Advice for my son

[Lynne2015]

Hi all
My son is studying History at Leics and has decided that he does not like it there and wants to move university.
Do you know if he will have to start in year 1 again or would he be able to start in year 2
Thanks for your replies

No-one here can advise you. He (not you) needs to contact the universities he is interested in transferring to.

First port of call is his tutor and his course Hub who will advise him what to do next.

I don't know specific details but people do manage to transfer Universities and join the new University in year 2 BUT it is usually dependent on getting good grades in the first University in year 1.

Let him research it, but tell him not to slacken off in the meantime.

Why doesn't he like Leicester? Are they insurmountable reasons? Are they reasons he could end up taking with him somewhere else (not coping with the course, unable to settle/make friends etc?). Has he talked to the welfare people/his tutor etc? Is there a specific course elsewhere that he would prefer or is he just fed up and thinks there might be something better somewhere else?

He might just not like Leicester. It is not for everyone.

It is sometimes possible, subject to space being available and, usually, getting a 2:1 average for the first year.

Sorry, I meant that it is sometimes possible to transfer straight into year 2.

Thank you everyone for your quick replies, he is talking to tutor etc, he loves the course and has made friends but he does not like Leicester for some reason.

I can honestly say, although I will no doubt get shouted down, that neither of my DDs would ever have considered going to Leicester. It just would not be the city for them. I think lots of schools give the advice that young people should be guided, above all else, by the course they are choosing. This is only part of the mix. Where you live and what the city/campus is like is also key to having an enjoyable, all round experience. It can sometimes be about where you fit in, and sometimes, realising that somewhere is just not for you. He can surely give you a reason why he does not like Leicester? You seem surprised so you obviously thought he would like living and studying there. Maybe his friends are having a better time in other cities?

you are right millymollymama, we live in London and he is missing the city and all that goes with it, i suppose i should have known better and suggested he went to a city university, but not have gone to university myself i had no idea

It was an expensive mistake but one that we have both learned from

thank you

He needs to contact the university he wants to go (admissions) and ask about transferring credits from his year at Leicester. I'm assuming he wants to do the same course.

I can't really understand why your son would need to move if he has made friends and loves his course. With the exception of London, I don't think that any other city university would provide a significantly different student experience.

Leicester is a small city but it has theatre, concert halls, a comedy festival, attractive medieval buildings, great shopping in a busy attractive city centre, the buzz of the Richard III burial at the moment and the Leicester campus seems green and pleasant.

London is fantastic but its so expensive that this must surely detract from the student experience and I guess most students would live far from where their course is taught after the 1st year. He may just be experiencing a feeling of "grass is greener" and may end up making an even more expensive mistake if he transfers.

It is possible to transfer I knew a Chinese student who transferred from my Alma mater Leicester Poly to York Uni many moons ago but I think he ought to think really carefully before jumping.

There are four years of funding available, precisely so that students can make this kind of problem. My niece moved in the first year. She hated Birmingham - failed to settle mainly due to some nasty behaviour and poor accommodation arrangements. She started again at a different RG university, did very well, was very happy and completed her degree with a good 2:1. Although his loan will be bigger, this will only matter if he earns a high enough salary to repay it over the 30 years. Otherwise the extra year's loan will just be written off. Extra financial costs for you will no doubt be painful though, especially as we are not far from the end of the year. My guess is that as he has left it quite late to change his mind, he needs to act quickly - although with careful thought obviously!

Sorry - my post doesn't make sense! I meant to say "especially for students who face this kind of problem"!

Does he intend to continue studying history or will he be switching to another subject area? If it's history, then subject to achieving a 2:1 sort of average, he will probably be accepted in another history course elsewhere - does he know where he wants to go? If it's another subject then he will need to speak to the other place and see what they say. If there are equivalent subjects then they might let him in for year 2. Otherwise, restart year one will be his only option.

I cannot agree with you LornMowa. There are huge differences between university cities. Plenty of London based students enjoy Newcastle for example. As I said earlier, my DDs were aware that Leicester would not have been for them. It is possible he would be happier where there is much more going on that actually suits him, whatever this is. It could be premier football, clubs, sport, pubs whatever! Theatre is only attended by a few students (my dd struggled to find people to go with her as they had no money left after clubbing) so the availability of that is not an issue if you don't go to the theatre. Ditto a leafy campus might not be important either if you would rather have a good range of clubs within walking distance. Leicester is cheap which is an advantage but I think there are better places to be. He may also be struggling to find somewhere to live next year that he is happy with. I would try and ask him a few more questions, though, OP. He probably needs to avoid any campus university.

He will almost certainly have to get at least a 2.1 in his current course to get credit for the year, and have compelling reasons to move. But it does happen.

(I meant 2.1 in the first year.)