Finish degree in Ireland or transfer to the UK?

Kitty6277

Hi all, this could be a long post, so bear with me.

I'm currently in second year of my degree course here in Ireland, but have been considering transferring to the UK to finish my studies. However, as the time comes closer to make a final decision, I find myself more and more unsure. I can't decide if it's just cold feet or if it's actually the wrong decision. I'd be due to go on Erasmus in September for 5 months if I stay on my current degree and that would be the considerably cheaper option. However, if I transfer to the UK altogether, I feel the course would be more hands on, and I feel it would make it easier for me to get a job, plus I'd probably build up contacts in the industry over there. But if I transferred I'd be going into second year instead of third year here, as the course in England is 3 years, whereas the one here is 4. I'd still be graduating in the same year (2020) either way, so that doesn't bother me, but as I'd technically be 'repeating' a year, I wouldn't be eligible for the SUSI grant until I went into third year in England. That would mean I'd have to get a job, which I have no problem with as I currently work here while in college, but there's no guarantee I'd get a job over there. If I went on Erasmus, I'm confident enough my current job would take me back as they've taken back plenty of people who left for various reasons.

Another reason for me wanting to transfer is that I'd get the independence of student life, which I don't have here as I live at home because I'm too near the college to justify spending all that money to live there. I'd get that independence if I went on Erasmus, and if I hated it (even though I don't think I would), I'd always know that I'd be going home soon enough anyway. I'd miss my boyfriend if I left either way, but again, it would be easier knowing that I'd be home again in a few months. But if I went permanantly, I hope we'd manage to make it work. I just don't know what seems to be the best decision as there's pros and cons to both of them.

I apologise again for the long post, and thank you to anyone who gets to the end of it. I guess I'm just looking for outside opinions and to get some views I possibly haven't heard before, or maybe opinions from people who have been in a similar situation and what ye did.

Edgware

Kitty6277 wrote: »

Hi all, this could be a long post, so bear with me.

I'm currently in second year of my degree course here in Ireland, but have been considering transferring to the UK to finish my studies. However, as the time comes closer to make a final decision, I find myself more and more unsure. I can't decide if it's just cold feet or if it's actually the wrong decision. I'd be due to go on Erasmus in September for 5 months if I stay on my current degree and that would be the considerably cheaper option. However, if I transfer to the UK altogether, I feel the course would be more hands on, and I feel it would make it easier for me to get a job, plus I'd probably build up contacts in the industry over there. But if I transferred I'd be going into second year instead of third year here, as the course in England is 3 years, whereas the one here is 4. I'd still be graduating in the same year (2020) either way, so that doesn't bother me, but as I'd technically be 'repeating' a year, I wouldn't be eligible for the SUSI grant until I went into third year in England. That would mean I'd have to get a job, which I have no problem with as I currently work here while in college, but there's no guarantee I'd get a job over there. If I went on Erasmus, I'm confident enough my current job would take me back as they've taken back plenty of people who left for various reasons.

Another reason for me wanting to transfer is that I'd get the independence of student life, which I don't have here as I live at home because I'm too near the college to justify spending all that money to live there. I'd get that independence if I went on Erasmus, and if I hated it (even though I don't think I would), I'd always know that I'd be going home soon enough anyway. I'd miss my boyfriend if I left either way, but again, it would be easier knowing that I'd be home again in a few months. But if I went permanantly, I hope we'd manage to make it work. I just don't know what seems to be the best decision as there's pros and cons to both of them.

I apologise again for the long post, and thank you to anyone who gets to the end of it. I guess I'm just looking for outside opinions and to get some views I possibly haven't heard before, or maybe opinions from people who have been in a similar situation and what ye did.

I would advise staying on your present course. You have the great and exciting option of Erasmus coming up which will give you a lot of freedom and the experience of living abroad. When you return the time will fly in your final year. So what if you live at home. Concentrate on getting the best result possible in your finals and you will have no difficulty getting employment in the U.K.
Dont make the common mistake of letting a boyfriend disrupt your education achievements.

Scraggs

Do you have the £9000 a year to pay for the course in England? If I were you I would stay in Ireland for cost reasons and also the opportunity to do Erasmus. I retrained in an English University a few years ago but it was free fees for health courses, no way would I pay the current fees and the living expenses if I had the option to stay in Ireland and avail of the SUSI grant. If you are concerned about networking and building contacts get involved in the organisations/societies for your field here and in UK. Do extra placements/volunteer in the area to get more hands on experience if you feel that's something your course is lacking. Talk to the careers service in your college or lecturers/others in the field for advice on career paths.

Kitty6277

Scraggs wrote: »

Do you have the £9000 a year to pay for the course in England? If I were you I would stay in Ireland for cost reasons and also the opportunity to do Erasmus. I retrained in an English University a few years ago but it was free fees for health courses, no way would I pay the current fees and the living expenses if I had the option to stay in Ireland and avail of the SUSI grant. If you are concerned about networking and building contacts get involved in the organisations/societies for your field here and in UK. Do extra placements/volunteer in the area to get more hands on experience if you feel that's something your course is lacking. Talk to the careers service in your college or lecturers/others in the field for advice on career paths.

I'd get a student loan for the tuition, which I wouldn't start paying until I was earning £25,000 a year. That's also part of the decision making process that I forgot to mention in the original post. Is it worth going and being in debt, or staying here and be debt free? The more I think about it, I'm not sure

Scraggs

Also remember the student loan is paid directly to the university so you will need to be able to afford rent, travel and living costs too without the SUSI grant for one of the years. What if you can't find a job straight away (it took me 8 weeks to get a national insurance number) or if you have difficulty balancing working and studying but still need to pay rent?

Do you really feel your current course in Ireland is lacking in something or does the English course have an excellent reputation or something?

Hopefully I'm not being too much of a negative Nancy, I just think it's important to go in with the practical things thought out so there are no (fewer) surprises.

Kitty6277

Scraggs wrote: »

Also remember the student loan is paid directly to the university so you will need to be able to afford rent, travel and living costs too without the SUSI grant for one of the years. What if you can't find a job straight away (it took me 8 weeks to get a national insurance number) or if you have difficulty balancing working and studying but still need to pay rent?

Do you really feel your current course in Ireland is lacking in something or does the English course have an excellent reputation or something?

Hopefully I'm not being too much of a negative Nancy, I just think it's important to go in with the practical things thought out so there are no (fewer) surprises.

Well I'd be staying in student accommodation which would be paid upfront (including bills), but of course I'd have to buy food and other things I'd need. I have savings here that I'd hope to still have all of by the time I'd be going, so that's what I'd be living off till I got a job, but I guess that's a big risk to take.

No, it doesn't have an excellent reputation or anything, but the uni has studio facilities that you'd do some classes in (I'm hoping to get into media), and I wonder if that would make me more employable once I graduate? Also what I said earlier about making contacts while I'm in uni.

You're absolutely right, you're bringing up different things that I hadn't really considered before, and for a decision like this you really have to consider all the options.

JustAThought

Stay where you are.

People will always question why you downgraded to a 3 year course & went to the uk -and not in a good way.

Getting into debt in another country and currency when you have no huge reason to is NOT a good idea. It will hold you back in your choices ( travel/internship/job roles) and be a burden and stress for years to come. Thats assuming you even qualify under immigration rules to get one. 25k loans are enough to stop you taking jobs that might be good for a starter career or to get a car loan that you may need to commute to a good job etc. And nobody knows what yhe currency exchange may do with sterling and the euro.

BRITEXIT.
This will change A LOT including needing a visa to enter and exit the uk, and whether you will be eligable to live and work there after - they may not grant you a visa or a residency card - they may have enough inexperienced newly qualified Brits in your field already. Then you will be exolaining yourself to Irish employers and trying to sell in an unknown degree from a little known college to an Irish market - not a great plan.

Britexit fees - nobody knows exactly what will happen but you will soon possibly be classed as an international student in the UK as it will not be in the EU and may well have to pay international student fees -in Ireland the difference for undergrads between EU and international can be as much as 15k per year. Nobody knows how soon this will start happening in the uk but you can be sure the universities will jump on it as a source of much needed revenue - just like they do here.

The culture (ie friendliness and chat factor) in the UK is very different to here. I lived and worked there for years. Although thet are rypically nice and friendly I found a wall of glass existed - you are not 'one of them' and even if yiu work and live there for years the question of inherent snobishness and their hugely important old 'boys' network and school system is VERY important. You couldnt imagine it unless you experience it. You will never fully be accepted or 'fit in'.

Pints for girls and craic - totally different over yhere - as are attitudes to drinking sessiins for women and the occasional sweer word or 'Jesus' - makes you a social suspect and second class citizen akin to pulling your trousers down and using the pub floir as a toilet on a busy bar day - a totally different mindset.

Erasmus will be great - look forward to it!

Do not make plans based on your current boyfriend.

It sounds like you have a reasonable enough structure in place here - a job with a reasonable boss, a bit of income, a course in a field of your chosing and a nice family and relationship. Why do you want to move - collehe is supposed to be exciting and stress free - why now having done the LC and begun your course are you wantimg to give it up and downgrade and take in significant debt and isolate yourself from your friends/job/college friends and family and risk everything you have achieved and succeded in so far? is it to move in with your bf?? Is he subtly putting pressure on you but has no way of paying his way and providing a appartment so yiu are thinking this is a solution? Not a great one for yiur bank balance/employability/future.

Maybe find an outlet that challenges or inspures you in the field and work around a project on that or try and get a day a week job somewhere interesting whilekeeping your other one going for cash or joi a new club/society with a happy outlook and do something enjoyable - life is supposed to be happier and more joyful and less bleak that the emmigration/debt/isolation/struggle/hardship /insecure immigration and costs scenario you have drawn up for yourself in the uk.

Stay. Throw yourself into the course. Do Erasmus for longer if possible. Dont mind the concept of a shared room/"studio" - it just sounds better than it will be -selfish people higgj g resources and fights over times and mess and IT support and access. You have a world unfolding beneath your feet here - dont throw it away for little or nothing and possibly indebt and erode and damage your future for no particular good or credible reason.

Kitty6277

JustAThought wrote: »

Getting into debt in another country and currency when you have no huge reason to is NOT a good idea. It will hold you back in your choices ( travel/internship/job roles) and be a burden and stress for years to come.

That is actually something I didn't think of, what if I wanted to go travelling afterwards? Perhaps I wouldn't be able to because of the burden of having to pay back loans.

JustAThought wrote: »

culture (ie friendliness and chat factor) in the UK is very different to here. I lived and worked there for years. Although thet are rypically nice and friendly I found a wall of glass existed - you are not 'one of them' and even if yiu work and live there for years the question of inherent snobishness and their hugely important old 'boys' network and school system is VERY important. You couldnt imagine it unless you experience it. You will never fully be accepted or 'fit in'.

Good to hear that actually, I've been to the UK quite a few times and have found people to be nice, but of course it's quite different to meet people while you're on holidays than it is when you're living there and trying to make friends.

JustAThought wrote: »

Erasmus will be great - look forward to it!

Might also be worth noting that my Erasmus will be in the UK anyway, not sure if I mentioned that in the OP.

JustAThought wrote: »

Why do you want to move - collehe is supposed to be exciting and stress free - why now having done the LC and begun your course are you wantimg to give it up and downgrade and take in significant debt and isolate yourself from your friends/job/college friends and family and risk everything you have achieved and succeded in so far? is it to move in with your bf?? Is he subtly putting pressure on you but has no way of paying his way and providing a appartment so yiu are thinking this is a solution? Not a great one for yiur bank balance/employability/future.

You're right, at least here I know I'll never go hungry, whereas if I move, it's a possibility. I probably don't need that stress while studying, plus how many hours I'll be able to work will depend on how many hours I'll be in class(which I haven't been able to find out for certain). So I could go over, get a job and still be broke and stressed out. No, it's not to move in with my bf, he lives here in Ireland and would stay here if I did go, and I guess in a sense that would add more stress to me, wondering if we're making it work okay. Not saying that would be a major factor in my decision, but it would be another cause of stress.

JustAThought wrote: »

Maybe find an outlet that challenges or inspures you in the field and work around a project on that or try and get a day a week job somewhere interesting

I just did 6 months work placement at a local radio station which I loved, the music wasn't quite my thing, but I loved the people and the job, so perhaps if I stay I could commit to going back there a day a week or whatever and getting a bit more responsibility/experience.

JustAThought wrote: »

Stay. Throw yourself into the course. Do Erasmus for longer if possible. Dont mind the concept of a shared room/"studio" - it just sounds better than it will be -selfish people higgj g resources and fights over times and mess and IT support and access. You have a world unfolding beneath your feet here - dont throw it away for little or nothing and possibly indebt and erode and damage your future for no particular good or credible reason.

Thank you. This has been some really good advice and again gave me things to consider that hadn't crossed my mind before.