The truth about studying abroad

DreyBaby · 21-09-2012 4:24pm #1

I live in Ireland and I've been looking at different colleges in England. The university fees are usually about 9 grand a year so I'd be looking at about 27 grand for a 3 year course. I know you can get a loan and u only have to start paying it back when you start working but it still has to be paid in the year. So I'm wondering is it really worth it?? I'm dying to get out of this country but I wouldn't want to have that sum of money on me back and end up regretting it.

Any people that went to study abroad, what's your experience of it and was it really worth it? money wise. Thanks

:D

dyl10 · 22-09-2012 1:47am

I studied in Belgium for a year (course fees are low there) and it was great! Do it if you can. There must be a cheaper way to study outside of Ireland for you.

antomorro-sei · 22-09-2012 1:50am

Isn't Scotland alot cheaper to study in, compared to England? I could be wrong, just thought I heard that somewhere recently!

DreyBaby · 22-09-2012 9:19am

antomorro-sei wrote: »

Isn't Scotland alot cheaper to study in, compared to England? I could be wrong, just thought I heard that somewhere recently!

I heard that aswell, just that england appeals to me a lot more, however i'll look into the scotland option. Thanks

DreyBaby · 22-09-2012 9:20am

dyl10 wrote: »

I studied in Belgium for a year (course fees are low there) and it was great! Do it if you can. There must be a cheaper way to study outside of Ireland for you.

Yeah i will look into it cos payin 9 grand is too much, thanks

Sappa · 22-09-2012 9:29am

You do realise on top of fees you have accommodation costs,food,socialising,travel,books,general expenses and you can at a minimum double that 9000 so per year will cost you a minimum of 20k.
Min wage in the Uk is lower,part time jobs are not to be had there as easily as they once were.
Your three year base degree will cost you upwards of 70 thousand realistically.
Why would put that on your head or mostly likely your parents heads.
I realise you have a need to leave Ireland but really it makes sense to do your education here and then leave if it's what you want.

!!! · 25-09-2012 9:14pm

I study in Edinburgh and it's amazing. It's free to study and Edinburgh is a fantastic City!!! Never going home again!

Nymeria · 26-09-2012 2:03pm

Just wanted to second the above post in support of Edinburgh. I am in my second year here and I love it. Its a really vibrant city with lots for students, the only downside is the weather :-( There are plenty of international students here, loads of Irish and as far as further study and experience, for my chosen career path (Psychology) the UK has much more opportunities for jobs etc.

Fees are paid by SAAS (www.saas.gov.uk) for EU students so you do save a good bit, however you should also consider costs of accommodation, flights back and forth. But there are good possibilities of finding a part time job here. As far as I know, from next year onwards, EU students will also be eligible to apply for small loans ( about £4000) a year to cover day to day costs, but I would recommend checking out the website.

Also, another bonus is that as a full time student on a course of more that six months duration (mine is 4 years) I am covered by the NHS for doctors visits, prescription fees, eye tests, hospitals visits etc, so there are many benefits. Plus many of the shops here do student discounts.

Finally, just in regards to studying in England, im not absolutely certain but as far as I was aware, Irish citizens weren't eligible to apply for those loans, they are only for UK citizens. But you should check it out.

Good luck.

dyl10 · 27-09-2012 6:57am

In terms of those above speaking about accommodation etc. - you are comparing that to if you can live at home while go to university? For which a large number of people don't do anyway.

Tossi · 09-10-2012 8:32pm

Only moved to Wales myself to study in Swansea since last month. To study in Wales you get the privalage of being classed as a welsh student so if your fees are for example £8500 (like mine), the Welsh government will pay the balance over £3465. So in essence anyone from the EU but not the UK pays £3465.

Just to give ya another option

Butterface · 17-10-2012 10:17am

I'm in second year in an English uni, but I started last year before the fees hike. I don't really feel like I'm in any debt at all. You apply to the student loans company, and they handle the fee payment to your university. Apart from having to reconfirm every year that I'm back in uni, I won't have any contact with them until I'm finished my degree and in employment. I also don't have to start paying back the loan until I'm earning over £15,000 and it will only be something like 8% of my wages.

If you want to avoid fees altogether, then I'd advise you to apply to any of the Scottish universities. All you have to factor in is your living costs from year to year. I manage well because I'm get a grant, although I don't find the cost of living much lower here than in Ireland because I'm in a university town. As somebody above mentioned, minimum wage here is very low. Most shops and bars here offer you a few hours a day/night spread over the week so for the low pay, it's probably not worth it for the time it takes away from your study.

You could also look into various European universities that have course taught through English? The fees in some countries are generally quite low, and if you are in receipt of a grant it will help you with living costs.

Mossie17 · 27-01-2013 1:21pm

Does anyone know if you can still get free fees in Scotland if you do a PLC, or one year level 5/6 type course?

I know they say they won't pay them if you've already received funding for a degree but I'm just not sure about Level 5/6

Cheers

Bubbles93 · 24-04-2013 6:25pm

Nymeria wrote: »

Just wanted to second the above post in support of Edinburgh. I am in my second year here and I love it. Its a really vibrant city with lots for students, the only downside is the weather :-( There are plenty of international students here, loads of Irish and as far as further study and experience, for my chosen career path (Psychology) the UK has much more opportunities for jobs etc.

Hey, I've been offered a place in Heriot-Watt Uni and Napier Uni, both in Edinburgh Scotland, for a 4 year BSc in Psychology starting this September. I'm thrilled but I'm a bit apprehensive about it. For a start I don't know which one to pick? Has anyone got any first hand experience or advice about either of these universities they could share with me to help me decide?!

I'm from Ireland and I hope to go over and see both in the coming weeks but that won't give me a first hand student perspective of what it's like!! Stuff like campus size, what's the nightlife like in Edinburgh (I've never been to the UK), are the lecturers good? student satisfaction levels etc? Like were you glad you went? I don't know anyone over there either and I'm finding it a tough decision

I'm not really a home bird like I should be grand moving over I just don't know what to do like I feel it's a big decision when it's gonna be 4 years of my life so all comments are welcome about either university!!

Cheers

Gott · 13-05-2013 8:24pm

Would definitely advise Scotland over England. SAAS will pay your fees, I think you can still apply to SUSI for grants or whatever (SAAS themselves advised me to at least enquire anyway), jobs are (fairly) easy to get, particularly bar work.

Cost of living is lower than England too but varies on where you are in Scotland, Dundee being by far and away the cheapest, Edinburgh probably being the most expensive (never mind St. Andrew's), and Glasgow falling somewhere in between.

If you're set on England go for it, but I'd sooner have to pay another year's accomodation and living than have £27,000 of debt immediately.

TheJak01 · 19-05-2013 1:28am

Another Irishman in Scotland here. Saas paying fees is an absolute godsend. Means you walk out of university with next to no debt, while the education is absolutely top notch.

In terms Edinburgh, as a City it's great. Great nightlife, friendly and most importantly, it's usually about 20 pounds for a flight home if you book a few weeks in Advance. As far as Napier vs Herriot Watt is concerned, I'm probably not the most educated on the subject. However, the few Herriot Watt students I know absolutely love it. The major downside is that the Campus is slightly further from the City Centre than Napier is, though that's not such a big deal as the bus connection is top notch. I don't actually know any Napier students, so can't really judge the difference. But, can't really go wrong with Herriot Watt as firm choice.

Momc82 · 19-05-2013 8:02am

Have you looked into grants or scholarships? Your local education and library board may be a good place to start. They could advice you.
I really recommend studying away from home. I was in Queens for 3 years then went to UCD for 2 and it was the best!i learnt more by being on my own in a new city than I did in class! Hope it works out for you.

Mac35 · 13-01-2014 8:03pm

hi,
Could anyone tell me the cost of renting a house in Edinburgh? as student accommodate appears expensive! Also anyone know anything about grands available to Irish studying in there?

Reb1000 · 14-01-2014 1:05pm

Studying abroad is one of the most worthwhile things you can do! A lot of campuses have jobs available in the university that they set aside for international students. So when choosing a university you should enquire about these. Sometimes working on campus will mean you can get free accommodation or at least it will be cheaper. That definitely helps when it comes to budgeting!

The truth about studying abroad

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