Question: You went to UCL which is obviously a very prestigious university, do you have any regrets about going to university in London because of expense or would you with hindsight perhaps of gone to another university elsewhere in the country, I live in Merseyside and would like to become a midwife i have been researching into the kings college London but I am unsure on whether to move away from home, what is your opinion on it?

Suze Kundu answered on 15 Jun 2011:

Hey! 🙂

Yeah, UCL was the one for me, from the moment I went to visit for an interview. It had a really buzzing vibe around the area, it was close to Oxford Street and Camden, it was in the best city in the world (in my opinion!), and the university had a brilliant reputation.

I wouldn’t change my choice of Uni for anything. I love it so much that I’ve done three degrees all in the same place. I think they might make me get a job somewhere else now 🙂

The difference with me was that my parents only live in Surrey, which is an hour and a half away from London. I lived in London during my undergrad course, but now I’m actually living back home. I never got homesick because I knew that home was close by. I am glad that I did live away from home for Uni though, as it is an experience in itself. You’ll meet people that you’ll be friends with for the rest of your life, and you’ll have so many ‘firsts’ with them. We all still laugh about the time we did this, that, or the other, and it was nearly ten years ago!

I digress, sorry 🙂 I think it’s a good thing to move away from home. It’s scary at first, but everyone will be in the same situation. If there is a good course at Kings, then I think you should at least go for it. It’s really not that much more expensive, as there’s a lot of accommodation geared specifically for students, so you won’t be paying crazy prices for a flat or house, and you’ll get a guaranteed place in Halls in your first year, which I would thoroughly recommend.

At the end of the day, if the course at Kings is good, and people know about it, and you graduate from there and go and get a job, your future employers will take this into account, so it could boost your chances later down the line. However, if you decide that it’s not for you, then there are loads of courses that would be just as great. They may specialise in slightly different areas, or teach the course in a way that better suits your learning style, so go and visit some places, find out about the courses, and speak to people that are doing the course if you get the chance, as they’ll be able to give you an opinion and some idea as to why they chose their course at that Uni.

What are your thoughts about moving away from home? Is it the worry about the expense, or being far from home? Liverpool is no distance at all on the train from London! 🙂 Let me know if you’ve got any other questions, and good luck on your course! Being a midwife must be amazing, as you’re taking part in a memorable moment in so many people’s lives! Brilliant 🙂