Year 12 #1 - GCSEs are sooo last year!

[bpisok]

New thread to see us through to Christmas?

DS2's first choice is to do a four-year course leading to an MPhys or MSci. The Masters year would be funded by the student loan (and he would repay this in the same way as the student loan). These courses are accredited for the profession he wants to work in, but the grade requirements are high.

If his predicted grades aren't high enough to get a place on a four-year course, his back-up plan would be to do a BSc, then work until he can self-fund a Masters degree (delaying his career aspirations by a few years).

Hi to Soomaa and great to hear from Sost - poor pup with the fireworks! Our cat has spent most of the evening on the landing or stretched across a stair about half way up - I think he wanted to make things awkward!
DS has just about recovered from the meningitis jab - a lot of his friends were off school for a day because they were sick. He's at a party tonight so I'm sitting up waiting for him to get back. It's his birthday tomorrow - he's getting driving lessons as a combined birthday/Christmas present but I couldn't resist some things to wrap as well!
Good luck to the mathematicians! DS is still relieved he swapped to music, though...

Welcome soomaa

Alex just a thought if it hasn't been suggested could DD suggest to them to meet up on a weekend. It can be tough navigating the social waters for teens.

Interest

Posted too soon. Interesting point about BSc v MSc - I didn't realise they carried different predicted grades. How much of a difference are we talking here?

I've never heard of any difference in the perception of a BA and BSc. We certainly don't treat the two any differently in my profession. We wouldn't even register which it was, but we would look at the nature of the degree (geography, physics, English, accountancy have more credibility in our field than art or sports science). DH has a geography degree. He could have been awarded a BA or BSc, but opted for the BA in his 3rd year because it was ore social geography than physical geography.

Core not ore - that was geology!

Our university let you apply for (say) geography, then take 1/4 each of (say) history and geology in the first year, allowing you to decide for sure which route interested you most in year 2. This avoided so many dropping out or changing university.

Thanks to you lot I have discovered DD is sitting the UKSMC on Tuesday. She is obviously not bothered.

How much of a difference are we talking here?

For the places DS2 is looking at, they're asking for A*AA for the MSc / MSci / MPhys compared to AAA or AAB for the BSc.

If you have an offer for an MPhys and narrowly miss the grades, they might accept you on the BSc course if they have spaces, but they might not.

DS2 would not cope well with having to go through Clearing (he struggles with unexpected change) and he doesn't want to have to take a year out and reapply, so he needs to include low-risk / certainty options in his choices.

That seems like a very sensible way to approach this. Well done to you and DS for being so organised about this.

It is worth beating in mind when looking at the courses and I will look out for that detail when we get to that stage. By the way are you all just looking online through the uni websites or do they do the whole sending prospectuses through the post. Clearly it's been a while since I was at uni.

Hello all - nice to see a new thread. Just checking in really so I don't lose you all.

We passed a new milestone yesterday when DD1 went to a party, with boys and alcohol and got home after we went to bed. She appears to have stuck to cream soda and the boys were all lads that we've known for 10 years plus, so I feel like we are being broken in very gently to the world of late night shenanigans!

Thanks everyone for the nice welcome!

So far DS just goes through uni websites. Has has to favorites, where he wants to attend an open day next year. But he needs alternatives for when he doesn't get A*AA (or AAB for the contextual offer).

BSc vs MSc - I am aware that they do require different entry grades but I have heard of people starting on the BSc course and then swapping to the MSc after the first year and vice versa.
In something like engineering you need the masters for entry into civil engineering in one of the big consultancies.

I think there is also a funding issue with the masters. If you do the 4 year MSc it is treated as part of your degree so you are eligible for the tuition and maintenance grant throughout the 4 years.
If you do the BSc and follow it up with a separate masters you aren't eligible for the 4th year.

As for BSc vs BA there's no difference in terms of prestige- one is sciences and one is humanities/arts. For subjects that can fall between the two camps the course you chose will have an emphasis on humanities or sciences and the degree is awarded accordingly. Geography and Economics are def in this camp but there must be others?

Business studies is another.

I had definitely heard about the funding ie it is better to start with a MsC rather than BSc as you entire course is funded. You can always scale back to BSc.

Korma same here there seems to be have been an increase in parties lately. DD has only attended 2 both at good friends house. One was tame and one last night not so much. DD is completely put off alcohol as seeing the number of people that are getting completely drunk resulting in being sick. Thank goodness for now. It's weird to hear of people I have known for years now completely losing control at parties. I think DD especially with likely ASD is finding it all quite a lot to take in.

Definitely better to start off MEng or Msc rather than Batchelors if you want to do a masters - as pp said you get the loans if it is the 4th year of your course rather than a second standalone qualification. I'm really not convinced a BA has a lower standing than a BSc, surely then just show what subject area your degree is in? Though even that is not necessarily true, all Cambridge degrees are BA, unless you are reading theology or medicine. DS is doing engineering, so his first degree will (hopefully) be a BA, then he will get the MEng and then due to the Cambridge quirk get an MA a couple of years later.

Thanks for the new thread.
Nothing much to report here. DD went to a dance festival in new sparkly costume that nearly killed me making it and did really well returning with 7 trophies. She's spent the rest of half term in her bed writing Sociology 40 markers. Oh and she passed her probation at her job and got a pay rise!
Back to school tomorrow.

7 trophies - she's bendy AND talented!

Jufus - congrats - I'm sure the beautiful costume helped! Not surprised she stayed in bed after that...

Super talented DD Jufus

Maths is another subject that is both an art and a science. Pure maths is very philosophical, so maybe that's where its an art with applied maths residing more in the realm of science?

Congrats to your daughter JufusMom

JufusMum I just read back ... well done to your DD! A good reward for all the time you spent gluing on the sequins.

I've got to tell someone...

DS was showing me round his school last week. As we reached a door, it opened and a nice-looking girl and her mum were coming the other way. She saw DS and looked really pleased to have bumped into him, flashed him a smile and said hello.

I took it as an sign that DS has been accepted socially at his new school and there are people who like him. its such a little thing, unless you don't have it. Those of you who remember me from 12 months ago will know how much it means.

Whistl that gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. As a mother I completely get how much something like that means. Sending you virtual hugs.

So lovely to hear. Its like the opposite of a viscious cycle too, if he is happier and more relaxed he will relate to people and they to him more easily.