Universities

[Remarkable]

Well,this is probably just me turning slowly mad,but hasen't enrollement in universities become more difficult over time?Ok,yes,I'm still two years away from graduating from high-school,but most of what I can find online are master-degrees.The thing is,I want to study abroad,preferably France or England but it's either too expensive or it has a total lack of organisation of the website.And then,scholarships seem very scarce all over Europe.Ok,I still haven't decided what I'm going to study,but I know I want joint subjects and those seem truly difficult to find.Have you guys had these kind of difficulties?Me,I'm not in a very comfortable position,since I have to give about 100 language tests and for the next two years I'm going to be deep with language courses.

Can anyone give me any clue?I would call that person a kind of a saviour,since I'm getting kind of obsessed over the whole thing...Yes,I know,that's me...

[Poetess]

:lol: :lol:

Yes I have gone through this difficulty. I decided on Bio-Chemistry. Then, I thought of Business which I really dislike, but I was good at economics class.
I changed my mind into Archaeology for I wanted to dig, to almost live the past, and for how much interested I am in History. When I was younger, I had a definite resolution on going for English Literature and Psychology together.
The last thing I wanted to seriously go for was Genetic Engineering, but then I had to study it abroad and it is deeply expensive.

Eventually, I went for Directing. My major is Acting - Television and Cinema. ًًWhy? Because this is needed now, trust me. This Audio-visual age -if I may call it- is really of our everyday life.

It depends on what you actually are going for, sciences or arts? - I know they actually meet in a way or another but don`t want to go off topic.

If you want to go for sciences, I suggest you go for Genetic Engineering (isn`t it the name?).

If you want to go for Arts, then I suggest you do like me. I see how theater students suffer, and no much opportunities for them here, maybe you have there.

My field includes Directing, Producing, script writing, Editing, sound techniques...etc.
You may choose one of them, or be good at all of them.

[JBI]

There are no need for scholarships in many European countries, as school is dirt cheap for EU citizens compared to the U.S., and even Canada. If you aren't an EU citizen, then you will probably need to study in your native country, or pay to be an international student.

The governments of most western countries subsidize their universities in order to allow more people to afford to study there. The U.S. is behind in this, but they try to compensate by creating scholarship programs (though they do a rather mediocre job of it). School is an expensive process, and it costs a lot of money to teach someone, especially in fields like engineering, computer science, science, business, etc. If they let every student in for the standard fee, they would lose megabucks.

Of course, it is unfair, but if you want to study abroad, you'll probably have to pay for it through the roof. It all depends what you want to do, and where you want to go, but it will probably be extremely expensive regardless.

[sprinks]

I was just at a uni open day today. The one I'm considering has many many different ways to get in and ways of comibining courses and things like that. Also, yes, studying abroad is expensive. From the info I got today, it's $10 000 (AU) to do that.

[vheissu]

Well,this is probably just me turning slowly mad,but hasen't enrollement in universities become more difficult over time?Ok,yes,I'm still two years away from graduating from high-school,but most of what I can find online are master-degrees.The thing is,I want to study abroad,preferably France or England but it's either too expensive or it has a total lack of organisation of the website.And then,scholarships seem very scarce all over Europe.


Well, it really depends on what you want to study. The more people apply for a specific subject, the harder it will be to get a place.
If you have 2 more years to decide, then you have plenty of time to really think about what you want to do.

Why are you looking at online masters degrees? And what websites are you looking at? I'm asking because you mentioned a total lack of organization, and british university websites are anything but unorganized.

I don't know anything about French education and how to apply for french universities since I did my degree in the UK, so can't help you there, though I'd find the prospect of studying and living in France very exciting!! :)

Scolarships...well, in the UK, Europeans have a big advantage if they go to a Scottish university: they simply don't pay tuition fees. English students who go to a Scottish university do pay.
International students pay a lot. And most of them do get scolarships or some form of funding from their own country of origin, because eitherwise it's simply impossible. Or the family is very well off.



There are no need for scholarships in many European countries, as school is dirt cheap for EU citizens compared to the U.S., and even Canada. If you aren't an EU citizen, then you will probably need to study in your native country, or pay to be an international student.

I really wouldn't call it dirt cheap. It probably is cheaper than, say, the US but it varies between country and it's a well known fact that the majority of students have to tackle tuition fees (if they have to pay in full), rent, bills, bla bla bla....A lot of students, at least in the UK, graduate with debts to pay since they have to take out loans.

[Annamariah]

It's good to study in Finland - there are no tuition fees at the university. I only have to pay 75 euros a year for Student Union Membership and 20 euros a year for all the papers and photocopies.

Is the option of studying in your own country completely out of the question?

I guess you should try to find someone who has studied abroad and ask them for advice :)

[Nightshade]

Study as a foreign stuident in england is from what Ive seen very expensive. I know at my uni on my course its £8,000+ a year, every year and there is no cap on foreign fees so they just increase it every year.
:nod:

[Remarkable]

Well,thanks everyone.JBI,you are a bit pesimistic and all,but not everything is black.

Vheissu,I'm not looking for master degrees online.I'm still 16 and I still need to be an undergraduate before that...It's just that I'm looking for school websites and all that,trying to find scholarships,but those seem to be more awarded to the ones trying to get a master degree.

Yes,I know,England is expensive...That's why I'll probably not go there...And since I'll also be an international student,the prices will probably become devastating.In most of other European countries what kills you is not the school fee,but the living.


Poetess,thanks for the tips!I like the way you change your mind,I do it a lot too!I'm more into art and social siences;I'd actually love something like Psycology and Mass-media but among other things,I should find a place that does this.And yes,I'm afraid it is completely out of question to study at my own country,unless I can't get a place somewhere else...

[qspeechc]

Well, I too did not have any clue what I wanted to study when I was your age. The best thing is to read up on the subjects you might think you're interested in, and speak to people who work in the field. What helped me was shadowing someone. I thought I wanted to do chemical engineering, and then I went to shadow a chemical engineer at my local university and found it deathly boring. If I hadn't done so, I very well might have studied chemical engineering!
However, popular science books give the wrong impression of what it's like to actually study and work in science; it's not so glorious and thrilling, you have to really have a passion for it.

This is probably redundant in saying, but you should study what you love, not what will give you a big salary or what you're good at.

Yes, it has become more difficult to enter university, the competition is tougher. However, it's not so important where you do your undergrad, as they are mostly the same everywhere, the real difference is at the masters and phd level. If you do well during undergrad, you work very hard, you will get into a good postgrad school, probably with a scholarship/bursary. The big name univerities are not always the best, as they could be more research-focused than teaching-focused.

Also, when they look at your application at a university, they don't only look at your academic results. If they're excellent, you'll probably get in, if not, they look at other things- did you play sports, an instrument, did you have a job (shows maturity) etc.

If you find you can't afford to go to university, there are several options. In my country you can actually get a loan from the government, and they don't charge any interest. Or, you could ask a company for a loan. They pay for part or all of your studies on the condition that you work for them for a certain number of years after you graduate. However, you have to keep performing academically at university if they are to sponsor you. Or you can find a private individual willing to sponsor you. However, if the university really wants you, they usually find a way to sponsor you with scholarships or bursaries so you can study there.
As a last resort, you could study part-time and work part-time to pay for your studies, it's not impossible, I believe that's what Albert Camus did, the youngest person to win a Nobel prize for literature!

You are still young, you still have plenty of time to research jobs, universities and so on, and it's a good thing you ask now. Good luck.

[vheissu]

Well,thanks everyone.JBI,you are a bit pesimistic and all,but not everything is black.

Vheissu,I'm not looking for master degrees online.I'm still 16 and I still need to be an undergraduate before that...It's just that I'm looking for school websites and all that,trying to find scholarships,but those seem to be more awarded to the ones trying to get a master degree.

That's why I asked :)

Anyway, 16 is still pretty young to make the big decision. I think for now, you're safe in deciding in general terms what area you can see yourself not only studying because it interest you, but also what you think you'll enjoy jobwise as well.
A lot of people tend to say do what you like the most and yes, you should study what you really like, but you should also try and see before you decide to apply, what career prospects that particular degree will offer you. It's very possible that you might slightly change views at the end of your course, and go into a different direction from what you originally set yourself into, but nevertheless, it's good to have an idea about what you'll be able to do.

I'm not saying to choose something you really don't like but will most probably give you a job as soon as you finish, just try if you can to combine both aspects.

qspeechc's suggestion to try and shadow or at least meet people who are in the line of work you're thinking of getting into is really good. It will definetely give you perspective and a more realistic approach to the subject you decide to do.

[qspeechc]

vheissu raises a good point. You may study one thing at university, but work in a totally different field. People change their careers several times in their life, inevitably. Look at Angela Merkel, she was a physics professor and she ended up as the German Chancellor!

Some people also start studying something they're not so sure about, but grow to love it. Far more study something for the money and end up bored (and boring).