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Higher education

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

Original poster

Anyone else starting to plan the great Open Day trek?

65 replies

GnomeDePlume · 22/01/2017 18:01

DD (year 12) has started to look at uni courses. Currently she is planning to go to Bristol, Sheffield, UEA, Edinburgh, Glasgow. So fairly scattered about.

Anyone else starting to look at similar?

OP posts:
Timetogetup0630 · 25/01/2017 22:55

Natural does she have any hobbies or things she would like to try ?
E.g. Sailing, mountaineering, archaeology, surfing ?
That can often be a start point for choosing a University.

boys3 · 25/01/2017 22:57

blonde ditto what Kitten said, plus as I found when DS1 was applying, a few years back now, History courses vary widely as much in terms of what periods various unis cover. So if your DD has an interest in say early history she'll find a whole swathe of courses that cover nothing before the 18th century.

I do think forgotten has the right idea about testing catering outlets tho' :) Did not get to many Unis with DS1 so hopefully DS2 will be slightly more amenable - there's a lot of cake out there that needs to be sampled; and of course inappropriately sized en-suites to be tutted over.

Original poster
GnomeDePlume · 26/01/2017 12:30

NaturalBlondeYeahRight she does need to read the course details. What interests her, what doesnt. This helped DD2 to narrow down her preferences quite effectively.

I like the idea of testing catering outlets. I didnt think of that with DD1 (damn! missed a trick there!).

Last night planning had to move on a stage. Dates for open days are starting to be published and several of DD2's preferences have decided to have open days on the same day.

Also to add to the mix DD2 has several A level maths papers to sit plus they have been told they are sitting AS Chemistry (on A level Chem course).

So I now have a colour coded spreadsheet with exam days and open days marked. It works out that for 3 out of the five unis DD2 can only make one of the possible open days.

OP posts:
HesMyLobster · 26/01/2017 16:12

Oh Gnome what a shame for her.
Seems bad planning for the unis to have clashing dates.
It might be worth looking at individual subjects (if she knows what she wants to do) for mini 'subject open days' which may be on different dates to the main university ones.
They won't be as comprehensive as the full ones but could hopefully still be very useful and a chance to have a look at some bits at least.

Leeds2 · 26/01/2017 17:58

Would it be possible to do two on one day, Gnome, or is that just not geographically feasible? They will usually have more than one anyway, although these may be on a week day.

Original poster
GnomeDePlume · 26/01/2017 22:10

Unfortunately it wouldnt be possible to get to two in a day. It really is a great trek this year: Sheffield, UEA, Bristol, Glasgow, Edinburgh.

I have studied my spreadsheet again and we should be able to get to one of each uni's open days.

DD1 is going to take DD2 to her uni's open day next month which is really nice of her. DD2 doesnt want to go there but this will give DD2 a chance to experience an open day before she does it for real.

OP posts:
Leeds2 · 26/01/2017 22:27

Glad that that will work for your DD.

And lovely of DD1 to be so helpful! I think a trial run is a good thing to do if you have the opportunity.

Maladicta · 01/02/2017 14:17

Dd needs to get going with this! She knows the subject, French, but hasn't really looked at courses in depth yet.

I don't think she'll opt for a Scottish uni so that'll cut down some of the travelling time at least!

OhYouBadBadKitten · 01/02/2017 16:52

dd messaged me to say she has booked a couple of open days. She also ticked the my parents won't be coming box Confused Fair enough! I'd have been interested, but its her open days and shes old enough to know whether she wants me there or not.

Bit startled though!

DOLLYDAYDREAMER · 01/02/2017 18:38

My DD is in her first year doing History. She is at Leicester and is loving it. Both the course (plenty of choice of topics) and the city. I wasn't overly keen when she chose it but I have been converted. Other places she liked wereRoyal Holloway, UEA in Norwich, Reading, Southampton (lots of dual courses) WinChester (good for teacher training). Your DD needs to read the read the history course nfo in detail for each Uni interested in as the subjects and time periods covered vary a lot.

Original poster
GnomeDePlume · 01/02/2017 22:21

OhYouBadBadKitten if she is confident to go on her own then she will be fine. DD1 did 6 with me and one with a friend. When we were chatting about it she said that having someone else there had helped her to get more out of the open days. It didnt need to be me but she knew I was good for a few bob for a lunch out!

DD2 is a different kettle of fish. She has ASD and sometimes finds new situations hard to 'read'. She has specifically asked me to come along.

I totally agree with reading all the available info on a course. A couple of times DD2 has emailed course tutors to clarify points she wasnt clear on. All have replied helpfully.

OP posts:
OhYouBadBadKitten · 02/02/2017 10:28

Will we miss out by me not going to the parent talks about finance and pastoral care?

I think dd would probably be worried that I'd try to influence her thoughts. I'm not very good at not letting people know my opinion. She is a really independent soul.

boys3 · 02/02/2017 22:36

Ds1 had very few Unis on his list to visit, and I only got along to two of them. I would say kitten that the talk on student finance (aimed squarely at parents) was 30 minutes of my life that I'll never get back and which I could have much more happily spent in one of this particular Uni's very pleasant coffee outlets. TBH the student finance websites are pretty self explanatory, and for the majority student finance, contrary to many of the myths pedalled on some on the MN threads, is very straightforward.

If you like me went to Uni 35 years- a long time ago, what you'll miss out most on is comparing today's halls of residence with the type we may have lived in as uni first years :)

eatyourveg · 03/02/2017 08:25

Timetogetup0630 Have you looked at WhatUni? It has a search facility that allows you to narrow down in terms of grades/campus town, city, countryside etc. See here

OhYouBadBadKitten · 03/02/2017 08:30

that's good to know boys. I did wonder whether it was something just aimed at keeping parents occupied.

I've seen some accommodation pictures that shes shown me. Blimey. rather different! I used to be rather fond of the very soggy, saggy mouldy corner of my room because I could hear baby birds just feet above my head, the two phones were down the path of several accommodation blocks etc etc.

dds one unbreakable stipulation for her accommodation is good wi fi!

Wex · 03/02/2017 12:53

Kitten The wi fi is one thing you can pretty much guarantee at any uni.
The first thing DS2 did when we dropped him off was connect his computer and do a speed test. It was 100mbps. Grin

Original poster
GnomeDePlume · 03/02/2017 12:53

Once you have attended one parents' presentation you have pretty much attended them all. The uni experience is different from mine and DH's experience 30 years ago. It isnt simply the accommodation.

The things DD1 got out of me (or someone else) being there (apart from the free lunch!): someone to talk to on the way there. Lots of conversations about a future which was by that point banging on the door. On the way back we would talk about what we had seen. DD1 was looking at subjects very different from my own experience so it was all new for me but easy for me to be objective. Once we had been to a couple it was easy for DD1 to start to compare and contrast the, on paper, same course at different institutions.

Once I have been with DD2 to a couple she may decide that she doesnt need me there but I am happy to support whatever she chooses.

In other news: Southampton (MChem Chemistry and Maths) has now been added to the list!

OP posts:
OhYouBadBadKitten · 03/02/2017 13:02

wex, she stayed for a few days at a university a year ago. Wifi was rubbish and so it is struck off her list forevermore!

Wex · 03/02/2017 14:38

Internet speed = very important to student satisfaction!

Blogwoman · 03/02/2017 14:59

Agree with Gnome about the all that. DD1 and I had good conversations on the way back from each place, and while there, and it was useful for 2 of us to have seen and heard the same things. She definitely honed her ideas about what was important to her as we went through the visits, but was pretty fatigued by the 5th and didn't look as thoroughly as we had elsewhere. Now she wants my company for the 2 applicant days she's attending (one down, one to come).
I did mention to DD2 that it would be fine for her to go alone or with friends rather than me, if she preferred, but she's keen for us both to go. Not proving entirely straightforward to find out which open days she can attend as she's looking at a dental course and some of the uni open days don't include access to the dental school.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 03/02/2017 15:03

at the end of the day it comes down to our dc's preferences.

Original poster
GnomeDePlume · 03/02/2017 16:38

at the end of the day it comes down to our dc's preferences

Couldnt agree with this more. I think DD1 found me useful as a sounding board. I dont know her subject at all so listened and looked without prejudice.

DD2 has said she wants me to come. Once she has a couple under her belt she may feel confident to do some on her own.

OP posts:
AtiaoftheJulii · 03/02/2017 22:58

Dd1 went to her first on her own, realised 98% of people had a parent (or, in surprisingly many cases, their entire families) with them, hated not having anyone to talk to, and asked for company to most of the others. I think one or other of us went with dd2 to all of hers.

They both went to their offer holder days by themselves though. Good chance to check out the travelling.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 03/02/2017 23:59

I've just been reading an old thread on this topic Grin

teens are really hard to read. I can't tell whether she really doesn't want me there, or whether she thinks this is how it should be, or if she thinks I might find it a bother.

dd if you are reading this, I really want to come along, but I don't want to pressure you into letting me come along if you don't want me to.

argh!!

AtiaoftheJulii · 04/02/2017 10:21

She might change her mind anyway like mine did - obviously she's perfectly capable of getting there by herself and has shown her independence already, so she might just be thinking that she doesn't need mummy driving her there. But being by yourself amongst loads of families isn't much fun for most people.

When I went to open days hundreds of years ago, everyone was by themselves so you chatted to people and it was nice and friendly.