived at home during my time at uni. The fun that people talk about is the life associated with uni - nothing to do with actually attending uni itself.

 

[FutileBreadMachine]

I missed out big time on uni. I'm from South Africa and my parents couldn't afford to send me to a proper university, so I had to do a correspondence degree through the University of South Africa. This meant I was stuck at home for 3 years, and I couldn't afford a car since I was only waitering for money and that was nowhere near enough for a car + petrol + tax. So I couldn't even go out a lot with my friends who all got to go to the University of Durban (I had to get lifts from my parents or have friends come and pick me up and I lived quite far away from them).

I wish we could have moved here when I was in high school, then I would have gotten a student loan, and there is good public transport here, so I could get around by myself. I really feel like I missed out.

 

[Devrij]

Forget the banking job, I nearly earn that much working in retail (I'm bugged by my gf everyday to get a new job with my degree).

Virtually everyone that posted has said that it was a positive and vital experience, and I can only repeat that sentiment. You learn how to live, how to meet people, how to write 35000 words in 3 nights: and you'll get laid. I wouldn't change it for the world.

My only advice to every new student is this: NO MATTER HOW TIRED OR HUNGOVER YOU ARE, ATTEND EVERY LECTURE/SEMINAR!!! It's easy to get left behind and then it's all downhill from there. If you attend everything and do the reading, you're fine.

 

[Gideon Lorr]

As it currently stands, I'd put Sixth Form above university. University has been great in my first year (though I still think the experience was massively overhyped), but now in my second year frankly I always feel like I can't relax half the time- I know there is always more reading and work to be doing, nevermind fitting in a social life, gym, cooking, etc etc.

Whereas in Sixth Form I had a proper routine, classes were all fairly easy, and not a lot of homework/reading, plus plenty of free periods. Plus some amazing nights out as people started turning 18, and some friends for life who I've known since being a kid. Just better memories and experiences I suppose. I had 70% of the freedom of uni, and much less responsibility/things to do.

School wasn't too bad either, got better as it went on, year 10 and 11 were pretty good.

 

[BenjiSayers]

I feel like I missed a trick not going to uni... :/

 

[CREATIVE!11]

Mainly I think its the moving away at 18 and then meeting a bunch of people cause you are all thrown in the new situation together...

I however didn't move away when I went ot uni something I REALLY REALLY now regret at 22. I stayed at home and commuted about 30-40mins (Stupid me for ever listening to my mother whose advice it was no no no don't bother moving save money).

Met loads of cool people still enjoyed it, but if I had moved out sure as hell would have met a lot more people and probably had crazy nights out more often.

Edit: However I am applying to study medicine next year, so if I get in I'll get another 4 years of uni and I'll be much older more confident wiser etc etc so maybe things will all turn out for the best eh! I used to be pretty socially awkward at 18 in a BIG way.

 

[Raymond Lin]

It depends the people you hang out with and the kind of person you are.

If you like to meet like minded people and be social then great, it can be like a party 24/7.

If you like to be academic and go at it alone then you can do that too but you are missing the learning about LIFE part that the university experience provides.

 

[J-FRO]

I lived at home during my time at uni. The fun that people talk about is the life associated with uni - nothing to do with actually attending uni itself.

Your social life at uni is still part of the uni experience.

Living at home and not enjoying it is either your fault for not moving away or just you being unfortunate to not be able to for financial reasons.

You need to remember as well, accommodation prices and drink prices vary up and down the country. I had friends who went to Newcastle/Leeds that could go out and spend as little as £20 and be absolutely wasted and likewise friends in Portsmouth who could also do the same. An equivalent night for me would have cost £30 - £40. How do I know? Because I visited them at their uni's as well and went out with their social groups too.

University is what you make it, all the ingredients are there for you to make the most of it , you shouldn't have to rely on others to make it fun for you.

The point that it isn't for anyone is as far as my opinion goes only valid in relation to the further studying itself. Even the most sheltered and shy people can come out of their shells at uni, it just takes initiative.

 

[-Ad-]

BOOZE BEWBS AND MORE BEWBS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes

 

[WingZero30]

Nope.

In my case FE college years were among the best years in my life. But I made the stupid mistake of not taking my friends contact details and now I have lost most of them.