Choice of uni pros and cons

Dreadi

Dreadi

Dreadi

Soldato
Joined
16 Feb 2006
Posts
7,665
Ok, so i still haven't decided on my choice of uni and the decision making process inst progressing so who better to ask for advice then the people of this fine forum. :p

So the story goes, i applied to 5 uni's as an individual and got into all 5 but when going to state my decisions i found out i can only pick one firm choice and thats it. Having rushed into trying to sort my choices out, i put down a bad choice of course in my eyes (comp games dev) for all bar one uni (which i put down software engineering at UCLAN preston).
Now my first idea was to just go to Preston but then the last uni to get back to me (which was UWE Brisitol) said i could go there (which i didn't expect) but then they said I would have to do a foundation year which put me off a rather firm decision to go there so in light of this here is a list of the pro and cons as i see it.

UCLAN Preston
+ Been there and seems like a good place
+ Good friend there already doing a foundation course, meet his friends, all get on well
+ Immediate access to BSc course with option for vocational and good chance to do a year abroad/settle abroad after
+ Seem rather focused on helping students find jobs after uni

- 4 plus hours away from home so no comfort of being able to come back quick and easy
- No car for years as they dont allow them unless 20+miles from uni and i like my car/plans for future cars

UWE bristol
+ Plenty of friends in/close to/moving to Bristol
+ Close to home for comfort
+ Can keep car

- Minimum 4 years non vocational due to having to do foundation course
- Haven't been there to look around and next open day is on the uni choice deadline date

Now for me it pretty much boils down to Preston is real far away from home but bristol means foundation and 4 year minimum. I'm giving bristol a possible plus in the fact that if i did go there and do the foundation, i could apply for all the loans and such but stays at home for the first year and bank 3k or however much and use it for a car/save it in an isa or similar.

What would you do/make of the situation?
sorry for the length and all :)
 
Yeah my girlfriend said the same but when its all laid out for you its much better I'd imagine as they are there solely to show you around, explain to you all aspects of the courses and so on. where as, if i went up UWE by myself i'd have a mate or two show me about and any info on the course I'd probably have to trace myself
 
mrmoose said:
Dont goto uni with friends from home, you dont get the full experience. Also going to a uni close to home can be a con, as u miss so much with the mentality that u have to go home every weekend.
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Thats been playing on my mind as well, i mean it'd be like old times if i went to UWE, sure with some new people but also with some old where as at UCLAN i know one person only (ok its my g/fs brother and we may not stay together if i go there/at all but we get on well regardless)

Also going to a uni close to home can be a con, as u miss so much with the mentality that u have to go home every weekend
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Again i can see this being true but then again i'd rather be closer then further as UCLAN is 4+ by train and £60 quid meaning if i wanted to nip back it would be a stress where as bristol is a half hour drive and if i felt like it i could pro over and back again without even thinking about it
 
Yeah i guess your right, but when i went there and was in my fiends room i just imagined myself sitting there all day long and thinking 'is this what i have to home to everyday'. I know it wont be like that but with UWE the friends there have more in common with me and such and i should probably stop looking at this as a situation where I'll meet no one and spend all day locked up by myself losing my interested in hobbies such as skating and generally becoming isolated because i don't think that will happen yet thats how i see it :confused: :rolleyes:

As i said, if UWE let me straight onto the course and didn't want a foundation year from me I'd be there in a shot probably but its put me off
 
Bit late for that and i have a poor amount of tariff points due to lack of commitment in college so i consider myself lucky to get in anywhere really as i didn't think i could.
I'm thinking uclan for first year then try moving to UWE depending on how i get on up north to bypass the foundation course at UWE.

little fact, Preston is the 6th largest uni in the uk or so they told me
 
|Ric| said:
Out of interest did they clarify that? Number of students? Total land area? Total number of buildings? The average waist size amongst students?
There could probably be any number of universities claiming to be the 6th largest university depending on how they measure "largest"
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Don't remember them specify it no
 
They have also built loads of new building and its generally seems like everything is built around the uni as theres so much of it
 
i have a job, 18k a year with no hope of getting more/moving up from the bottom of the barrel and i work with people who i wish bad things upon/hate.
 
PlatinumFX said:
Get into the best Uni you can and if your life plans permit it, resit your AS's & A'levels (or whatever they call them now if its changed), get the best you can and get into as good a University as you can. It will really open more doors.
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Well im coming 20 and have left this 2 long and messed up enough i think so i was just hoping to get into any uni possible and get back on track although i have heard that UWE isn't the best place to go.

Is there anywhere i can find out which unis are classed as good and such, liek an official rating table
 
Nitefly said:
resit college and get some better A levels and re-apply instead.
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That would be pointless though as foundation will get me access to UWE, unless you ment re apply to better places :confused:

well i was thinking of doing the first year at Preston and then moving to UWE after if i didn't get to attached
 
but surely if i complete my first year at a uni well enough i could move to a better/different one without many problems

Fragalot said:
I go to UCLAN, just about to finish my first year. If you have any questions let me know! P
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What you taking ?
 
Resiting A levels is pretty much not an option unless i retake college as a whole as i only 2 A Levels and 1 AS level (was kicked off the course and was told i wouldn't be allowed to take it again there, longish story)
 
Liefrich said:
Clearing can often throw up some surprises in fact you can sometimes get into some top20 Uni's with C's or even lower. Remember the University's need to fill the places.
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If i went for a place through clearing, wouldn't that mean i would have to chuck away my unconditional offers and go out a whim as i would need to leave it so late ?
 
Well i was more just wondering about the clearing aspect of things as i was sure that if you went for clearing then you had to throw your current offers away and wait and hope you get in. Deadline for replies is drawing closer and closer....
 
That sucks, looks like im gonna have to stick with my original plan then of possibly trying to go there after my first year. Theres no way i could apply for uclan, then try for clearing and if i got in drop uclan and go ?
 
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