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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

Uni Open Days - DD being complacent and I think she's missed the boat.

48 replies

TightWadBastard · 09/07/2015 12:31

DD has just finished Year 12. I told her in May to organise her Open Day visits as she has no idea where she wants to study nor what she wants to do, just "something to do with History." She's a bright girl and can get AAAs if she puts her mind to it (worse case scenario for AS results is AABB) but she is so vague about her future plans.

She went to Durham with a friend (but only because her friend organised it) and now I'm trying to book her train tickets for September when she said she wanted to go to the Open Days. She's at boarding school so unless I text her (and she replies, but therewith hangs another story) then there's not much I can do about it. And, TBH, I've told her that if she really wants to go to Uni then she should organise her Open Day visits herself as other people who want that place more will have already booked themselves onto it.

Anyway, she came out with a ridiculous "I can't find the UCL Open Day page" who I logged on, found it instantly and September is fully booked, same as July when I told her (in MAY) to book it.

So hopefully this will be a good lesson to her to get her act together - but if not... how important is it to attend an Open Day? Here's a link from The Guardian which basically says that Admissions Tutors are looking for suitable candidates at the Open Days themselves.

www.theguardian.com/education/2012/jan/23/university-open-days

Am I right in thinking that if she doesn't attend an Open Day then it's giving out the wrong message and she will be in a very weak position come her admissions interview?

And no, I don't think it's helpful for me to book them for her. She's 17. It's her future and she needs to plan for it without Mummy holding her hand and baling her out when things get tricky. Sorry. Hardline. But life isn't fair, is it, and she needs to learn that opportunities rarely come round a second time and she shouldn't have a life of missed opportunities and wasted chances.

OP posts:

Decorhate · 10/07/2015 18:13

Schools will often use some of the 16-19 bursary funds to help out pupils with open day travel expenses

TalkinPeace · 10/07/2015 18:58

DD has visited an ultra top Uni - and decided she really does not want to apply ...
Other open days have clashed with DofE!

We are planning to visit various Unis next term, but I never went to open days - its much nicer to see the place as it really is - so not that fussed about the showcase days

I'm trying to leave her to it so that she succeeds for herself
and saving my energies for DS who needs a cattle prod on a daily basis

TheWordFactory · 10/07/2015 19:08

talkin she might just be saying that as a protection mechanism until she gets her AS results.

Littlef00t · 10/07/2015 19:15

Visiting is really useful, I managed to discount or lower priority of a few of the places I visited. She still has time though.

TalkinPeace · 10/07/2015 19:21

Word
Interestingly I think not - she was not enamoured of the city centre location, mobbed with tourists, teeny college side of things.
The other one of the pair is not open to her because of a lack of *

I'd like her to apply, but we shall see

Eastpoint · 10/07/2015 19:28

Talkin dd went to the one which likes *s and thought it was too touristy. Has been to one other open day but like your dd has had a lot on, music exams, performing in something & Dofe. All things she has committed too & won't drop out of. Hoping she has some time in Sept.

TalkinPeace · 10/07/2015 19:45

eastpoint
That is interesting : we regularly go to the * one - as its not far from us
and DH and I love the museums.
He went with her to the eastern one and was underwhelmed by the museums and felt that the town centre had much less to offer.
She has the second part of her visit in a couple of weeks so I'll go as its not a town I know - except that they have their punts the other way round

TheWordFactory · 10/07/2015 19:45

The reality is that both attract shed loads of tourists!

No denying it.

TalkinPeace · 10/07/2015 19:48

Word
THis will make you laugh : the backups are Bath and York - like no tourists there

TheWordFactory · 10/07/2015 19:54

How about Edinburgh while she's at it.

TBH, and I'm not just saying this, you get completely used to the tourists. And they're really not around and about inside stuff.

TalkinPeace · 10/07/2015 20:18

LOL,
one of the family has already been there and she wants to do "new"

and I know that the tourist bit will fade away
but the teeny colleges (she's used to a year group of 1800) is an issue

TheWordFactory · 10/07/2015 20:21

I can understand that actually.

DS was looking at Caltech recently and I said don't be ducking stupid there are only 500 students in the whole place!

TalkinPeace · 10/07/2015 20:25

Word
I've actively told my kids that the US is fine for a Masters but not for first degree : I've got enough US Uni/college connections to apply anywhere
but have ruled it out
happy to discuss further on PM if you want

DarklingJane · 10/07/2015 20:26

Talkin
If I am remembering correctly your daughter is at 6th form college in Winchester. She must have some tourist coping mechanisms already in place

TheWordFactory · 10/07/2015 20:27

Thanks talkin.

I'm not sold on the US! Not by a long chalk. And definitely not CT ( too small and anyway DS ain't that interested in STEM ).

I think we've spent a lot of time there so he feels comfy. Plus films make it all seem so iconic.

2rebecca · 10/07/2015 20:35

It depends how far away your unis are. Scotland is quite good in that although it's a big land mass the unis aren't that separated except the 2 Aberdeen ones which aren't that far from us so my son did 5 Scottish unis as day trips and went either by himself with a friend or with school. We had a weekend trip to Cambridge but he wasn't that enamoured with it (36k tuition fees means it has to be a lot better than Scotland)and he couldn't be bothered with the complex college admission system.
We came to the same conclusion re the US.

WhyTheDrama · 10/07/2015 20:44

BikeandRun
The whole ucas system is barmy and I think it is ucas self interest that keeps it going in its present form. It would be so much easier for students just to apply with their results rather than with predicted. Bring the exams back by maybe one month or maybe start the first year of uni courses a month later, I am sure it would be possible!

This is exactly what I think - the current system is stupid, outdated and inefficient. There is too much expense involved for everyone and too much Uncertainty.

TalkinPeace · 10/07/2015 20:46

Darkling
DD is indeed at the 6th form in Winohester
but its a campus up the hill away from the grockle areas
so walking around during the day is free of them.

2rebecca
I'm unusual in that I can tap private college endowments in the US, but having looked at it am much happier that both kids do first degrees here and then consider over there

Littleham · 10/07/2015 22:49

How late can a student leave it to apply to university.

Would it be possible for someone to apply after a gap year (not being in the UCAS system) on results day using the clearing newspapers? Can a student apply direct to university without going through UCAS?

basildonbond · 10/07/2015 23:07

I don't think you can apply direct but you can still get an application in via UCAS - obviously you would be restricted to courses with free spaces

this may help

summerends · 11/07/2015 11:09

Talkin the look and feel of Cambridge is one thing that depends on individual taste but I wouldn't let the college structure dissuade her especially since the course she may be doing (from assumptions) has a lot of lectures etc outside the college structure with the whole very large cohort. Also colleges are a starting point for the social life, not a restriction.
Generally I suppose that the feel of a very large sixth form campus must be quite similar to busy campus universities rather than those universities integrated into a city.

Bonsoir · 11/07/2015 14:18

We visited lots of universities pre-application with both DSSs but hardly ever in an open day capacity (sole exceptions were LSE x 2 for their very soft introductory tour for Y12s at October half-term and a taster day at Cambridge for DSS2). We live in France and the open day dates were exceedingly inconvenient for the DSSs' school timetable. It is dead easy to walk around universities and there is masses of useful information on line, both official (university web site) and unofficial (student room etc).

DSS2 did visit Warwick for a post-offer day, purely because he had never been to Warwick.

TalkinPeace · 11/07/2015 14:39

Summerends
Thank you, I agree with you. The course she wants to do has over 600 per year at Cambridge so the college will just be one part of her life at any uni, as will her music.
I'm trying to persuade her to apply but she found the rude Chinese tourists extremely off-putting. Hopefully the next visit will go more smoothly.
What was reassuring was that they cocked up their timings just as badly as Portsmouth uni

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