Year 12 - first half term DONE.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

new thread so we don't get lost. Well done to all our dc whether doing btech (or breach as autocorrect prefers to call it) or a levels. 1/6 of the way through this year. (blimey)

It's History. Probably. With something else. Probably.

Unless it's changed, when DS1 applied to Oxford in Oct 15, you didn't necessarily have to have all five unis chosen OYBBK. DS1 did as it happens,, but you could add the others later.

DDs mock results weren't as good as shed hoped but she's adamant about not dropping anything. Progress evening in a few weeks so we'll see then!

For anyone who may be considering music at a conservatoire, the closing date is even earlier than that for Oxbridge. This is a worry for me as college are sending four students to Oxford but have never had a conservatoire entrant that they can remember. I have my concerns that a large institution won't cope well with exceptions to their timetable, their fast track for Oxbridge medivets won't be fast enough.

I'll pop that on my list of "things to worry about later".

oh that's good to know raspberry :) thanks and phew! it seemed to be coming awfully quickly.

I've just checked and it was the same this year, OYBBK. But I'd recommend getting them chosen by then if possible anyway. DS1 could put it all to one side and concentrate on the A2s after that. Plus he had all his interviews over by Christmas, which was another gain.

Icouldbe hopefully being different will bring it to their attention.

I think that would be best raspberry, especially if she ends up having to do STEP. Would mean she could really focus.

No idea how I'm going to fit in open days if she wants me to go. They all seem to be on Fridays or the same Saturdays.

The open days are proving to be a challenge here too. We are choosing more low key events like the half term mini open day at Exeter during the holidays. Most universities will allow you to tour around and any time although you won't get all the extras. I think we'll look at a couple of key ones and then wait until offer days. DS will research on the student room too.

He's found a marine biology workshop to go to in Plymouth. The school have given him permission to go so its just the logistics I need to deal with. Being 5 hours away from Plymouth is a hurdle.....

DD very grumpy at the moment as she has no idea what she wants to do in the future, except earn lots of money so she can keep horses, and not live in the UK as it is so depressing. .

I am idling through University websites and most seem to want AAA or AAB for the courses she has mentioned. Is this the norm?

I have agreed to go with DS to his first open day because he was clearly panicked about my idea of dropping him at the station. I managed it in the days before the internet and mobile phones, where if you screwed up you were on your own but he seems to think finding his own way from A to B with the aid of GPS is totally unreasonable. I am hoping to dip out of subsequent visits after he's got the idea of what to look for. I've sat through the talk on student finance three times already and I have no wish to endure it again.

I really don't want that talk. I'm a student, I hate student finance with a passion and have many rants on it.

Exit, if she wants to take a year out to consider her options, what about working in a stables abroad? For instance we went to one in Iceland that took international students.

Iceland will be cold!!!!

I've suggested a year out but that was met with derision.

This is why I think she should do an Equine corse at the Royal Agricultural College or similarl.

it's only cold in the winter

An equine course is a really good idea. It would either lead to a career path, or give her the breathing space to think about what she would really like to do.

Aaaargh! Open days! I have been burying my head in the sand.

It would be easier if DS seemed remotely interested.

I've looked at the college timetable and the first reference I can see to planning for University is after the AS exams finish in June. I can see the logic in that, focus on the exams first (for those that have them) and then students spend the summer holidays doing their research and return all informed and ready to go. It must work for them or they wouldn't do it.

There were no such thing as open days in my time, the only time you visited was for your interview (assuming you got one) and they showed you around then or at least showed you around the department and left you to see the rest yourself. You made your initial decision based on the paper prospectus in the school library and whatever comparison publication they had. In these days of online everything, virtual tours and video on demand you would think there was less need to visit in person. (Am I talking myself into thinking that open days are not that important? Yes, I think I am)

muffin you are not alone.
Booking open days is all very well if your dc know they definitely want to go / have the ability (likely to get the grades needed) to go to university and have some idea about what subject they would like to study, but we definitely aren't at that stage (or anywhere near).
dd has booked to go on a general info day about applying to university at a neighbouring city where there will be stands from various unis and information about courses. I have also suggested that she goes to a local event on higher apprenticeships as well in order to compare options.

I think we are incredibly fortunate that dd has a focus as to what she would like to do and where she wants to do it. It makes this stage much easier. However, I do worry what will happen if she doesn't attain her goals. It would be hard to shift plans after having one idea for such a long time.

I think there is a balance to be reached there somehow!

exit
AAA / AAB does seem to be normal. A friend's daughter only got into uni with BBB because the university had to take a certain percentage of students from "third tier" colleges.
BTEC HND is an alternative route for those that want to do HE but don't get the grades they need.

Icouldbe you can pick what talks to listen to, you don't have to listen to finance again!

DH did most of DS1s, I did York with him. There was even a special talk just for parents, which was actually quite good. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing.

Because his course interviewed he had to visit them all again anyway.

AAA / AAB does seem to be normal
Although this does seem to be the norm for the most popular/desirable unis and degree courses. It is also true that lower offers could be available either if you choose a less desirable course or a less popular university e.g. an ex-poly or ex College of Higher Ed.
On MN parents tend to focus on a relatively small number of high achieving universities. In my home city there are 2 universities: one RG one which is very highly regarded for traditional academic degrees and is well respected on MN the other an ex-poly which is hardly ever mentioned that offers more vocational degrees. The latter is hardly ever mentioned on here, but still has a good reputation nationally and locally with good graduate employment prospects even though A level entry grades are lower.

that's good news cats - thanks for that. I managed to find a list of ex-polys for exit and anyone else it might benefit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytechnic_(United_Kingdom)

Thanks. Although I am old enough to remember the Polys 😏

If you look up "New universities" on wikipedia as well as the ex-poly ones which mostly became unis in 1992, there is also a list of colleges that have now converted to unis. These include former teacher training colleges, art colleges and other specialist colleges. We could be considering some on this list if dd decides she would like to take a Design degree (although her A level choices do open up other possibilities)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_universities_(United_Kingdom).
Some of these unis only offer fairly specialised courses but could be worth a look.