Is going to university really about skill... or proximity?

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Mootoo
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15 May 2013, 3:19 am

By far the biggest problem I foresee about this in the future is the distance between my flat and the potential university... there's none in this town, so I'd have to go elsewhere... and I really don't want to spend countless hours commuting, to say the least because I actually developed great anxiety even commuting from my other flat to the college I've been going to, and that's in the same town.

I wouldn't mind living elsewhere to go to university... nothing ties me to this town, and a change of scenery would actually be more than welcome, but I'd have great problems even doing that. As most people going to university would still be living at their parents' house during that period and, presumably, after, they can simply return there from living on-campus... and also in the summer etc. when universities close (I think).

My main problem is that since I'm on HB I can't simply go to another town and get another similar flat there (due to local authorities' duties and whatnot)... and even if I could, since I wouldn't be known there (I could seemingly only get a flat of my own after many meetings of all sorts of workers with the council) I'd probably only be able to get a room in a shared flat... and I'd rather kiss a skunk's ass than risk the sheer insanity that is to be thrown in with a bunch of random strangers. It would help if only local authorities could communicate and collaborate about this sort of issue, but they don't...

As such, I can only think that if going to university is impossible it will not be because I can't do it - that was the case once in my life, but by far the majority of problems with education were unrelated to my abilities (or so I humbly state) - but due to geography. Let the postcode lottery commence! :(



Meistersinger
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15 May 2013, 3:31 am

Mootoo wrote:
By far the biggest problem I foresee about this in the future is the distance between my flat and the potential university... there's none in this town, so I'd have to go elsewhere... and I really don't want to spend countless hours commuting, to say the least because I actually developed great anxiety even commuting from my other flat to the college I've been going to, and that's in the same town.

I wouldn't mind living elsewhere to go to university... nothing ties me to this town, and a change of scenery would actually be more than welcome, but I'd have great problems even doing that. As most people going to university would still be living at their parents' house during that period and, presumably, after, they can simply return there from living on-campus... and also in the summer etc. when universities close (I think).

My main problem is that since I'm on HB I can't simply go to another town and get another similar flat there (due to local authorities' duties and whatnot)... and even if I could, since I wouldn't be known there (I could seemingly only get a flat of my own after many meetings of all sorts of workers with the council) I'd probably only be able to get a room in a shared flat... and I'd rather kiss a skunk's ass than risk the sheer insanity that is to be thrown in with a bunch of random strangers. It would help if only local authorities could communicate and collaborate about this sort of issue, but they don't...

As such, I can only think that if going to university is impossible it will not be because I can't do it - that was the case once in my life, but by far the majority of problems with education were unrelated to my abilities (or so I humbly state) - but due to geography. Let the postcode lottery commence! :(


You never heard of distance learning?



Mootoo
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15 May 2013, 3:44 am

Well, Open University, yes... but I gather its eligibility criteria and finances are different. I haven't confirmed it yet, but someone recently said that apparently one could not get out a loan to pay its tuition fees... and OU has high fees, though not as high as conventional universities, my impression is. And, well, if I can't get a loan then however could I apply there?



Stargazer43
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15 May 2013, 12:39 pm

The vast majority of people at college actually either live on campus or get an apartment near it. There are loans and things you can take out if you can't afford it, but if you do just make absolutely sure you go into something that will allow you to pay them back afterwards. What is HB?



NewDawn
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15 May 2013, 6:55 pm

Mootoo wrote:
Well, Open University, yes... but I gather its eligibility criteria and finances are different. I haven't confirmed it yet, but someone recently said that apparently one could not get out a loan to pay its tuition fees... and OU has high fees, though not as high as conventional universities, my impression is. And, well, if I can't get a loan then however could I apply there?


You can get financial support from the OU.
http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergradu ... /index.htm

I've studied with OU Netherlands on finacial support and didn't have to pay much (35 euro a month or so). The OU UK can't be much different (EU regulations).



Mootoo
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16 May 2013, 8:11 pm

NewDawn wrote:
You can get financial support from the OU.
http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergradu ... /index.htm

I've studied with OU Netherlands on finacial support and didn't have to pay much (35 euro a month or so). The OU UK can't be much different (EU regulations).


Thanks, so I suppose these people (that are supposed to specialize in education) were merely lying to me...

@Stargazer43 - housing benefit. It's what doesn't transfer, I think, but I'm not entirely sure now either.