Year 12 - 2024/25 - Support, Discussion and Looking After Each Other (Thread 2)

[BlackBean2023]

You’re a chatty lot… continue

@Muchtoomuchtodo I hate to say it, but doubling up firm and insurance at the same uni doesn’t help! The guarantee extends only to getting in on the course you have firmed, and not the course you used as insurance.

I think this will be us in a few weeks. Dd doesn’t start mocks until 4 July. I honestly just want them done and have some clarity where we should be guiding.

she wasn’t keen on Bath which shocked her as she loves the city and thought that was number 1. She did however love Bristol… but grades need to be AAA 🙈 Exeter is a close second place. She did like Royal Holloway but ideally wants a city. That said, the biology dept did an impressive job and the lecturers made a good impression.

Thanks for that @JessyCarr . Very worthwhile knowing that others haven’t got it all sussed out!

Getting a bit of FOMO from all the talk of uni visits but a crunch week this week with DS' economics mocks and final maths paper. Then it's work experience. We are signed up to go to UCL open day at the end of June just to get in the swing of things and try to inspire him a bit. Don't think (or I hope) he won't want to go as the uni is a short bus journey away from home. (And grade requirements are v high).

@SunblockSue we’re going there too! Just tying to figure out where’s best to stay the night before.

I reckon somewhere towards the West end of the Piccadilly line will work - we’re coming from South Wales.

@Muchtoomuchtodo DS and I are going to UCL too. The Piccadilly line isn't great. What I'd suggest from South Wales is to stay in Reading the night before. You can then get the fast train to Paddington (approx 20 mins - no stops) and then tube to Euston Square or TCR.

If you want to be closer into London to stay over I'd suggest Harrow (Harrow on the Hill underground). Then you can get the fast Metropolitan Line train to Euston Square (only stops twice I think) and takes less than 15 minutes. It's a short walk down to Bloomsbury from Euston Sq.

DS and I went to Bristol on Saturday and DS had the same reaction as your son @JustHereWithMyPopcorn - liked the law course but wasn't keen on the campus or the city. I hope your DS1 got home safely.

I hadn't realised how far out of town the Stoke Gifford accommodation was either - 15 minutes on the courtesy bus. That was a little off putting as it didn't feel very connected. However, DS liked the rooms far more than he liked Exeter (which he still refers to as "Gulag-like" (bless his little middle class socks)). The information on accommodation given by @JessyCarr is rather shocking too.

We are off to Warwick this Saturday. They have a fantastic number of courses which, on paper, would suit DS. But I have heard that Warwick is a bit "marmite".

Has your daughter considered Reading university @TeenLifeMum? The town is much like Bristol, just half the size. The university campus is very nice and it's on the "nice" side of town. It has close connections to the Royal Berks hospital not far away for biomed subjects.

@Waspie thanks for that - what’s the issue with the Picadilly line? I’ve found somewhere that fits the bill but it would mean us using the Piccadilly line straight through to the open day.

We’re visiting next Saturday. I think Reading looks like a good option so good to hear you think so too.

The Piccadilly line is just very very slow @Muchtoomuchtodo - it loops around London rather than coming in directly. I grew up in West London and we would always take the Met or Central line into London if possible and avoid the Piccadilly.

Thanks. It’s hard trying to do things on a budget. I’ll keep looking along those lines rather than the Picadilly

It's not easy to do London on a budget - will the university help with expenses?

The western end of the Piccadilly has big cross over with the Met. line @Muchtoomuchtodo I'm not sure if they are still there but they built large student accommodation blocks in Harrow back in the 1990s as the area is/was cheaper than central London but the tube is so quick it is actually faster than getting in from Islington/Camden where the bulk of the student accommodation was. This may not not still be the case - it's been 20 years since I lived in Harrow!

Good luck finding somewhere decent on budget. I hope your son enjoys his day.

I'm pleased @TeenLifeMum. DS' school is very close to Reading uni and they sometimes get post-grads come in to give subject lectures, and they use their sports facilities. DS' chess club play the uni chess club regularly. I think the campus is lovely. It's safe and contained but close enough to town that if the students want to go into the cinema, theatre or nightlife it's walkable. I hope your daughter enjoys her day. I tried to get DS to go but he says it's too close to home 😂

@Waspie , unfortunately our postcode is just a little bit too good to qualify for any financial assistance! We’re polar score 3 and they help 1 and 2.

The hotel that I’d found in Hounslow is a well known basic chain and £70 for the night, with an additional £12 for parking. We will take a cool bag with breakfast and lunch for the next day. It’s by far the best value I’ve found. I think we might just have to accept that we’ll be on the tube for a little longer.

That sounds like a very good deal @Muchtoomuchtodo. The Heathrow branch of the Piccadilly line will be quicker than the Uxbridge branch line too. We shall be taking packed breakfast and lunch too. Eating out in London can require the taking on a new mortgage!

It's so interesting hearing the feedback from everyone, please do keep posting thoughts on here including accommodation as I know we won't be able to fit in everywhere DS is considering this side of the summer holidays.

As a fellow west Londoner (originally) I would agree with @Waspie about the Piccadilly line especially from Uxbridge.

My nephew is at Reading just finished his first year and has loved it, also my friend's two DDs went there and also loved it. I think it is a bit overlooked as a university.

Probably a daft question @Waspie and @JustHereWithMyPopcorn but how would I be able to tell which Eastbound tubes are on the Heathrow branch, not the Uxbridge branch? Or is it only Westbound that it makes a difference to?

Can you tell that we’re from rural South Wales and don’t venture anywhere near London very often?!

You will be fine going into London @Muchtoomuchtodo, you just need to make sure you get a train which is going at least to Kings Cross Station, because some will end their journey's at Earls Court. The tube station you will want to get off at, as I'm sure you know, is Russell Square.

Going back to Hounslow you will need to check that the westbound tube is going to Heathrow, not Rayners Lane or Uxbridge as these are after the branches split. If you do get on an Uxbridge train by mistake, don't panic, you can get off at Acton and then change to a Heathrow train. In fact, it can be better to do this as there may be more Heathrow trains going through Acton than at Russell Square. The train is also likely to be less busy by the time it gets to Acton.

Plan a journey - Transport for London This says Hounslow West to Russell Square is about 47 minutes.

London is the best city in the world (yes, I'm biased). Unlike our reputation, Londoners can be friendly and if you get lost, or confused as to whether you are in the right place, please ask a TFL employee or another traveller. A lot of travellers may be semi-lost tourists, but lots will be experts on the tube system and be able to help.

@Muchtoomuchtodo if you're coming from Hounslow you won't be on the Uxbridge branch but coming back just look for a Heathrow train not one that say Uxbridge or Rayners Lane.

Ha, just read @Waspie 's much more detailed explanation! I agree with her that the Londoner trope of unfriendliness is overstated, I'd always happily help people who were lost as would most people I know. You'll be absolutely fine!

The Citymapper app is a good one to download to help with getting around, if visiting London.

UCL has a whole new campus in Stratford Queen Elizabeth Park near the aquatics centre but I've not yet worked out what gets studied there compared to Bloomsbury. It looks all fancy and new though!

Thank you for all the observations about unis and accommodation so far. I read them out to the rest of the family.
We have not even looked at accommodation yet, because DS thinks if he can get into his favoured A*AA Durham or Warwick course, he doesn't care about accommodation that much. If his predicted grades are worse, then we can think about such issues. He is so practical and grownup, it is scary.

DS got his results today BCD subject he got c in teacher ain't worried as she said they marked harshly still on track for a B. But the D is a bit worrying !

Have they said what his predicted grades will be? Does that make any difference to where he was thinking of applying to?

@Muchtoomuchtodo not sure if that question was for me. We have parents evening next week but on waiting list for Geography teacher which was the D. DS wanted to do geography at Uni not narrowed it down to course but don't think there is any point with that grade. Trying to find out if he can do resits in September.