Thread 29 - Covid Cohort - Whirlwinds and Waiting

[OrangeCinnamonCroissant]

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to threads about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

previous thread 28

@OrangeCinnamonCroissant I mentioned way back that a family friend is doing music at Cardiff very happily. Currently doing a year abroad at William and Mary in US. He also loved the interview and they were very flexible on results day when he didn't get what he hoped for (2019). I think they claim to be the cheapest university in the UK for accommodation. DS was planning to apply there before they dropped the medicine with Foundation year course, so we went to an open day and liked it - pleasant city on as nice scale.

@Nard75 that is a high offer, I thought the only place as high as that was Cambridge! I suppose it might be because an A for normal maths should be "in the bag" for people wanting to do a degree in maths (it is the subject with the highest percentage of students getting A in a normal year 16.6% 2019, 28.4% 2021). So well done for the offer, hope it is not too daunting!

@OrangeCinnamonCroissant Lovely to hear feedback from Cardiff. I know the City pretty well having visited exh family loads in the past and DS definitely interested for next year. Looking at the cost of accommodation I cannot believe how cheap it is compared to the others. Liverpool was really expensive, around 6.5k for the year - we had a lovely student take us around her flat last week and it was nice but not 6.5k worth of nice!

Cardiff amazing for cheap accommodation, we’re going to really notice the difference If DS does go to Bath. Warwick always been high for Maths I think as so sought after (the COWI acronym). But I think that a few places have put grades up this year, or I am losing the plot whic is very possible!

Could have sworn I sat through an Exeter online talk where they said standard offer was AAB and now AAA. I think Bath was AAA last year and is A star AA this year or A star AB with STEP. Have a feeling Cardiff and Southampton might be higher too but not sure. Really hope DS pulls off his Bath offer but the way this year is going I am not confident.

Happy birthday to mini @Fruitygal!

Well done in the Warwick offer @Nard75. Just can’t wait to hear either way from Warwick, plus Bath and Durham…

Glad the offer day was useful @OrangeCinnamonCroissant

DS has mocks next week. I really don’t think he’s done much revision. Yes he’s done the revision in lessons and set as homework but nothing extra that I can think of. He still thinks he will achieve his predicted grades next week, I’ll be amazed and pleased if he does but part of me also hopes he gets a wake up call.

@Volterra Bath halls seems to be either really expensive eg 7-8k or ok ish but very basic. I think DD looking around the 5.5k mark for first year which is the cheapest option (although she may entitled to a discount looking at bursaries due to my salary). Do you mean in subsequent years of house shares? I am clueless with these things as DD is my first but do the sign housing contracts for a full 12 months even though they don't move in until September?

Glad your DD enjoyed Cardiff, Orange.
I’d second what singing said; there are lots of musical opportunities here, as well as lots of visiting artists, thanks to the RWCMD, St David’s Hall, WMC etc. I don’t think Southampton compares from that POV.

Happy birthday to all the newly minted “adults” this weekend!

Yes I have a feeling Tango and I haven’t dared look, that private rentals are going to be very expensive. DD was paying £300 a month until this month and now £350 for really decent private rental. She has signed 12 months tenancy and we are guarantors. They start looking early, often before Christmas of year 1 so the money is needed quite early. DD’s tenancy up end of June I think . Hmm, that’s actually not that long..

If you look on rightmove, there's a 'student rents' option under rental properties. I'm not sure how representative it is, or if all student rentals go on there, but Bath and York are a lot more than Southampton and Nottingham!

@Volterra Cardiff is very cheap and has lovely accommodation. DS is there and in his second year he was here Accomodation he was in the £126 per week type room but it was £120 when he was there, that was just 2020/21. His room looked exactly like the picture and the facilities & surroundings were so nice, compared to his actual student hall digs (but he opted for a really grotty one).

Wow Rightmove is an eye opener! DDs top three choices vary hugely in price. Bristol is eye watering!

Just booked offer holders’ day in Bristol for March 26th. DD will have course related talks in the afternoon - what should be on our list for the morning?

Yes, Rightmove is a great tip thanks crazy. Looks like there are loads of reasonable places available in Nottingham.

Accommodation tour, Kingscote?

Hi @TangoWhiskyAlphaTango.
I have a feeling that Bath contracts often don't cover the summer holidays. I think many of the students have to move back home for that period, which is a major disadvantage. Especially for the older students who want their independence. Dd1 would have hated that at 22. Luckily she's in Bristol where it's the opposite.

Shimy that looks lovely ! DS may well put Cardiff as his insurance and follow his sister.

Kingscote I would go and see the SU and do a bit of a tour of the halls - Stoke Bishop, the Clifton ones and probably the ones on the centre too. Oh and possibly the sports facilities if she is into sport.

@KingscoteStaff have you any info on the offer holder day? DD doesn't have anything apart from what time to arrive. She's going on 12th.
I'm really keen to look at accommodation but don't think it's included.

@Shimy That looks amazing I cannot believe the difference I am going to encourage DS to have a good look next year.

Looking at Bath student house not too bad.

£425 PCM for an 11 month contract, but then maybe bills on top. DD will need to be looking at part time jobs much to her disgust then!!

@Cantonet Thats interesting as I had not thought of it in that way. I assumed they would want to come home all summer but then with a 4 year course DD will be 23 by the time she hits her 4th year I fear you may be right!

Oh actually that isn’t as bad as as I thought it might be Tango, thought it might be closer to £500. Have sent DS list of dates for Bath Campus tours and would like to get onto one now. I drive close to the campus twice a week but never actually seen it.

Wow...I've just looked at the price of accommodation. I've rather had my head in the sand on this one.

Ummm...it's not cheap! Off to look at Right Move in the hope of calming my breathing...

They are so......well.....grotty arent they?! Some landlords are laughing all the way to the bank with these houses, bathrooms and kitchens that need a complete refurb and still ££££££ a month. I wonder how much DD will struggle with slumming it student style

@Volterra @TangoWhiskyAlphaTango

That Bath house is really cheap! It is a bit out of town though so would probably need two buses to uni. Looking on the WIWIKAU Facebook page a while ago most people were saying £500-600 per month in Bath. Not looked into it in detail but I know Bath is one of the priciest places (also one of the nicest though).

Still not heard from Bath here but at the moment DS says it would be his firm if he gets an offer.

I'm not looking forward to private rentals for Ds2 from year 2 if he goes to Sussex. Ds1 pays £100 week in Norwich plus bills, that is high for that area. I've seen Sussex are about £150 week plus bills. Ds1 thought £100 weekly was cheap after paying £160 weekly on campus in year 1 then I reminded him campus accommodation is only for 38 weeks, private is 50 weeks.

With those with DC already at Uni would you be able to give me a rough idea of what they live on weekly ie for food and extras (excluding rent and bills). I was hoping around £70-100 would be around ok but I have no idea tbh!

@22Newnames Interesting, I will have a look. Now having a mild heart attack at the cost in 2nd and 4th year!

I was thinking £50-£60 @TangoWhiskyAlphaTango but I’ve seen everything from £30 to £200 per week mentioned on WIWIKAU!