Thread 18 - Corona Cohort Enrolling to Year 13 2021, Invasive Infections & Uni Uncertainty

[Orangecinnamon21]

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The single best thing I ever did for my career was a degree with a year's industrial placement. I would not be in my current job if it were not for tat year, I'm sure.

@EwwSprouts My older Ds is doing a 4 year integrated masters. Well, it will actually be 5 years altogether as he is now doing a placement year as well. For his subject (engineering) it’s advisable to do a masters as it’s harder to get chartered status without one.

@EwwSprouts my DD is considering it. But not all the unis she’s applying to offer it. She’s looking at a BSc with a year in industry.

I would like to know about this too @EwwSprouts

Specifically how the funding works. I think I've heard that if you do a 3 yr undergrad course and then decide to do a masters, it can be difficult to find the money for it. But if you sign up for a four year course to start with, it's all included as part of your student loan. This might be completely wrong, but if not it's a big incentive. If it is correct, I wonder whether you can still add it to your loan if you switch to the masters course midway through your undergrad.

In any case, I think it's a good idea if there's any chance at all that they might fancy doing a masters, so will be encouraging DS to think about it. And a year in industry must be a big advantage when it comes to job hunting later on.

ExtremelyDisorganised Wow great endorsement.

Thanks Decorhate & BlueM. Sounds like he should properly explore the options. Not sure if he's not been listening or school haven't mentioned this path. Better late than never!

Singing The finances hadn't even come to mind yet! I was wondering how many competitive/available places as presumably fewer than straight 3 years?

I remember where I saw it now, the Nottingham website. I imagine it would be more competitive, some places have a slightly higher standard offer I think.

If you choose to study an MSci, your student loan will cover tuition fees and living costs for the additional year too (home/EU students only). If you are unsure on whether to choose an MSci or BSc, we recommend you choose the MSci to secure your funding. Transfer to the BSc is possible.

DS is applying for MEng integrated masters courses so 4 years without a placement or 5 years including a placement. As i think decorhate said for engineering it’s very helpful to have the masters as it meets the educational element for chartered status whereas if you just do a bachelors then you have extra educational requirements later.

A 4 yr integrated masters counts as an undergraduate degree as is funded as such.

I was EXTREMELY lucky with my placement. The department organised them but we had to go to interviews. I was offered one in Norwich but my then boyfriend had one in West London, I went to see the lecturer who organised them to see if there was any chance of something closer to London and he wasn't very happy but found one also in West London which I took instead and it was the most brilliant job. Boyfriend turned out to be an arse 🤷‍♀️

As for integrated masters, the entry requirement is generally higher than the same course as a bachelors. Difference is usually one or two grades.

@20newnames yes but if you apply and they make you an offer, you will automatically get onto the BSc course if you don’t make the grades for the integrated masters. So you might as well go for it as you don’t lose anything

@20newnames
Do you know if it's still possible to secure funding from student finance for a masters year if you start on a bachelors and switch to the masters after a year or two?

@BlueMarigold interesting, I hadn’t investigated that as DS really wants to do the MEng.

@singingstones I am not sure. I have heard it is more difficult but I don’t know anything about that.

Apparently you can. I don’t know much about it. The tour guide at Sheffield did what you are saying so it must be possible.

Many this year (including my Dd1) couldn’t find an internship in between their 2 and 3 years. Hopefully in 2/3 years it will be much easier.

@Zandathepanda

Many this year (including my Dd1) couldn’t find an internship in between their 2 and 3 years. Hopefully in 2/3 years it will be much easier.

My work colleague’s DD has just graduated- after a 3 year degree- and nowt is in grad position at a major investment bank She applied for a spring internship in year 1 which led to a summer internship in 2020- albeit online

Proggy that’s great. I think the problem particularly is this year has been particularly hit by the pandemic. I know a lot of the MFL students were hit due to problems in European travel due to the pandemic/maybe brexit. Dd1 wanted a proper placement and the companies were not sure what they were doing due to lockdowns or they were offering bits online. All interviews were done half heartedly online. She had to chase companies up by email and phone and still no one got back to her so she had to bite the bullet and find accommodation and make sure she got her module choices for year 3.

@Zandathepanda Apologies, I didn’t realise your DD was doing a 4 year degree with a placement year outside of the U.K.!

Proggy no hers isn’t out of the U.K. - I didn’t make that clear - but her MFL flatmates gave up trying too. A lot of degrees have an optional placement year after year 2 but no one she knows has got one so they are all doing 3 years instead of 4. This year has been a shambles with lockdowns and no face to face teaching so many have been at home. They are looking forward to socialising again.

@Zandathepanda ah, I see!
‘Internship’ threw me, which is why I raised my work colleague’s DD and her experience.

Thanks this is all really helpful. I think DS has been living under a rock and I'm ancient so well out of the loop.

Singing thanks for sharing Notts info. It was a York Uni dept who quoted a third swop to masters. Surely it wouldn't be that high if there was no reasonable access to student finance?

BlueM less of a gamble than it might seem then.

Generally it is fairly easy to switch between and BSc & MSc for the same course as long as you meet the grade requirements in your uni exams. And from the point of view of student loans, the extra year should be covered. Whereas if you do a separate masters I think it is funded differently (and possibly works out more expensive?)

are online open days available after the fact? so you can still have a look around virtually? only open day DD has so far is Birmingham on the 11th and I think thats partly because her friends are going. Bit worried about the lack of engagement tbh.

@EwwSprouts Royal Holloway don’t do an Integrated masters but once you finish the BSc you can do one of their Biological Science MRes courses so you don’t have to decide now. Others have said you can decide later but you have a get a certain grades

@NCTDN interesting - haven't found anyone else doing/considering liberal arts! Have you a shortlist yet? UEA, Exeter and Kent all popular with DD with Nottingham and Birmingham on the list too. I must admit to finding it quite difficult to work out how all the different courses actually work. Trying to tell DD that there is some structure, and you can't just randomly pick a variety of options each year .... Really hoping for some proper open days so that she can speak to some staff and students!