Hey all, I'm facing a decision regarding university. I'm set to start History at York on the 27th of September. Originally my firm choice was Newcastle who gave me a lowered offer of ABB, however I exceeded this with AAB and ended up going to York through the adjustment program. I was ecstatic when I found out as I had always wanted to move away from home and regretted not putting somewhere the likes of Leeds/Sheffield as my firm. However, my school's exams officer rang me up recently and told me that two of my papers were going in for remarking as he believed that I should have got better. One has came back and my overall grades are now AAA. The other paper requires only one additional mark to boost my overall grade to A*, so I could potentially end up with A*AA. I'm more than happy to go to York, however I think that I would kick myself in the future if I threw away the opportunity to go to Oxford, Cambridge, Durham or UCL as my career prospects would be greater. Not saying that they wouldn't be good at York. York's a damn great uni, it's just not Oxbridge quality obviously. It seems too late for me to change university this year, so I have a few options open to me. The most likely one is just to go to York anyway because I have all my freshers tickets and my accommodation sorted, plus I'm genuinely quite excited to go... or alternatively take a year out and do some work experience in law, politics, journalism or whatever and then apply for either History, English or Law at one of the top band universities next year. One thing that knocks me however is the work load at the top band universities. I want to get a good degree with some prestige but at the same time I actually want to enjoy uni, go out drinking and partying, playing sports, etc.
What would you recommend, FP? Stick to what I'm already happy to have, or pursue a more prestigious establishment with greater career prospects and the probability of making excellent connections for my future? Thing is, I'd most likely have to wait until next September.
Cheers.
Do you have 9+ GCSEs at A/A*?
I would say seek better advice elsewhere?
Look up if you could maybe go to another uni as a transfer, if you don't want to change your first year at york
Having a deffered entry isn't [I]that[/I] bad if you're not doing a highly mathematical subject where they bang on about skills fade, especially if youre going to get some work experience
[QUOTE=Cypher_09;45996317]Do you have 9+ GCSEs at A/A*?[/QUOTE]
I have 3 A*s and 9 As :v:
The only massive obstacles I can imagine are the entrance exams and interview processes.
[QUOTE=Eltro102;45996332]I would say seek better advice elsewhere?
Look up if you could maybe go to another uni as a transfer, if you don't want to change your first year at york
Having a deffered entry isn't [I]that[/I] bad if you're not doing a highly mathematical subject where they bang on about skills fade, especially if youre going to get some work experience[/QUOTE]
Yeah I'll look into that, cheers.
One thing that did worry me was my skills fading, but yeah I think work experience should help me keep on top of that. ATM I think the most likely thing I'm going to do is just go to York and see how it goes during my first year.
IMO go to Oxford/Cambridge, don't potentially hold back your career and the rest of your life because you wanna go get drunk in some bar watching football
go to imperial or ucl and the nightlight will be fine
[QUOTE=Eltro102;45996573]go to imperial or ucl and the nightlight will be fine[/QUOTE]
Yeah my mate's doing history at UCL and he says the night scene is incredible, and at the same time he's at one of the best universities in the country/the world.
[editline]16th September 2014[/editline]
[QUOTE=Cypher_09;45996460]IMO go to Oxford/Cambridge, don't potentially hold back your career and the rest of your life because you wanna go get drunk in some bar watching football[/QUOTE]
I agree with you, but I literally have everything packed for York and I've paid a non-refundable deposit of a couple hundred quid on my accommodation. Plus, I've already made friends there and bought freshers things and registered for modules etc.
There's also student finance too. Which is always a pain-in-the-fucking-arse to sort out if you make any slight change.
yeah but if you want to change those things are worth doing, even if its a pain in the butt its gonna be temporary whereas the benefit is gonna be forever
I wouldn't base your decision on whether or not you'll have time to go out and get drunk.
I think that if you have a chance to got to Oxbridge or one of the top quality unis then do it, you wont regret it and it will open up certain doors for you. I don't know how the process works though so you need proper advice about how to do this. But if you do a year of being an intern or something then you can do all your going out and getting p*ssed thing then and get some of it out of your system :)
Good luck.
If I were you I wouldn't go to York if you aren't 100% sure, you'll end up having niggling doubts throughout the year like "what if I went to Oxbridge instead?". Take a year out and reapply, but put another York-tier uni as your insurance in your UCAS application when you redo it.
Come to Oxford. I'll show you around.
Out of curiosity, what sort of grades would you need to go to these sort of universities? I'm in Year 12 at the moment. How much do GCSEs matter? (Mine are good but by no means perfect)
[QUOTE=FlashMarsh;46005847]Out of curiosity, what sort of grades would you need to go to these sort of universities? I'm in Year 12 at the moment. How much do GCSEs matter? (Mine are good but by no means perfect)[/QUOTE]
Typically they want A*AA which is difficult to get unless you work your arse off, which you should. For GCSEs, 9+ A*/A, and GCSEs beyond maths, english and science only really matter if youre going to uni. I got like BBD at AS, dont expect to do well in your first year, but its never a true indicator of your actual potential.
Aren't uni applications based off AS and predicted grades (in turn, also based off AS) though? I just about scraped the 9 a/a* which is fortunate
Tricky one. I don't want to influence you too much because it's your decision and you should make it based on your own feelings rather than what some geeks on the internet tell you to do.
Here's my opinion anyway. It depends on what you're looking for from university, but I'd suggest it's probably not worth waiting around for Oxbridge. The teaching quality will not differ, the course content is likely to be more exciting at York because they're all about exploring non-canonical subjects and innovation in teaching, and it is likely you'll get a lot more access to professors in their office hours. I've heard from friends who went to Oxford that they saw their professors only in lectures/seminars, and were expected to just get on with things themselves in their spare time. I've also got friends at York who say there's a very supportive and open environment there, where you can drop by and chat to your professors as much as you like.
It's far from certain that you'll even get into Oxbridge next year, and it sounds as though you were pretty thrilled to get into York this year before the news about your grades came through.
Still, if you're feeling unsettled with York, it may be worth taking a year to think about it. Have you spoken much with your parents about it?
[QUOTE=FlashMarsh;46011244]Aren't uni applications based off AS and predicted grades (in turn, also based off AS) though? I just about scraped the 9 a/a* which is fortunate[/QUOTE]
Yeah but your personal statement goes a long way as well. I got like BBD at AS which went up to BBC, and I got offers from the likes of Leeds who wanted AAA. Just make sure you have a cracking personal statement, I got a bloke who graduated from both Oxford and Durham to help me write mine.
[QUOTE=Kia82;46011412]Tricky one. I don't want to influence you too much because it's your decision and you should make it based on your own feelings rather than what some geeks on the internet tell you to do.
Here's my opinion anyway. It depends on what you're looking for from university, but I'd suggest it's probably not worth waiting around for Oxbridge. The teaching quality will not differ, the course content is likely to be more exciting at York because they're all about exploring non-canonical subjects and innovation in teaching, and it is likely you'll get a lot more access to professors in their office hours. I've heard from friends who went to Oxford that they saw their professors only in lectures/seminars, and were expected to just get on with things themselves in their spare time. I've also got friends at York who say there's a very supportive and open environment there, where you can drop by and chat to your professors as much as you like.
It's far from certain that you'll even get into Oxbridge next year, and it sounds as though you were pretty thrilled to get into York this year before the news about your grades came through.
Still, if you're feeling unsettled with York, it may be worth taking a year to think about it. Have you spoken much with your parents about it?[/QUOTE]
Good advice, cheers mate. I've spoke with my folks about it and they're 100% behind me regardless of what I choose to do. I think I'm definitely going to stay at York though, like you say I'll probably enjoy it more and find it more relaxed, meaning I'm more likely to pull a 2:1 or a 1st if I work at it.
Oxbridge should definitely be your first port of call. It's not so much the quality of education, but rather the networking opportunities. You'll be in class with some of the offspring of the world's most powerful people.
[QUOTE=Hezzy;46019113]Oxbridge should definitely be your first port of call. It's not so much the quality of education, but rather the networking opportunities. You'll be in class with some of the offspring of the world's most powerful people.[/QUOTE]
To me, the main draw of going to Oxbridge isn't really the networking, it's more of the weight that the name holds. If you're applying for a job or an internship, you'll have a far easier time with one of those universities on your resume.
[QUOTE=Headhumpy;46020205]To me, the main draw of going to Oxbridge isn't really the networking, it's more of the weight that the name holds. If you're applying for a job or an internship, you'll have a far easier time with one of those universities on your resume.[/QUOTE]
This this this
I was weighing up Cambridge and Bath for ages (Engineering), they're two very good courses in two beautiful cities. In the end it came down to the weight of the name. I find it a little odd that employers weigh in so heavily on Oxbridge, because in my mind Bath's course was every bit as good, but if it opens doors then I'd have been a fool not to go there.
[editline]19th September 2014[/editline]
They say that a First at Oxbridge requires 40 hours a week of studying, on top of lectures. That breaks down to 5 or 6 hours a day (if you do work on weekends too), which is the same as school. Should be <9 hours a day including lectures, and no lectures at weekends. Plenty of time to party!
[QUOTE=r0b0tsquid;46024487]This this this
I was weighing up Cambridge and Bath for ages (Engineering), they're two very good courses in two beautiful cities. In the end it came down to the weight of the name. I find it a little odd that employers weigh in so heavily on Oxbridge, because in my mind Bath's course was every bit as good, but if it opens doors then I'd have been a fool not to go there.
[editline]19th September 2014[/editline]
They say that a First at Oxbridge requires 40 hours a week of studying, on top of lectures. That breaks down to 5 or 6 hours a day (if you do work on weekends too), which is the same as school. Should be <9 hours a day including lectures, and no lectures at weekends. Plenty of time to party![/QUOTE]
Well, if I have time to browse LMAO pics and post on Facepunch every day...
It varies a lot from course to course. I have labs cause I study chemistry, so that's 10 hours a week (not every week though). Throw in 2 lectures a day, and maybe 3-4 hours of study a day, that's about 40 hours in total. I'm a bit ahead of the rest though, so I estimate they spend perhaps 50 hours a week.
My friends in law and PPE mostly skip all their lectures, and do their own readings, I estimate they spend 30-40 hours a week tops? It's really all about how fast you can absorb the course material. Our terms are shorter than most others though (8 weeks versus ~10 weeks) so it's a lot more intense.
Are you studying in Cambridge now?
[QUOTE=Headhumpy;46031020]Well, if I have time to browse LMAO pics and post on Facepunch every day...
It varies a lot from course to course. I have labs cause I study chemistry, so that's 10 hours a week (not every week though). Throw in 2 lectures a day, and maybe 3-4 hours of study a day, that's about 40 hours in total. I'm a bit ahead of the rest though, so I estimate they spend perhaps 50 hours a week.
My friends in law and PPE mostly skip all their lectures, and do their own readings, I estimate they spend 30-40 hours a week tops? It's really all about how fast you can absorb the course material. Our terms are shorter than most others though (8 weeks versus ~10 weeks) so it's a lot more intense.
Are you studying in Cambridge now?[/QUOTE]
I start in two weeks!
My course is Engineering, so there are a bunch of lectures and labs, as well as a lot of self study. Hopefully I should find the first year fairly easy though... gives me time to use the tools and facilities for my own projects!
What year are you? Are you in Cambridge now?
[editline]21st September 2014[/editline]
OP: one thing I've noticed is that the accommodation is super cheap compared to other student cities. I have in-college accommodation for all 4 years and it'll cost £3300 per year (and is extremely spacious and pleasant) which basically gives me an extra £1200 pa in my pocket compared to students at York. (My girlfriend is heading to York in a week, her accommodation is £4700 pa and is nowhere near as nice).
[QUOTE=r0b0tsquid;46034826]I start in two weeks!
My course is Engineering, so there are a bunch of lectures and labs, as well as a lot of self study. Hopefully I should find the first year fairly easy though... gives me time to use the tools and facilities for my own projects!
What year are you? Are you in Cambridge now?
[editline]21st September 2014[/editline]
OP: one thing I've noticed is that the accommodation is super cheap compared to other student cities. I have in-college accommodation for all 4 years and it'll cost £3300 per year (and is extremely spacious and pleasant) which basically gives me an extra £1200 pa in my pocket compared to students at York. (My girlfriend is heading to York in a week, her accommodation is £4700 pa and is nowhere near as nice).[/QUOTE]
Oxford here, going into my second year. Expect a ton of self-study. I like it though, I find that I learn better when I'm forced to figure things out myself instead of having it spoon-fed to me.
I agree with you on the accommodation. I'm paying about £3000 a year, excluding vacation rent. It might be because it's college property though, so they aren't really out to make a profit. Which college are you at?
[QUOTE=Cypher_09;45996317]Do you have 9+ GCSEs at A/A*?[/QUOTE]
Not really to brag but I got 10 A*s at GCSE and was predicted 6 A*'s at A level (didnt get them) and Cambridge didn't give me even an interview. There is a lot more to it than just grades.
I'm now slightly concerned that York is one of the top unis I'm currently weighing up... But my grades absolutely wouldn't allow me to get into Oxbridge anyway.
[QUOTE=Jamsponge;46049686]I'm now slightly concerned that York is one of the top unis I'm currently weighing up... But my grades absolutely wouldn't allow me to get into Oxbridge anyway.[/QUOTE]
York is an absolutely fantastic university, its name just doesn't carry the same weight unfortunately. What you learn will be much the same!
[editline]23rd September 2014[/editline]
[QUOTE=Headhumpy;46038137]Oxford here, going into my second year. Expect a ton of self-study. I like it though, I find that I learn better when I'm forced to figure things out myself instead of having it spoon-fed to me.
I agree with you on the accommodation. I'm paying about £3000 a year, excluding vacation rent. It might be because it's college property though, so they aren't really out to make a profit. Which college are you at?[/QUOTE]
Self-study is no problem! I ended up self-teaching further further maths (FFM) and A2 physics because of problems at school. I'm at Churchill, it's nice and out of the city, what course is it that you're doing?
Yeah I think it's partly also because the buildings are just paid for up front when they're built (largely built a long time ago as well), so your fees aren't paying for having the building put up, they're just covering the actual costs of living
I'm applying to York this year for Medicine. It looks freaking awesome.
The degrees are worth the same, and the weight that having been to oxbridge carries (fairly rightfully so, I always think, given the massive workload that you've all mentioned) obviously depends on potential employers. It'll impress some more than others.
Best thing to do I reckon is see if you can talk to the admissions tutors at the more prestigious universities you mentioned, see what they say - you might get a really positive response from them, meaning they really want you, and they'll give you an idea of how likely you'd be able to get a place next year - because it would suck to take a year out and then not get a place at them after all. Like you said it's got a lot to do with interviews and personal statements as much as grades.
[QUOTE=r0b0tsquid;46034826]
[editline]21st September 2014[/editline]
OP: one thing I've noticed is that the accommodation is super cheap compared to other student cities. I have in-college accommodation for all 4 years and it'll cost £3300 per year (and is extremely spacious and pleasant) which basically gives me an extra £1200 pa in my pocket compared to students at York. (My girlfriend is heading to York in a week, her accommodation is £4700 pa and is nowhere near as nice).[/QUOTE]
What I wanted to say was: "hah, try coming to hull for cheap. You'll weep" because it almost always works as a trump card. But apparently not here, goddamn. Currently paying £75/week bills included, in a nice privately rented house, which is so much cheaper than a lot of other university cities I've been to.
[QUOTE=Cypher_09;46060312]I'm applying to York this year for Medicine. It looks freaking awesome.[/QUOTE]
I haven't looked at the medical school yet but I know it's shared with Hull. Have you looked into Newcastle's medical school? It's fucking brilliant, at least it was when I was looking into medicine.
Btw all, I did end up with A*AA, a strong A* too (went up 7 marks when I only needed 1) but i've decided i'm very happy at York. :) Cheers for your inputs!
[QUOTE=scurr;46068838]I haven't looked at the medical school yet but I know it's shared with Hull. Have you looked into Newcastle's medical school? It's fucking brilliant, at least it was when I was looking into medicine.
Btw all, I did end up with A*AA, a strong A* too (went up 7 marks when I only needed 1) but i've decided i'm very happy at York. :) Cheers for your inputs![/QUOTE]
Yeah, it's HYMS (Hull York Medical School). I haven't looked into Newcastle, no. I can't leave where I am right now as I'm in a committed relationship and run a house with my girlfriend, so it'll be commuting for me. I'm applying to Manchester, HYMS, Keele and Lancaster.
Best of luck at York!
do what makes you feel good about life, don't bother doing law if you hate the process.
[editline]25th September 2014[/editline]
also regarding UNI choices, choose one with a good establishment and one that suits you.
Oxford requires a certain ethic of people, they ask you weird psychological questions that you have to get "right" to get in.
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