'Cause I'm young and I'm hopeless, I'm lost and I know this, going nowhere fast...

[fayefaye]

that's what they say' [Good Charlotte]

I just spent what I think was over ONE AND A HALF HOURS (but now I've lost all sense of time) Searching for information on scholarships for studying in the Uk. And I turned up NOTHING. (one more piece in the puzzle falls into place-my hatred of internet research) I'll save you some time now, and tell you there's NOTHING out there worth applying for.

UNLESS-
-You are the child of a diplomat, In which case you can receive a scholarship worth an unspecified amount (who knows? Maybe they just give you a cabbage) for the duration of the year.

-You are physically or mentally (but not emotionally/psychologically :p) disabled

-If you have been living under a rock for the past five years, and have only just begun to surface

-If you don't mind going to a university that describes itself as 'embracing the nearby domestic airport,' or 'situated right near the M1 motorway' -because what better place to hang around than the M1 motorway??!
etc,etc. I don't know... I'm frustrated and probably just crappy at finding things...

[fayefaye]

ooh! actually, I did come across something about a GOLF bursary, if anyone's interested. (yeah, GOLF. Can you believe it?)

Course, I don't like golf, and stick it on my list of 'sports that aren't sports,' alongside snooker. Oh, and chess. Have you ever come across those people who refer to CHESS as a sport? what are they thinking??

[ihrocks]

A few helpful hints...

Contact the universities you are interested in directly, and let them know what you intend to study. Often, especially in fields where there is a "shortage" of skilled people, programs are offered, not as scholarships, but community service programs (they pay for your schooling if you agree to work a year or two in that field in a poor community).

Also, keep in mind that tuition is on the rise in the UK, but preference is still given to residents. Investigate programs that are offered to residents of the UK. It might take you three to six months to establish residency (I know requirements vary here in the states), and that might take an upfront investment, but you may have more alternatives offered in the long run. Also, check with local universities to see if they offer exchange programs, study abroad programs, or have partnerships with UK institutions that might offer some assistance.

Best of luck,

ihrocks

[Koa]

England is far too expensive...:( Shame, it would have been a solution to my problems :(

I'm seriously considering doing a semester abroad, and my dream is Hungary, cos I love eastern europe (and this is the only eastern country where my university has a partnership). I'm still not sure, the scholarship they give only covers part of the expenses (and is the same for every country, in the UK I'd barely pay a rent with that), and plus I wouldn't want it to make my studies slower cos I want to graduate as soon as I can so i can runaway!

Good luck faye...

[piquant]

I was trying to study abroad for a semester in Australia (they speak english and have sun), but the university I'm at now told me they'd take away the scholarship I have now and not give it back to me when I came back.

If you need a scholarship, become poor. Declare independence form your parents and show the gov. that you have no income and they'll give you lots of money (although they'll make you pay it back). Also, universities like to give scholarships to poor people because it makes them feel good. At least that's the way it is in the good old USA. Hope it's as easy in australia for you! The trouble with study abroad is that your gov doesn't give you loans, and the gov wherever you're going doesn't give you loans, so you basically have to pay for it yourself. (This is why, like Koa, I'm waiting until I graduate to run away to europe).

[fayefaye]

you're university sounds like a total b8tch! Which one's that? I'll know to avoid it.

So, if I want money to fund my education, I should throw all my money away, and ask the government for more? The world is so stupid. that's why I should run the education system. *evil smiley*

[azmuse]

How about going to a school in Australia that has an exchange program with universities in England, and tons of other countries? Or no?

[fayefaye]

Yeah.... I just like the idea of going to a university there... you know, not just for a couple of months or a year, but for the whole course.. :(

[piquant]

No, it's not that bad. They gave me full tuition, so I have nothing to complain about (except the snow and rain and lack of culture). If you want to go to school not in your country permanently, then I bet its going to cost A LOT of money. Good Luck, but I guess anything's possible if you're determined.

[IWilKikU]

I go to school not in my country perminantly and it does cost A LOT of money. Its hard as hell trying to find an international student loan. Not even a scholarship, just a loan!!! No American Lending sharks want to give me money and than let me leave the country :mad: . Anyways, my parents ended up renegotiating their mortgage to make sure I could go God bless 'em.

[azmuse]

Holy turnip patches! That was very sweet of them!

[Koa]

Well people, in my country students loans don't exist. If you're poor, you can avoid paying the fees and maybe get a scholarship... I'm not rich, but my parents both work so I'm not that poor to get one.
(Btw fees are much much cheaper than the UK and so much much much cheaper than the USA as far as I know, but still it's not a little amount...)

Studying abroad for the whole course is out of discussion, we have exchanges, they give you a scholarship but it's usually not enough, it pays just the rent. Well, in the UK it pays the rent for 1 or 2 weeks. In Hungary, hopefully there's something left after you've paid the rent.

A lot of people here choose the university in their city, not to move from their parents' house. In some cases it's the typical Italian mentality of living at home till the age of 30, in some cases it's just because they can't afford it. Those who move are those who dont have a Uni near enough, or are rich enough not too care, or whose parents don't mind sacrificing. My parents would do that for me, but I didn't want to, I hate to depend on them so I try to work every now and then to afford my little travels, and books, and my little things, but I'm also saving to go and live alone as soon as I finish my studies. Which is a mess cos I'd love to do the 2 optional years, but that'd mean I won't graduate before I'm 25, that's an old age to leave home (in nothern mentalities like mine, in Italy as I said it's considered even early! Unless you get married...)
That's also why I'm not sure about the semester in Hungary, I'd love the experience but it might make me miss some exams and make my studies longer.
How I hate decisions...

[fayefaye]

reading this is so depressing. :( I really am young and hopeless.

[fayefaye]

What difference will determination make if there's nothing to go after?

[Koa]

Well, that's how the world is... In most cases, there's nothing to do, just take the best you can get and take the best out of it.

[fayefaye]

Don't say that koa! damn, that's depressing! Say, 'do whatever you like!'

[Koa]

aaah sorry- i'm crap at cheering people up cos I feel that if I say anything positive I'd be lying... I really can't....:(

[fayefaye]

Well, don't lie. I like honesty, even if it's brutal.

[subterranean]

Originally posted by azmuse
How about going to a school in Australia ...


In my country studying in Aussie is like the main option, specially for those who seeks scholarship (like my self :) ). Cause the amount of is is enough to pay the school fee, books, rent, monthly allowance, etc.
I've graduated from university few months ago and trying to look for postgraduate scholarship and it's easier to look for such than for graduate degree scholarship. Like Koa said, studying in UK is so darn expensive and I've gave up that hope long time ago :(

[fayefaye]

which country you in? Wait, there are that many scholarships here? Which unis? I didn't even know that.

[subterranean]

:D

I'm a third worl country citizen and you'd be surprised with the number scholarships in a 3rd world country, especially offered by those richy rich western countries based on historical and political reasons

[fayefaye]

yeah. all those equity things. I can't apply for them.

[subterranean]

I wish I could say what I want about the scholarship and equity matters but that would be a hipocracy!

[fayefaye]

just say it.

[subterranean]

yeah, but who am i kidding?

myself

[fayefaye]

SAY IT!!

[subterranean]

Now Faye, you're not trying to intimidate me are you?

[fayefaye]

I think equity scholarships are a fine idea, if somebody has been through hardship and genuinely needs help. Some people really need financial assistance, and giving it to them is good. But at the same time you can't hand things to people on a platter because they're just from a certain country, and because your country wishes to maintain it's political ties. That's what I think you wanted to say, that's my opinion on the topic, and I wanted to hear it from somebody actually in a third world country. Or, I wanted to hear your real opinion. Not everybody thinks like me.

[subterranean]

It's not really what I wanted to say. First, if you look at the registration form you'd see that they only offer certain subjects, which of course they say will give more benefit to the country itself (yea right!). Second, after 9-11, lots of funds are given for subjects which are related to securities issues. Third, they give specific requirements about what sort of applicants that can be accepted.

[fayefaye]

Ironic thing is, the subjects they offer scholarships for are in areas where there are no jobs. SO you get a scholarship, have no student loans, but then, lo and behold, have no job either.

[subterranean]

Indeed!

And here's another reason: Many foreign govts don't give funds to study in your onw country. Ok, the quality of school maybe one of the reasons. But i think there's an economic reason as well. When i get a scholarship, the money is spend in the donor country, means that somehow it gets its money back..
What do you think?

[fayefaye]

Probably. Plus it looks so good on the outside when they do that, nobody realises they're really recruiting productive labour resources from less fortunate countries. I never thought of it that way-that's really interesting. the selfish buggers! If they really wanted to help your country, they'd let you stay there.

[IWilKikU]

I go to a private religeous college, and since I'm from America, I have to pay my *** off, while there are Eest Africans here who fail all thier classes for free. The only reason that they're here for free is because they're African. If they were from a developed country they would never have gotten a scholarship and their parents would be pissed at them for failing. Thats why I think that ethnic/political shcolarships are bull****.

[IWilKikU]

well damn! I didn't know that they edited *ss and bullsh*t!

[Koa]

D'oh, I didn't even think of looking for scholarships to do the whole sourse of studies abroad... I had just never heard of that, I'm only used to scolarships for a period, a semester or two.
I so much hate the way university is organised here, every ignorant idiot could do as well as I do (as they do infact), cos it's not very hard at all, I study hard mostly for passion, but there are people who study half than I do and do as good as me. Maybe I'm some kind of fascist but I wish there was a better selection (in most universities there's no exam to enter, anyone who possess a diploma can just register... (well it's obvious, more people, more fees, more money to the state, more money for our politicians to steal :D). I think this, and most of all the very superficial way in which the whole thing is structured, can lead to 'produce' people that just don't have the competence they should have once they graduate.

[subterranean]

Yea, same thing with the university I went to. My faculty (social and political sciences) is the crowdest faculty. There are bachelor degree programs (10 majors), diploma programs (7 majors) and extension programs (7 majors). This faculty is indeed a money making machine that uses education as its covers :mad:

[fayefaye]

Quite a few university's will let students in on a sliding scale, too. Like if they're willing to pay higher fees, they can get in with worse marks. That also sickens me.

[Koa]

Here we just get in and pay, previous marks dont matter.

In Russia education is free but there are exams to enter Uni... But those who dont pass the exams can go anyway if they pay :D Or so I was told.

[IWilKikU]

Originally posted by fayefaye
Quite a few university's will let students in on a sliding scale, too. Like if they're willing to pay higher fees, they can get in with worse marks. That also sickens me.

Oh come on, if you couldn't get into good uni's with bad marks how would Bush have been able to get his Master's? Give the guy a break!

[azmuse]

Why??? He got gentlemen's C's.
And how/why did he get in here.

[fayefaye]

If you're Scottish, you can go to uni anywhere, and the govt pays for it. I wish i was Scottish. But every time I try to pull off the accent, it sounds pirate.

[Jay]

Well, here we have "government paid" unis and private unis, which you pay for (d'oh). There are entrance exams to almost every uni, the exceptionons being science ... subjects, as most students go to humanities. So if you'd like to study physics here, on a gov. paid uni, you probably would be accepted with no problems, the thing is you'd have to be good enought to stay there, a lot of students quit of their own will or are told to thank-you-was-nice-get-lost. Getting into a private school's here's known for "if you have money, we can teach your kid" policy. Or if your folks have an old friend who's friend knows a guy in the school who owns him/her a favor... this has to be everywhere I guess. Can't say for myself though, was in gov. paid schools only. The only things you pay for in a gov. paid uni are place at dorms and textbooks.

[Koa]

Weird, here the only Unis that have exams to enter are some scientific ones, like Medicine...(thanks God...a bad Languages uni makes a bad teacher or bad translator at worst... I wouldnt want to be cured by someone that entered Uni just because he ddint know what to do for those 6 years...).

Here too, we have State schools and Uni, where you pay (but not much at all at school, just a tax), and private ones, usually owned by religious but not only, where you pay a lot more and they're considered to be for rich people whose kids are too stupid to go to a public school :D (a lot of people fail 1 year at a public school and move to a private one where they'll pass more easily).

And our nice government is giving input and money to private ones (which dont need money at all), while the public ones are in a disastrous state... teachers are badly paid and dont work well, most school buildings literally fall apart...

[subterranean]

Originally posted by IWilKikU
Oh come on, if you couldn't get into good uni's with bad marks how would Bush have been able to get his Master's? Give the guy a break!


I was a little bit surprised when a friend told me that Bush studied at Harvad..hmm :rolleyes: .But I heard that Clinton was a smart one, I mean He only got like one B and the rest were As.


In my place, some universities held entrance exams just for formality, cause actually they accept all those people who registered.. One of the benefits to held entrance exam is that the Univ/college/institute can collect fees from the exam regristration...Damn bloodsuckers :mad:


Originally posted by Koa
... and private ones, usually owned by religious but not only, where you pay a lot more and they're considered to be for rich people whose kids are too stupid to go to a public school (a lot of people fail 1 year at a public school and move to a private one where they'll pass more easily).

Are you refering to Universities? If u were, then same thing in here but not with elementary till highschools. In my place most of the religious private schools are considered as the best schools, and that's why my mom sent me to Catholic School. She said Catholic school gives the best education.
I don't know for sure whether it's true or not, but one thing that I know is "Catholic School Girls RULE"..

:D :D

[IWilKikU]

Yup Clinton was an A student at Caimbridge University. Do you know how effing hard it is to be an A student in British Uni's? Its pretty effing hard!

And I gotta agree with Sub. Catholic School Girls do RULE! (yes, I know he's quoting a Chili Peppers song, but damnit its the TRUTH!)

[subterranean]

I know!!! A friend of mine want s to register to LSE (major in International Relations) and she must have International TOEFL test score around 600..And I also know that to get a scholarship in Cambridge you must have at least GPA around 3.7 / 4.0.

Well I know that it's RHCP song, but I already think like that since I was in elementary school (which is a Catholic school). Kinda narcist, I know :D

And by the way Kik, I'm a She ;)

[IWilKikU]

hahaha that makes it funny. I thought you were a horny guy who likes Catholic school girls... like me ;)

[Koa]

subterranean is a girl???????????????????????????????????
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: (i wanted to put more faces but I cant post it if there are too many apparently :rolleyes:
Damn, you fooled me for all this time! :D

No, I was referring to schools...the private/religious ones are those where only rich or stupid kids go (or that's what most people think). There are also private/religious Unis but they're similar to the public ones, just much more expensive.

[subterranean]

Originally posted by IWilKikU
hahaha that makes it funny. I thought you were a horny guy who likes Catholic school girls... like me ;)


Yeah, all guys do I suppose :D. Except Elton John perhaps :D :D


Ah Koa, did I make you disappointed ;) :p

[fayefaye]

we don't have GPA's here. grade point average? What's it mean?

[IWilKikU]

Grade Point Average, in America is on a scale from 0.0 - 4.0. 4.0 being straight A's. My highschool GPA was 1.7!!! :eek:. Now that I'm in college I am doing infinatley better. My year of college in the US was 3.8, and in the UK they go on a different system, but their still pretty good.

[subterranean]

Originally posted by fayefaye
we don't have GPA's here. grade point average? What's it mean?


Are u in college? I think all univs and college in the world has GPA to measure your brain :rolleyes:

Kik, thats a good one (3.8). My GPA was only 3.4 when I graduated :( :( !!! But I think sometimes someone's intelectuality can't be measure with GPA, I mean I have some college friends who are very smart, but their GPAs are only around 3.0-3.5

[IWilKikU]

Grades measure intellegence + motivation + work ethic + orginization. If you only have one or two of these you can get by but school is going to be really hard. If you have all 4, 4.0 is no problem. I started out with 3, and I'm working really hard on orginization.

[subterranean]

I guess it's a different thing cause in my place GPA is purely about clas score. Organization activities are not included, and that's why my brother said that I only got 3.4 coz I involved too much in many activities!!

[IWilKikU]

No no no, what I mean is grades and class score is a reflection of those 4 abilities. Also, in your case, I guess priorities also factor into GPA. What I was trying to say was that GPA is not a straight reflection of intellegence. Really really smart people who are lazy don't get good grades. See what I'm saying? Oh and by the way, 3.4 is good!

[fayefaye]

*sigh* my organisation skills are terrible. I once spent half an hour searching for a book, and nearly twisted my ankle wading through all the junk in my room. You wouldn't believe it.

[fayefaye]

and lately i've lost all my motivation anyway.

[star blue]

the highest gpa I ever got was a 1.3.

[star blue]

hey you!

[fayefaye]

ok, so back on topic....

[den]

Okays, sorry fayefaye... so did you get your cookie/posting prob solved?

[subterranean]

Originally posted by IWilKikU
No no no, what I mean is grades and class score is a reflection of those 4 abilities. Also, in your case, I guess priorities also factor into GPA. What I was trying to say was that GPA is not a straight reflection of intellegence. Really really smart people who are lazy don't get good grades. See what I'm saying? Oh and by the way, 3.4 is good!


O ok, slightly misunderstood there..


Originally posted by fayefaye
my organisation skills are terrible. I once spent half an hour searching for a book, and nearly twisted my ankle wading through all the junk in my room. You wouldn't believe it.

Well me too, but when it comes to organize other people and activities, they said I'm soo dependable