Paying £9,000 per year for university is a tough pill to swallow, but try thinking of it as an all-access pass to higher education rather than a lump sum for one undergraduate degree. Once you’re a university student, your uni card is your key to any lecture or event on campus without any VIP areas or golden circles.
Taking lectures in subjects not related to your course is a common piece of advice. However, it’s essential to be selective and find lectures that interest you. Explore departmental notice boards to discover guest lectures, paper presentations, and special talks covering contemporary issues. Attending such events would enhance your knowledge and give you insight into cutting-edge research while enjoying a few freebies like drinks or snacks.
Tom Corfield, a former engineering student at the University of Bristol, created Best of Bristol, a website that allowed students to vote for their favorite lectures. He then organized a lecture series with some of the most popular talks. His new website, Fruni, aims to provide the same service to university students across the UK, allowing them to make the most out of their education.
If you know what you’re doing, you can get a whole extra degree out of your university experience, essentially getting a "buy-one-get-one-free" deal. However, if you’re looking for a sweeter deal, many universities offer free lectures and talks outside of core course time, given by renowned academics. These lectures are free to anyone, not just students, and museums, libraries, and arts centers often have similar events. Several websites, such as Lecture List and iTunes U, also provide online access to thousands of lectures from leading universities worldwide.
By piecing together all these resources, you can create a university course for yourself virtually for free. However, you won’t receive any qualifications, and there are no exams to stress over. In many ways, it’s the perfect university experience.
