When I went to uni to do a BA I had five contact hours a week. The work was light and I was invisible to tutors. I doubt my personal tutor could have picked me out of a line-up despite the fact I eventually came away with a 1st. Life revolved around getting drunk and hanging about with mates. Everything was quite grungy and the university felt underfunded and the students uncared for.
I spent my third year at a US university and it was so very different. Many hours of tutor contact each week, lots of connection with tutors, student life was so much more than getting drunk: it was about sport, community work, societies and studying as well as partying.
All this makes me think I should be saving for my kids to go to university in the US. But maybe UK universities have changed. What is uni life like now?
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Has UK university life changed much in the last 20 years?
moctodtensmum · 28/12/2019 16:17
Wow - it sounds so bleak. The idea of an 18 year old sitting in their uni bedroom watching lectures remotely, watching tv alone, having few contact hours and even fewer of physical contact and then FaceTiming friends. I feel sad for my kids if that is what awaits them.
Not the experience of my dc, their friends, my dns, my Godchildren, or my friends' dcs.
I've been looking at Universities with my 3rd dc this last year - believe me, societies, sports, community service, volunteering, campaigning, meetings are all very much alive and well.
Now, 20 years ago, 40 years ago - it depends on the student and what they 'opt in to'.
Just like society - some people join in everything, some people specialise (sport or whatever takes over their life), some people dip in and out of things, some people hide in their homes.
ds had a lad in his first year who they really saw. It was a sociable flat, - the other 6 remain friends 2 yrs after graduating, but this lad wouldn't even come into their kitchen for the Christmas dinner ds cooked.
OTOH, dd spends Probably 20 hours a week on her sport (lot more if you count travel to away games) , and tries to squeeze in some study around that 
Lol, I don't think they even had frothy coffee when I was at uni - instant was all I remember
I think attendance is checked at DDs uni for her course for seminars (seems to be able to just watch lectures online?) but not sure about DSs uni/course. DD says her faculty are more "on it" than others.
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