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Original poster

DD disappointed with uni course - what are the options? Would appreciate your thoughts!

232 replies

AnonAnora · 19/09/2025 08:26

DD has had a most difficult time with choosing a uni. She is very bright and had all As predicted, got offers from all the RG unis she put down. Took a really long time to firm up and then before the results day decided to switch unis via clearing. All those courses were in Clearing this summer. She was absolutely set on Bristol. We had visited and she loved it.

On the results day, her first choice was confirmed but she was adamant she wants to switch. Unfortunately, she just missed out on the course at Bristol that she wanted but was offered a course in a similar subject. She still wanted to go and thought she would try to transfer later.

Well, she is now at Bristol and her tutor said that she cannot switch as there are no places. She cannot change to a combined degree either, for the same reason.

She doesn't know what to do. She regrets not taking up the other offer - although she was absolutely sure when she made the choice and that she was happy with the risk. What can she do now? Start the other course and see how it goes? Transfer in the end of Year 1, back to Year 1 in her chosen subject (and pay 20k plus for the loss of the year)? Withdraw now and take a gap year?

And to think, she had her pick of the great unis!

OP posts:
ApricotCheesecake · 19/09/2025 08:32

So her current subject isn't similar enough to her chosen subject to give her any credits towards it - she'd have to start at the beginning in the new subject? If she's sure she wants to transfer, that seems a bit pointless - better to take a gap year and get some good work experience. Or give the subject she's doing a proper go and put the transfer idea out of her head. Or transfer to another uni in her chosen subject - some unis will still have places, although not the high ranked unis.

sesquipedalian · 19/09/2025 08:33

How different are the courses? Could she transfer to the course she wants after a year, and take the credits for the first year with her? It very much depends on what she’s doing - my DD started off doing joint honours and after a year changed to one of the subjects she was doing - the university was fine with it. Obviously in your daughter’s case, it depends on the course. If she is absolutely set on changing, tell her to ask her tutor if she could defer for a year - in essence, take a gap year. I don’t know how the money aspect would work - it might be early enough that she can simply defer. If she wants to do that, though, she needs to speak ASAP to someone at the university.

crossedlines · 19/09/2025 08:36

Is it the actual course content she’s disappointed with? Or the delivery of it, or other aspects the university?

unless she’s absolutely clear it’s this specific course it makes sense to give it up, take a gap year, earn some money and then go to her first choice. I know several people who’ve been very disappointed with Bristol and if it just isn’t working for her, best to stop now

LIZS · 19/09/2025 08:38

How long has she been there? If the current course is related is there scope to overlap and perhaps transfer later if she has taken the relevant modules? If she is really unhappy it might be better to cut her losses and reapply but there are no guarantees she will receive offers for preferred courses again and she needs to fill the year productively.

caringcarer · 19/09/2025 08:41

If she doesn't like the similar course she should withdraw quickly to avoid getting into an additional years debt. Has she phoned the other uni to see if they could still offer her a place this year? Term has only just started and it's possible someone might drop out of her preferred course at other uni. She could work for a year, in a related field if possible but really any money she can earn would be good, earn and save as much as she can and reapply next year. She would get an unconditional offer as she already has her grades.

caringcarer · 19/09/2025 08:43

Also it's not the end of the world. Better to recognise her error now than plough on knowing she isn't enjoying her course. I think if she withdraws quickly she might not be charged the course fees. She needs to check this with her uni.

Original poster
AnonAnora · 19/09/2025 08:46

Thanks so much for all replies.

She has not started lessons yet, she is there for the Freshers' Week. She was lucky to get great accommodation, made friends and happy with where she is so far.

It's just the subject is not what she wanted all along. She wanted to do Politics and she was given Sociology. They are within the same school and some content is similar. So yes, I would have though some can be transferred over to avoid losing a year (if she does switch eventually).

OP posts:
Floatingthrough · 19/09/2025 08:46

Take gap year now. Do not continue the existing course as she will be miserable with lots of debt to boot. She will have the pick again next year.

Original poster
AnonAnora · 19/09/2025 08:47

Her lessons start on Monday and she has two weeks to switch, or withdraw without being liable for tuition fees.

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Floatingthrough · 19/09/2025 08:50

Sociology is very different to politics and I would say less valued when looking for jobs after graduation. It will be highly unlikely to switch in year 2 unless there is a high drop out rate. so she is taking a massive risk. It’s great she’s enjoying freshers week but the reality is she hasn’t met any friends yet just a lot of nice people. Have you checked with the other uni she wished she’d chosen?

Original poster
AnonAnora · 19/09/2025 08:51

Gap year is something she considered before anyway but then decided to go to uni. Work experience sounds great but realistically, would she be able to get actual professional experience in the meantime? Even actual graduates are not finding it easy.

So chances are, she would work in retail or something similar. Nothing wrong with it and she has had many such jobs in the past. It's just not going to be helpful for her future studies/profession.

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RainbowBagels · 19/09/2025 08:51

How could they have said politics and sociology were similar? I'd withdraw and reapply for politics next year, and maybe try and get a job in a charity where they do lobbying etc, or local authority sometimes has a ' bank' for temp work.

Original poster
AnonAnora · 19/09/2025 08:52

Floatingthrough · 19/09/2025 08:50

Sociology is very different to politics and I would say less valued when looking for jobs after graduation. It will be highly unlikely to switch in year 2 unless there is a high drop out rate. so she is taking a massive risk. It’s great she’s enjoying freshers week but the reality is she hasn’t met any friends yet just a lot of nice people. Have you checked with the other uni she wished she’d chosen?

Edited

She only told me yesterday that she cannot switch. So she is calling the other unis this morning.

Is sociology very different from politics as a taught course? I have read that there is a lot of overlap.

OP posts:
Original poster
AnonAnora · 19/09/2025 08:54

RainbowBagels · 19/09/2025 08:51

How could they have said politics and sociology were similar? I'd withdraw and reapply for politics next year, and maybe try and get a job in a charity where they do lobbying etc, or local authority sometimes has a ' bank' for temp work.

They didn't say it was similar, it was something they offered as an alternative, and they are within the same School of Social Sciences.

OP posts:
ThatWorthyKhakiHare · 19/09/2025 08:55

AnonAnora · 19/09/2025 08:47

Her lessons start on Monday and she has two weeks to switch, or withdraw without being liable for tuition fees.

The one point from your OP that you need to remember is that she missed out on a place to study politics. Presumably it us a more popular and sought after course and therefore can demand a higher A level achievement. Is she sure that her A levels will allow her to be competitive next year if she pulls out now. Yes she would be applying with grades in hand but is it a really strong hand. I would be wary about pulling out so soon.There is no guarantee she would get a placevfor next year.

RainbowBagels · 19/09/2025 08:57

Hmm I did a politics degree ( many, many years ago) and am looking at politics and IR for my DS now. I would say there's not much overlap but I never did sociology. It does depend on the units but it's a lot of money to waste on the off chance that she'll like sociology when she wanted to do politics.

Original poster
AnonAnora · 19/09/2025 08:58

She got A*AAA. The majority of unis she applied to wanted AAA. So she should be able to get into same unis.

Unless the fact that she applied and withdrew would count against her?

OP posts:
LIZS · 19/09/2025 08:59

I don’t think ds did any Sociology as part of his PIR degree. The overlap might be in statistical and data handling and perhaps some optional modules, but each degree content varies.

Original poster
AnonAnora · 19/09/2025 09:01

And she had a place on Politics. In fact, she had 5. All from the top 10 unis ((((

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Quintsharkfishing · 19/09/2025 09:02

Tell her not to go to her tutor but to make friends with one of the professional services staff who actually do the work (I'm an academic and I have no idea if courses are full etc. beyond broad measures) there will be drop outs in the first few weeks, we bank on losing 50 students in my first year undergraduate module (which has 650 students on it at present).

There should be a programme support officer who actually does all the management of the course who isn't her tutor or an academic.

ThatWorthyKhakiHare · 19/09/2025 09:02

AnonAnora · 19/09/2025 08:58

She got A*AAA. The majority of unis she applied to wanted AAA. So she should be able to get into same unis.

Unless the fact that she applied and withdrew would count against her?

If her grades are that good then how come she did not get the place to study politics at Bristol? Was it Bristol she fell for so accepted the Sociology thinking she would be able to swap without any problems but did not take account of the Politics course being full already?

Spartak · 19/09/2025 09:04

Will she be liable for accommodation for the whole year if she drops out now?

Purplemoon16 · 19/09/2025 09:04

If she withdraws and does a gap year, it will fly by. She could work for a bit even in a retail job and volunteer in a relevant field or try and get some professional experience? I did this, I’m 35 now and it has had no detrimental impact on my career whatsoever, in fact when applying for jobs as a graduate lots of employers valued my experience. It felt like a big deal to be 1 year behind my peers at the time but in the grand scheme of life it’s nothing. Better to reapply and be sure she’s on the right course in my opinion.

ThatWorthyKhakiHare · 19/09/2025 09:05

Spartak · 19/09/2025 09:04

Will she be liable for accommodation for the whole year if she drops out now?

Good point. That could be expensive.

Original poster
AnonAnora · 19/09/2025 09:10

ThatWorthyKhakiHare · 19/09/2025 09:02

If her grades are that good then how come she did not get the place to study politics at Bristol? Was it Bristol she fell for so accepted the Sociology thinking she would be able to swap without any problems but did not take account of the Politics course being full already?

Show quote history

She did get a place at Bristol, she just didn't firm it up. So the only option to get on it later was via Clearing. The course was in Clearing but the places were gone when she got through to them.

OP posts: