I'm a 19 year old in the UK. I was at high school for five years, and then moved to sixth form for a further two, although had some complications in my second year because I only ended up leaving with two A-levels. This resulted in me taking an extra year at college to gain another A-level for hopefully having the option of going to University this summer.
However now the time has come for me, I'm really unsure of whether I do want to go or not. I think my family want me to go. Think it'd be a really great experience to live away and I'm really interested in the course but I really don't know whether I do want to go through another three years of education now as I'm one year behind most and just feel like it may not be for me. I do tend to struggle in social situations a lot because of a disability with my hearing and I can be very shy, which sometimes meant I had a hard time at school, as well as being a little O.C.D. Just not sure this is for me. Any advice would be appreciated.

I understand I am hard of hearing and I also have some OCD traits so go to the Uni where females outnumber the males and I am sure a good old druken student night will sort out your fears

i think you should do it but before you go to a college, go to a community college and do some courses to catch up. You could also just go to the college you want to go to and take some courses in the summer, they are faster but cover the same material that you fell behind on. If you are having trouble keeping up w/ everyone in the summer classes, then just do a community college class. I myself do community college classes. Anybody from kindergarten or above can take them(I'm not saying Kindergartners do take college classes) and they tend to cover the same material as a university. If you want to take a college class at a comunity college, then just make sure it is transferable so you can use those courses to fill in what you missed in your school.

Also, if you dont get such good grades in a community college class, you dont have to use that transcript when you apply to your university. But if you get all As in a community college class, than a F, you can either use the transcript or not use it, you can only keep all the classes or through away al the classes.

also, check the university's policy on taking community college classes. Im not sure if its different in UK, i live in america

Being one year behind isn't a big deal. A decent number of people at your uni will, in fact, be starting older than you are, so don't let that stop you. In fact, with just one year difference between you and the more traditional aged students, no one will even be able to tell that you're older, from looking at you.

You say you're interested in the course, and in living away. If you need a year off, after all this schooling, simply to exist away from school for a while, take a gap year. That's completely normal to do in the UK. Take a gap year, travel or work or volunteer, and then apply for next year.

I hear you saying that you're not sure that uni is right for you. And yet what seems to underly that, at least in part, is that you're afraid that your hearing impairment will impact your ability to do well, and to make friends. I do understand your point. It's hard to make friends and stuff when you're surrounded by people who hear well, and you do not. It can be isolating.

In the US, we actually have two very well respected universities that are Deaf/hearing impaired unis - Gallaudet University, in Washington, DC, and the National Technical Institute of the Deaf, part of Rochester Institute of Technology, in NY. And it can be a wonderful thing, to go to a university where there are a decent number of hearing impaired people on campus, where people just get it. Where you can make friends without barriers. Where other people there have been through what you've been through - the shyness, the social situations, etc.

The UK has no such university. However, you're more than welcome to come over here! :LOL: No, seriously, with three A levels, you'd get into Gallaudet, and it's a very good, well ranked school. It's respected for its place in deaf and hearing impaired history, of course, but it's also simply respected as a darn good school.

I don't know if this type of uni would be appealing to you - I know you're not deaf, but to be around other hearing impaired people, on a uni campus? Would that ease some of the social issues? Allow you to more easily make friends with both hearing impaired and fully hearing people?

Whether or not you go to uni - that's up to you. But if it's that your being hearing impaired is a big part of your hesitancy re: doing well and social situations, I want to see if there isn't some way of finding a uni that fits you - all parts of you, including this.

I wonder if there are any unis in the UK that have sizeable Deaf and hard of hearing populations? Bristol University appears to, due to its Deaf Studies major (you don't have to major in that.) I don't know if this is of interest to you, but if having other hearing impaired people around appeals, it's worth asking about and researching.

In the US, large hearing impaired and deaf populations tend to cluster around Deaf schools. If you know the Deaf schools in the UK, and know of a uni near those towns, those unis would be likely candidates. I know this is true of a specific uni in California that's near a Deaf school, and of the one I went to in Massachusetts, so it may be true in the UK as well. Gives you a place to start, if you're interested.

have you thought about what you would do if you dont go to uni? will u work? travel? maybe gain some valuable work experience or travel to lots of diff countries? maybe after all them yrs in education like us all u feel u want a break from it but dont not go because you think you are to shy or your hearing will impair you. do not feel pressured to do anything to make others happy. deep down u know what u really want and i think youyr just afraid to do it. make your own path in life. if u decide not to go to uni this year you are only 19 u have your whole life to go. seriously do what makes u happy and follow your heart. i really wish i had been like u and asked for advice at your age.

So what is your question?

I think you should go to University because you could meet a lot of people and not everybody is 18 years old. Some take a few years off or often many people change their programs.

Just think of three years at a different school with different people. It's different from high school and there's different environment. There's lots of perks to going to University. You meet new people, new professors and find out what your interests are. It's a different atmosphere and you may get student discounts for shows, items and if you travel in the summer and you can meet other students.

It's really worth it to go. It's only three years.

You may say you're a year behind most but in three years, you're going to say you're behind people in three years? But there's always older students. You're parents might be worried that you never go to University.

Remember, you have the whole rest of your life to live on your own! But it may be harder to go back to school later because you might not have the money to go later. Also, it's harder to get back to school when you've been away from it too long.

Having a higher education always keeps the door open for more jobs you can apply for. Some job postings specifically ask for people who have degrees.

Who knows, you could wind up stuck in the same dead end job you detest and unable to promote or look for other opportunities all because you don't have a degree.

You can check the school if they have some kind of accommodations for you if you have learning disabilities. I am sure there are other people who have had difficulties in high school but they're still planning on finishing University.

University is the right choice but you have to work hard. Look at it as a fresh new start in improving yourself academically.

Just do it and get it over with and you don't have to go back unless you want to.

Aww man the only way to help yourself is to move away.
Get out of your comfort zone.
I will be 19 when i start Uni next year (I didn't go right after school as i was unsure of what i wanted to do)
I am bad for anxiety and can be very shy, i also suffered from ocd when i was younger and although it's much better, i still hold many habbits.
I decided the best way to get over it all is just to go for it, so next year i'm moving to glasgow for uni (I currently live in edinburgh)
I willbe living in halls with people i don't know but i actually cannot wait.
I really think you should go for it. I recon if you make the most of it, it'll be the best thing you ever done
Good luck!