Applying for uni in 2021...

[Parsley65]

Thought I'd start the ball rolling on this one...

Dd wants to study psychology and we've been checking out dates of open days.

Her school still does AS levels. She's doing psychology, physics & business.

Please come and join us on the long and bumpy ride past revision and exams and on towards the much anticipated start of uni life in Autumn 2021.

[Theflying19]

Hi my dc2 is applying and we've just started looking at open days. Spotted that NTU has one this Saturday! Most in June though. DC hasn't decided what to study yet though... Oh and our college doesn't do ASs anymore.

[Parsley65]

Hello Flying,

Most places don't do AS exams any more and I think it just adds in another layer of stress, but Dd is happy there...

My Ds didn't know what he wanted to do either until quite late. What is your DC's favourite subject? Guess that'll be a good guide.

Have fun at the open day on Saturday if you go 😊

[raspberryrippleicecream]

I'll join in. DS2 is still trying to choose Maths or Music. This is the first year his school aren't doing AS, however they are doing AS Further Maths as some will drop FM in Y13.

[gleegeek]

I'll join too! Dd is doing biology, ancient history and psychology. She's pretty sure she wants to study psychology but not any idea where yet. She's just had a load of prospectuses delivered so hopefully will narrow it down to those she wants to visit!
No AS levels here either but is probably going to do an EPQ.

[megs1938]

Hi guys,
I’m actually starting September 2020 so I’m near the end of this journey! (Thank God!)
I would say that all of you already planning and starting to figure out stuff now are relatively ahead of the game, personally, I didn’t start going to open days till the summer. My advice would be to not stress (I know, waaay easier said than done) and try to stay as organised as possible.
Feel free to message me more of you want any help/advice or want to vent about the whole situation.

Best of luck guys. Xx

[Parsley65]

Welcome to all and thanks Megs for your words of wisdom. At the moment Dd is excited - and I'm stressed 😫 What are you planning to study and where?

Hello Raspberry. If your Ds can't decide I think there are a few places that do a combined maths/music degree.

Hi Glee. Just about every uni does psychology it seems, so on the positive side there is an awful lot of choice!

[Mararunner]

Hi, my daughter is doing A levels on English Lit, History, and RE, and an epq. She wants to do English Lit at Uni. Started looking, but looks like open days are in June for the majority of uni's.

[megs1938]

Hi Parsley, try to not stress too much, it’s still early days and there are a lot of options open for your daughter.
I plan on doing property management at Portsmouth, if all goes to plan. But this time last year I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do, so it’s great that you’re all starting to figure it out.
At the minute I would say try to not overthink it all, right now you just need to figure out what unis are the most appealing and planning and going to as many open days as possible.
All you need is a little bit of organisation and you should be set up pretty nicely.

[Lara53]

I’m joining too. DS1 is studying Computing, Chemistry and Maths at A level. He wants to study computer science at uni. So far he has a list of 10 unis he wants to research further and will then shortlist.

[madamy]

DD1 is also hoping to go in 2021. She's doing History, Sociology and Performing Arts plus an EPQ. She's a quiet sort so has been looking at Campus unis within 1.5 to 2 hours of home (Nottingham). Not sure about what she wants to study though, either sociology/childhood/families sort of thing or event management!

[Yr10DD]

parsley65 psychology seems to be very popular and offered everywhere so your DD will have to read the module spec carefully as I guess they could vary quite a bit. My DD is looking at economics, which is also very popular and offered everywhere. The universities that appeal to her want seriously high grades!

[Parsley65]

Good Morning!

Welcome to Mararunner, Lara, Madamy and Yr10Dd.

Let's hope we can encourage, support and exchange information over the coming months.

As Megs notes we've started early, so there is plenty of time to have a really good look at what's out there and to help our young people to make the choices that are right for them.

For background I already have DS in his second year at Bath uni, studying chem eng. He went to see several universities, but fell in love with the first one he saw (Bath) and he's very happy there, but it's really full on and he is working very hard. I would say it's probably one of the most stringent courses, but he's (in his own words!) a bit of a nerd, so it's a good fit.

Dd & I actually started looking at open days last year. She was a bit jaded with all things academic after GCSE's and I thought a couple of weekends away would inspire her. Like her brother she decided to narrow her options by just looking at uni's that offer placement years, so we went to Cardiff, Loughborough and Sussex (Brighton.)

[pourmeanotherglass]

Hi all, DD is doing double maths, history and geography at A level, and thinks she wants to do maths.she would prefer to be no more than 2-3 hours away from home ( bristol) by train but doesnt want to go to Bristol or Bath. We're going to the maths open day at Oxford in May, and will probably look at Warwick, Cardiff, Exeter, Southampton. Not sure where else yet, she's going to a universities fair at USE soon, so may get some more inspiration.

[fayebebaby]

Hi my dd also looking at psychology. She’s doing psychology biology and English lit a levels. We are looking at York Warwick Lancaster Sheffield and Loughborough. Her brother is currently at Nottingham in his 2nd year doing maths.

[Jano69]

Love to join you - DD wants to study History. Her A Levels are History, Maths, Eng Lit and Politics. She has to decide which 4th subject to drop after her L6 exams. She'll try for Oxford but realistic that her chances are slim. Hoping she may follow her brother to Durham who started there last September. Will also be applying to St Andrews, Exeter and York. DS's university application experience was horribly stressful and I'm not relishing the prospect of going through it again!

[Yr10DD]

Jano69 my dd has St. Andrews in the mix too. How does yours feel about Scottish degrees being 4 years?

[Yr10DD]

What did you & your DD think of Loughborough @Parsley65? We are visiting in June. Along with Birmingham, York, & Leeds. The st Andrews open days are 3 Wednesdays in Easter, which we can’t do. No idea why they’re not on a weekend like most others.

[Jano69]

Hi @Yr10DD, the worst thing about the 4 Year Scottish courses is the extra year's debt. However, there are some benefits too. DD is an August baby so
If she went to St Andrews, she'd graduate with a masters just before her 22nd birthday which seems quite acceptable. St Andrews is very selective so we don't hold out much hope of an offer - DS got offers from Cambridge and Durham but didn't get St Andrews.

[raspberryrippleicecream]

I have a DD in her second year at a Scottish uni. What she has liked about it is the chance to try different subjects alongside your own. She is doing a history based degree. She knows several people who have a really changed their degree as a result of trying something different in first year. Her uni doesn't charge fees for year 4. She likes the exams being before Christmas too. The first two years don't count towards the final degree so a chance to settle down.

I also have a DS1 in his 4th year of an integrated masters, science based, at an English uni.

[Yr10DD]

Indeed Jano69 & raspberry I think that’s why my late August born DD isn’t put off. Albeit I think having to do a second subject when your passionate about your first is a shame. The extra years fees/accom costs & distance puts me off too. I’m also wondering if it’s a bit elitist with their lack of open days?
Oh Jano69 the MA isn’t actually the same as a UK MA, it’s just what they call their Arts degrees. It’s equivalent to a UK BA; it’s not a postgrad qualification... as far as I understand anyway. It’s quite confusing. If my DD did economics but did a science subject with it it’s a BSc but if she does an art subject with it it’s an MA despite the economics component being identical! You probably know this but just incase...

[Jano69]

I always understood that a 4 year History course at St Andrews resulted in a degree too but DD was adamant a few days ago that it would be a masters. I tend to think you're right @Yr10DD - anyone else?

[raspberryrippleicecream]

Y10DD is correct. DD will have, hopefully, an MA but it isn't equivalent to a postgraduate masters.

She isn't at St Andrews, but pretty sure it's the same.

DS1 applied to a Scottish uni for his subject and applied for second year entry by the way. His integrated subject is 5 years and would have finished with a post grad equivalent Masters. The offer was slightly higher. Also, for his subject he would only have studied that.

[Jano69]

Thanks @raspberryrippleicecream - I'll correct DD. These forums are so valuable.

[Parsley65]

Good morning and welcome to Pour, Faye, Jano & Raspberry.

Of the visits we've done so far DD's favourite was Cardiff, followed by Sussex, then Loughborough. The first two we made into a weekend and Dd really just fell in love with Cardiff.

She also enjoyed Sussex, but the experience was somewhat clouded by our arrival at the station quite late on a lively Friday evening. The area was a bit rough and she felt the place had a bit of an 'edge' to it - though the actual uni is several miles away from the town and set in lovely grounds. There were no other negatives and by the end of the weekend Dd pronounced it a strong contender for second place.

Loughborough is not too far from us, so we just went for the day. The place was big, well organised and the psychology department was very impressive. Dd really liked some of the accommodation, but overall the place just didn't 'call' to her in the way Cardiff did.

I guess this is why you should visit as many as possible!

This year we're planning on visiting Reading, Kent (Canterbury) and Keele. Again all offer placement years.

[Yr10DD]

Jano69 it’s an easy assumption to make. On their website you do (eventually) find courses where second year entry is possible but economics isn’t one of them. Not sure about history. I think my DD will need to think hard about what her second subject would be before she puts St Andrews as a choice. It’s a push anyway as she’s not sure she’ll be predicted the high grades required.
We visited Reading in October parsley on a very grey rainy day!! The business school was quite impressive but my DD wasn’t so keen.
She wants to visit quite a few and of course there’s clashes! We’ll see Leeds & Liverpool then a long weekend seeing Birmingham, Loughborough and York. We’ll have to wait til October for Newcastle. But no doubt she’ll add others before then!!