I've lived at home all my life and only ever had one job, so I don't suppose I'm a particularly independent person...I make friends okay, but the majority of the people at the university of nottingham are supposedly all rich and stuck up, whereas I'm relatively poor and most likely a bit common, so I doubt I'll fit in that well there. Nobody else I know has even applied to this uni, so I'd be completely alone, with no idea whatsoever what to do!
I'm pretty confident after spending a while there I could find my feet, and the idea of a fresh start does appeal to me, but I'm incredibly worried about what I'll be leaving behind. My family are quite close-knit, especially me and my mum (who suffers depression), and I worry if I leave that will change, and her depression would get worse. It's not as though I would have the funds (or the spare time considering how advanced the course is meant to be, I assume it will be taking up a lot of my time) to visit home often, maybe once every 2 month or so?
My main concern though, is leaving behind my best friend of 6 years and my girlfriend of 1. I love her unconditionally, and whenever I stop to think about how much I am going to miss her, it makes me re-consider the whole thing. She and I are both adamant that nothing will split us up, but I'm concerned that moving so far away from her when I'm used to having her a 5 minute walk away, will be just too much. I try to not let it show, but I am (in spite of my efforts) quite a jelous and insecure person; I can't help but think while I am away for 3 year, she will find somebody else, think "Hey, this is easier", and end things with me. At the end of this year she is hopefully doing another college course (this time in something she enjoys >.<), and I don't want to miss out on this, I want to be supportive of her, and not just over phone calls and text messages.
I've also applied to do a Digital Forensics course at Teesside University, which is far closer to home, and wouldn't change my life nearly as much - I would be able to commute, and I have plenty of friends that have also applied there, and my best male friend has even applied to the same course. The course here does interest me, and Teesside does supposedly have a very good reputation for it's forensics department - it's won an award or something...they haven't made me an offer yet, but *fingers crossed* I should be able to get in since the entry requirements are lower than at Nottingham. Truth be told, this course probably appeals to me slightly more, although the career prospects afterward are not as varied as those which I could get from Nottingham. I also worry that a degree from Teesside will not be worth as much as one from Notts.
Anyway, I think I have rambled on enough now, sorry about that

Thanks people
