Not sure about gap year

TheEffect

Last year, the prospect of University was one that I wasn't sure of. I didn't have much interest and it was all a bit of a rush when completing my UCAS Application. I never thought I would be able to get to University and didn't really look into any universities or courses, and just picked 5 random Universities (That my friends where going to or that I had heard of) and picked computing for all the courses.

This year, it's deemed on me that I can actually make it to University and have been given 4/5 conditional offers. I've been thinking over the last month that I want to consider a gap year, but everyone I have spoke to (Including parents) have told me not to do it as 1) Waste of a year 2) I wont go back to University 3) I wont be able to get a job at the moment in the current economic climate.

I'm just really confused about what I want to do. The Universities I have chosen aren't particularly where I want to go. The course I haven't really looked into and I'd like to get a job and just have a year of saving money, being financially stable, getting a bit of experience in the work place and just have a year out of education. The Universities I've applied for, I don't mind going to one or possibly two of them, but I haven't really looked into them or been to an open day. I'm also registered partially sighted and haven't looked into any of the disability features at the Universities.

I don't know what to do and I'm guessing that I'm looking for some advice. Anyone that's in the situation or can offer any input, please do.

Lokolo

I actually advice from my mum and actually it was good, but it was for me. She told me not to go to uni because I would get used to work life and not want to go back to education, and I think she was right in my situation.

One of my best friends at uni took a gap year, worked for 6 months then travelled for 6 months and loved it.

I think a gap year would be good for you because it would give you a chance to sort things out - however it could do things worse, you could end up working then not doing UCAS again next year and then have to have another year out, then end up not going.

If you do take a gap year I am not quite sure how you would go about stopping UCAs etc. for this year.

Good luck whatever you do.

jo132000

If you actually do decide to go to one of the uni's you've selected, you could always take the place but could always defer for the year, meaning you could take the place so start a year later, which gives you more time to think about it, but knowing that a place is waiting for you if you do decide to go!

Make sure you consider all your options carefully and research into everything about all the universities.

Hope it all goes well

u01jet4

If the Universities you have applied for aren't for you, then seriously don't go to them. It is 3/4/5 years (depending on course and where you are) of your life and you want to be able to get the most out of it. If you aren't sure yet then I'm sure every University offers late places through clearing, so that could still be an option and would allow you to attend some open days, which I would strongly recommend.

You also need to consider whether you would want to stay at home or move away, as this can have a big bearing, personally I moved away and it's the best thing i have done. I love my parents of course, but going to University is one of the BEST chances to learn how to become independent, and now I'm coming up to my graduation in July after 5 years away from home, I'm a bit worried at the prospect of living at home again and already thinking of ways to get out fast!

I also wouldn't necessarily recommend just going to a certain Uni because your friends have gone, everyone makes lots of new friends at uni and it is often the case that people you are friends with will meet other friends, so you don't want to base your whole decision around them for this to then happen.

I hope this goes some way to help but if you have any questions, I'm happy for you to get in touch with me!

P.S. just realised I didn't even refer to the gap year bit! I know in myself if I had worked for a year before going to Uni, I doubt I ever would have gone. Instead I've worked part time all through uni and that has been enough to support me. I'm coming out with some debts of course, but nothing unmanageable. I didn't have savings before I went to Uni (still don't) but that didn't affect me at all being at uni or put me at a disadvantage to anyone else. I don't think it really matters about being financially stable before you go to uni, unless you are having to fund it all yourself of course.

Oldernotwiser

If you want to work for a year, why don't you hang on to the 2 possible places and see if you can actually get a job before term starts? If you haven't got a job by September then going to university might seem like a better option than spending a year on benefits.

Piggles12345

If you're unsure about your university choices, you need to re-apply for different ones; don't spend 3/4 years of your life being miserable!! I believe that you can re-apply to UCAS whilst you are on your gap year, although this would be done independantly rather than through your college (I believe this to be the case, but do check with your careers/university advisor at college). There are always places in clearing at the end of the year, but this is a risk as there may not be places on your prefered courses and your prefered universities.

When I was in my last year of college I didn't feel at all ready to go to university so I deferred my year of entry for one year and got a temping job in an office. After about 3 months I was made permenant and this was accompanied by a pay rise. After the year I left work and I was 100% ready to go to university- now that I had some financial independance, I was ready for complete independance!!

I didn't find it hard to leave work and go to university at all because I realised that there was no way I could get very far within the company without a degree; I had renewed passion for my subject; and I didn't want to spend the next 10 years of my life going to work in that same building, with those same people, doing the same job. Even if you do work and then do decide not to go to uni- if that is the right decision for you at the time, then why exactly is it a bad one?

I loved my year of working. It gave me a chance to spend my days in a completely different environment, push myself in a different sphere, meet people that I wouldn't otherwise have met and save up quite a bit of money, which was very handy at university and is now sitting in a high-interest interest account and growing (although it is doing so very slowly at the moment).

As for the comments about wasting a year of your life, you really would not be. When I started uni I expected to be the oldest one being a year older than everyone else, but there were people who were 2,3,4,5 years older than they 'should be', having worked for a few years or gone travelling etc. Moreover, there are loads of mature students at univeristy who are much older than they 'should be' and no-one accuses them of 'wasting' like 15 years!! Remember, the year won't be wasted if you enjoy it!!

Good luck