University Campus or Home?

lozza1985

I stayed at home as I went to a local university, all my friends went to uni further away and so had to stay there. Out of all of us I left with the highest grade and no debt, and so am so far the only one out of us all to have a mortgage. However I've never been one for going out drinking so the idea of leaving home for a student lifestyle really didn't appeal to me! If she doesn't feel like she wants to leave home yet, then she shouldn't, everyone is ready in there own time - I certainly didn't fancy having to fend for myself which was another reason I stayed at home. No end of teachers tried to convince me to go further afield but my local uni was good so I didn't see the need, and I'm so glad I didn't as it has meant I haven't had to start adult life with debt from my student days

mrcow

In the first year, you can normally stay in halls of residence.

Then if she wants, she can stay at home for the next two years if she prefers. Or sign up for other accomodation.

When I went (which WAS a long time ago!) you paid termly for the halls. So the decision only needs to be made up to the first December and she can see how she gets on.

The advantage of going to a local university is that you have options.

stebiz

lika_86 wrote: »

What about you? If she lives at home, are you prepared for her to come rolling in at whatever time she wants after a midweek night out? Are you prepared for her to potentially be up at unsociable hours?

My 14k debt was entirely worth it.

It's easy to say but I think I could cope with that.................for now at least.

14k is now going to be 40k though. Oh and her post grad course is also 6k. Expense, expense, expense.

mrcow

stebiz wrote: »

14k is now going to be 40k though. Oh and her post grad course is also 6k. Expense, expense, expense.

I have 3 of them!

I'm going to start selling body parts once they reach 18!

stebiz

lozza1985 wrote: »

I stayed at home as I went to a local university, all my friends went to uni further away and so had to stay there. Out of all of us I left with the highest grade and no debt, and so am so far the only one out of us all to have a mortgage. However I've never been one for going out drinking so the idea of leaving home for a student lifestyle really didn't appeal to me! If she doesn't feel like she wants to leave home yet, then she shouldn't, everyone is ready in there own time - I certainly didn't fancy having to fend for myself which was another reason I stayed at home. No end of teachers tried to convince me to go further afield but my local uni was good so I didn't see the need, and I'm so glad I didn't as it has meant I haven't had to start adult life with debt from my student days

This is all what is in our mind. Even myself and wife (when talking to ourselves) can't agree. One minute we're saying it's best. Next it isn't.

stebiz

mrcow wrote: »

I have 3 of them!

I'm going to start selling body parts once they reach 18!

Yep, that's what worries me. I have 3 too. I'd rather give her 25k towards a house deposit/ wedding (if/when it comes) but I think her spending 25k ish on digs over 3 years is a bit of a waste.

mrcow

stebiz wrote: »

Yep, that's what worries me. I have 3 too. I'd rather give her 25k towards a house deposit/ wedding (if/when it comes) but I think her spending 25k ish on digs over 3 years is a bit of a waste.

Then just take it a year at a time.

CH27

From my experience the first year living in Halls is when the friendship bonds are formed by learning to live away from parents.
How will your daughter make friends if she is only there for lectures?

I do understand about saving costs as my boy will end up with £45k debt.

stebiz

mrcow wrote: »

Then just take it a year at a time.

Yep but she says at the moment (things change fast with teenagers) she isn't ready. She also wants driving lessons and she'd also like to travel to different places. Not sure were she thinks all the money will come from.

angelil

CH27 wrote: »

From my experience the first year living in Halls is when the friendship bonds are formed by learning to live away from parents.

And in my experience this wasn't true at all. The people I lived with over the three years were idiots (with the exception of 1 or 2 people). My best friends from uni (that I'm still in touch with today) came from my course or just general socializing...not from halls. The OP's daughter needs to think about what's best for her personality.

CustardAndPickles wrote: »

IMHO the possibility of having to work shouldn't be a prime consideration. Employment during university education is useful for CV purposes - if your daughter is potentially looking at 5 years worth of university, she's going to put herself at a disadvantage sending out a CV with no employment on at the age of 25. Even bog standard shop work adds something.

This is what I thought. Sadly, it doesn't. Employers cared jack all about my transferable skills when I graduated in 2008 (picked up from all kinds of crappy jobs - shop work, data entry, cold calling...you name it, I did it). Lamentably all it seems they want is a certain qualification linked to your career of choice (i.e. something more specific than a degree) and/or unpaid/low-paid internships, again within the field of choice. If I could have gone back and done it again, I might have made different choices. I'm not going to say I gained nothing from my part-time work at uni, because that wouldn't be true, but believe me, employers did not care about this AT ALL.

lika_86 wrote: »

My 14k debt was entirely worth it.

But it's not just 14k these days. You're talking 9k a year of tuition fees so that's 27k for a 3-year course before you even think about living costs.

Students have a lot more at stake these days in terms of both employment and debt. Things have changed massively even in the five years since my own graduation.

OP, just make sure your daughter is aware of ALL the facts (financial and otherwise) and then let her decide.