Higher Education

Today I will discuss the topic that has dominated my thoughts over the last month and that is Higher Education (University). I am leaving for Brighton in September as are thousands of others to embark on there courses. I am studying Maths and Computing in which think will give me the best mix of what I want to do and what looks good to employers.



Last year I spent studying for my A levels within small groups, I realised there are many benefits that come with being in small groups. The help and support you get is much better, I fear that when I start university this will no longer be the case. Large lecture halls where the lecturers don't even know your name. One reason I chose Brighton is because the ratio of staff to students ratio is higher than the other universities near to where I want to be.

So before you even finish your exams you should have applied and probably have accepted an offer from your university which does put a extra pressure on as you need to keep everything on track. After that I made the mistake of not giving the time to think about deadlines for uni and that is why i didn't get the option for halls, not that that was a bad thing (Further explanation below).

After an eventful (to say the least) time getting a room we finally managed to get it sorted last week after some twists and turns. One thing I must point out is that the private accommodation is actually cheaper than the university halls i found out which i found surprising as the rooms in the halls aren't exactly luxury. The room which i have found is unusually brilliant, walking distance from the university and a short cycle into town, the unusual thing is it is a top floor flat which i wasn't expecting but it turns out that isn't a bad thing as the space is massive. I was initially thinking that it would be harder to find accommodation than it was, I suppose we got in early enough for them still to be available. Also it was interesting to find out that they charge oversees students more for the halls and they are the ones with a higher priority which wasn't impressive. Probably why I couldn't get into them either =)

So my advice for anyone reading this is to keep on top of all deadlines, have a look at a website like studentpad at the prices of what they have on offer, it may be that like it was for me, going private is the better option for accommodation. The course and accommodation is only half of the preparation that is needed though, as it is going to be a massive lifestyle change there are lots of other little things to prepare for, like if your going self-catered then you've got 3 meals a day to think about, then there's transport (which i am going full on cycling as it will be much cheaper). Also the management of money and just everyday living tasks. All very exciting but much preparation needed at the same time.

If your undecided on weather to go to university I would always say to set that as your target as it will give you the best chance of success. Out of my whole year group i don't think that many have/ will continue there education to this level and its a shame as we where one of if not the best year group in the schools history.

I chose Brighton as it felt right for me, London wasn't really an option as its too big and industrial, i liked the thought of being by the sea and the fact that Brighton is still a city so has everything i could need. Despite its reputation as the gay capital which some people can't see past, it should be ideal for me to learn many life-lessons as well as maths lessons!