Year 12 #2: Carols, commutes & a few stocking fillers

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www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/3410431-year-12-1-gcses-are-sooo-last-year

I didn't make it to the end if Wolf Hall either, even though I was really interested in the story.

I just couldn't be bothered with continually having to count speaker 1, speaker 2,speaker 1, speaker 2,... etc on the dialogue so that i could work out who spoke the umpteenth line. The author didn't seem to think her readers needed a bit of help!

Maybe I'm a bit low brow for some of you. I'm currently reading Ken Follett...

I didn't even make it to the start of wolf hall .

I spent 2 evenings studying the family trees and decided it wasn't the book for me.

I loved Wolf Hall! However, I have not yet started Brick Lane, which is my book group's choice for this month so am lying low!

I can imagine if we started a book club we'd all be buying York Notes!! [

Unless it's The Times Good University Guide! In that case, well all be comparing notes and debating which factor matters most.

You've reminded me to put A Suitable Boy back on my list of worthy books to read. I got about 2/3 of the way through and gave up. I did read Brick Lane, Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies though.

Whistl how much influence do you think you will have though? Surely the key factor is whether they get the right feel from the place. My own initial shortlist was based on rail links from the west country, as anything much further north of Birmingham would have been impossible to get to. I told my parents what I intended to study and then my final decision was based on receiving an unconditional offer and the people I had met there. I'm planning to offer support, proof read forms, fund visits and then let her get on with it.

I think only the child can make the choice in the end. Doesn't really matter what the parents think. Having lived abroad all of my life, school in Cumbria and Kent, parents at the time in Kent and ending up at Newcastle University I'm not sure any of it identifies me. However, my geography of the U.K. Is pretty impressive!

I think only the child can make the choice in the end. Doesn't really matter what the parents think.

Completely agree, but I am anticipating that DS1 will ask me for help and, if he does, then I want to give it to him. But, if he doesn't, then i'll be pleased, not disappointed or frustrated, because it will mean he's growing up.

He may, and he may not. I think I advised on how much home status mine was going to get. Not the best, but I knew she wasn't going to be good in a big city like Leeds, Manchester, and London was certainly a no go finance wise. She is happy. We are happy. Considering I don't see her for 3 months at a time, this has been our biggest concern. I can't convey how happy I am about this. Even though she goes tomorrow and I know I will be sad.

It is interesting how many posters on this thread say that London is too expensive. I don't think anyone has said its affordable.

It makes me wonder how many domestic students the London universities get these days? There are quite a few of them (LSE, UCL, Imperial, Kings etc) and they must all be recruiting in the very small market that consists of students whose parents can afford to help with the rents etc.

I went to university in London. Even then (1990s), the course seemed to have a high number of international students. Of the UK-resident students, some lived at home with the parents and commuted in. The rest of us were quite scattered geographically, as it's almost impossible to find affordable accommodation within zone 1 or 2.

The cost of accommodation was problematic even then. In my hall of residence, all first years had to share a room. From my second year onwards, we could only afford houseshares in areas with high crime rates and with a 40-45 minute journey each way.

Having said all that, I don't regret choosing to study in London. It has its advantages in terms of width of cultural experience. And it made me more streetwise.

DS1 did look at one course in London, but the accommodation was approx £8K a year, and was so far from the campus that it was actually closer to our home.

I've just googled universities in london. I knew there was a couple of "extra" ones, but I was astonished when i saw the full list:-
AA School of Architecture
Birkbeck, University of London
Brunel University London
City, University of London
Courtauld Institute of Art
Coventry University London Campus
ESCP Europe Business School
GCU London
Goldsmiths, University of London
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Imperial College London
Institute of Cancer Research
Istituto Marangoni London
King's College London
Kingston University London
London Business School
The London Institute of Banking & Finance
London Metropolitan University
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
London South Bank University
Loughborough University London
Middlesex University
Newcastle University London
New College of the Humanities
Queen Mary University of London
Ravensbourne
Regent's University London
Richmond, The American International University in London
Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance
Royal Academy Of Music
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Royal College of Art
Royal College of Music
Royal Holloway, University of London
Royal Veterinary College
School of Advanced Study
SOAS, University of London
St George's, University of London
St Mary's University, Twickenham
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
UCL (University College London)
University of East London
University of Greenwich
University of Liverpool in London
University of London International Programmes
University of Roehampton
University of the Arts London
University of West London
University of Westminster

I know some of them are post grad (Tropical Medicine) or specialist in art or music etc, but that still leaves a lot of institutions vying for students who can afford London rents or want to live at home.

DH went to university in London too (in the '80s). I think things were expensive back then, but not off the scale as they later became.

DS2's provisional license has arrived. At the moment he is saying that he doesn't want to learn to drive, but he might change his mind in the future.

It would also be useful as ID once he turns 18. Not that he'll ever go to a nightclub. And I can't imagine him wanting to buy alcohol (he dislikes the taste). But perhaps there might be some special physics-related or D&D-themed event at some point where you have to be 18+

London is out of the question for us, unless DD could persuade my 40 y.o. DBIL to let her share his room in a flat share along with his partner! I'm sure that the majority of students will either be from overseas or living at home. The only students who can afford the flash new halls next door to my south coast office come from overseas. The few UK students who go into those halls seem to be from Deliveroo.

I would love DD to ask me for help, but any advice I would give would instantly be the kiss of death for that course! That was why I was wondering if the rest of you would have a different degree of input to me.

I think there is this normal developmental phase where teenagers reject their parents in order to be able to fly the nest. DS just hasn't reached it so far.

He trusts us to put him first when offering advice and to make a real effort to think about it first and then give good advice. (i.e. what pretty much 99% of parents do but many DC won't believe it because they are going through that transition).

DS1 does believe us though and it makes our relationship really harmonious as he just waits for us to tell him things are his choice and to offer to help him. He's been like this since he was born - he was a really contented baby because he seemed to expect us to look after him, so he rarely cried.

I think (sort of hope, sort of dread) he'll start to reject us eventually, but there's not much sign yet, so I expect he'll want our views about choosing a university.

By contrast, DS2 is already of the mindset that everything we say or think must be based on old-fashioned ideas and therefore plain wrong.

We do it with our own parents in middle age as well, to ease the shock of when they pass away. I'm sure I do the huffing and eye rolling, just like DD, if I spend too long with my mum & dad!

DS1's girlfriend has a London university as her first choice (she's a year 13). Her parents aren't wealthy, but she is an only child and as far as I know her grandparents pay for some extras too. Maybe that's the reason why her family can afford it.

Ha @TheFirstOHN - I'm trying to imagine that18+ D&D physics event. If you added military history DS1 would definitely come!

Pre-occiupied here with

1. ongoing health issues with DD
2. house sale and purchase
3. sick Ddog

Just as well we have an exam free 2019! If it were 2020 I'd be on my knees!

Back from the airport. Feeling a bit sad. April 5th looking ages away. Hey ho. New semester starts for me on Sunday. Middle sister comes on February 1st. She's having a hell of a time with her youngest who is at Oxford. Not sure I would cope with a genius child. Hats off to all of you. Will resort to wine.

We have parents' evening next week - DS seems more concerned about that than the mocks the following week!
He is carrying a hard boiled egg around as part of a psychology task. Is anyone else's dc doing this? Apparently a classmate's egg already has 2 plasters to cover cracks!

Sandy Chin up. Moving house isn't all it's cracked up to be. Our new neighbours are ridiculously loud and they've churned up all the verges outside on the road. I'm wishing the old ones had stayed put.

Sending positive thoughts and good wishes to Sandy and Veiled !!

Interesting discussions going on. DD2 had KCL as an option and was torn between great course and all the added opportunities in studying a Humanities subject in London (talks, volunteering and work opportunities etc) against added cost but more importantly the possibility of living a long way from study site and friends and having to work much harder for a social life. Having a history of poor MH she was more worried about potential social isolation than cost. Where she is now she is surrounded by student accommodation blocks with a 15 min walk to everything and a big park and lake on the doorstep - has to be a healthier life style mentally. She was tempted though.

Alos agree with level of input - it varies considerably. And like Whistl DS has historically needed/wanted a lot of direction and support but i (may be also due to boarding) I have just started to see that changing. He has asked me to research some things for him and provide him with information but he is starting to direct and make his own choices. He is also getting direction from school and from discussions from peers.

Wow. Can't comment really. There seems to be a totally different support system going in the UK as opposed to what I'm used to here in the middle of east. We just pay for flights when they get interviews. Hopefully. Am sad to say that my niece has had a horrible time at Oxford. She's now kicking out at all of us who love her the most. It hasn't been pretty and it breaks my heart. My dad was also at Oxford, and he has also changed in his outlook. It's so alien to me, I'm not sure what to say. However, having lost the eldest today and feeling pretty miserable, I might be rambling.