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!

What about accommodation costs?

Frankly, she sounds like she’s not ready for university. The university hasn’t done anything out of order or unusual and her tutor has been clear about the unlikelihood of changing courses.

A year out and a bit of maturity will help.

Sorry, I misread. It's UWE in Bristol that has it, not Bristol University.

They don't let students in solely based on grades and nor can all the students with great grades necessarily get places on a v popular course.

Home clearing vacancies at Bristol are now closed.

Although a while ago now, a flatmate of DD in y4 at Bristol had changed courses after y1. She had to start again - hence doing 4 years as DDs MFL degree. It’s presumably about space and suitable first year.

She will need to give 28 days' notice. So we will lose some money.

@Olivene She did have an offer from Bristol to study Politics among her other UCAS offers.

Gap year. She was naive to think she could easily switch courses but should dip out now and reapply.

@AnonAnora My DD dropped out after seven weeks - so after the two week deadline. Had to pay first term course fees. Reapplied for the following year and was immediately offered places at Bristol and Exeter. In the end she decided to go to uni in Paris (where we live) and got her first choice. She was originally studying Philosophy and economics at Cardiff - hated it. Tried to switch courses (to straight philo or philo and French, but had missed two week deadline). Struggled on - should have quit. Reapplied for Liberal Arts (more flexibility in module choice which is in fact what her brother ended up studying at Birmingham - majoring in politics and International relations). She’s now halfway through a two year Masters in communications in the journalism school at Pantheon Assas here in Paris - still a bit undecided (that’s her nature!) but at least there no fees here. We encouraged her to stick it out at Cardiff for the various reasons some posters have suggested here - give it a chance/ try to switch later and also for the reasons you outline about the huge upheavsal in moving to Cardiff etc etc. If I had my time again I’d have told her to come home straight away. She was uncertain before she went and she knew it was wrong from the start. There is no shame in getting it wrong - especially at 18 straight from school. She is now doing a masters at one of the most prestigious unis in France - her false start did not harm her chances or limit her opportunities one iota.

There is no November intake in UK universities

@StudentAdviser369 You are spamming the HE boards with your “services” and most unis do not have a second intake in UK.

Life's too short to stay on a course you don't want to do! I switched uni during Freshers week and never regretted it. It's a faff but worth it.

It doesn’t matter that she HAD an offer. She turned it down. The place was filled.

They are right and I don't agree with you. There is a lot of universities that offer 2 or even 3 intakes per year. So check first before you speak. There are many and I don't see why that should be a spam? They are just offering their help. What is your problem. Very rude person!

I would bail out and take a gap year. Sociology is a bit of a fudge and if she really wants to do Politics, Sociology won’t be a good fit for her now or later. It’s common for things to not go quite right during this process, I remember that I got higher overall grades than needed for English at Southampton however not the right grade in English and they told me I’d have a place if I deferred a year. Bristol is a good university and she can get experience related to politics in the mean time whilst getting a bread and butter job.

@AnonAnora So why decline the Bristol politics offer then? Seems a very odd decision in August.

@Stinky237 Please name them. Uk ones only.

@TizerorFizz She did not decline it in August. She got the offer when she first applied for it via UCAS. But she didn’t firm it up. She was not sure where she wanted to go and firmed up a more prestigious (aurguably) Uni. Hence in August, she could only get Bristol via Clearing.

It sounds like she got an offer but it didnt make the cut of her firm and insurance offer, then she changed her mind, rejected her firm and insurance to try for Bristol ( bad idea obvs!) then missed out on a place at Bristol too. Is that right @AnonAnora ?
Sorry crossed post!

@RainbowBagels that's exactly right. Thank you for summarising.

I did ask her if she was definitely OK with taking the risk with sociology and continuing at Bristol even if she couldn't switch. She said that she was OK with it.

She actually mentioned, before Clearing, that if she would be unable to get another offer in a different Uni she would take a gap year as she was definitely not going to the firmed-up uni.

Mnhq clearly disagree. The main exception I am aware of is Buckingham uni, which intakes in January, possibly vocational courses elsewhere have more than one start date. The vast majority in UK are Autumn starts, although overseas students may come to do one semester.