So I’m almost 21 and I start college in January. And itll take me 2 and a half years to get my associates. So I’ll be almost 24 when I get it. And I want to go to school in the UK. So my question is would it be too weird and would I be to old to live on campus? My moms health declined and I had to put off school to work more to provide and everything is finally okay that I can focus on myself. But if I go to school in the UK, I would be scared to not live on campus cause I couldn’t afford a apartment so what would I do?? Please help! I want to go to school abroad so bad. Or I did find one school in the UK that would only require me to take 1 full year of college to attend first to transfer there. And then if be 22 if I went there. I’m just lost so please help?
There will be other mature students.
Will you be able to afford international fees?
It is hard to help you because your question is very confusing.
Please explain the educational path you are planning to pursue. Are you planning to go to community college in the US first, then transfer to a university in the UK? That would be an extremely unusual path, since UK universities do not normally accept transfer students the way US colleges do, you’d have to start over. And if you cannot afford an apartment in the UK, how do you expect to pay your tuition fees? There is no financial aid in the UK as you know it. Whether you will be 21 or 22 on moving to the UK sounds like it might be the least of your problems. Yes, 21 year olds do live in halls of residence, but UK universities tend not to offer housing for most of their students anyway.
Lots to unpick here apart from age and living in halls of residence (UK for dorm)
-
You would need to do all three years of the UK degree (sometimes 4 esp in Scotland, or depending on the program). You would need to contact each university to which you are applying and ask how they would consider your application.
-
There is NO financial aid for international students in the UK. Can you afford the international tuition and fees, living costs, and travel? If you are worried about costs, this might not be the way to go.
-
Although your first year may well be living in halls of residence, the vast majority o students move to off campus rented housing in 2nd and 3rd year.
-
What is it you want to study? You apply for a program or course in the UK e.g. History, and that is all you will study. Your application is all about why you want to study History and how you are prepared to be an excellent student of History. Your application will be read by the professors who will be teaching you, not an admissions officer.
-
Most halls of residence are single rooms, often with en suite. Many are self catered, sometimes arranged into apartments for 4-6 students. In this set up, it may not be that strange to be older than the other students, although you may well get annoyed by the behavior of those now four years younger than you
-
Have you considered studying at a US college and then taking a year or semester abroad on an official program? That might better meet your desire for an overseas experience, whilst also providing more financial aid, and be more workable as it is within the same US system.
-
Often UK schools are on a slightly different timetable to US colleges. e.g. many are late Sept/early Oct through to June for the school year. This can make getting internships and jobs back in the US problematic (they are all gone by the time you get back) and working in the UK may be difficult without the right visa status.
As @Conformist1688 said, there will be other mature students across a range of ages and early twenties are not unusual. I haven’t come across any UK uni which did not have accommodation for all first year students. There is usually a variety of accommodation from traditional halls with kitchen facilities shared by all in that corridor, to rooms organised into flats (apartments) with usually about 5 or 6 people sharing a kitchen. Bedrooms are usually single and often have en suite facilities. Unis are continually updating their accommodation so even these options may be out of date in some places. My offspring all completed forms expressing preferences (albeit a few years ago) and had contact details for the organisers of accommodation. As always, when the time comes, email the contact person with your concerns.
If you can’t afford to live in the country where you want to go to school then you need a new plan. Your best bet to study abroad is to complete your associate’s degree then transfer to a US college that offers study abroad programs.
What state are you in? Your 4 year schools may already have a study abroad agreement with colleges in the UK. In our state, students can study abroad for a single semester or an entire year, but they have to be able to cover the costs. Those usually include tuition and fees, housing expenses, meals, round trip international airfare, books, insurance, and spending money. If you start researching the programs your state universities offer now you can probably get an estimate of the costs. Check to see if there are any grants that might help cover some of it.
What are your career goals? It’s important to find an affordable college that will help you meet them. Make sure you take that into consideration when you’re doing your research.