Any parents of Y12 DCs up for a support thread?

Re catered halls - someone said to us that maybe the dining hall can get a bit cliquey, and those who don't easily make friends may find themselves regularly eating alone anyway. Not sure whether this has happened to anyone she knew, or just a "mean girls" fantasy. DS has been cooking for himself at least once a week for a while now, and can manage a good curry! We thought it best to encourage him while he was taking an interest, rather than wait until a few weeks before he goes away.

Secret - always happy to provide a positive story

Re Soton, DS1 was in Glen Eyre. I thought it was much nicer than the other main student residential area at Wessex Lane. But tbh I think they all have such a great time it doesn't really matter.

NewFairy That's a very reassuring tale and makes me look at S/C in a different light. DS struggles socially and would benefit from the communal cooking thing and he can actually cook a small repertoire, it's just that he can't be bothered.

Newfairy
They have set up a facebook group so hopefully they will find out where everyone ends up. Ds had met a couple before through Arkwright. He loved the meet and greet with graduates that are now working and hopes he can get a tour of google from one of the graduates.

Legallady
We were at Southampton yesterday and ds really liked the course,campas and the accomodation. We did only look at Glen Eyre though.He is looking at mechanical engineering.

We have three choices for application already made here, and two serious open days still to attend (plus two possible others). All well oversubscribed so my daughter thinks a full five choices would be sensible. Then, if she gets any offers after interviews, a decision will have to be made. Who knows, they may make it for her and make no offers. Scary thought.

Anyone been to Southampton today? DD looking at modern languages and the choice of courses looks great. She liked the campus and the accommodation as well. One of the favourites so far I would say

Bruffin, my ds2 did the HS course at Imperial last summer. He had a great experience, but knew he didn't want to study for 4 years in London (& was un likely to meet their grade requirements tbf)

He has applied to Warwick. It was great going there on a post offer day and meeting current students. DS also came across another student he had met at originally at HS, and then met again at eng interview at Cardiff.

Secret, I shared your concerns about self catering with ds1 as he is just not botherd about food and will forget to eat. However, a wise mum pointed out to me that if they have to go to the communal kitchen and cook, then they spend time there getting to know others, rather than just going to a big hall, eating, and then possibly disappearing back to their room.
And this was the way it worked, plus he often bought cheap food deals at the Students Union, so didn't rely just on hs cooking skills.
And after a few weeks, they all clubbed together for a weekly takeaway, or a communal cooked Sunday roast.

bruffin glad your DS got something out of his HS course.
I took DS back to Warwick yesterday for a one day Maths course. It's definitely the favourite but tough entry conditions.
I had a good look round while he was busy, the place was eerily quiet apart from a few conferences. It all looks lovely and modern and green.
Not sure about it being all self catered. I know the traditional caricature of students surviving on beans for 3 years but I can't take off my maternal need to have him fed. DS eats poorly at the best of times.

Ds back from his Headstart at Imperial. He did broadcasted engineering and loved it. Seems to have done a lot of hands on and made a few new friends.
Off to Southampton tomorrow and maybe Loughborough on Saturday.

Thanks for comments about Durham - we weren't sure whether to visit. We went to Nottingham on Sat. Lovely campus, good facilities, and the Maths department very good. Surprised how much of the accommodation is catered and quite old-fashioned (traditional?). Self-catered accomm. is off campus. Warwick was completely self-catering.

Thats a shame secretsscwirrels

DS is off to imperial tomorrow for his HS which is engineering but the timetable does seem to have quite a lot in it.

Prettydaisies DS was at Durham yesterday and loved everything about it. He also liked Nottingham but the courses are very different. Nottingham seems more hands on ie you make all your own components, where as at Durham you do the design and get the components made, although DH says that's more like real life. Durham doesnt seems more academic and seem to have less connection with industry.

prettydaisies DS just back from his HS course. It was a disappointment. There was very little actual maths on it, and rather too much social stuff. While I appreciate they wanted to inject some fun into it it was not the academic week that he had hoped for. Most of the students weren't really interested and had just done it for their CV.
I'm a bit miffed as it was expensive for both the course and his rail fares.

We took DD on a mammoth trip to Durham yesterday. DD liked the university well enough, but has been put off the course a bit. In fact, I don't think she really knows what course she now wants to do.
She also wants to go and look at Edinburgh and York which are all on the same train line, so think she maybe doing the same journey twice more.
secretscwirrels she thought she wanted wanted to physical geography, but wants to know why things work as they do, so she is also looking at earth sciences. Natural sciences at Durham looked a possibility.

She has another week at school and then is going to Southampton for a Headstart course on geophysics, so that might help her make up her mind a bit.

cardibach DS was away on a summer school last week. DH asked me whether I was missing him and I said I was practising for when he leaves next year..
On the other hand it's amazing how everything in the house stays tidy when they are not there.

Well for better or worse he lives Newcastle.he's slightly daunted by the fact that most accommodation is self catered though.

the city ifs great. we are at the jazz cafe at the sage at the moment and its great ( and the rain has stopped).

Well see. threshold for even getting an interview is, as expected hugely high.

Nottingham tomorrow. We know lots already as dd is there. Just the subject specifics really.

trying to help him look at all the pros and cons is fun though.

It's interesting, it turns out a friend of a friend was at Brunel yesterday's as well. They were there to see automotive but came out underwhelmed as well.

I think these visits are worthwhile if only to rule them out. It helps to clarify what they are looking for. I'm wishing we had a few more lined up now rather than in September but there were so many clashing dates.

We went to Brunel yesterday and DS has now ruled it out. We are in Herts but it still took 2 hours to get there by train and tube. Didnt get the nice feeling we had about Leeds. Also they seemed very heavy on the aeronautics and automotive engineering and hardly any mention of the other mechanical engineering disciplines. No explanation of the courses and nobody to talk to about it really.

I did find manage to embarrass ds by falling asleep on the tube and snoring

DH and DS off to Nottingham today and Durham tomorrow.

Theas18 I know exactly what you mean. I was so relieved when DS ruled out Bristol and Bath.
prettydaisies your DD sounds like my DS's kind of girl. He would love to go to Cern. Is she thinking of doing Maths or Physics? Let us know what she thinks of Durham.

Well, I've got day of work tomorrow ( yaay!) to go up to Newcastle with DS to the open day.

I'm only going as it's a bloody long way and will have to be a 2 nighter with Nottingham on the " way back" on Saturday.

Terribly torn. DS very keen on it. It's a terrible long way though. we'd be pushed, for instance to take him and his stuff then drive back same day. DD1 is at Nottingham which is IMHO a perfect distance- far enough for us to be out of her hair, but near enough to pop up for concerts and generally do what parents do ( take her out for dinner and bring stuff!) .

DS went to Birmingham and liked it loads, not only his chosen course but the other similar " fall back" type choices. There was only one devastating drawback as he said " It's in Birmingham!"

(I totally see why he'd not want to go to uni where it is possibly nearer to home than his current school, but we would kick him into hall! Shame though)

DD's the only girl in her maths set and was the only girl who went to Cern. She is the exception that proves the rule according to the boys in her maths class!