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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Original poster

Oxbridge Entry 2015

999 replies

Roisin · 01/09/2014 17:45

Do we have a thread already?
ds1 has decided to definitely apply to Oxford to do Biochemistry. He will probably apply to St John's.

OP posts:

Decorhate · 25/10/2014 08:30

I think I had an email recently to say the Money Saving Expert website were launching a new website for train fare comparisons

MadameJosephine · 25/10/2014 10:31

From Newcastle on 12 nov, needs to arrive by 11 as visit day starts at 11.45 and leave after it ends at 4. Train changes at York so I suppose it's possible to split the journey

RandomFriend · 25/10/2014 10:43

We were just about to add some choices, but Track is down for the weekend. DD is disappointed as some of her friends have already received four or five offers and she has only applied for two courses so far.

Original poster

Roisin · 25/10/2014 19:52

Yes, nothing cheaper train-wise because it's an early morning, unless the uni would provide accommodation if he went down the night before? Then he could get much cheaper train tickets.

At least you'll know if he goes there he won't be popping home every weekend! LOL

OP posts:

VegasIsBest · 25/10/2014 20:03

You might find it cheaper to book him a travelodge and off peak ticket.

Molio · 25/10/2014 20:49

The 6pm train down + Travelodge and the 5pm train home would be far cheaper and might allow the poor thing not to be completely and utterly done in on the 12th. A 5am train is a nightmare for ordinary mortals! What time would he need to get up?

MadameJosephine · 25/10/2014 22:21

Bless you all for checking for me! I love mumsnet. I'll put the travelodge idea to him, he is 18 now so there would be no issue with him getting a room by himself

Figmentofmyimagination · 27/10/2014 17:41

Hello can I join? My DD is applying to oxford to read English. My problem is that I'm way too uncool about it. Deep down, although I try to hide it, it really bothers me whether she gets an interview. I think I obsess about my DCs because my own career is such a flop (sad but true). She has done no preparation for the Elat which makes me a bit sad as she could do so well. I keep secretly stalking the student room and reading about all the work other candidates are putting in. I know it's her future not mine etc but in my head, it's taken on way too much significance - although I regularly trot out all this stuff about how it doesn't really matter etc and how she'll be happy wherever she goes etc. I accidentally quoted the exam and interview stats at her in a conversation last week and it was like "wow you even know the admission stats for my subject off by heart. That's scary". If she doesn't get an interview I'm going to have to take a long walk and then make a supreme effort to pretend it doesn't bother me.

Original poster

Roisin · 27/10/2014 17:49

Hi Figment: welcome! It's a very frank and honest post, but I really think you need to step back completely. Oxford are pretty good at selecting the candidates that will thrive there, and there are plenty of alternative places where others will blossom.

I'm genuinely very relaxed at whether ds1 gets in. He does want it very much, but there is no pre-testing for his subject, so there's very little prep he can do, other than work hard at his studies. I will be here to manage his disappointment if he doesn't get in.

OP posts:

RatherBeOnThePiste · 27/10/2014 17:56

Hello there

Welcome Figment, oh it really is hard isn't it? I am genuinely mostly relaxed, I will be happy when I know where she will be going next year. My DH probably would echo your thoughts, he really has set his heart on Oxford for her. I'd recommend staying here for support though, tis a friendly bunch of folk!

DontGoToRoehampton · 27/10/2014 18:03

Figment - completely understand your situation. This thread is full of lovely supportive people, so you have found a refuge here (I am merely a lurker, too shy to out myself )

RatherBeOnThePiste · 27/10/2014 18:03

Now we have had an added thing to think about from Oxford.

DD has applied to read physics, just straight physics, and she had an email at the end of last week, asking her if she'd consider applying for a second course there too.Can't remember the name, but it's applied physics. She has been told she can apply for both courses.

She of course now thinks they think she isn't up to speed for pure physics, but it isn't like that. This other course maybe undersubscribed, although I find that unlikely, it may be most likely that they are trying to appeal to the pure physicists.

Both courses will interview based on the exam in November.

Happily this week she is on a Physics trip to CERN so has her teachers to talk to.

I could do without these extra things to worry about!

Littleham · 27/10/2014 18:03

Hi Figment. Try not to stress, it isn't worth it. After going through the whole process last year (albeit not with Oxford in the mix) I can pretty much guarantee that there is little anyone can do to control the process.

It is a bit like swimming in a river and the current will take you one of five directions! As long as your dd has researched her five choices well enough, she will probably thrive at any one of them.

Figmentofmyimagination · 27/10/2014 18:04

It's good to get it off my chest!

DontGoToRoehampton · 27/10/2014 18:07

RBOTP
I would read that as a good sign! They know your DD exists, and are thinking about options for her! Sounds like she is a good place!

Littleham · 27/10/2014 18:10

Don'tGotoRoe What subject is your dc applying for?

RatherBe - That sounds like an encouraging sign!

webwiz · 27/10/2014 18:26

Figment is this your first time through uni admissions? This is the third time for me and I agree with Littleham that where DCs end up isn't necessarily where you thought they would be at the beginning. We follow MILs favourite mantra "if its meant to be it will happen" when it gets a bit stressy

AtiaoftheJulii · 27/10/2014 18:35

Figment welcome :) I've got a rather laidback daughter who is applying for a course for which Oxford interview practically everyone - she will definitely be disappointed if she doesn't get an interview, but she looked at me as if I were totally mad the other day when I suggested that there were things she could do to prepare for an interview! I will be disappointed if she doesn't get an offer, but I'm not really expecting her to. I went to Oxford and just think it's such a nice place to live and work.

She's got an offer from her second choice, which she really likes, so she's happy either way. Has your dd got any other offers yet?

MrsBartlet · 27/10/2014 20:19

Hi Figment. I totally understand where you are coming from as I was like that as well. I did well at school myself and went to a good univeristy and was always expected to achieve highly. Instead, I married fairly young (at 24) and had dd (at 26) and due to going into my dh's family business (my choice) I didn't really achieve what was expected of me in terms of career. That business ended when dd was only 3 and I was pregnant and left without a career path. As a result I think the dc's academic success in a way became my success and my way of proving myself.

I have recently started on my first real career job (although it wouldn't have been possible without the experience I had had in the business I ran with dh) and it has made me take a huge step back from micro-managing the dc's academic lives, largely because I have too many other things to deal with. I hope that it will be good for all of us.

Dd has applied to read English at Cambridge and I will be gutted for her if she doesn't get an offer but only because I know how much she wants that. However, I know she will be happy at any of her choices.

Figmentofmyimagination · 27/10/2014 20:19

No - no offers yet as far as I know, but she's away this week. Yes she is my first. I went to oxford too - in the 1980's - read law - one of thatcher's children .....big mistake. I am very proud that wherever she goes, she is at least going to be studying what she loves!

dapoxen · 27/10/2014 20:45

RatherBeOnThePiste Do you mean Materials Science? Oxford Physics applicants can nominate Materials Science as a 2nd choice. See section 14 of www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/study-here/undergraduates/applications/admissions-procedures-for-physics, the What about Materials Science FAQ and the 'Physics 2nd choice' part of www.materials.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/prospectus/brochure15-policy.html

Materials Science is somewhat less popular than Physics (2.4 applicants per place in 2013 compared with 5.8 for Physics).

While Materials Science does contain significant amounts of physics, it's a very different subject, so I'd only recommend saying yes if she has a genuine pre-existing interest in it.

Quenna · 27/10/2014 20:46

Lovely posts....honest and then lovely supportive responses.

It's my first time doing this process and it is nerve wracking. I am an under achiever in many ways and so want my DC not to be like me. But I too, constantly say, it doesn't matter, no pressure etc. I hope they don't perceive my underlying anxieties...

MadameJosephine · 27/10/2014 21:16

Hello figment and welcome.

I'm really trying to keep a lid on how nervous I am on DS's behalf. He has an anxiety disorder but is actually remarkably laid back about the whole thing at the moment, I'm the one that is stressed!

I have 2 degrees (first graduated in 1993 and the went back to uni and retrained in 2004) but I was the first in my entire family to go to uni. I did ok but I'm not a natural academic whereas DS really is and I can see him thriving in that kind of environment. He's predicted really high grades and I know he'll end up at a good university, actually he prefers the course at Imperial which is his second choice but he really wants the whole cambridge 'experience'.

I just want him to be happy but I know I'll be gutted if he doesn't get an offer from either Cambridge or Imperial because he's worked so hard.

Raidne · 27/10/2014 22:21

Aww, Figment, what an honest post!! This whole process is so tough.

In one sense I completely understand your feelings because as soon as ds said he was interested in science I absolutely had my heart set on him going to Imperial (I went to university in London and knew lots of Imperial people). I was completely gutted when he decided to apply to Oxford instead of Imperial.

So, at least there is some hope of your child getting into the university of your (joint) dreams!

welshpixie · 28/10/2014 05:52

Figment and all the other mums who are going through this whole process, don't worry there are worse out there. I work in DD's school and part of my job is helping students apply to UK schools (we live outside the UK). I have some DPs who will do anything to get their PFBs into the uni they want whether the Dcs want it or not.
I have had one DP who when any uni was mentioned responded with "what is its ranking?", one who always talked about about how we were suffering from the stress of the IB, we worked til 1am on essays, we were writing the extended essay. She couldn't quite get the idea that it was her DC who should be doing this work and not her.
So you see ladies there are worse than us out there

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