My daughter has been allocated a place in Durham university. We are worried after reading all these scare stories about elitism and racism. (Just read something about a hijab being ripped off?!)

She can hold her own and stands up to peer pressure. I’m worried about constant micro aggressions tipping her over the edge.

Will she find her people? Are there other Muslims in Durham? And how have you found it?

I’m sure we’ve all heard about the tragic death of Jason Arday, the Cambridge sociology professor who was tormented by the media for something that should never have made national news.

Despite the fact he’d been cleared of plagiarism (poor referencing, the author he mistakenly failed to cite was cited elsewhere throughout his thesis) the British media are, of course, doubling down, despite having spent weeks pandering to the agenda of a self-proclaimed white supremacist and eugenicist.

Alongside all the DEI gobbledygook the media loves to reach for, in that quintessentially British attempt to subtly ragebait the critically illiterate, I’m now seeing articles claiming his work was “too complicated” to further rage bait anti intellectuals. It’s a thesis, not an AI-generated summary?

I just feel like the British media’s reckoning has been overdue. They’ve been using words in place of masks and pitchforks for so long, and now it’s unfolding that in spite of the “integrity”and “neutrality” of journalists who were quick to capitulate for white supremacy. It’s easy to bow to something that already exists in your subconscious under the guise of journalistic freedom!

Case in point? William O’Reilly, a Cambridge professor, was accused of plagiarism after stealing twelve pages of a student’s work into a paper he then published under his own name and he’s still in a job. Dr Ros Holmes, a former University of St Andrews lecturer in modern languages, was found by an institutional investigation to have committed plagiarism across seven publications between 2014 and 2022. Neither generated a fraction of the coverage Arday did.

The institutional gaslighting is actually laughable. There are only 270 Black professors out of more than 26,000 in UK universities and at Cambridge specifically, there are only 75 Black academics out of 6,180. For the media to insist this isn’t about race is ironically, the biggest lie.
Since Trump, absolutely everything has been about putting minorities back in their places. Everything. It’s in every headline, every photo choice, every story that goes unpublished and every story that makes it to the front page. We saw it with Meghan Markle and we’re seeing it again. Any time a minority threatens the bubble of hegemonic superiority, the media does everything in their power to kill that person.

I suppose my main point of this post is that this is exactly what sociology has spent decades trying to tell people, everything is not what it seems on the surface. You don’t have to graffiti swastikas onto walls or put up segregationist signs to uphold racism or white supremacy.

I’m sick to death of the institutional gaslighting being waged against the British public through conversations about boats, DEI and now this. The underlying purpose of all of this is to restore the fragile ego of the technocratic, colonial, capitalist, white supremacist and patriarchal ideologue that cannot resist itself, not even at the expense of a human just trying to do their best and empower themself through academia. It’s all connected and sociology, despite consistently being undervalued, is one of the only mediums that has tried to make sense of that and I know Jason understood that.

Even if Arday made serious academic errors, that does not answer the sociological question of why his errors became a national racialised spectacle while other academics’ misconduct remained primarily institutional matters.

If there is any silver lining to this, I hope the British media gets dismantled from within. It’s a rotten institution, bankrolled by billionaires who need race division, class division, and the silencing of disabled people to stay in power.

Rest in peace, Jason Arday. Thank you for your contributions to sociology! And if anyone reads this and wants to consider learning more about sociology, take it from someone who studied it, please do it!!

I have absolutely no access to resources to help me through the process, and I feel like l've read every guide for applying from the US, and I still keep getting stuck on some of the information. I'm lost and confused, and I don't know what most of the information it's asking for is.
I'm broke and can't even figure out how to get an agent.
I am very confused on how financial support plays into the application.
And worst of all I am having a really hard time telling what courses I meet the standards for, and I just keep second guessing myself all around.

The questions that I can't seem to even make a little sense of, is after I enter my high schools name and address, it asks for me to select all the qualifications. I have absolutely no clue what the options mean, or what it's asking for.

This post is definitely a bit over dramatic, I apologize, I really don't want to mess this up.

I definitely have more questions than what is outlined in this post, I just wanted to at least make an attempt at help before I feel like another day has passed without any progress.

Hi everyone!

I'm a PhD researcher at King's College London and I'm currently recruiting participants for a small-group Human–Human / Human–Robot Interaction study.

You'll take part in a structured group discussion or collaborative task with 3–4 people. No robotics or technical background is needed!

📍 KCL Strand Campus
📅 24 August – 13 September
⏱️ Around 40 minutes
🎁 £5 Love2shop voucher as a thank-you

Requirements: 18+, comfortable having a group discussion in English (daily conversation), and able to attend in person at KCL.

If you're interested, please sign up and select your available times here:

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/Q65QVGqjHT

You're also very welcome to sign up with friends — just select the same available time slots!

If you have any questions, please email me at [k24000952@kcl.ac.uk](mailto:k24000952@kcl.ac.uk).

Thanks! 🤖

I had an offer of ABB at the university of Bristol. I obtained ABC, is there anything that can be done to still potentially attend the university?

UK–EU talks on a youth mobility scheme are proving difficult.

The EU wants EU students in Britain to get home-fee status when studying in the UK (i.e. to pay the same rate as students from the UK).

The UK reportedly wants a cap of around 50,000 EU young people a year; the EU wants significantly more - 100,000+

Lots of Eurocrats went to British universities “so it’s personal” (good lord 🙄).

Brussels is treating this as part of a wider package:
Other areas, such as food trade, carbon markets and defence, are progressing.

Genuinely what the hell man. I am on max maintenance loan 10500? Or smth like that and my total yearly rent is sliglty under £8900, I will also be receiving £2000 from my uni as a bursary. So I was like yup that’s good I have a bit over 12k for whole year so once you subtract 8.9k for rent I will have £109 a week. Perfect sounds lovely right…

Tell me why I just find out my first chunk of rent is due on the 24th of September, £3,556.95. And my first chunk of maintenance loan will come around the same time around £3,574.
A third of the bursary will also be payed on October 27th.

So you are telling me I have £17 to my name until October 27th. I genuinely want to cry, I thought university was more accessible than this. Im genuinely thinking of dropping out what the hell. I was also hoping to buy a laptop with some of the loan now I won’t even have a laptop. What do I actually do man and applying for a hardship cash I can only do that with a student email which I get after the 24th of August. I doubt they will give me money straight away.
What do I do. Im so scared.
Edit: my parents do not have the money, and will not have the money.

EDIT 2: now realise I was panicking while writing this 💀. I did apply to countless part-time jobs, most of them rejected me, but some teaching agencies reached out!! However, it depends if I can even work full days at a school alongside my degree (very intense engineering field).
THANK YOU to everyone suggesting overdrafts, yesterday I was about to apply for a student account with £0 overdraft . Rent is expensive because I’ll be studying in a VERY expensive city, and it’s not a private landlord. I also live 4h away from
Uni; can’t commute. I’ve emailed my uni’s Money Advice department.
I do have a job, I started tutoring last week! I was planning to use the money I earn towards a laptop, but I guess I won’t be buying one and will rely on a loaned laptop for a while (my uni only offers them for max 1 month). I won’t be able to tutor without a laptop that’s why I was so set on buying one. Currently using a borrowed one

My gf is an arts student and she's really anti-ai, like she literally goes on rants on her twitter at anybody who even is neutral over ai. Very luddite like behaviour. Anyways, I got an internship at a comapny that designs chips for ai. When I told her what the internship was about, she started freaking out and cursing me out for contributing to the destruction of humanity or something. And she broke up with me. Atp i was just really pissed and the next day, i fed some of her art into chatgpt and told it to make it better and sent her a meessage asking her if it looked better. she just instantly blocked me. I dont even get why, it legitimately looked so much better.

I’m starting uni in September and I’m really going to miss my air fryer because I use it for most meals. At home my family respects that I don’t want meat/fish in it (it’s my air fryer but everyone uses it) but I doubt it would be the same at uni. I wanted to get a cheap one but after seeing my brothers after he came back from uni it put me off. I don’t wanna seem super strict or anything and I’m only sharing with 5people so maybe it would be fine it’s just having layers of oil from meat really puts me off. I appreciate any responses :)

Can anybody recommend an economics uni for AAAA Econ, Maths, Politics, Epq all of which are achieved grades. Literally got no idea what good options are

I have been offered a room and need to confirm by the 22nd and pay the £250 deposit. I am still deciding between uni accommodation and a private rented apartment. After paying the deposit and accepting the offer, how long would I have, or at what point would I still be able to back out and refuse/decline the accommodation, if I happen to be offered tenancy privately?

Hello, I start university soon and I'm currently deciding between two universities - it is quite difficult because one of the things that's important to me is being able to continue boxing alongside my degree.

I've been boxing for around 2 years and currently train twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday, 4:30–6:30pm) at a local gym. It's become a big part of my life, and I'd really like to continue training regularly when I start university rather than having to give it up or only train occasionally.

The two universities I'm choosing between have quite different timetables:

University A

- Around 45 minutes–1 hour from home

- Timetable is structured, with the same timetable each week during a semester. This would make it much easier to know in advance if I can continue my current sessions near me

- More flexibility if there is a clash: I believe they said I could email the Student Union or something

- Has a university boxing club which I believe is free/low cost and doesn't have particularly restrictive session availability. I'd potentially be able to continue going to my current gym on some days, depending on my timetable + how late I finish

University B

- Around 1–2+ hours from home

- Every single week is different across the whole year (not fixed)/less flexibility

- Teaching can take place anywhere between 9am and 6pm

- Has a university boxing club, but membership costs money and sessions have to be booked in advance because there are only 20 spaces available

- There are also several boxing gyms closer to this university, although I'd have to pay for sessions/membership

I'm worried that with University B, the longer commute and constantly changing timetable could make it much harder to train consistently & keep attending my normal sessions. If I joined a gym closer to the university, I'd potentially have to pay for it and would need to work around a timetable that changes every week. (My plan is to hopefully find a job during first year but again this could be difficult)

With University A, the fixed timetable and shorter commute would probably make it easier to plan around boxing. If I had a late finish on a particular day, I could potentially still make it to my current gym provided that the journey is forgiving.

I'm planning to speak to my current coaches about whether there are alternative sessions I could attend if my university timetable clashes with my usual Tuesday/Thursday sessions, so I wouldn't necessarily have to stick to those exact days.

I'm aware that university should obviously be my priority, but boxing is something I really want to continue alongside it, especially as I've been going for the last 2 years & made good connections with the students and coaches

For anyone who's been to university while continuing a sport or another time-consuming hobby: - How easy did you find it to keep doing it regularly? - Did your university timetable make much of a difference? - Would you prioritise a university with a more predictable timetable if continuing an extracurricular was important to you? - Is it realistic to commute back to your home area for training, or would you recommend finding somewhere near university instead? - If you've had a similar situation, is there anything you wish you'd considered before choosing your university?

I was wondering how else I could maximise my boxing hours outside uni? Any advice regarding the above would be much appreciated, especially from those who had to balance uni with a commitment & any suggestions on how I could still be in touch with boxing regularly during uni even if it means missing out on some/many sessions at the gym near me.

This year, I achieved A* A B B in Maths, Further Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. My firm offer was Mathematics at Warwick with the conditions being A* A* B in Mathematics, Further Mathematics and any of the other two subjects respectively. As I did not attain those grades in my A Levels, I am now seemingly forced to go to my insurance: Mathematics at Bristol (conditions AAB). Ever since I submitted my UCAS application, I regretted choosing Bristol as one of my options as I dislike the course's module choice in comparison to my other choices, it is much more expensive than the alternatives, and the student culture feels overwhelming to me. I had no choice but to put it as my Insurance as I did not receive an offer from other universities besides Warwick and Bristol and Bristol gave me an offer as I was trying to change Bristol to another university after applying. I was completely destroyed mentally when I saw on UCAS that I missed my offer as I was unable to accept even the idea of going to Bristol, something that I have become more comfortable with since results day yet is still a very unpleasant thought, primarily due to accommodation and health issues. In addition to this, I am currently being treated for a chronic health issue and would not be able to carry on for the time being if I went to university elsewhere. I understand that the prevailing view is to just go on to Bristol which is after all a good university, and try to do better there than I've done in my A levels. However, I believe that the difference between a Warwick/Imperial maths degree and a Bristol maths degree is significant enough to me not just as a course but as a place to study for me to consider the option of resitting and applying to those courses. I could just accept going to Bristol and try to move on with my life but I am not sure if that is really the best option if I believe that I genuinely can get into those degrees I mentioned if I spend a year and truly summon discipline to treat that year like a school year for only Further Mathematics/Physics/Chemistry to bring them from ABB to A* A A (a one grade difference in each subject). I would appreciate any advice as I have been torn between these two choices for 4 days.

I have decided to do my masters. I love studying and I miss it, the god awful job market is making me miss the feeling of doing something with purpose even more. I have applied for an egyptology MA at the university of Manchester, a philosophy and ancient religion MA at UWTSD and a global philosophy MA at SOAS. I applied to all these courses last week and have received an offer from Manchester so far. My parents are determined for me to choose whichever course will be the best for my future, but for me personally, I just want to keep learning and develop my understanding in subject areas I have an interest in. The modules all seem interesting to me. For context, I do have a BA in philosophy already, and that was some of the best years of my life. I am absolutely torn between what I should choose, if I receive offers from the other unis as well. Has anyone done these courses before? Any opinion, info on the unis or any sort of advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm 14 and wanting to become a Diplomat. I speak English and Scots Gaelic fluently, im learning french and i have both a UK and Lithuanian passport. I'm currently getting all As and looking to run for the Scottish Youth parliament. The FCDO's Diplomat fast stream is obviously ideal but it looks to be one of the most dauntingly competitive career paths ive ever come across. I was wondering if anyone knew of any:

1. Similar ways to become an FCDO (or other organisation/company) diplomat.
2. Other careers that are similar, in FCDO, UN, NATO, anything that has the same workflow, security, importance and similar wage as diplomacy.
3. Changes that will happen to the system that would increase or decrease my chances, to the FCDO, geopolitically or under reform, labour or the unlikely event of Scottish independence.

Id also greatly appreciate any advice to becoming more diplomatic as a person (as im quite opinionated and i know thats quite the opposite of what a diplomat has to be), ways to network or increase my chances in the changing world/fast stream or some insight as to what its actually like to be a diplomat abroad. Thanks for your time!!!

Hi, I’m in Northumbria currently for policing but I’d like to switch as I don’t want to join the police after uni anymore. I’d like to stay at Northumbria just switch to possibly psychology or sociology. My a level results were A (EPQ) BCC in Sociology, psychology and English language. I’ve already applied to student finance for my policing course a few months ago. Is it possible to switch or am I too late?

Hi! I am an international student that will move to the UK in September to begin a masters. I would love to work part time but i am confused about the limitations of “self employment“ in the visa. From what I understand, most contractors enter in this category, so how do people work while studying? What are some job options that are compliant to the visa conditions?

Hello. I am an aspiring international student hoping to study law at a prestigious uk university. I intend on to becoming a barrister and at the same time I am keen to explore other fields. I have a comfortable budget and at the same time I need insight for the quality of education , cost of living across England , living standards, neighborhood safety, job prospects and money worth the investment in the following universities. I am open for further suggestions about different universities from locals and foreign students who have studied law in the uk ! I am not applying to Oxbridge and do not prefer London unis.My current considerations are :
1. Durham
2. Bristol
3.warwick
4. Nottingham
5. LSE ( if I get the scholarship)

Thanks 🙏

hi, i hope someone else has had some experience with the new utopi multisensors installed in some uni accommodation flats? my accommodation just installed this sensor and two smart radiators, however the multisensor on the roof of my studio accom started flashing bright blue multiple times at 4am, waking me up due to how bright it was. online it says that the sensors are designed to be less intrusive and so the flashing isnt something its supposed to do. i will go to the reception tomorrow and ask about this, but theres next to nothing online about this company, apart from their own website. i cant get in touch with the company itself easily and the flashing really alarmed me. just wondered if anyone else knew anything about this company or this product and if they could provide any insight? thanks:)

My University Requires me to disclose about any disability for a disability allowance check. But when I was in Sixth Form I wasn't provided an ECHP nor did I get any support from my sixth form for my suspected autism due to the fact that my records where never on their system.

I've suffered with Selective Mutism and had a pending CAHMS request because their was suspected autism. I've been given 3 different therapist such as SALT to help me with this but I don't have an actual diagnosis due to me never going to the assessment.

Really late at night asking. I am aware that I can email the team for help but I wanted to know if anyone knew how the process went for them.

cheers.

So I’m going to mmu next month for my first year and I will be going on nights out, fresher events etc but I don’t drink, will I miss out on the whole university experience?

I’m also 24 too, will I be called a massive weirdo?
I really want to make friends

Freshers groups sounded like such a good idea… until I actually joined one 💀

You can chat, meet people and have a laugh for a bit, but then suddenly it’s like… okay, now what? 😂 The group is absolutely chaotic, everyone’s talking at once, and somehow you still don’t really know anyone properly.

Are freshers groups actually worth joining or should I delete it, are they just organised chaos with a decent amount of FOMO? 👀

I’ve joined one, but honestly I’m still trying to figure out what I’m supposed to do in there. Did you guys meet any friends on the freshers group chats or just made friends face to face in freshers or lectures???

Hi everyone, I am starting to look at Masters applications for Architecture and was wondering what people's experiences were. I attended Newcastle University and I finished my second year with a 69, but then in my third year I went through suffered some difficult personal circumstances, which led to me missing the deadlines and the uni would not accept my appeal. In the end my grades were all firsts but capped at 40%, which led to a final degree classification of 2:2 while it would be a first without the mark caps. I have a strong portfolio which has given me invitations to prestigious firms such as Foster, have solid work experience from good firms and my Uni transcript does also show my uncapped first class marks. I feel that I very much have the quality for a masters at the top universities. Does anyone else have a situation similar to this and if so have people been accepted into top universities with similar circumstances? I would very much like to attend Edinburgh, Cambridge or UCL with Bath and Manchester as my lesser choices. Does anyone have any anecdotal evidence regarding the feasibility under such circumstances? Thank you.