Foundation year or just settle?

[BL4CKB0X97]

I have a choice if settling for an average degree at an average university, or do a foundation year at a prestigious university and get a specialised degree? Any advice?

I also intend to advance to a masters and a Phd, so the foundation year will add an extra nearly £10000 of student debt.

Thanks.

 

[Choppy]

Some points to consider...

1. What does a "foundation year" mean to you?
   Are you adequately prepared to study the subject you want (presumably physics)? If you don't have the appropriate prerequisites getting in at a school that would let you study anyway is likely a recipe for trouble. In other words, independent of the school, it's important to have a look at where you're at now and decide to the best of your ability how well prepared you are.
2. How average is average?
   Are graduates of this "average" school/program getting into the MSc or PhD programs that you would like to get into? When they do, are they successful? If this is a place that's likely to get you where you want to be and you feel you're going to learn the skills that you want from them, and have the opportunities you want, then I would keep in on the table as an option.
3. What is prestige worth to you?
   For me - not a lot. I wouldn't go that much more into debt and waste a year of my life if I knew that I'd end up with the same education in the end. But that's me. Sometimes the big name schools come with bigger opportunities. For example, if you develop an interest in a specific area, the bigger school may have more opportunities to do research in that area than a smaller school. And sometimes you can put a school's name to good use on a CV. It won't work for you, but it could make you stand out in a saturated playing field.