Universally Challenged...
<div class="IPBDescription">...*cough*...(terrible I know)</div> With the first year of sixth form effectively over (yay) it's time to start A2 (...yay) and of course think about t3h Fewchar!! In otherwords UCAS forms and University choices. So in an effort to glean some advice from all the worldly wise NS forum goers I make this topic.
If you've been to Uni or are there now, doing some sort of ICT/computing course I'd like to hear about your experiences and listen to your advice, which will hopfully aid me in making my discision about where to spend the next 3-5 years of my life.
Any help would be great, thanks in advance (and probably later too when I read the thread again)
If you've been to Uni or are there now, doing some sort of ICT/computing course I'd like to hear about your experiences and listen to your advice, which will hopfully aid me in making my discision about where to spend the next 3-5 years of my life.
Any help would be great, thanks in advance (and probably later too when I read the thread again)
Comments
<b>I spelled acronyms "aconms"...</b>
After AS levels I had 3 A's (German, Physics and Comp Studies) and 2 B's (Gen Studies and Maths), and dropped German for the A2 levels. However, around the time at which I was meant to be choosing my universities, I was predicted 2 D's and 2 C's for my A levels, while the Universities I was applying for wanted BBC or higher, taking Computer Science (Plain old G400).
I applied for York (first choice) at AAB, Leeds (second choice) at BBC, and was also accepted by but turned down Manchester, Aston, Bath and Durham (which I hated immensly).
When results were released, I had achieved BBBB for my subjects, and it took me a good 90 minutes of frantic worrying to get through to the University Of York to see what they had to say, which (thankfully?) was positive. Do not worry if you don't make the grades they asked for, most Univsities will still accept you.
One thing you have to be totally sure of, and which has been the root of most of my problems, is the course. At first I was sure it was what I wanted to do, it seemed to be a better and more professional outfit than the other universities. However, I now find University far too much like School, with its heavy reliance on syllabus teaching and lack of personal development through other channels. It makes me wish I had taken a gap year to ensure that I was going to University for the right reason, and not just because everyone else was.
There is the whole campus vs. city debate, but that is personal preference, and more to do with the University. Nightlife is what you make of it whereever you go. It can be easier in large city universities, but with a good group of friends theres always somewhere to go. One thing which has particularly annoyed me is York's technology provision. Only 150 or so rooms in the entire of campus are connected to the network, and those which are not able to do any gaming, any file sharing, or even IRC. There are plans to extend it, but if you are like me, and gaming is your valve from the stress of the world, then I would advise somewhere else, with a decent net connection.
As for writing your UCAS form, be honest to a certain extent, but if you can cram in a load of extra curricular activities between now and October, then go for it. Work for 2 days at an old peoples home or something. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
And Gap years are cool, they give you a bit of time away from the education establishments. I wish I had done one. However, you really need to show that you have done something either in the IT field, or for personal development. If you sit around playing HL2 for a year, its not really a justified year out, but if you helped create an award winning website for a company, or you travelled to Zumbechistan, those will be great experiences.
Above all, good luck, and work hard. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
<b>I spelled acronyms "aconms"...</b> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Thats UK education system for ya <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Anyway, ive just reached the same point as Emsee .... so ill take Fams advice <!--emo&:0--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wow.gif'><!--endemo--> if i even go to Uni yet ... depends what i want to to/my grades ...
Like you said I'd try to find a uni with decent net facilities as gaming is a great way to relax for me. But I plan on taking some open days and hopfully I'll find somewhere with good facilities. (Staffodshire and Teeside look quite good at the moment)
The option to take a gap year is interesting though I've also thought about taking a sandwhich course as the year in industry ,I think, would be a big help in both getting employed upon leaving Uni and also getting some money together to lower any debts I might incur.
Choosing the course is probably the biggest choice and the most difficult for me. I'm hoping to take a course that has a good practical element as I do have a creative streak and can't stand mainly theory/written work. Most probably the reason I didn't take well to Pure maths in AS (It's incredibly boring, although Mechanics is good). A sandwich course should also help bring a refreshing change of pace.
Anyway, Thanks for the help and maybe I'll see ya around. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
thats all you need to know
Word, fo shizzle.
If you've been to Uni or are there now, doing some sort of ICT/computing course I'd like to hear about your experiences and listen to your advice, which will hopfully aid me in making my discision about where to spend the next 3-5 years of my life.
Any help would be great, thanks in advance (and probably later too when I read the thread again) <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
ok. here's a more detailed translation
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Now that i have finished the first year of sixth form [college, high school, whatever] (yay) its time to start thinking about the next year and the future. to put it in other words i have got to choose a university and fill out lots of university application forms. I want to get advice from some NS forumites so i started this topic.
If you have been to or are at university doing an ICT type course please tell me of ytour experiences and give me any advice to help me in my decision.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
any better?
fams reply is too long but he was basically speaking from his experiences
(btw emsee im in the same boat and i was thinking of teeside as well.
thanks fam)
Thanks for your input Fam, if i go to york ill be sure to hunt you down ;-).
Word, fo shizzle. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Whazzle he was trizzle to sizzle is that he wazzles some advizzle abizzle going to univizzles and tizzle some comizzle claizziles but that was obvizzle right, my nizzles?
I would recomizzie to take advizzie but mizzie your own decizzies in the end becizzie every nizzie's expizzie is difizzie and can't base your chizzies on their advizzie alone, fo shizzie.
It remizziles me of a poeizzle by Rizzle Frosizzle
Two rizzles divizzle in the wizzles and I tizzle the one less trizzled.
Word, fo shizzle. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Whazzle he was trizzle to sizzle is that he wazzles some advizzle abizzle going to univizzles and tizzle some comizzle claizziles but that was obvizzle right, my nizzles?
I would recomizzie to take advizzie but mizzie your own decizzies in the end becizzie every nizzie's expizzie is difizzie and can't base your chizzies on their advizzie alone, fo shizzie.
It remizziles me of a poeizzle by Rizzle Frosizzle
Two rizzles divizzle in the wizzles and I tizzle the one less trizzled. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
<span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:red'>WHAT?<!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo--><!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo--><!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo--></span></span>
On topic..don't do what I did after A2...I did _nothing_ from may to december of last year, then I went on the dole and did _nothing_ whilst sponging off the state then I actually got a job in march..working in a supermarket. I'm actually more qualified than the rest of my co workers put together..le sigh. It does nothing for the self esteem ^-^