Firstly I for some reason and in an odd mood today, so If I re-read this and it makes no sense but anyway.
I've still got another year of college so by the time I finish that the Uni Fees will be in place. So rather than get a loan and a huge debt I was thinking about taking a gap year. perhaps 2months travelling around the world and working full time for the rest of the year, then starting Uni after that (once I've got some money)
Some mates have said go for it, other say what’s the point and that I'll miss out and I'll forget stuff.
So I'm coming up to a fairly major point in my life and I have no idea what to do. I still have no idea what Uni I'm going to but I'm on a BTEC Media course (4 A-Level equivalent
) but what do I do next. The option above and going to media at degree level for trying to get in there in the "industry" Lots of people lots of opinions... just to confusing.
Anybody out there got any ideas? Anyone in the same position, anyone just finished Uni or got a job...?
Life Advice.
Well seeing as I appear to be your favourite poster (congratulations on making a wise and very correct choice there), I'll give you some advice.
What I did was go straight from school into university with only about £1,000 in the bank. My parents paid for tuition fees, but I had to look after accommodation fees and living costs on the loan I got. I scraped through without any form of job whatsoever and came out of the first year with about £500 left. How I did that, nobody knows, but I most certainly need to work over the summer and throughout next year to sustain tuition, rent, living and everything else I have planned. Otherwise I reach the "Overdraft" word and with my father being a Glaswegian, that would be worse than walking through a plate glass door.
Seems quite wise to me - the thing you'd have to watch out for is the cost of travelling the world which could be quite pricey and end up another pain in the back side along with university fees. You'd have to make sure your finances can stretch to travel on top of uni. And trust me, a loan would probably be essential.Bail wrote:I've still got another year of college so by the time I finish that the Uni Fees will be in place. So rather than get a loan and a huge debt I was thinking about taking a gap year. perhaps 2months travelling around the world and working full time for the rest of the year, then starting Uni after that (once I've got some money)
What I did was go straight from school into university with only about £1,000 in the bank. My parents paid for tuition fees, but I had to look after accommodation fees and living costs on the loan I got. I scraped through without any form of job whatsoever and came out of the first year with about £500 left. How I did that, nobody knows, but I most certainly need to work over the summer and throughout next year to sustain tuition, rent, living and everything else I have planned. Otherwise I reach the "Overdraft" word and with my father being a Glaswegian, that would be worse than walking through a plate glass door.
Take it from me, ignore anyone who says "What's the point?" Half my mates are like that and it drives me nuts. Go for what you want to do. Travelling the world is great, but you have to plan your year very carefully if you want to get anything out of it. I know someone who planned to do that and he ended up spending last summer doing absolutely nothing - no job, no travelling, absolutely nothing. He is slightly odd as well which may explain it, but you know what I mean.Some mates have said go for it, other say what’s the point and that I'll miss out and I'll forget stuff.
If you're looking to go into media, my amateur but well founded advice would be NOT to go into a typically "media course". Do a "classic" subject such as Psychology, English or History (I have no idea what subjects you like or can do, so they're just pointers) and then you will have a "firm base™" to work on. Too many people are going down the media route too earlier, and companies look for people with a bit more depth. Having a degree like History or Psychology on top of media experience and BTEC will probably get you further quicker in the long term.So I'm coming up to a fairly major point in my life and I have no idea what to do. I still have no idea what Uni I'm going to but I'm on a BTEC Media course (4 A-Level equivalent
) but what do I do next. The option above and going to media at degree level for trying to get in there in the "industry" Lots of people lots of opinions... just to confusing.
Anybody out there got any ideas? Anyone in the same position, anyone just finished Uni or got a job...?
I've just finished my BTEC ND in Media Production (final predicted marks DDM) and am hopefully off to Lincoln Uni in September to do BA Hons Media Production (recommended by my tutor who studied there a few years ago)Bail wrote: So I'm coming up to a fairly major point in my life and I have no idea what to do. I still have no idea what Uni I'm going to but I'm on a BTEC Media course (4 A-Level equivalent) but what do I do next.
Dan
I'm thinking of taking a gap year to work between the end of college next year and uni.
Is this a good idea, seeing as I will be hammered with topup fees once I go to university? Is there anywhere where I can find a easy, clear explanation of how the system will work?
I'm not too keen on the idea of taking out a loan though, as I have read reports in the paper that some people leave with rather large debts after 4 years or so of uni. My parents aren't rich by any means, and I don't have much money in the bank - probably about £100 at most.
Is this a good idea, seeing as I will be hammered with topup fees once I go to university? Is there anywhere where I can find a easy, clear explanation of how the system will work?
I'm not too keen on the idea of taking out a loan though, as I have read reports in the paper that some people leave with rather large debts after 4 years or so of uni. My parents aren't rich by any means, and I don't have much money in the bank - probably about £100 at most.
Basically people who join Uni this term will be the last to not have to pay the huge fees the government has put in place. So if you could start this term then do. As I can't I'll have to pay them, hence wanting to make some money first.
DDM is a good predicted grade, hope you get it. The first year is / was kind of boring to much theory and stuff I've taught myself via TVF etc, but 2nd year should be interesting... but I've also heard many good things about Lincoln, two of my mates are going there, doing physiology and graphics design.
DDM is a good predicted grade, hope you get it. The first year is / was kind of boring to much theory and stuff I've taught myself via TVF etc, but 2nd year should be interesting... but I've also heard many good things about Lincoln, two of my mates are going there, doing physiology and graphics design.
I was fairly sure that this was wrong (having vague memories of being told something different), so I checked it...Bail wrote:Basically people who join Uni this term will be the last to not have to pay the huge fees the government has put in place.
The "Top up fee" system does not begin until September 2006, which means that everyone who is in their final year of education (who are applying for university places in the year Sep 2004 - Aug 2005) will not pay the additional fees. This includes those people who wish to defer their entry to take a year out.
http://www.ucas.ac.uk/new/press/gapyear.html
Hope this helps.
Another side note on the loans system. When I finish uni, i'll have around £11,000 worth of debt, this is basically funding living expenses, and accomodation, with my parents paying tuition fees and helping out with a little cash. However this debt is relatively insignificant, for several reasons:
Firstly it does not accrue interest [of sorts]. Basically the ammount you owe will rise with inflation, in real terms it does not grow, only in nominal terms. [I think it is better I apologise for the economics right now, being an Economics student!]
Secondly there is no due date for the loan, it will simply be deducted from PAYE when your salary goes above a certain level, around £15k, at a very low percentage, this grows with higher incomes but should not be too signicant.
Thirdly, whatever you do, take out the maximum loan you can, even if you don't need it, the surplus can be invested, and even with low interest rates you can earn a higher interest rate than you'll be paying.
Firstly it does not accrue interest [of sorts]. Basically the ammount you owe will rise with inflation, in real terms it does not grow, only in nominal terms. [I think it is better I apologise for the economics right now, being an Economics student!]
Secondly there is no due date for the loan, it will simply be deducted from PAYE when your salary goes above a certain level, around £15k, at a very low percentage, this grows with higher incomes but should not be too signicant.
Thirdly, whatever you do, take out the maximum loan you can, even if you don't need it, the surplus can be invested, and even with low interest rates you can earn a higher interest rate than you'll be paying.
Exactly.Mich wrote:Another side note on the loans system. When I finish uni, i'll have around £11,000 worth of debt, this is basically funding living expenses, and accomodation, with my parents paying tuition fees and helping out with a little cash. However this debt is relatively insignificant, for several reasons:
Firstly it does not accrue interest [of sorts]. Basically the ammount you owe will rise with inflation, in real terms it does not grow, only in nominal terms. [I think it is better I apologise for the economics right now, being an Economics student!]
signicant.
Secondly there is no due date for the loan, it will simply be deducted from PAYE when your salary goes above a certain level, around £15k, at a very low percentage, this grows with higher incomes but should not be too
Thirdly, whatever you do, take out the maximum loan you can, even if you don't need it, the surplus can be invested, and even with low interest rates you can earn a higher interest rate than you'll be paying.
Some people I know who haven't yet started uni say they don't want a loan, simply because it's, well, a loan. As Mich says, a student loan is highly beneficial even if you don't strictly need it because it's free borrowed money. You don't need to juggle with standard bank loans and worry it will get out of control because you will only see the paying back process begin when you are earning a sufficient salary. It's extremely useful indeed.
I wouldn't bother doing the media production course at Uni. Every Tom, Dick and Harry seems to be doing it.
If you want a media job, then you're probably better off in studying specificially on what you want to do in the media:
Journalism, Photography, Audio, Politics, History, I.T. etc.
I've found my degree course in Media Practice to be a complete waste of time. It just seems that I'm repeating everything I did at college three years ago, and most of the stuff I did in college was far more in-depth and challenging compared to the crap I'm fed in Uni.
Maybe next year will be different as I will be able to focus specifically on a particular area of media, namely video production. I hate being behind the camera, though - I'm a born actor, darling!
If you want a media job, then you're probably better off in studying specificially on what you want to do in the media:
Journalism, Photography, Audio, Politics, History, I.T. etc.
I've found my degree course in Media Practice to be a complete waste of time. It just seems that I'm repeating everything I did at college three years ago, and most of the stuff I did in college was far more in-depth and challenging compared to the crap I'm fed in Uni.
Maybe next year will be different as I will be able to focus specifically on a particular area of media, namely video production. I hate being behind the camera, though - I'm a born actor, darling!
Regarding Uni loans:
You get £1,200 a term during your first year (3 terms = £3,600 per academic year).
Last week I actually wrote down all my outgoings and income and I'm actually returning a small profit. However, I do have a part time job 3 days a week.
Rent: £45.00 p/w
Shopping: £35.00 p/w
Petrol: £25.00 p/w
Elec/Gas: £5.00 p/w
Internet: £6.25 p/w
Going Out: £35.00 p/w
And that's basically all my expenses. It works out as £100 per week from my student loan and I get £90.00 per week from my part time job.
I'm taking out a £4,000 bank loan next month to change my car, so I will need to add an extra £26.00 per week in loan repayments.
You get £1,200 a term during your first year (3 terms = £3,600 per academic year).
Last week I actually wrote down all my outgoings and income and I'm actually returning a small profit. However, I do have a part time job 3 days a week.
Rent: £45.00 p/w
Shopping: £35.00 p/w
Petrol: £25.00 p/w
Elec/Gas: £5.00 p/w
Internet: £6.25 p/w
Going Out: £35.00 p/w
And that's basically all my expenses. It works out as £100 per week from my student loan and I get £90.00 per week from my part time job.
I'm taking out a £4,000 bank loan next month to change my car, so I will need to add an extra £26.00 per week in loan repayments.