August 3rd, 2015 at 04:21pm
Back to School Basics: Is Uni Right for You? - Comments
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I understand! I liked the article & I think it's definitely going to help a lot of confused students, but I was just worried that it might convince some kids not to go if they didn't do great in high school or are nervous.August 3rd, 2015 at 02:31am
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@ PoeticMess.
It definitely has a bit of bias in because I am taking from my experience, but really, the advice included are things I really wish people had asked me before I decided to go to university. I wanted to emphasis that having doubts doesn't have to be 'the norm' and that it can mean something else - that it's okay to admit that you don't want to go to university. It's really difficult to do that when everyone expects that of you.
Really, I just wanted to convey the message that it's okay to not want to go to university, despite what other people think. That sometimes your doubts should be listened to, or having struggled, not just academically but mentally, in school can be an indicator that you're not ready to go. No one talks about not wanting to go to university but everyone talks about going.August 3rd, 2015 at 01:21am -
I really like the idea for this article. I felt very similar during my first year at college. But this feels like it's leaning towards students not going to college if they have doubts or if they weren't strong students in high school. The tone seems too anti-college and a little biased.
I don't know whether you are or not, so that's just my opinion. You did make some valid points in the article as well, but I wish it would've been a little bit more hopeful sounding.August 2nd, 2015 at 06:49am
I may be a little biased too because I tried a foundation degree (from a college instead of uni) and quit, but despite quitting that course it's been a few years since and I'm now heading over to a proper uni where I will live in the halls and be quite a distance away from my family.
I think it really helps to definitely go to the uni and ask as many questions as possible, especially regarding the costs - it surprised me how much I didn't know about the costs involved before I visited.
It is expensive tuition at 9k per year but what the unis do is try to cut this down a bit with various schemes. For example, I can get 2k off rent for a year and 1k for spending money because I got high grades in my BTEC studies at college. There are also various trips abroad throughout the course which the uni will pay the flights and accommodation for.
I even went to the Applicant Visit Day which I was debating about going to or not, but I went and I was very glad I did. I surprised myself at how much confidence I managed on that day...I got talking to professors, current students, I asked questions during demonstrations and I made day buddies with another girl which was really rewarding.
I'm normally very quiet, awkward and shy but I think what gave me the confidence was my age (as strange as it sounds). Just getting some experience outside of education has made me accustom more to the idea that the teacher is not the boss. It's something which I think I need to keep in mind because I feel intimidated and scared by the boss - sometimes you don't want to ask the boss a question or share with them a problem for fear of coming across as stupid or being let go, but I suddenly had this power to ask questions even if I thought they might sound dumb because I realise that the teachers really are here to help in a slightly similar way to a doctor or psychologist.
I think that schools seem to have this 'now or never' attitude towards uni when that certainly is not the case, and I love that you outlined that so much.
I don't know if I'll truly like it - maybe I won't, but now I personally feel that I am truly ready to say 'now or never'.