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

[Orangecinnamon21]

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@MrKlaw I think most of them should be available on the uni websites (obviously only videos to watch rather than being able to ask live questions). Ds is also far less engaged than his older siblings were at this stage. I suspect we won’t visit many before he applies but go to offer holder days instead.

@Decorhate

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?)

We had a talk on that. If separate Masters your loan repayments are the percentage due on the undergraduate loan (9%) and the masters (6%) so total 15% once over repayment threshold. So an integrated Masters saves them 6% on money earned over the threshold for repayment.

I wasn’t even thinking about the repayment @Volterra ! I think it may have changed but up to recently you could not get student finance for a separate masters so had to take out a bank loan if you did not have your own funds?

My DD wants to study Biology. Only looking at 3yr Bsc at the moment as 3 years seems enough ;-) Although she does know that doing a placement year could be great idea, but that does put the grade requirements up to AAA usually. I think for now aiming for AAB is enough and maybe after predicted grades are given etc she may opt for placement when she comes to apply or even during uni course.

My niece switched to integrated masters at York. Funding should be fine, I guess it is just slightly more straightforward if you apply for 4 years at the outset, but you can get funding if you need to repeat a year. I think it is possible to get an extra year as long as you haven't graduated.

@singingstones, I am catching up on a busy day, but DS1's violin teacher had a career change to councelor in her 50's.

..... and in Year 4, if one of his friends had a tricky problem he said he should ask his piano teacher!

[quote Seeline]@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![/quote]
That's quite interesting because not that many places offer liberal arts, but DDs shortlist has none of those! Hers are Warwick Bristol Leeds and Durham.

@Seeline we've done some open days but not had any specifics at all on the course. Kent and Exeter are too far for us.

We're down south so DD ruled out all the 'northern' ones (Leeds and Durham)! Her A levels (Bio, Psychology and Business) ruled out some others, and she is trying to avoid anything too English heavy. I think that got rid of Bristol and Warwick.

We were told it is easy to switch to an integrated masters once there.

There's now a Government Postgraduate loan , something in the region of 11k. Fees have to come out of this and will take most of it and in some cases that's not enough. They'll then need extra for living etc and to top up the fees - UCL was about 14k for one that a friend was looking at I think (might have made that up !)

We were encouraged to have a look and take into account whether they can switch to an integrated masters during undergraduate time as if wanting to do same subject it solves a lot of potential funding headache.

I think the Postgraduate loan has a slightly lower repayment threshold than the undergraduate loan but might have made that up.

DD not going to uni but will be starting her L3 Travel and Tourism this year at college after completing L2 with the highest grade ( sorry for the boast
She's looking forward to going back, even though she will have to juggle college with work she is very organised and plans everything in advance.
I hope at the end of this that the aviation industry will be recruiting as she hasn't got a plan B as this is all she has ever wanted to do

I think the uni courses with a years work placement are excellent. There was a scheme at my work which had several business grads on it. They had a fun year earning some money and then back to Uni.
My DS back from Reading has tested positive for COVID, he came back early Sunday as he felt ill. He is tired, full of a cold and feeling sorry for himself. We are currently living in the middle of a building site, the workmen have all left as they don't want to risk catching it.

@whoamitojudge

DD not going to uni but will be starting her L3 Travel and Tourism this year at college after completing L2 with the highest grade ( sorry for the boast She's looking forward to going back, even though she will have to juggle college with work she is very organised and plans everything in advance. I hope at the end of this that the aviation industry will be recruiting as she hasn't got a plan B as this is all she has ever wanted to do

Hats of to her Dd hates the 'hospitality' side of her job. I know someone who works or BA she has had some amazing experiences by the looks of it. Still working for them despite the issues over the last year. Travel Hospitality always needs good, committed people!

BlueM thanks. Is that on your DD's list? A friend's DD went to Royal Holloway and had a great time. DS has ruled out London and further south.

WhoAmI your DD knows what she wants & is on track! You need to get her the Dr Seuss Oh the places you will go!

@icanbewhatiwant sounds familiar, I got back into riding with Minette about 20 years ago and my daughter started off riding at Petersham stables.

@Hopeful201 sorry to hear about the Covid and extra unlucky that it has caused your builders to down tools!

It looks to me like more than half the people who went to Boardmasters caught Covid. The figure of 5,000 cases associated with the festival was just for Cornwall, all the people I know who caught it tested positive after they had got home. We were in Cornwall for the weekend and our Cornish friends were keeping a low profile with Covid spreading round the north coast. Hotels are having to close because their staff have Covid.

Fingers crossed that the other DC at Reading and Leeds managed to dodge it.

@Piggywaspushed hope you got a bit of final holiday and did not recover just in time to go to work.

I'm still poorly unfortunately monkey. It's gone from every day to very third day feeling unwell. Sorry to hear about your DS hopeful.

@OrangeCinnamonCocktail She wants to work for BA and took a waitressing job as she’d found out that hospitality was a good job to have prior to being cabin crew. Happy to hear that your friend is still working despite everything
@EwwSprouts (fab username!) I’ll look into that. She used to love The Lorax when she was younger

@whatsnext2 is that Minette at ham house stables?

@Hopeful201 I hope Ds feels better soon and that the rest of you are ok.

@EwwSprouts yes Royal Holloway is on the list. Where does your DC like?

Our list is currently Birmingham, Nottingham, Sheffield, Reading, Royal Holloway, Lancaster, Lincoln, Bangor, Aberystwyth and Oxford Brookes. Got a bit of whittling down to do!

[quote icanbewhatiwant]@whatsnext2 is that Minette at ham house stables? [/quote]
Yes

@whatsnext2 I've had lessons with her too. Plus she used to school a livery of ours...I had to ride the livery to hers. We are going back to early 1990's though. She was good friends with my boss.