University offers for 2017 start (Part 2)

[EnormousTiger]

Continuation of the original thread which is now on to 40 page maximum.
Original thread (part 1) here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/2759621-Uni-offers-for-2017-start?

Most offers now received. My twins have had offers from their 4 and are currently deciding which will be firm and which insurance. One twin
( possibly two of them) is going to an offer holders' day coming up at Bristol next month with his friends from school.

Oh sorry I assumed it would be an A, so that you'd be two grades below (if your worst fears are concerned, which they may very well not be). I thought all unis wanted an A in Chemistry, or at least said they did at the outset even if they tweak that later. Perhaps I'm extrapolating too much from Medicine to VetMed, so apologies for that.

No, thank you for the reply!
I have a reduced offer due to interview performance and the number of students that progress to university from my school.

Ok that's two very key things in your favour then! Good luck.

Hi Dogs, I think you've had some good advice already from others but I just wanted to say maybe an idea for now is to reckon that it's actually pretty hard to know exactly how you've done.
We're both (DD and I) going to try and forget about it until around mid August even if we do start wondering again a couple of days before results day.
Hope you're able to enjoy your summer and good luck both for now and for the future x

Dogs, I am sure you will make it through. My sons have a friend whose brother did medicine abroad and then came back to the UK to practise here. He is very good but just I think did not quite get the grades for UK medical school. So as you say going abroad for vet school sounds a possibility too.

(One of my sons has realised the deadline for Bristol accommodation is end of Ju,y not start of July so putting it off. I wish he would just get it done. They have had an email yesterday saying there are so many Bristol firmed offers that quite a lot of people will have to share bedrooms at least at the start - ugh... although he says it would not matter too much and he thought I'd be glad as I'd be paying less rent).

Ha. Benefits of a gap year. As a chalet girl DD had to share a room with three others, and now as an American camp counsellor she gets to sleep in a group cabin with her charges, without - she claims - a mattress. So simply sharing a room ought to be luxury.

Its interesting how things change. Shared rooms were the norm when i was at college and there were even quadrupal rooms (the people I knew in one ended up firm friends as did DD with the three others she shared with in the Alps). But she will be disappointed if she does not get the ensuite self catered in Stoke Bishop that she has applied for. (But not nearly as disappointed as she would have been had she not got the place!)

That brings back memories. I remember finding out on the day I turned up at uni halls that I was sharing a room. A few night's later we also found out that as our room was at the end of the block and had a fire escape from it, our door opened automatically when the fire alarm went off and half the students on our floor traipsed through our room to evacuate the building. Rude awakenings on both counts!

I saw in the news that uni applications are down. I'm hoping this means our DC have a better chance of getting their first choice. I'm trying to ignore the other bit of the article about student loan rates.

Ds did an alternative qualification ( a whole other thread) and received his final results this week. His Uni place was confirmed last night. One very happy ds and one very relieved Mum!

Excellent news for your DS onadifferentplanet

Congrats to you and DS onadifferentplanet 😊

I been been lurking on your 2 threads over the past fewonths and biding my time as DS1 will apply for Sept 18 entry so we are in the throes of Personal Statements.

I hope your DC get the grades they need and make their 1st choices.

Hi MrsM ☺

First or second choice, DD is cool with either - as she was telling a friend of ours last night when we all went out for a curry.
Even have a Clearing idea in mind as a kind of third choice.

Still admit to being a bit nervous though. It is such a big next step for them all!
I am trying to chill. What do they say? Summer time and the living is easy ......

I'm still waiting for one of my two to apply for his university accommodation! I can't see what the point is in not doing it yet. Deadline is end of July. May be Friday when he is free will be the day.

Then next hurdle is A level results day and we have sorted out their bank account - converted it to a student one with the same bank.

Thanks for the encouragement on student bank accounts.
A little confusing as they seem to need one ready for their student loans but can't actually open one til they have their secure place?
But I think we'll talk to the place she has an account about converting to a student account as you have done. Good idea!

Juggling, I think they can if it's a conversion. With NatWest you just need a UCAS number of some kind. Mine had to trawl through emails to find the relevant number (I've forgotten its name - I do not think it is the obvious original UCAS application number ) but it was available before the August results so they could type that in and get their existing account upgraded to a student account. They had to do it by on line chat with a man in India. They aren't getting a credit card for now but they upgraded their debit card to touch and pay and that's sorted out and new cards have come. You used to get a free student rail card with Nat West (very useful) but now it's just a bus discount pass which they will never use as we tend to use rail not buses for long journeys.

When can they apply for an NUS card? That seems to offer some quite good discounts.

My DS has had an NUS card since sixth form as he needed it to get his student discount for the bus pass to and from school. I think his is £12 a year but you get that back in discounts.

I am about to buy lap tops for both twins (when they get round to choosing one) and my daughter said PC world offer a big student discount (although I have not done any price comparisons yet).

My DS started uni last year so I hope you don't mind me chipping in a little?
Unidays gives all the benefits of the NUS card but is free. I think you need a university ac. e-mail address though.
Worth shopping around for student banking as there are some with inducements.
Mine both switched banks for their student accounts to get a four year railcard and a bit of interest on the first £2000 from Santander. They had to show confirmation of a place though so couldn't do it until after results day.

Thank you. That's helpful. We are sticking to Nat West just because they already are with it and it's my bank so transfers with the children seem to be a bit quicker and easier and their linked savings accounts are set up but it is certainly a good idea for most people to shop around. Mind you one of my older children (the older 3 have already graduated) did not bother to apply in time to get a free railcard as he left it too late! Mine are probably unusually take the car that they share with them - we will drive down with 2 cars (if they both get in the same university) - their sister who went to the same place has given advice. Mind you she also took a horse down to university at one point and was getting up at 6am most days to much it out. I suppose all students are different.

Oh dear, it is sounding less like a London Bristol caravanserai, more like a motorcade.

Instead, congratulations. Whether intentional or not you must be in the running for the MN2017 stealth boast award

" she also took her horse down to University"

I am anticipating a queue of horse boxes along the M40.

Forgot the !

Horses don't cost that much. She found a field, stuck it in it, all under her own initiative, mucked it out once or twice a day. I think that's more stable girl clearing animal muck,up at crack of dawn, disciplined and hard working, rather than spoilt rich kid really in reality.

I don't think you can just stick a horse in a random field 😂