2015 university open days

Lizs if you are driving to S'oton the bus from the shopping mall multi storey is v convenient, and a nice place to grab lunch on your way back!

Lol Ellenjane ! I think it will be Dh accompanying so scarf might be a bit lost on him.

Tip for Surrey, if you're driving. Get there between 8.30 and 9 and parking should be fairly comfortable in the main Campus car park. Tempting as it is to then wander round the grounds, best to register first as the queues build up quickly.

LIZS, we're off to Southampton on Saturday. I'll wear a MN scarf or something!

DS1 is pretty set on Warwick, for someone that hasn't been there yet. Sigh. What about it didn't your DS like, Gloria? We're booked in for 26th for the open day.

Just booked Travelodges today for Royal Holloway, Oxford Brookes and Bournemouth. DD wanted to do Southampton next weekend too, but I'm working and its too far for her to do on her own in a day. She might apply anyway and if she's offered a place, go to an applicant day instead.

And Surrey for weekend after!

Ds has booked Southampton for next weekend. Any tips?

I don't think that would be viewed as weird. If I'm honest, I doubt they would even know. If it would help your DS make his mimed up, I would say go for it!

I think they do open days to those they have made an offer to - usually in Feb/March.

Do you think a uni may think it weird if ds went to an autumn open day having already been to the same one only a couple of months ago? - he's stuck with getting 7/8 courses down to 5 although seems happy to have whittled the institutions down to just 3. Wondered if a second visit before applying would help ds with the decision making

Spreadsheet here as well, , empty yet, as we didn't visit any unis yet. Planning in September - October.

Any suggestions on the must see places for Maths courses with small maths depatments, lots of seminar time, cosy campus and good degree classification and career outcomes for students with ASD?

Please do share any thoughts

Coming a little late to the party , Ds has been compiling a list which is developing into a spreadsheet !

So pleased Coconutty it did seem ridiculous that only people who'd preregistered in June were able to go! Dh taking ds to that one. I feel like I'm missing out!

Another spreadsheeter here too guess who did the spreadsheet!

Only 13 columns in ours, but we do have an extra spreadsheet for Oxford college selection which might be a total waste after 13th Aug. Does that count ?

Dd2 has booked for Bristol in September, and would also like to go to Bath but it's the same day! Going to try to do both ....

the spreadsheet here has 16 columns (not including distance from gp as that was a given)

Good one Needmoresleep

eatyourveg another column to be added to spreadsheet - 'distance from grandparents'!

Just to say that Exeter have opened their booking up again for Sept 5th open day

That made me smile Needmoresleep!

Veg, it sounds as if he has his head screwed on. Knowing what you want from a degree is crucially important.

I did meet someone whose daughter had studied Sports Science at Bournemouth and liked it so much she had stayed on and got a job down there. This prompted mum and dad to relocate, and they then moved granny down. I wonder if the daughter's origional intention was to get away from family!

Milly yes of course all degrees are theoretical - what I meant was that there is a more scientific approach in some and a higher applied aspect in others.

Loughborough has 22 sports courses in clearing including straight S&ES which doesn't indicate to me that competition is actually that fierce which I admit is odd especially as the courses require lab time. I wouldn't say though that it is necessarily the place to go

Choosing a uni really does depend on what sort of personality the student has, what they want from the whole experience and if the aim is to go on to research or take advantage of the year in industry/placement abroad etc etc. Checking for the links with industry and employability I think is crucial for this subject. Everyone looks for something different. Whilst ds is on track to get triple distinction star and students are encouraged to aim for the very best possible, it doesn't mean a really competitive place asking for 400+ points would suit. Portsmouth, Chichester and Bournemouth are too near both sets of gp who would want to be popping in for tea every Sunday so dismissed almost on those grounds alone. Ds seems happy with the 3 or 4 places he's now chosen, all in traditional uni cities, its now just a case of whittling the courses down to 5

Veg and Gas, I don't know much about the course though DD flirted with the idea of taking sports science at A level and has several friends who have gone onto to degrees. However Bournemouth is a great University town, and the University is climbing the rankings, albeit from a low initial position. It is especially well regarded for digital media/marketing type courses and has plenty of local jobs for finance grads. Its a town with good employment (tourism/care/finance and lots of light industry in Poole) and ready availability of winter accomodation. Plus a good beach and a half decent football team!