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

[AnonAnora]

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!

It's tricky @AnonAnora because of course none of us can predict the future. It's certainly possible that she may end up loving sociology. The problem is that if she doesn't it's an expensive mistake to make (a whole year of fees plus accommodation). I have uni age DC and I also know people (although not that many tbh) who have switched course, but at least they started out thinking it was the right course for them. Whereas your DD is feeling half hearted about it already.

@AnonAnora It’s a big financial risk to find out though. It’s also yet another gamble. She won’t know if there’s a place and can she transfer in y2? What would she do after 1 term of not enjoying sociology?

Im not entirely sure she’s mature enough to know what she wants. Maybe a further year at home will help? Most people interested in politics know they are. In y12 dd was very interested in this degree. By y13, not. So being clear about objectives and a career eventually will matter. Neither have nailed on jobs and most grads join the rush for non vocational grad jobs which don’t specify degree required.

I think, as a parent, you do need to sit down with her and make a plan. It’s a recipe for failure to keep prevaricating and going round and round in circles debating “what if” scenarios.

Can I just say how much I appreciate all the perspectives and thoughts. This was so not supposed to happen but maybe, given all the mayhem we went through choosing a uni in the first place had a writing on the wall.

I will speak to her today. She has just messaged me with 'I don't know what to do'

My DS is the same. He also suffers from terrible FOMO, which is part of the same issue with him. In fact the only thing he is certain of is that he wants to do Politics, so I know if he was in the same position and he accepted sociology he would be thinking he wanted to do Politics the whole time. Hes still moaning about the 6th form he chose because his friend chose the other one and has funnier friends and more frees!

@TizerorFizzShe actually was set on politics from the very beginning. It's the choice of uni which has proved nigh on impossible at the time. Her EPQ was on Italian politics and she did an internship with an MP.

She has actually been very mature in the way she approached her university applications; she applied to all her internships and paid jobs herself. I was very impressed with her drive. But somehow she felt completely lost and helpless choosing a uni.

That’s a tough lesson but an important one for her. She can’t go through life second guessing and expecting to always get what she wants. Has she looked at Liberal Arts at Bristol and is it a possibility for her? It does have politics content.

Thank you for sharing @RainbowBagelsit does make me feel better.

I think I know what she needs to do. It's just all this hype and preparation to move into the Halls, buying everything she needs, the enrolment, dealing with new people and environment, meeting her teachers and classmates - and then ending it all abruptly and coming back home to start all over again...

Yes. This is exacerbated by the realisation that she did get what she wanted in the first place so she had it. If only she had a better idea of what kind of uni environment suited her best when it was time to choose.

Yes but anthropology and psychology can also be considered social sciences. Sociology has some politics within it but have you (she) looked at the modules for both? I bet they are quite different, and doubt enough credits could be counted to go in to a Y2 Politics degree. She should withdraw and apply next cycle.

There are no spaces because it's the beginning of term. I would go to the politics office and say you're really keen but there's no spaces please can they give you the timetable and attend the compulsory lectures. I would then go visit them every week and say I'm still really interested in this subject can I do it as a combined honours, and then as an single honours. People will drop out and if you are the one who consistently says you really want to do it plus you aren't behind because you have been attending voluntary lectures then you have a really good chance of moving. If they won't give you the time table become friends with somebody from the politics society who has studying the subject and ask for their timetable and just attend.

She was very unwise to gamble on being able to change courses to politics, when there weren’t spaces in clearing. This is the consequences.

She wanted politics and has the necessary A levels. So to avoid having to study something else for several years or wasting money by dropping out later she could withdraw and re apply.

disagree @BreezySwan . The university may well maintain their position and OP’s DD would then be liable for a lot of avoidable costs.

Sociology is fantastic and you can choose politics modules as an option but ultimately if she isn’t keen on the course she needs to leave!

Oof yes that's hard, being all ready to go, saying goodbye to everyone at home etc then starting all over again, but then again, life is longer than they think at 18. It will just be a lesson learnt in a few months time and in a few years just a story to tell.

Well she has hopefully learned an important life lesson here- you cant just gamble and expect everything to turn out ok. Actions have consequences and she has a choice to make about her future.

It’s not your issue to solve. She needs to come up with her own plan.

She needs to speak to the admissions tutor for Politics and ask what her chances realistically are of changing, now, within first year or next year. Some will drop out along the way. Ask what optional modules available would make any transition easier or if she could restart with first years next year to fill gaps. Some unis are more flexible than others. If it all looks unlikely she needs to decide whether to stick it out for the uni experience or come home.

Thanks @BreezySwan. You are right, people will drop out and then programme office said as much. The problem is, they said, that people will usually drop out a bit later into the course and so it will be outside the two-week window when a switch can be made. So even if a space comes up it would be too late for her to switch.

Another option would be to do politics at another university (clearing is still open) and then transfer to bristol for the second year (when there will be more places). Just make sure that the uni she goes to has a similar set of first year modules

I think that often depends on her willingness to make up work for compulsory modules.

Politics and international relations is still listed in clearing for Bristol. Could she switch to that?

She says that she asked her tutor that - and was told that it was not an option.
She would be very willing to do whatever it takes to stay and switch.

Really? That's the course that she wants. Where did you see it? The BU page says that their clearing is closed.

@AnonAnora So much of what you have written sounds like my own DD - found it difficult to make a decision over the course/uni, hesitating to chuck it all in because of all this hype and preparation to move into the Halls, buying everything she needs, the enrolment, dealing with new people and environment, meeting her teachers and classmates - and then ending it all abruptly and coming back home to start all over again... right down to only having two weeks to switch courses or having to wait another year. I really wish someone had advised my DD to cut her losses and quit as soon as she knew she had made a mistake. It really would not have been a big deal at all - whatever it feels like in the moment. Like your DD, mine had excellent results so reapplying with results in hand was even less of a gamble than applying with predicted grades. Indecision about where to go and what to study is not a weakness - especially when you are paying so much for the privilege. Making the wrong decision has helped her to make the right one and admitting you’ve made a mistake is the quickest way to put it right. It will be a stress and a faff in the first instance, but don’t let that put her off doing the right thing before the fees kick in. This time next year she’ll be starting again with money in the bank. Honestly - just do it!

Lancaster hasn't started back yet and still has places for either politics or politics and international relations through clearing. DS was a straight A* student and has loved it there. They start back next weekend and they guarantee accommodation for all first years. It's collegiate and campus and a great university.

Hi @LillianGish so your DD switched after the first year? How is she doing now? Do you mind sharing what courses she was choosing between?

Reading about others' experiences is helping a lot.