WhAt to Do?

lethal_2

Hey, I just need a bit of advise, I am current studying my a-levels in the east midlands, and what to go london to uni (Discussed in another thread)

I have spoken to family members but they said it not a good idea, but I was thinking of taking a gap year, and want other people advise!


it not just because I want the money, but it's because I want to learn some other skils such as sale. I also want to open a couple of business one online such as ebay, and another wedding service one. I then want to possibly take my wedding service to uni part time and gain more skills. I am also reluctant to take money of family because of personal reasons but they have offered it on the table.

Ok, heres the probem, the degree that I want to do is three years pls another one yr placement, and that means I would be 23/24 when I finnish (hopefuly on schedule and not taking no yrs out), can any1 else give me any experiences on this?



lethal

DrFluffy

I'm not aware of a single person in university admissions who would advocate against a constructively spent gap year...

Too many people today feel that they have to run off to uni as soon as they leave school. I'm 'lucky' to have the perspective of going to uni from A-Levels and then again some 5 years after finishing uni to start my current degree (with a post grad qualification and time in the work place in between!)... I certainly appreciate uni more this time round...

If you feel a gap year is right for you, do it. It should be your decision though, not that of those around you…

PS – I will be 33 when I qualify/graduate!!!

merlinormartin

hey Lethal .... i think it depends upon what subject u want to study at uni ...the "skills" you hope to gain on your gap year .. would you not gain these on your 4th year work placement?.... also .. alot of courses are not that demanding in the 1st year so you should still have time available to start up your online business :beer: .... or how about having your "gap year" after university .. believe me ..you will probably want one! ... alot of my friends who took a "gap year" before university never ended up going to uni. .. good luck!

merlinormartin

hey Lethal .... i think it depends upon what subject u want to study at uni ...the "skills" you hope to gain on your gap year .. would you not gain these on your 4th year work placement?.... also .. alot of courses are not that demanding in the 1st year so you should still have time available to start up your online business :beer: .... or how about having your "gap year" after university .. believe me ..you will probably want one! ... alot of my friends who took a "gap year" before university never ended up going to uni. .. good luck!

merlinormartin

hey Lethal .... i think it depends upon what subject u want to study at uni ...the "skills" you hope to gain on your gap year .. would you not gain these on your 4th year work placement?.... also .. alot of courses are not that demanding in the 1st year so you should still have time available to start up your online business :beer: .... or how about having your "gap year" after university .. believe me ..you will probably want one! ... alot of my friends who took a "gap year" before university never ended up going to uni. .. good luck!

melancholly

Lots of people do gap years and get a lot out of them - then there are lots that do it and decide uni isn't for them and never go back to education. spending a year doing different things, away from education can be valuable. and even if you decide at the end of it uni isn't for you, then that's not a bad thing. it's a decision about your future! not everyone wants to or will thrive in a university.

you can also apply to unis during your gap year, once you have your results. this means that admissions officers don't have to 'guess' whether or not you'll get your grades and you may get offers through much faster.

you should do what you want to do - you will only grow to resent people if they have forced you to do something. so many people do gap years and 4 year courses (eg almost all languages students for a start!), that being a couple of years older is not an issue at all. if you do decide against a gap year, that's not the reason to go for!

lethal_2

... alot of my friends who took a "gap year" before university never ended up going to uni.

that esxactly what I am scared of!

I want to go to uni but know if i take this gap yr, I will not want to go back, I want to do economics but want a bit of sales experience, (which now thinking logicaly about...I could do at uni)

thanks guys, this topic has reallly got me thinking

melancholly

merlinormartin wrote:

alot of my friends who took a "gap year" before university never ended up going to uni. ..

conversely none of my friends who did gap years then chose not to go to uni.... it really is dependent on how much an individual wants to do something!

parmaviolette

How about going to uni and running a business in your spare time (depending on the degree, you'll spend between 8 and 20 hours a week in lectures). An ebay business could be quite manageable, because you can do the work at any time of day.

Another option would be to go to uni part-time. That way you could spread your time between working and studying. The course fees would be less, but so would the student loan, but if you were making money it would probably balance financially in your favour. The plus side of paying less course fees (and having less student debt) would be that it would be less of a loss if you preferred working and decided not to continue.