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Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

Original poster

Half way through Year 13 and the last school year.

999 replies

OhYouBadBadKitten · 14/02/2018 20:14

eep.

OP posts:
raspberryrippleicecream · 26/02/2018 18:59

DD & Ds1 fitted Grade 8 exams in at the end of March before GCSEs and A2s respectively. Glad we aren't doing that this time round!

Incidentally DS1 plays a lot at uni, despite not doing music. It's a brilliant social activity. DD is hoping to be able to play too.

Kitten presumably your DD will end up with her A2 s and an extra AS in Maths?

TheSecondOfHerName · 26/02/2018 19:04

DS2 wants to take his Grade 8 clarinet in July, a month after his GCSE exams finish.

UrsulaPandress · 26/02/2018 19:28

Leeds applicant day for Wednesday has just been cancelled. I presume due to strikes.

Littledrummergirl · 26/02/2018 20:04

Ds1 has his application for finance almost done. He doesn't have a passport so has to send off his birth certificate. Dh and I have done our bits.

He has his interview on Wednesday, as far as we know it's still going ahead at the moment.

MrSlant · 26/02/2018 22:52

It's starting to all come together in a terrifying way isn't it? Can't believe I was on threads about starting secondary school (under a different NN) with some of you!

Gutted for you Ursula, although I understand 100% their reason for the strikes when you have planned something and it's so important for their choice it must be frustrating to be delayed.

TheSecond I did the same as your DS2, was actually late going on the leavers school outward bound trip because of it! I think if they do that much music already it's not disruptive because the music is part of day to day life.

FantasyAndHope · 27/02/2018 12:07

Dd has range with usual issues of Periods including the usual not been able to wee, she sounds stressed. Fortunately she has frees all afternoon as one of her teachers isn’t here so hopefully she will be able to go up to house and stay in bed.
Thankfully doctors has referred to gynaecology

NoHaudinMaWheest · 27/02/2018 12:09

Dd is another one with exams going on until 25th June.
We did York offer holders day last week. I must say it was well organised and useful - didn't repeat Open day and had a parents' question forum without the students present.

However we discovered that the joint degree she has applied for has always had very few students (never more than four) and there are rumours that it may not be offered after 2018 entry.
There aren't any modules specific to this degree; students just take modules from those offered by both subjects but I am slightly concerned that she might get lost if she is only one of two or three on that particular path and not the concern of either department.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 27/02/2018 13:26

That's a bit of a concern NoHaudin. Is your dd able to raise questions about this with the admissions tutor?

OP posts:
NoHaudinMaWheest · 27/02/2018 14:03

We are waiting until she has been to the Edinburgh offers' holders day in the Easter holidays. If she is still unsure after that I will encourage her to contact admissions.

Nettleskeins · 27/02/2018 15:13

nohaudin my cousin's son found Edinburgh quite difficult, beautiful city but so many thousands of students/impersonal experience/over hyped, whereas York seemed much friendly and "cosier" for his contemporary (my nephew)same subject, admittedly a humanity. Also so hilly!!

Had good chat with friend today about unis, listening to her story of someone changing their mind about what subject they wanted to study during their gap year, was quite instructive...

Nettleskeins · 27/02/2018 15:14

Fantasy your poor daughter Sad

NoHaudinMaWheest · 27/02/2018 16:34

I went to Edinburgh myself so I am a bit biased. We know the city well as my mum lives there. Admittedly I don't know what the university is like now.

Nettleskeins · 27/02/2018 16:38

I have several friends from uni years who went there all loved it (1984 onwards); admittedly parents of son who went had not been there themselves, but they just said the halls were very international/ impersonal and lectures/seminars enormous and he felt lost. But if your mum is there, well that is a big bonus.

raspberryrippleicecream · 28/02/2018 11:50

Snow day today. DD is thrilled, she had a lie in, I made her pancakes and she has a good clear run at her English and History coursework.

My school also has a snow day. Enjoying the treat!

UrsulaPandress · 28/02/2018 12:28

Any idea how much in general they will need to live on when in self-catered halls? I stupidly presumed that the maintenance loan of £8,700 was available for everyone and we could top it up.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 28/02/2018 13:04

That's such a good question Ursula.

OP posts:
UrsulaPandress · 28/02/2018 13:16

I suppose I should ask on a thread with those who already have DC at uni. The careers woman at school mentioned a figure of £12,000 which didn't seem so bad with a nearly £9,000 loan. Now I have discovered she will only get £4,000 I have realised I will have to carry on working.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 28/02/2018 13:22

12,000 Shock we can't top up dd to anywhere near that.

OP posts:
ShanghaiDiva · 28/02/2018 14:25

Ursula
We are also working on the assumption of 12k per year. Agreement we have with ds is that we will pay and he will need to repay half when he starts work, but we will not charge any interest.
fondly thinking back to the 1980s and my full grant!

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 28/02/2018 14:31

Warwick and Cambridge suggest £9k for their time at university.

OP posts:
ReelingLush18 · 28/02/2018 14:32

I stupidly presumed that the maintenance loan of £8,700 was available for everyone and we could top it up. Gulp as someone who knows nothing about loans etc..(with a DS in Year 12). Who qualifies for the maintenance loan????

TheDrsDocMartens · 28/02/2018 14:46

Be careful sending original copies to SFE, they aren’t known for their care and lost mine. Heard of lots of issues there.

Dd1 has applied for accommodation all under £5000 a year. Can’t bekieve how much they vary

UrsulaPandress · 28/02/2018 15:01

There is a calculator on the government website. It is based on household income on a siding scale.

ReelingLush18 · 28/02/2018 15:03

Thanks UrsulaPandress!

Nettleskeins · 28/02/2018 15:10

£70 a week for 38 weeks self catered covering food travel and sundries (on basis they have clothes already and can borrow books from library buy secondhand -books would be additional expense on top of £60) works out at approx £3,000 and then the accommodation varies in price,

In the holidays they can live at home, not pay bills but still earn money extra for luxuries/to pay parents a percentage for extra upkeep.

Does that sound about right?

For my nephews it has been an incredibly helpful learning curve to be skint and budget, although they have had epicurean life at home and their mum certainly doesn't budget in small things. Very quickly they adapted to concept of their own budgets being different from parental spending on family food leisure etc, and it didn't make them steal teabags or loo paper.