The University of Essex? DS wants to pick it over Cambridge...

[DylanandDarcy]

Does anyone know if this uni is any good. DS wants to pick it over Cambridge!!

Very worried about this. Any advice??

Year 13, he applied last year. This academic year.

Oh, right. So at this stage he presumably has offers as for Cambridge he'd have had to apply early. Did he only apply to the 3 you've mentioned? He must be expected good grades to have offers from camb. and imperial.

So when did he change his mind about Cambridge?

The interview process is gruelling.

I am assuming he doesn't have offers from universities yet or you would have said by now?

If he can get Cambridge, he should go there. Lab work is incredibly competitive. An Oxbridge degree will stand him in much better stead than an Essex degree. By far.

Sorry to have been confusing. I'm getting confused myself!

He changed his mind because he is worried about money and moving away. He was trying to take the plunge and still might but is speaking very highly of Essex and it seems to be his favourite. He knows he will get a loan but still worries about this (we don't have much money).

He applied to another but has completely ruled that out.

Do you think he is worried about you and financing?

Can he drive to Cambridge from Chelmsford?

I am assuming he doesn't have offers from universities yet

Cambridge applicants all have their offers/rejections at this point.

OP, has the Cambridge college which has offered him a place invited him to an applicant day or suchlike? It might help him get a better feel for what its like. (My dd was pooled to a college she'd not visited on open day and is going to one with an overnight stay next month).

DD1 & I looked at Essex. Totally underwhelmed. Their biomedical sciences degree seemed to be designed as a production line for Pathology Lab trainees. Fine but limiting.

DD1 is now at Nottingham Trent doing biochemistry and loving it (currently on placement for a year).

Martin Lewis explaining loans as a graduate tax is what you need here I reckon.

Does he have the option of doing a placement during his degree? A one year work placement can really help with financing.

Plus holidays are longer at Cambridge so could work more then.

i think that as an undergraduate you have to live within a certain distance of Cambridge University in order to study there, so I doubt he would be allowed to commute

Ime his earning potential with big pharmaceutical firms and his options for research is so, so much better from Cambridge.

Ginermog is right: www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/new-students/manage-your-student-information/personal-information/residing-outside-universitys

Yes he would have to live in college at Cambridge and it's too intense to consider commuting anyway. But it's a very gentle introduction to living away with cleaners and catering.

Accommodation costs are lower than many other places and there is excellent financial support available from many colleges and the university ［［www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/financial-support/cambridge-financial-support］］

I'm a Cambridge graduate who nearly turned down my place and I'm so glad I didn't! Would you like to come and visit for a day and have another look with him? PM me if that would help

His desire to stay at home is leading him in a very wrong direction in terms of optimizing his future potential to get a great degree and have career opportunities.

I went to Cambridge, and it's true that it has a lot of cachet, it doesn't mean other people can't do well from all kinds of universities, but honestly, if he has a Cambridge degree, then it will open doors for him especially if he wants to be a scientist.

I think if he is bright enough to get onto the Cambridge course, he may well be frustrated in a situation where many of the students are not very intellectual/motivated, I find that with some of my brighter students and I'm at a (not top 5) Russell Group uni. You are better off going with similar type people, it seems to pull them all along.

Imperial is also an excellent uni, but I'm not sure of any commute, lectures often start at 8.30am these days.

It seems such a shame he's limited himself like this, I wouldn't be happy for one of mine to pick Essex (or a local uni) over Cambridge and I'd be fairly pushy about not supporting that decision, unless I felt there was some reason Cambridge wouldn't suit them (which doesn't seem to be the case here, it's more a money/commuting issue).

Going to the wrong uni is worse than not going at all.

Your ds has an amazing opportunity that could set him up for life. If he is really worried about the expense he is not too late to look at school leaver programmes/higher Apprenticeships but he will need to get a move on. Some of these schemes are amazing.

Have a look here: www.ratemyapprenticeship.co.uk/degree-apprenticeships

It sounds as though your ds is worried about moving away from home and perhaps also not "fitting in" to Cambridge. It is still the case that there are relatively few students from poorer backgrounds at Cambridge but that shouldn't put him off.

Would deferring for a year help? I'm not saying Cambridge is the be-all-and-end-all of universities but he needs to think VERY hard before turning down Cambridge in favour of Essex. However, if he would be so unhappy at Cambridge that he might drop out, then that also needs to be taken into consideration.

I have a friend whose extremely bright son is currently at Essex, it was the only uni he selected as it was the only one within commuting distance of his home. However, he has a number of physical and mental health problems which means it's the right choice for him. He is getting on fine with the course but I think will be a lot less employable than if he'd gone to another university.

Is there anyone at your son's school (Careers advisor?) who can talk to him about the pros and cons of these unis and maybe allay some of his fears about Cambridge?

By the way, I grew up in Colchester and now live in Cambridge and, although they are similar sized towns, Cambridge has so much more to offer, both as a student and also in employment terms. There are loads of biomedical companies in Cambridge who take Cambridge graduates on.

Has he actually got a Cambridge offer? This is still not clear from your posts.

@UsedToBeAPaxmanFan we aren't far from Cambridge (think small naice market town south of Cambs) nice to see another local mumsnetter.

I'm confused, he applied this academic year? Does he have offers at the moment?

I'm also not far from Cambridge

Essex uni is on the side of a massive council estate outside Colchester. It's a few mile from the town. So different set up to most uni s, more insular.

Depending on the college at Cambridge he's been offered a place, there may well be some financial support available for him. One of the misconceptions about Cambridge is that it's more expensive to go there - in my experience, the opposite can be true. There is usually a choice of rooms in college which will range in size and facilities and will be priced accordingly. Also, some of the colleges have discretionary awards/financial supports for students from less well off backgrounds so this may be worth checking out as well if the costs are worrying him.

OP if your son wants to know anything g about Cambridge city (as opposed to the uni itself) please feel free to ask

As another poster said, the experience of being at Cambridge is different from other unis in that he will be in a small college, with housekeepers, catering etc and when he moves out for second year it will be into a college-owned property which will be much cheaper.

My dh was at Jesus College (many years ago!) and loved it as he got to know everyone in his year at college, but was part of a much bigger university. If your son is sporty then there are loads of opportunities to play for your college even if you're not good enough to play for the university. Plus each college is like a mini campus, with rooms, restaurants, bars, outside space etc.

Which college has your son got an offer from? Other people on here might have children who are at the same college and could give advice or reassurance.

I'm still confused... has your DS actually got an offer from Cambridge?