Ohhh I see, that seems a little cruel though if I'm understanding correctly, if they're accepted into the university but don't get into the program it must be upsetting despite there being other similar courses.

In the UK you apply for 5 courses at universities, they'll either accept or decline you based on target grades and potential, if accepted you have a place on that course, as long as you get the required grades they offered you then you're in. Is it like that in Canada?

Hmm, they accept/decline you when applying to the uni for the program. I had ~90% average in last grade of highschool, so I had no problem getting in.

Then when selecting your major is another place where they can accept or decline you. So, it can be upsetting.

The first stage you go through is basically the whole process for the UK it seems. How long is your course?

Oh, and it's typically like that.

4 years. Typically. Sadly, I have to do it in 5... or 4 with a 1 year break

You'll get through it, its one more year where you don't have to work

My course is 4 years but 1 year is placement

Ahh, alright. Are you currently in Uni?

Ah no, I guess what I said was badly worded. I meant that three courses I've been accepted for are 4 years. I'm still at school for around 6 months.

Oh, alright. And was just wondering cause from what I remember, you looked a bit young. But that was a while ago.

And what program are you thinking of taking?

Yeah I'm only 17 at the moment

I've applied for 3 courses because I wasn't entirely sure about what I wanted to do, I originally applied for psychology, crime scene investigation and computer science with forensics, after I applied I realised that I didn't want to do psychology so I have 3 out of 5 universities I'm realistically looking at choosing.

Oh, alright... How are you selecting which unis to go then?

Whether the modules they provide interest me, the student ranking, the country ranking, what the uni looks like e.g. accommodation, their facilities, reviews, distance from home etc.

Oh dang, so many variables.

Eh really?

Yeah I'm good thanks, just doing exams and stuff

Im glad, and thought exam periods were over. When does the next semester start for you?

They're mock exams but they're still fairly important, if you do bad on them you get shoved onto a timetable to help you or get made to do extra classes/sessions. I also don't want to face the wrath of my teachers. Saying all that I probably should've revised a lot more, it wouldn't surprise me if I've done terribly.

Uh I think semesters are school terms right? In that case we started one at the beginning of January. Not sure when my next one starts.

Anyway how've you been?

Pretty good, back in Canada. Thinking of going back to the US to visit my gf before summer starts, since gonna start classes then.

For now, thinking of possibly getting a job, or trying for something else :/

Nice, nice. That'll be fun, is it hard having a long distance relationship?

Sounds good, are you in education still?

That's pretty sweet, glad it's working out for you anyway. Do you ever plan to move there if it gets more serious?

Sounds complicated even though it probably isn't haha, what are fees like on average for university in Canada (That is where you live isn't it?)

I want her to move here first, as it's easier for a American to become a Canadian than a Canadian to become an American. But eventually would want to move there.

Okay, so where I am, the university costs about $7000/year.
If you're in a 'deregulated' program, you have to have good grades and pay an extra fee, the extra fee depends on the program. Commerce (business) is about $10k extra. So instead of paying $7k, you pay $17k per year.
And you choose your program/major starting second year. So knowing this I was like, that is totally not good (I knew there was an additional cost, but not that much). So come second year, I picked my major as Astronomy (just some random program so that they don't charge me extra). But while there, I took all business related courses, except for 2, which are exclusive for that program. Which I was planning to take that summer. (That way I would have only paid the regular fee, and come summer I would start paying the higher fee)

But due to switching in and out of commerce, I missed my chance to take the course in the summer, since I wasn't able to get into the program in time, which lead me to get into the program right before normal classes started. But I did not want to, because then I would have taken the year 2 courses that I missed, which are prerequisites for courses that I would have for the next two years, so would have been a waste...

Ah you learn something new everyday! Hope it works out for you.

Jesus christ $7k is so cheap! $17k is a lot closer to how much my course will cost though, seems reasonable in comparison even though asking that much for university is theft.

Unlucky, still too complicated even though you gave me a good explanation haha, maybe because I'm too tired, I got the jist of it though.

Not cheap for us... In montreal, it's only like $2k/year

That's only £970 holy **** ! Is that per year or are you speaking monthly, if it's per year then wow, lucky!!

Pretty much every full-time course here is £9,000 although there are a few exclusions where it can be up to £11,000 because it's a more prestigious university or a harder degree.

Do you have to pay yourself or can you apply for student finance?

It's per year.... they pay that much per year...

And we get 30% financing. Not sure how it is in Quebec (province montreal is in)

That's insane, would you consider that cheap or expensive?

Interesting, we get student finance which is split into course costs, accomodation costs and a maintenance loan to live pretty much. How much you get all depends on how much your parents earn, whether you have children, a disability etc. All the money is payed back naturally but in monthly sums relative to how much you're earning.

Ahh, that's hella cheap. You can finance your studies with just a summer job :/

True but for something so cheap there must be a downside..

Is the teaching poorer or are they lower ranking universities?

Do you stay in accommodation or do you commute?

I commute, and they have no downside. They have one of the best medical schools in the world among other things.

But the university Im going to is top ranked in the country.

Wow and here I was thinking it was too good to be true.

Oooh smart kid, how prestigious! What are the entry requirements like?

Not that hard... I had good grades, but it's supposed to be quite easy. Just hard to get into the program. (Cause there's 1000 students that get into the uni, but only 300 that get into the program)

Ah how unusual, do you mean as in 1000 students for all the courses, or 1000 students are accepted into the university who've applied solely to your program?