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Choosing a Uni

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BaileytheQuitter

BaileytheQuitter

Spelling Guru
Im starting my second year of my A levels and have been advised to start looking at potential university's.

I am currently studying Drama, English Language, History and Media.

All of which I am doing fairly well in.

I would predict myself to get around AAB, ABB...with maybe just maybe AAA. I am told by teachers I am a 'level 2' student- meaning I'm not Oxford/ Cambridge material.

Which I know and understand.

I am thinking about looking to go into writing, and am therefore inclined to study English of some degree.

Anyone have any advice/ help/ suggestions.

Any feedback welcome via post or private message.

Thanks in advance fellow Zoners.
 
AAA? **** me. Just finished AS levels- Biology, chemistry, Spanish and Geography, got BDE in January and just hoping for a pass (D) in 3 of the subject so I can carry on next year. Has anybody done or doing geography at uni? Also has anybody been to or at Reading, Southampton or Northampton. Any info would be great. Visited Reading on friday and I was impressed although I'l never get in. Sorry for hijacking...
 
Baileytheblue said:
Josh I hope I can get AAA. Probably won't though. :) I'd take ABB!
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With grades like that you should be setting your sights quite high! Take a look at The Times Good University Guide for rankings which should give you an idea of how to match you grades with a certain standard of uni. Also look at UCAS course guide for undergraduates staring in 2009, just search by subject (English, Drama, whatever), see what universities do that subject and see where that uni comes in on the Times list.
 
Go onto the UCAS website, they are always good, especially as you can access other university links.

I did IT and Physical Geography at University of Gloucestershire, but my flatmate did English Language and Lit and she enjoyed it.

Dont know what your social life would be like, but the university day there starts at 9.15am until 9.15pm. Some of my lectures didnt finish until 9.15pm and I still had to get the bus home, as I was based at 2 campuses and the one with the late lecture was on the South Side of Cheltenham.
 
Vange Shrimper said:
Go onto the UCAS website, they are always good, especially as you can access other university links.

I did IT and Physical Geography at University of Gloucestershire, but my flatmate did English Language and Lit and she enjoyed it.

Dont know what your social life would be like, but the university day there starts at 9.15am until 9.15pm. Some of my lectures didnt finish until 9.15pm and I still had to get the bus home, as I was based at 2 campuses and the one with the late lecture was on the South Side of Cheltenham.
Click to expand...

Depends what subject you do though doesn't it? I only have 14 hours of lectures per week, but some people I know are 9-5 every day. No-one I know of going till 9.15pm though.....
 
make sure you visit them... and you'll get that gut feeling when you know somewhere is right for you. might be to the opposite of what your teachers or parents tell you, but it's not worth going to a uni just because of it's prestige... or killing yourself trying to get straight AAAs, in the end you're going to spend 3 years at a uni and so you want to be going to the place that is right for you.

a number of things to think about:

location - near to home?
cost - the north is generally cheaper.. but then travel costs home need to be accounted for
quality of life - do you want to be in a big city or a smaller campus based uni?
course prestige - some 'lesser' uni's actually have a very good reputation for certain subjects... when compared to oxbridge etc
do you know someone at a uni you're interested in - i would wholeheartedly recommend LSE and leicester!

but again, make sure you get along to as many uni's as your parents are willing to go to... if there are others then find a mate and share the petrol. all uni's are different and so being able to see the halls, facilities and the city are all really important, and they all look glossy and great in the prospectuses
 
Baileytheblue said:
Im starting my second year of my A levels and have been advised to start looking at potential university's.

I am currently studying Drama, English Language, History and Media.

All of which I am doing fairly well in.

I would predict myself to get around AAB, ABB...with maybe just maybe AAA. I am told by teachers I am a 'level 2' student- meaning I'm not Oxford/ Cambridge material.

Which I know and understand.

I am thinking about looking to go into writing, and am therefore inclined to study English of some degree.

Anyone have any advice/ help/ suggestions.

Any feedback welcome via post or private message.

Thanks in advance fellow Zoners.
Click to expand...

As with the other thread, Pubey's advice stands out. You have to go visit the unis. Of the ones on my list Loughborough wasn't high before the visit but I liked the campus base to it.

Frankly, I would find 5 or 6 which will do you well for getting a good qualification (particularly with those grades) and then go and visit them. Once you've picked your 5/6, treat them all as equal on merit and make the decision on which feels the most fun to be at.

Loughborough shouldn't be near your thinking though - if you're not sports, engineering or business, you may as well not bother.

The most important thing about choosing uni is picking somewhere you're going to enjoy yourself at and somewhere where your course is respected in that field. Realistically though, as long as you get a 2:1 in whatever field you choose at whatever uni you'll still have a massive breadth of options available to you when you leave. For instance, consultancy positions at the big four tend to prefer mathematical capability but will accept any sort of degree discipline.

For writing, I believe your career is more shaped on the experience you can get and any apprenticeships. I would suggest the 'Duke may be able to adivse better on getting the springboard for this sort of thing.
 
English and new media at the University of Limerick mate. Great course, great campus, and even better: you might have me giving your tutorials :D
 
Vange Shrimper said:
Your becoming a teacher too?! God 'elp us! ;)

Please dont say Trappy is joining us in the occupation is he?! lol
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As part of my PhD i have to give tutorials - should be a good opportunity to get a few new southend fans on the sly :D

Trappy isn't going back to college until next year i think - but it'll be 4 more years until he becomes a teacher...the world is safe for now!
 
First off, as for the 3 A level grades, i assume out of the four subject you are taking at AS if you are dropping one it will be either Media or Drama? I would strongly advise against dropping one of the other two, since they are considered to have more prestige and will definelty benefit you when applying to a uni.

If you feel you can get AAA then despite what your teachers say i would take a shot at applying to Oxbridge - afterall its only one out of six spots and if you get AAA you will be kicking yourself for not having gone for it. If you dont however, i would look at places like York, Durham, Warwick and Exeter all of which are very good unis and quite respected as well. The times uni rankings are very helpful when it comes to weighing up how good each uni is at ech subject as well and was what i used to pick out my draft list of unis.

Once you have a primary list i would then try and visit as many as possible on the list. Having said that, i didnt visit any of mine (apart from Cambridge) until after i had sent my UCAS off and then had to choose my first and second choices. Looking back it worked out fine for me, although i realised unis that i though would be my 2nd choice (ie Warwick adn York) were not really what i was looking for in a uni and that Exeter was what i prefered.

Wherever you end up you will love, but its vital you do visit the uni and ask as many questions as possible before you confirm your final choices. Weighing up the academic strengths of your uni is also of the utmost important - almost all uni towns will have a great night life and thus its really how academically respected/equipped the uni is in your field that you should focus on.

Out of curiositiy where are you thinking of?
 
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