What's life at uni actually like (UK)?

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I'm talking to people who specifically went to university in the UK because I know it's a different sort of experience to American "college".

We've obviously all seen how they show it on telly, but what's life at university actually like? I will be going next year and I need to mentally prepare I guess, it's a massive change in my life to move into the halls and do a degree and everything.

If you have any perspectives about what it's like, please feel free to share

Currently, I'm in the second year of University.

Confusing as this sounds, it's the same College building I went to for two years for a BTEC and am now in there studying a 3 year Degree course.

Why?

Because it is similar surroundings, and I know it off by heart.

I don't live down there (as it's 25 miles away from where I live) because I cannot afford it. I also didn't bother with the 'freshers' parties, but have gone out a couple of times to get drunk. I'll hopefully save up all my drinking for when I graduate.

I travel back and forth twice a week via my scooter, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Your experience may be different, but I find this much more comfortable on my behalf, and have plenty of floating support down there.

Finished. I don't recall much or can't summarize in that fashion. I think I gained a new appreciation for many things and other views in life. Overall wasn't bad, people are super friendly in their first year and then what happens next I didn't understand. Yes this social game is in the new level as well but no one bothers you if you just decide to dive into your studies which is heaven. If you do the workload reasonably and really don't do crazy s**t, which I did, then it's much much better than school. (Had I known any other life..) I couldn't stand this drinking thing, was very spread. But I found some people like me which was gread.

And as for UK , I think there are different social aspects which I am clueless about. People are very polite in general so that shouldn't fool you. There is a ton of activities to get involved, this land is so beautiful. It depends on which unversity it is perhaps. Oh and girls have a very odd sense of fashion. So yeah, nothing useful.. I think I learned more bout my subject than what was happening around me.

I'm a first year Uni student, and i have to say it's a lot different than i was expecting. My Uni is about an hour and a half away from home (walk, then train, then bus) because i can't afford to live in halls, but people don't really talk to you unless you make yourself approachable, which you really don't have to do. I've made a few friends, but it's not like high school, uni students tend to be more mature, so there's a higher chance of them accepting you for who you are. It's scary having to go away from home, but if you're like me and you love your routines, it's great. Lectures and seminars are at the same time every week.

If you have a friend, one who knows you well, it makes it a lot easier.

Hope this has helped

What about Australian Universities?
Theyre again different because theyre on a huge campus with lots of buildings and pathways with not just one big complex like the UK, Rest of Europe (i know what theyre like in Germany) and America.

Australia's Uni's are much more laid back, well thats mine and my friends universities anyways...

Were far from the American style of just sit there in a lecture theatre. I feel like its more like a 3 hours once a week class.
Our lectures are one hour, and could be in any building other than where the class itself is held.

not all subjects have lectures though. but we do have lcturers which we just call our teachers cause its easier. Its not THAT much different from highschool but the work loads harder and theres no idiots running around. (well not true for our campus, we have Essington International on our campus in the university) Essington International is an international highschool, all of us uni students HATE having them on campus.

my daughter wants to go to the UK for her master's degree someday, so i am interested in what people have to say.

All I will say is that it depends on which one you choose. The ex-polytechnics such as Manchester Met, Staffordshire Uni are completely different in style / appearance to the more american college type ones such as Keele and Lancaster ( )

It depends what you want. I've studied in Staffordshire and at Leeds Met; they're more about the people, surrounding towns, and course rather than the campus / 'experience' itself. They are all very different from each other in UK, there's not really a set style. I hope someone can list some other examples, i remember Edinburgh University looking rather beautiful from the outside, anyone been there?

All the replies so far have been very helpful, thank you all.

Did anyone here live in halls and get involved with anything socially? Personally, I'm not too interested in drinking constantly and going to parties, but at the same time, I see this as an avenue to make myself a bit more social and hopefully do what all teenagers want to do when surrounded by other teenagers of the opposite sex...

I graduated a couple of years ago. I lived in halls and found it difficult at times, ok at others. The good things about living in halls are that there's lots of people around if you have a problem; the bad things about halls are that as there are many people around, it can be quite noisy.
I joined a badminton club where I could meet people, but didn't attend any of the club socials because they all involved drinking lots and going to nightclubs.

I was in halls in my first year and lived in a student house for my second and third years. I can only talk about my own experience of course. I was lucky that I was in a flat with, what I would call, other oddballs and so I didn't stand out so much. I don't know what I would have done if I had been in halls with the 'popular' crowd. Still they went out drinking and partying several times a week. At first I joined in but hated it and quickly reverted to not going out much. I did get a lot of stick for not going out much and it did get me down quite a lot. If you find some good friends then it should be ok. I hadn't been diagnosed when I started uni but it would have made things easier if I could have explained to people why I don't like socialising much and got help with some parts of my course.