University Choices

[Katy]

my personal statement was brilliant, though it was really bad, but evidently not, im pretty sures theres a thread on here, actually where me and Bry were complaining about how we didnt know what to write. Just make everything link to responsability or committment, works.

[di marco]

I'm worried about not getting any offers if I fail my AS but maybe I shouldn't worry about that yet.

trying to think back to when i did my ucas application, but im pretty sure that the unis dont get sent your AS marks, from what i remember you just write your predicted grades on the form, therefore even if you do badly this year if your teachers think that youll do better next year then you should be ok

[Katy]

i am currently researching halls of residence. Talk about complicated, for starters i can't say any of them due to being in welsh.

[Abigail]

I went to Teesside open day and the student halls were awful. Some of them even had bars on the windows. The showers were awful, no lights, nowhere to hang a towel or anything, you literally open the outside door and step into it. There was a stand for Teesside House which is a private development type thing. Its a tower block thing, all brand new (2006) and all the rooms are en-suite. Each cluster has 6 study bedrooms, a kitchen and sitting area (which none of the halls have).

I found a different course at UCLAN doing Police and Criminal Investigation. I'm really confused as to which I should go for. Eventually I do want to work for the police. I just don't know which course to go for

[di marco]

i think accomodation is the hardest part about choosing. at the uni im at they had a lot of different types of accomodation to choose from which was good but some of the really nice stuff was too expensive but luckily the house i lived in was ok, no where near as disgusting as some of the accomodation at other unis, at one of the unis i looked round at they had communal showers, as in there were a row of showers next to each other sort of like you get at a swimming pool, theres no way id have wanted to use them!

[Abigail]

i think accomodation is the hardest part about choosing. at the uni im at they had a lot of different types of accomodation to choose from which was good but some of the really nice stuff was too expensive but luckily the house i lived in was ok, no where near as disgusting as some of the accomodation at other unis, at one of the unis i looked round at they had communal showers, as in there were a row of showers next to each other sort of like you get at a swimming pool, theres no way id have wanted to use them!

I agree. I'm really worried about having to share a bathroom/shower with people I don't know. I know that may sound silly but it freaks me out.

I don't know if any of you applying next year have heard but the full student fees bursary (£2700) has been increased to £25k (used to be £18k). So if your parents earn less than £25k then you'll get the full amount. There are partial fee bursary grants for people whose parents earn up to £45k. There is also a 4 year break between the end of your course and the start of repayments (assuming that you earn over £15k).

[Katy]

Theres loads to choose from and i cannot find the differences really. I know i want self catering and internet connection but basically thats all of them. Theres a few with your own showers as well. To be honest i was quite impressed with the accomodation at Bangor. A Lot of it has benn knocked down and rebuilt so its quite new. THeres all different sites as well.

This is easy compared to choosing the course though. You really have to make sure you have picked the right one.

[Abi]

I have loads of Open Days to go to. Its well annoying.

I'm going to Kingston, Middlesex, Winchester, Portsmouth and Surrey.

The only other universities that do a Journalism BA in the south are Bournemouth, Westminster and Southampton Solent, and i dont like the look of any of them. So theoretically, i could apply to all of the unis i'm going to the open days of. I dont like the Surrey course as much, becasuse its just Media. But i love the uni look and feel of the uni, so i might just apply anyway for the hell of it

[DaVeyWaVey]

Ooo are you hoping to go into journalism Abi? I am only interested as i'm considering it as a career and may go onto uni and do it! What particular journalism course are you thinking of doing?

[Abi]

Hopefully either a BA in Journalism, or Media and Journalism. Its a bit of a restrictive course though, because only a handfull are accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists. Which is kind of what you want.