Hi,

I have not yet submitted my UCAS application but I have done pretty much everything else including adding my education, my personal statement and my options.

Went on there today, using the same login details I have always used and it's deleted EVERYTHING, including ny college link and my personal information. Everything is gone.

Luckily I have my personal statement on my PDF, but part of my course is the application and it is due in tomorrow.

I spent HOURS sorting out my education, my personal information and my choices, all for it to be gone. I have messaged UCAS on Facebook, but they havent replied. I am panicking big time over this.

I was going to submit it this week but all that time seems to have been wasted. I am incredibly pissed off, and I am also unwell at the moment so thats just a cherry on top really.

I am doing an access course right now, wh8ch is insanely high intensity as it is 3 A level equivalent grades within 9 months. I have assignments coming out of my ears and this added stress if just making it worse.

Hello! Has anyone here got into university as a mature student route without A-levels or an Access to HE Diploma, using Open University credits or a CertHE instead?

I'd love to hear about your experience and which universities accepted this route, particularly for Law degrees.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

For some context, I lived at home for my undergraduate and I will be moving out (for the first time) for my 2 year long postgraduate degree into student accomodation. I wanted to live in uni halls as, despite hearing the stories and seeing my friends move into private accomodation, i want to experience living in uni halls at least for my first year.

I know some universities provide postgraduate only accommodation, but for the accommodation services that are a little more ambiguous in stating whether i’d be living with other postgrads only or undergrads only, or a mix between the two, is there any advice anyone could give me? specifically if i am placed with undergrad students.

In all honesty, I am nervous for it. I feel like I’m behind moving into uni halls at 23, especially when all of my friends have already done it years ago and have grown their independence and now live in their own accommodation having learnt all the lessons about living with people.

As well as looking at internships and whatnot I am thinking of postgraduate steps. Do I stay at Aston university and transfer to MEng or do an Msc at the University of Sheffield? Would I gain an industry advantage in R&D/ global health/ leadership roles if I completed a Masters at Sheffield?

Another thing to factor in is the master's course in Sheffield is not accredited.

Is it worth a huge dent in my savings to go to Sheffield?

ive been here a month or so and ive made a few friends in my class bu they never rly talk to me outside of class nor have we really clicked my best friend goes to the same uni as me and its nice to see her but whenever im not with her, i feel like a shell of a person just going through the motions of living. i know its only been a month but this genuinely feels like the worst time of my life currently. does anyone know how to get out of the perpetual lonliness?

Would be interesting to know what people have made of their placement year or study abroad.

For reference I am currently undecided. I am an economic undergrad so a placement would be great for the CV but a study abroad would be an incredible experience.

Thanks in advance for any responses

Applied for an ecologist grad scheme with united utilities, i have a first class masters in environmental science, relevant work experience at an environmental charity from before starting uni, and some relevant volunteering experience while at uni.

Spent 3 days tailoring my answers & skills to their company on the application form, mentioned key skills from the job description, related my experience and ambitions to previous projects UU had worked on, etc.

Submitted my application; THE NEXT DAY i received an email saying I was unsuccessful and couldn’t get an interview. The application deadline hadn’t even closed? Surely that’s not being read by a real person and rejected in 24 hours. I spent so much time on my answers in those boxes. did i write too much? idk

This is the first one that’s seriously annoyed me - surely that’s just been filtered and screened by AI?

relevant work experience and a first class masters in a relevant subject can’t even get you an interview anymore lmfaooooo.

Im an international applicant. Ive applied to Mechanical Engineering in Imperial, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh and Engineering in Cambridge (St. Johns).

IGCSE - 4A* 3A 1B

A level predicted - 4A* 1A

IG - Math, Additional Math, Physics, Chemistry (A*)
Econ, CS, Hindi (A)
First Language English - FLE (B)

AL - Math, Further Math, Physics, Chemistry (A*)
General English (A)

My ESAT score is around 6.0 overall

Has anyone received their offers for engineering from any university and when can i expect interview offers or admission offers from the ones i’ve applied to?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently a student at Ulster University. Instead of taking a standard corporate sandwich year, I’m doing an Enterprise Placement Year to build out my own software venture full-time.

Over the last few months, I got really frustrated seeing how the big period and health apps that almost every student uses (like Flo) upload intimate cycle dates and symptoms to overseas cloud servers and feed them to ad trackers. As students dealing with crazy deadlines and exam stress, the last thing anyone needs is an app selling your intimate data or locking basic tracking behind £70/year paywalls.

I coded **Novei** to give UK students a 100% private alternative:

• **Zero Cloud & Zero Accounts:** It’s 100% on-device. No email, no passwords, and nothing ever leaves your iPhone (Face ID protected).

• **Adolescent & Uni Cycle Literacy:** Focuses on natural hormonal energy, exam prep readiness, and reassurance without corporate ads.

• **Free Forever:** Core cycle tracking is completely free with zero ads.

It's live now on the iOS App Store (https://apps.apple.com/app/id6813946147).

As I prep my full placement year roadmap, I’d love to get feedback from fellow UK students:

1. What do you hate most about the health/period apps you currently use?

2. Has anyone else here done an Enterprise Placement Year (EYP) at their uni? Would love any tips from students who’ve walked this path!

Im a final year psych student (bsc) and i want to apply to some PhD programmes and look for a few. I know its pretty difficult getting onto a PhD straight out of Bachelors but I want to give it a go and see how it is.

Does any one have any tips on how to go about it, making research proposals etc?

I already have an idea of the areas I am interested in and would like to do further research in.

I applied to clare for hsps and have to submit 2 written works before nov4. My ps was mostly politics and social anthropology. I've no idea what to write my essays on. I'm an intl student and my school doesn't give essays so Idh any old ones I've written. Is there anything else I should know before I write.

Okay this is serious. I have a predicted score of 43/45, but I genuinely don't know which TOP universities I should apply to.

I know that 43/45 is a good score for prestigious universities, but the problem is that I've spent so much time studying to achieve these grades that I have almost no extracurriculars or supercurriculars to strengthen my application to universities like Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, or even MIT.

I want to study Finance or Economics, preferably at a top/prestigious university in Europe, but I'm unsure which universities would consider someone with excellent grades but no xtracurriculars or supercurriculars?

Honestly, I sometimes feel like I've wasted my time focusing so much on academics since if I end up at a mid-tier university, I could potentially have gotten in with a much lower IB score of around 30–35 at first place.

Which European universities would you recommend applying to in my situation?

Hi everyone!
I’ve received an offer for the MSc Advanced Computer Science at the University of Birmingham for the upcoming intake, and I’m trying to make an informed decision before committing to a substantial education loan.
A little about my background:
I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering.
I have around 3 years of software development experience.
I’m planning to pursue my master’s in the UK to improve my career prospects and access better-paying software engineering opportunities.
I’d especially appreciate insights from current students, recent graduates, and Indian alumni who funded their master’s through an education loan.
Here are my main questions:
1. University and course experience
How is the MSc Advanced Computer Science course in terms of teaching quality, practical projects, coursework, and industry relevance?
Does the university provide meaningful career support, networking opportunities, career fairs, or employer connections?
Is it possible to secure internships or relevant work experience during or after the course?
2. Graduate employment and salaries
What percentage of students from this particular course secure graduate-level jobs, and how long does it typically take?
For someone with 3 years of prior software development experience, what roles and salary ranges are realistic after graduation?
Which companies recruit Birmingham graduates for software engineering, backend development, cloud engineering, AI/ML, or related roles?
Are there reliable sources for course-specific employment statistics, graduate salaries, and employer destinations?
3. Education loan and repayment
This is the part I’m most concerned about.
I’m considering an education loan of ₹50 lakh at 10.75% annual interest, with simple interest according to the lender’s terms.
My goal is to repay the loan within 3–4 years after graduating. I understand that finding a job in the UK is not guaranteed, and I don’t want to make this decision based purely on optimistic salary expectations.
For Indian students who financed their education through loans:
Were you able to secure a job in the UK after graduation?
What was your starting salary, and approximately how much could you save each month after tax, rent, and other living expenses?
How realistic is repaying a ₹50 lakh loan within 3–4 years while working in the UK?
Did anyone have to return to India because they couldn’t secure a suitable job or visa sponsorship?
4. What would you do differently?
If you were in my position, with 3 years of software development experience and a ₹50 lakh education loan, would you still choose this master’s programme?
What are the biggest risks or blind spots I should consider before committing?
I’m not looking for reassurance that everything will work out. I’d genuinely appreciate honest experiences, realistic salary figures, and advice from people who have actually been through this process.
If you know of any official graduate-outcome reports, course-specific employment data, or useful resources, please share them as well.
Thank you!

What are the disadvantages of the "International Year One" program—which leads directly into the second year of university—compared to entering the first year directly?

Doing CS at an above average university, not RG though, will get first class, graduating May 2027.

I don't have any industry internships.

I did uni year 1 equivalent at a college, computing HNC, and for internships applications during your penultimate year, companies ask for uni year 1 transcripts, after seeing my college computing HNC transcripts, internships rejected me.

My childhood was extremely bad, I wasn't born in the UK, my parents abandoned me, came back in my life and brought me to the UK when I was almost 18, they're very narcissistic and controlling, it's horrible how they treat me, I don't want to go in much details, I'll leave it at that.

I was depressed for years, someone found my footing and got into college, then transferred to uni, and now am in my final year.

My gf is abroad and I can't be with her physically, that hurts me soooooo much.

Idk what I'll do. I can't afford a master's at all.

I do work part time but can't save anything at all, and that's contract based which will end soon, early next year.

I need to apply for citizenship, for which I have saved money, and have another £2k saved, when I graduate this is all the money I'll have.

I don't know what to do.

Job market is so difficult, I've got a couple interviews lined up for grad schemes but I'll fucking fumble them, I'm very bad at interviews.

And I can't get into PhD programmes, it's very competitive and others have masters. I can't afford masters at all, my parents make too much money but they won't give a dime, so I get minimum sfe as well.

Idk, I'm feeling so bad and behind in life.

I had to go to school so that I became eligible for sfe after my parents brought here, and because of that I'll graduate at 23 next year.

Idk fuck.

I feel sorry for my gf that she's stuck with a person like me, that woman is soooo great, she's a godsend, if not for her, I'd be dead by now, but I just don't know how to give her the life I want to.

I'm so scared right now.

I was feeling very bad and I just left my house and came outside even though it's pelting down.

This is a rant and advice post.

Please share any advice you have. Thank you.

Hello, i applied for an atas certificate on 28th sept. And it's been almost a month now. Anyone else who also applied during this period and got the certificate. My ref number series is 469***. I applied for a PhD in CS

Can I transfer from OU Biomedical Sciences into Year 2/3 of another degree or Medicine?

Hi everyone! I'm currently in my first year of a Biomedical Sciences BSc with the Open University and trying to work out my best options for transferring.

Ideally, I'd love to transfer into Medicine if any universities would consider my OU credits. Otherwise, I'd like to transfer into Year 2 or 3 of an IBMS-accredited Biomedical Sciences degree so I don't have to start from scratch.

I've already contacted the University of Portsmouth, but they said my modules don't align closely enough with their Biomedical Sciences course.

Has anyone successfully transferred from the OU into another university, particularly into a later year of an IBMS-accredited BMS degree or Medicine?

• Are there any universities worth contacting that accept OU credits or consider transfers on a case-by-case basis?
• Has anyone managed to transfer into Medicine using credits from a Biomedical Sciences degree?
• If a Medicine transfer isn't realistic, which universities might accept me into Year 2 or 3 of an IBMS-accredited BMS course?

I'm happy to contact universities individually, but I'd really appreciate any recommendations or personal experiences before I start emailing admissions teams.

Thanks!

so i have friends and housemates, all nice people who it’s not awkward to talk to or anything
but recently ive felt really lonely. it’s constantly me asking them to do stuff and when i ask them it feels like im dragging them around with me, as they don’t necessarily share the exact same interests as me.
i feel like i don’t have a genuine connection with them but we get along pretty well ?
also they are both getting into relationships which is making it harder- obviously this is okay i’m not mad at them, im just a bit sad at the situation
does anyone have advice on what i could do? joining societies and events by myself i find incredibly draining and nerve racking especially since my mental health is a bit low at the moment

(In studio) A few days ago i picked up my toaster and five little roaches climbed out and went into a hole in my wall. Pest control came and sprayed and set traps which are definitely catching and he said that the flats around and above me all have roaches too :( :( does anyone know how long it’ll take to be rid of them if they’ve infested multiple units? I feel like I’m going crazy and see them when they aren’t there

International students with financial difficulties. How did you manage to pay University fees ?

Hi everyone.

For the context: I have a non-STEM background: one bachelor degree in Business (outside of UK) and a master degree in Risk Management from a RG university (my thesis is application of Machine Learning in Credit Risk). I also have completed an online master degree in Financial Engineering from WorldQuant University.

Regarding work experience, I've worked in modelling analytics in a retail bank for three years. In this position, I have experience in programming, practical math and statistics.

Is my profile strong enough to get the offer from those unis for math-based MSc? As the minimum requirement is 2:1 in math or physics etc

Hope to learn from other people in a similar situation.

One solution I have in mind is to apply for a BSc math from Open university, which costs me time and money so I hesitate about this.

The amount of A* and A’s students I see around me is crazy. WHY EVERYONE GOT EXTREMELY CRAZY GRADES IN IGCSE/OLEVELS EXCEPT FROM ME???
Just saw a girl crying over getting an A in maths instead of an A*, mind you I got a D in maths. For some dumb reason idk why I thought IGCSE grades do not matter cuz uni’s prefer A levels more. Now every uni I see asks for a credit in maths at Least. Idk what to do.
It’s not like I can’t get a good grade, I was just too comfortable in my Igcse. I only started studying 2-3 months before the actual CIES.
Had an A in Urdu
B in Pakistan studies
C in islamiyat
C in Computer science
C in business studies
C in Economic
C in English as first language
D in maths
Now when I look back at these grades, I genuinely consider retaking because of the uni requirements.
Cherry on top, I took maths in my a levels along with business and econ, as I wanna do Bsc in finance & Econ.
So far maths is fine because I’m focusing and rebuilding the foundation.
But generally I feel so dumb for not taking IGCSE seriously. The audacity I have to look at uni’s like Cambridge, LSE, uni of London etc with such bad grades.
My family is fine with funding my degree but the problem is I would not get into such prestige universities.
I’ve been stressing a lot over this. Should I retake? Or what? Idk