<p>Hi. I'm looking for some advice/help. I am a 26 year old American student at my local community college. I went to a CC right out of high school and did terrible. As a result, I took a great deal of time off. Now that I'm older, I'm coming to realize my real interests in life. I would like to attend a university in the UK. I know transferring is nearly impossible. I have looked into Richmond in London, and though it sounds good, I feel unsure of its reputation. I'm not ready to move yet for financial reasons, so it will probably be a year or two, but I'm just getting ideas now. My questions:</p>
<p>I would like to up my grades some. I know I would most likely be starting from scratch in the UK. Would they even look at my community college grades? High school wasn't the best time and I've been out for eight years. </p>
<p>Would I be the only older student? I don't want to be by myself in a group of 18 year olds all the time. I'd like to know some UK students don't go right away either. </p>
<p>Any advice on this would be much appreciated. Thanks!</p>
<p>Maybe I have misunderstood, but it sounds like you are saying the following:</p>
<p>1) Your high school record isn’t very good, and</p>
<p>2) Your community college record isn’t very good.</p>
<p>It doesn’t give you much of a foundation to apply to UK colleges and unis, it seems to me. (Maybe I am wrong.) UK colleges and unis are on average HARDER to get into than US colleges and unis.</p>
<p>Why, exactly, do you want to go to school in the UK?</p>
<p>You haven’t given us a lot of information, so until I get more information I might suggest you apply to some USA college where you can finish your undergraduate degree. Then maybe you could go to graduate school in the UK. Or maybe you could go to a US college that has a program where you could spend a year in the UK. Or something like that.</p>
<p>Maybe we just need more information about you.</p>
<p>I do apologize. I made myself seem quite lame. I originally did bad. I have since gone back and improved. Since I posted last night, I discovered about UK universities having different guidelines for “mature students”. Let me explain more. </p>
<p>I am going to continue my education here for now, mostly while I save. I don’t pay for school, I get grants. So I might as well keep my mind active and better my grades. I want to attend university in the UK for Italian studies. I could do that here in the states, but my ultimate goal is to move to Italy. This is something that I only discovered about myself within the last year. Attending university in the UK would allow me to travel to Italy much more easily to search for a job. I have not been slacking the past eight years since high school. I have been working since I was 16. I’ve had the same job for the past six years. So from what I’ve read, that should count for something. I know the costs will be higher, but that’s what loans are for.</p>
<p>Assuming you are accepted, I would think very hard about how much this will cost you. As well as tuition there will be living expenses, visa costs, travel etc. This calculator link may help you estimate how much you are likely to need.</p>
<p>I have thought about expenses. That’s why I’m not making any major decisions now. I am saving. Plus I have stock options through my job that I can sell. So that would be money. I also want to finish paying off my car, so I will sell that as well. </p>
<p>As for help with getting a job in Italy, it can’t hurt. Here, I can’t afford to fly back and forth across the Atlantic. There, I could take the train to job hunt. Not to mention hopefully intern with Italian companies that have offices in the UK.</p>
<p>Anyone beginning an undergraduate degree aged over 21 (sometimes including 21 depending on the uni) is considered a mature student in the UK and for such students there are often completely different entrance requirements. This may involve something called an access course, which is a (usually one year) refresher course aimed at people who did not do A-levels (equivalent to did not finish high school) or left school a long time ago. You will have to check with the specific unis you are interested in what their requirements are for you.</p>
<p>Close to 50% of UK students are mature students I think. However, my experience is that very many of them study part time and/or online. If you choose to live in student halls of residence (dorms effectively) you will very likely be with mostly 18-20 year olds. </p>
<p>Does “Italian studies” involve learning to speak Italian fluently? Or is it mainly a history and politics course? It is the language fluency you will need to find employment in Italy. I would encourage you to look at Italian schools, American schools in Italy and American schools which offer a year abroad in Italy as well. It seems like you have very little interest in the UK and just want to be there because it is the closest English speaking place to Italy (try Malta!). It’s not that close, and for foreign students the UK is very expensive. I think you will have a better chance of finding a job in Italy if you are actually studying there.</p>
<p>Do bear in mind you have no right to reside or work in Europe. Studying here will not change that. Millions of Europeans are unemployed and an Italian employer could employ one of them without paying for a visa. Also, do you have any real aptitude for languages? Are you genuinely going to achieve fluency in Italian, enough to live your life there?</p>
<p>I don’t want to burst your bubble but you must consider whether your plans will lead to disappointment and debt.</p>
<p>I never said I don’t have an interest in the UK. I have been there and have been interested in it for years. I used to have a map of the UK on my ceiling in high school. On top of that, I have a family friend there that I know I can turn to if I need support. I have researched the costs, so I’m not going into this blindly. </p>
<p>Yes, I plan on achieving fluency in Italian. The program I’m interested in is a language, history and culture type of course. To say I have no right to live in Europe is a bit rude. I’m not saying I plan on trying to live their illegally or anything. I plan on finding a job. If it doesn’t work out, then I can come back to the states. But I want to at least try. I’m sure you understand that. At least some. </p>
<p>As for going to school in Italy, that is what I originally looked into. But both English speaking universities are in Rome. And while that’s my favorite city, I cannot afford to live there. In the UK, I’m not restricted to one city. So to sum it up, I know what I’m getting into. I am very interested in the UK. I want to speak Italian fluently and at least try to succeed there.</p>
<p>No no no. I don’t want praise. I want advice on how to go about achieving my goals. I do understand where you’re coming from. But this is something I’ve been giving a lot of thought to and truly want. My poor coworkers have to hear me talk about it all the time. I just don’t want to be told no. That only makes me want it more.</p>
<p>But you insult anyone who does not worship you.</p>
<p>EU citizens have the right to live and work in Italy. If you are not an EU citizen (or permanent resident in some cases. Can apply to former European colonies) you do not have this right. This is legally the truth (In the same way I have no right to work in the USA), however terribly harsh you find using the correct terminology. Good luck in persuading the authorities the rules don’t apply to you. You are going to need it.</p>
<p>I don’t believe I ever asked to be worshipped. I asked for help. I was stating my reasons for wanting to attend university in the UK and what my ultimate goal was. Instead, you took that to mean I thought I was better, and that I had no interest besides Italy. You’re wrong. Don’t make assumptions if you don’t know. I’m sorry I even tried asking for help on here.</p>
<p>cupcake wasnt being rude when they said you have no right to live in the EU, legally you dont and getting a work visa is very difficult right now, people are struggling to bring in their spouses. Studying in the UK is no longer a shortcut to getting a work visa as the right to remain after your student visa runs out is very short - it used to be much more lenient.</p>
<p>As for entry requirements as a mature student it will be worth emailing admissions directly as yours is not a usual situation, whilst there are many mature students, they are not common at undergraduate level from outside the commonwealth.</p>
<p>re bringing your dog, it is highly unlikely you will find a student landlord that is pet friendly. </p>
<p>When you mentioned Richmond did you mean the American university here?</p>
<p>So at the moment you do NOT speak Italian, is that right?</p>
<p>If your real goal is to live in Italy, you are going to need to become fluent in Italian ASAP. I don’t see that there is any real overwhelming reason to do that in the UK rather than the USA. It might be more expensive for you to attend school and live in the UK.</p>
<p>Are you aware that because of the UK’s strict customs laws, your dog will be confiscated and put into quarintine for six months before you can bring it into the UK?</p>
<p>I think you should still be considering schools in Italy. Italian students often go to English speaking schools in the USA or UK, after all.</p>
<p>Why would you think you could afford the UK better than Rome? Assuming you are taking loans for this (that assumes you can get loans) that money will be coming in USD, the GBP/USD exchange rate runs 1.60-1.70, the EU/USD exchange rate is around 1.30+, that is a big difference.</p>
<p>Also, you are talking undergrad, have you investigated loans available? Your CC classes will not transfer in the way they might in the US, you generally are starting from scratch with a 3 year degree in England. Check into Italy if you want to live there, and if you hope for a job there, the key would be contacts, getting some one willing to hire you and sponsor the visa. Those contacts are better made in country.</p>
<p>If you cannot afford it, after doing the research, perhaps transferring to your local 4 year school and doing a study abroad year in Italy would be feasible?</p>
<p>Before you do all that work, check out the loans, there are generally restrictions on Stafford loans for undergrad, I am not sure how you will afford this.</p>
<p>I think you’e the same person I’ve seen posting in TSR. Personally I think you’re being very unrealistic; the chances of you finding a job in Italy are remote even if you learn the language. If I were you, I would study in the US, learn Italian there (UK language degrees involve a LOT of self study, if you can’t self study in the US you wont be able to in the UK either) - once you get your BA you could apply to do a master’s degree in Italy.</p>