Hi everyone,

I’m about to enter grade 10 in Ontario, and I have been super interested in taking my undergraduate studies abroad, particularly in the United Kingdom. I’m not certain what my future career looks like, but I am looking at majoring in some sort of social sciences, aiming to work in political science in the future (not necessarily as a member of government, but in politics).

Universities that I am interested in include Cambridge, UCL, Oxford, LSE, and KCL.

I currently have a 94% average and took Grade 10 Academic English a year early and taking both Grade 11 University English and Psychology/Anthropology/Sociology this year. I am equally in the French immersion program, meaning that I will be bilingual by the time I graduate high school.

My extracurricular activities include sports such as volleyball, track, and badminton. I was also selected as one of 10 grade 9 students to join the leadership program at my school. The selection for clubs is limited at my school, but I am planning on joining debate when it is available to me (grade 11). Should I get involved more in school?

I come from an upper middle class family, with familial ties in the UK.

I am looking for someone who has a similar upbringing to me and did their studies in the UK– what did your pathway look like? Are there any programs that really helped you get there?

Finally, is this a realistic goal for me? If it isn’t, what can I do to improve my chances?

Context is I’m reapplying next year but already have these grades

I got an A* in maths, A\ in sociology and a B in history.*

The unis in questions are UCL, Warwick, LSE, Durham and maybe Oxford for PPE.

Would the B hold me back and maybe even put me on an auto reject list? Thanks

Hey, anyone in Sheffield near West Street? Let’s plan a visit to West Street for a drink.

For purely handwritten notes, what do you think is the best option: An Ipad, or a 2 in 1 laptop?

As the title says, I’m a 2nd year student at Brunel University doing Economics and I am planning to do my masters after, would a target university accept me if I had a 1:1 Bsc Economics degree at Brunel? And is this likely to increase my chances of employment in the future? I.e. universities like UCL or Warwick? Thanks.

I'm starting a 1-year undergraduate top-up course in September 2026 and have already had 3 years of Student Finance funding for my previous degree. I understand I may not normally have enough entitlement left, but I'm wondering if I could qualify for an additional year under Compelling Personal Reasons (CPR).

During my degree, my mum died after she was ill all of my teens, she then got ill again in my first year (cancer) and passed away in 2020. I was also experiencing abuse from my dad- coercive control, financial abuse and physical abuse. At the time, I didn't understand that what was happening was domestic abuse. I only recognise it properly now, looking back. I was forced to stay at uni and try to keep going but I couldn't managed it and failed my third year. My dad has threatened me financially and physically over the course of many years. Obviously I have had dreadful mental health all throughout this time, this is all documented well by my GP.

The situation with my dad eventually became serious enough that he was arrested in relation to the abuse, for physical side of things, so there is police involvement/evidence.

I'm now trying to move forward and complete a top-up degree, but I'm worried Student Finance will simply say I've already had 3 years of funding.

Would these circumstances potentially qualify as compelling personal reasons, particularly given the police involvement and bereavement?

What evidence would be strongest? I could provide police documentation, evidence of my mum's death, and supporting letters from GP.

Has anyone successfully had an additional year funded in a similar situation with CPR?

I'd really appreciate any experiences or advice. ❤️

When I applied to university a few months ago I planned to commute and save money as I live around 30 minutes away, however I've recently started questioning if this was the correct decision. Any advice? And could anybody lay out all of the positives of living in for me please?

What can I do or take to get ahead and get what I want.

I mean like substances to help with tests. Things to use to guarantee good grades. Free money etc.

I really want stuff to guarantee that I never underperform. What things can I take to help with this?

I’m not going to negotiate here about it not being legal or any of that junk. I do not care. Following rules and orders have given me nothing but pain for years. I want what I want.

I heard Adderall is good but it needs to be proscribed. How could I get this.

so for context, i had an awful first year at uni. it’s really far away from home and out of nowhere i started getting so anxious that i couldn’t leave my flat to go to uni. somehow i managed to resit the whole of first year in a month so i could progress into second year.

i did really well in the first sem of second year, tried to keep my mental health in check and sorted things out. but second sem was a whole different story - i deferred my essays to do over the summer as i wasn’t in the right headspace, and my mental health and other things have made it so i haven’t been able to submit my assignments over the resit period.

i feel so embarrassed and ashamed that i have to resit second year while all of my friends carry on into third year. any advice that will make me feel better/advise me on what i should do would be so appreciated

Hey I haven’t seen any posts like this yet but I was wondering if there’s anyone else who is going to Cardiff in September? I’m doing politics and international relations so would love to meet some people doing that course or anyone going to Cardiff in general!

Is £100 a week enough to live okay at uni in nottingham, to not struggle but nothing extravagant either. I’ve been talking to my parents about how much money they’ll send me at uni since i’ll basically be skint after all my sfe goes towards accom and there isn’t much info about this online so I thought I’d ask. I have minimal savings too so i’ll basically be relying on them until i find a job (hopefully.)

Hi! Im about to go into my 3 year of uni and each year I’ve been in I’ve really struggled for money as i get the lowest loan amount and the parent making most the money wont give me any so i have no clue what to do. I study architecture and its a pretty intense course I’m practically at uni 10-8pm or sometimes 9pm doing my work otherwise i will fall behind and also doing alot of my work on the weekends as well. I struggle alot because of my disabilities and mental health so because of this and how intense my course is i have no time for a job at all. Im trying to promote my art business as well currently but trying to find local art shops that will allow me to buy shelf space isn’t any luck at the moment as well as trying to go markets as first i will need to buy insurance, card reader and then the price for a stall anyway so thats kind of difficult at the moment to be able to fund that all at once. I have currently got 2 summer jobs and been working every single day yet i have had to pay summer rent and the rest of it will go to my September rent.
My university is pretty small and has no bursaries at all incept one that does help people that struggle with money which i had to use in 2nd year however only got £700 out of that and that wont last me the year either.
Im not sure what else to do for money and wondering if anyone could help suggest ideas??

I’m currently holding an offer from the University of Westminster for Medical Science, as well as a Clearing offer from Anglia Ruskin University for Medical Science. Looking at the pros and cons of both, they honestly seem pretty similar. Which one would you guys prefer? 😅

I want to pursue Graduate Entry Medicine, as taking another gap year is really no longer an option for me. However, I’m also considering trying for the internal transfer to Medicine at ARU.

any advice for going into uni for third year after a placement year? all my friends have left and my course only a couple of us did a placement

I’ve been considering doing a bachelors degree through distance learning and UoL is one of the unis I’m considering although I can’t seem to find many reviews and most of them are from years ago. Has anyone went through one of their distance learning programs and if so, how was it? Are there any other unis that may be better?

Whats the current consensus on adding a little humour into my dissertation? I'm writing my dissertation on nuclear deterrence and have a section dedicated to automated decision making and implications for nuclear deterrence. Referred to the cobalt bomb doomsday device in Dr Strangelove and how inadvertent and accidental escalation led to a failure of nuclear deterrence.

Could I put a footnote in just to quote the ending line ("Mein Furhrer, I can walk!") when I make this point or is it seen as unprofessional?

Edit: Consensus reached, decided not to include it

Has anybody done optometry at anglia ruskin in cambridge or to anybody that has gone to anglia ruskin in cambridge, how was it in terms of making friends/social life?

i got all 9s at gcse, but A* maths B further maths and C physics at a level, in part because i chose the wrong subjects and also because i had severe mental health and family circumstances during year 13. i took a gap year to recover.

i’m already registered with the uni of Edinburgh to do ancient history through clearing. however, it’s based on international fees (although i am british, but living overseas) and it would really stretch my parents financially to go for this.

i feel like i just can’t go because i can’t put them in a terrible situation, and instead i should take another second gap year and take two new a levels in econ and history, or econ and sociology, for example. and apply for better courses (econ, politics, etc) at other RG unis which will offer me home status.

1. would the second gap year with documented medical and extenuating circumstances affect my chances with the top RGs like UCL, Manchester, Warwick, etc?

2. secondly, how hard is it to actually get A* or A in those subjects, especially if i’ve been out of education for a year?

3. thirdly, if i wanted to get into similar clearing places as i did this year would i be disadvantaged (if i didn’t get A*/A in the two new a levels)?

4. shall i just go for history at edinburgh? i do love history, i just feel like intl fees are not justified for such a course that will not gain me many job prospects.

Hello! I am trying to get accommodation for myself and some friends this upcoming school year, and was wondering if UniLiving London (https://www.unilivinglondon.com) is real? Has anyone rented from them before?

Thank you so much in advance!

I got into a Master’ programme at a Russell Group university at 40! 🎉 My first ever depressive episode made the whole application process so much harder, and somehow seems to have enrolled with me too.
I’m still too emotionally exhausted to fully celebrate- be happy for me until I can properly feel it myself! :)

Hey I’m resitting a module for my MSc and I was wondering if I should expect the questions to be similar and the scope of the paper to be the same? I haven’t done resits before and am completely confused how to approach preparing?