I'm going to uni for 2008!

[JJretroTONEGOD]

I've been doing some research into uni, and I've decided that I'm going to apply for a B.A in Music (not popular music). I'm going for the 'music' degree because it covers more styles and includes world music, classical and jazz, as well as rock and pop, and I'll generally have more choice in what I want to study. I'm heading in a more world music/jazz direction and compositional, not performance, as I've already studied a HND in music Performance, and frankly it doesn't do anything for me anymore, it's not complex enough for me. I am also interested in composing for film and games, or TV jingles. I am actually aiming to do a masters in World music, but I'll calm down now, one step at a time.

Anyhow, Salford uni looks like the best one I've found in the U.K, but I'm going to apply for 5 in total., what other uni's do you recommend? and why?

What is your experiences of uni? i.e did it actually help you being in £15,000 of debt with finding a job in this cold hearted talentless industry? I need to know that doing a B.A will actually improve my life, otherwise why get in debt? p.s I'm actually going becuase I want to learn music! and meet people, as apposed to becoming an alchoholic/drug addict and throwing my loan down the drain, like so many students do.

please add your experiences.

regards,

Ben.

[WezV]

first things first - stop worrying about the debt!!!  Its not like the repayments are bad and no one is gonna break you legs or try and reclaim anything if you cant pay it back!!!

[JJretroTONEGOD]

first things first - stop worrying about the debt!!!  Its not like the repayments are bad and no one is gonna break you legs or try and reclaim anything if you cant pay it back!!!

I'm just being realistic.

[WezV]

so am i - i still have some fairly hefty student loans.  

every month some money automatically goes out of my pay as part of the deductions and they are small enough that i dont notice it.   The pension and tax are a lot more painfull to read

the debt does not count towards my credit rating so will not affect any other finance i need in life

when i didnt earn enough it didnt get paid - there are no penalties for non-payment


That is the reality of the student loan system and its a lot less scary than people make out

[dave_mc]

agreed, it's the cheapest, and most easily paid-back money you'll ever get. even if you don't need the money, i'd advise you take it, because it's at a lower interest rate than any other loan you're liable to ever need, and if you can't get a job it doesn't need to be paid back.

in fact for a while there, it was lower than inflation, so the amount you owed was actually going down in real terms. Unfortunately, the government has now realised this.  

EDIT: of course, the annoyance may arise if you finally get a job which you could have got without uni. but other than that, it's win-win.

[JJretroTONEGOD]

thanks for the advice.

[dave_mc]

no problem. i mean, it's not so cheap money that it's worth going to uni solely to get the loan (  :lol: ) but it's pretty good.

[Ted]

I'm actually going becuase I want to learn music! and meet people, as apposed to becoming an alchoholic/drug addict and throwing my loan down the drain, like so many students do.

But thats what uni is for!!! Get loaded, score with chicks and still get a 2:1....happy days...

[JJretroTONEGOD]

I'm actually going becuase I want to learn music! and meet people, as apposed to becoming an alchoholic/drug addict and throwing my loan down the drain, like so many students do.

But thats what uni is for!!! Get loaded, score with chicks and still get a 2:1....happy days...

lol

[Muso]

I would have loved to have done a music degree but I decided to do comp sci because of getting a job afterwards, hah what a joke that was! (5 years later and still no proper job) Just out of interest what grade are you at theory wise? because it's my understanding that music degree is the next step up from grade 8, you might be expected to know a lot of stuff already.
As for getting a job afterwards most people I know did who music at degree level ended up working in a totally different field. You could teach music at a school which is probably the easiest to get into. Anyway life isn't set in stone if you get a degree just do it for the experience don't worry about the money so much.

[_tom_]

I'm actually going becuase I want to learn music! and meet people, as apposed to becoming an alchoholic/drug addict and throwing my loan down the drain, like so many students do.

But thats what uni is for!!! Get loaded, score with chicks and still get a 2:1....happy days...

 :D Exactly, probably one of the main reasons I'm going :lol:

[Philly Q]

But thats what uni is for!!! Get loaded, score with chicks and still get a 2:1....happy days...

I knew there was something I'd forgotten to do when I was at Uni...  :(

[JJretroTONEGOD]

I would have loved to have done a music degree but I decided to do comp sci because of getting a job afterwards, hah what a joke that was! (5 years later and still no proper job) Just out of interest what grade are you at theory wise? because it's my understanding that music degree is the next step up from grade 8, you might be expected to know a lot of stuff already.
As for getting a job afterwards most people I know did who music at degree level ended up working in a totally different field. You could teach music at a school which is probably the easiest to get into. Anyway life isn't set in stone if you get a degree just do it for the experience don't worry about the money so much.

I have a huge amount of theory knowlege even beyond Grade 8 theory aka Advanced Jazz concepts, modern classical, improvisation, Eb Superlocrian, Gminor7b5#11 ect ect. I could spend all day explaining it! You guys are right though I am probably worrying way to much about money, it's only a small part of the bigger picture! I think once I get applying and going to open days, I'll feel a lot better about the whole thing, I'm striving to be an independant musician, living soley from music. As for pulling women, I've well and truly lost my mojo, at only 22! not much confidence, bad bad experiences lol

[DeanS]

I'm actually going becuase I want to learn music! and meet people, as apposed to becoming an alchoholic/drug addict and throwing my loan down the drain, like so many students do.

But thats what uni is for!!! Get loaded, score with chicks and still get a 2:1....happy days...

Absolutely, spent most of my grant on getting loaded, guitars and women- the rest I just squandered!

[JJretroTONEGOD]

I'm actually going becuase I want to learn music! and meet people, as apposed to becoming an alchoholic/drug addict and throwing my loan down the drain, like so many students do.

But thats what uni is for!!! Get loaded, score with chicks and still get a 2:1....happy days...

Absolutely, spent most of my grant on getting loaded, guitars and women- the rest I just squandered!

What grades did you get?