Human geography or alternative degree ideas with middling grades

[Dunlurking]

Ds has convinced herself she will get BBB at A level, despite only just starting year 12. She really wants to do a Human Geography degree (doesn't like Physical Geography) but says most of the top 20 universities for this sort of degree will need an A. I think she's got Keele, Loughborough and maybe Reading as possibilities. Now she's saying maybe she should think of Sociology. I'm trying to dissuade her, and come up with other related degrees, or other universities, that she could look at with 3Bs (in Maths, Geography and Environmental Science). Any suggestions or recommendations? It is perfectly possible she could get an A and she is open to one aspirational choice, but no more.

[TheMightyMing]

2014newme, not everyone can get into a top uni - I've actually been quite shocked and disheartened at some of the uni snobbery I've encountered here and in RL. DS got brilliant GCSE results , and not amazing but decent A levels ( including an A). So whilst Hallam isn't one of those top unis, I've told my son to get his head down , work hard and take every additional opportunity offered and get the best degree he can.

But I do agree that apprenticeships can be a great alternative to full time university.

[BubblesBuddy]

Cardiff, Liverpool and Sheffield do Urban planning. Might be worth a look.

I think it is employers who can be snobbish about institutions and degrees. This is why Oxbridge students usually do well when getting a job. If university is a stand alone 3 years and doesn't need to lead to a career, then do what you like where you want. If you are competing with thousands of Geography graduates who are looking for jobs, institution starts to matter. It may be unpalatable, but it's true.

There is an excellent land management course at Reading. I know several surveyors who did this degree.

[Dunlurking]

BubblesB thanks for the tip about Urban planning. Thanks for the suggestion of an apprenticeship 2014newme but she wants to go to uni. MightyMing she's just reading up Sheffield Hallam as we speak.

Thank you everyone. Such helpful suggestions and advice. She's read the thread and is busy investigating it all right now. At first read I think the International Development related degrees struck a cord in particular, but thank you for opening out so many areas and options she can consider.

[sunshinemeg]

I did geography and environmental management at UWE. Plenty of scope to pick and choose the modules. I then did a PGCE to become a secondary school geography teacher. Can highly recommend UWE

[Dunlurking]

Thanks sunshinemeg. She'll be catching up with the thread again later so I'll point out your post.

[Allthebestnamesareused]

MY DSS is at Queen's Belfast which is an RG uni (which was his insurance place at BBB) reading Geography. He actually got BBC and they still accepted him.

I am afraid I don't know whether the content would interest your DC.

[Dunlurking]

Thanks Allthebest, she's going to look up the course.

[heateallthebuns]

I did combined studies at Manchester. I did human geography, anthropology, psychology, sociology, planning and architecture in the first year and specialised more with just anthropology and human geography in the third year. She'll most likely have to do a post grad if she does anthropology. I did surveying. Sociology would be a better choice for a directly related career than anthropology I would think.

[heateallthebuns]

I went to Sheffield Hallam for the post grad. It's surveying course is very well respected. They don't do vocational courses like that at most old universities.

[froggers1]

I did human geography at RHUL. Loved it! Great department. I got an A for Geog, C for English and a D for French. I was supposed to get BBC. But this was over 20years ago!

[Sunshineboo]

Loughborough would be a good option for her - they seem to do a lot of trips and the opportunity for a year in industry too. And student satisfaction is high. Best thing she can do is go on number of open days and see what she likes and where she is comfortable

[Oldowl]

My DD's friend got into Nottingham Uni with BBC to do Geography this year. Offer was ABB, she was at a very expensive private school.

[TheMightyMing]

DS got BCD which was remarked to ACC - too late to be reconsidered for any courses- we were alll over the place at the time as he expected higher . That's another story though - shocked at the inaccuracy of a level marking in some cases :(

[BubblesBuddy]

Lots of universities were taking in people with lower grades this year due to fewer applicants and Geography is offered everywhere. Lots of unconditionals flying around too so nothing to do with school attended.

I am not convinced sociology gets you far these days in employment for planning, international development or surveying. I would say it's best to go to the highest ranking university that offers the course you like and has the best career prospects. Don't rule out a further course to get qualified and hone your skills if you study geography. Every geographer I know has done this but in quite a broad range of careers from surveying to sustainable agriculture and food production to urban planning.

[stonecircle]

Good point from Bubbles about unconditional offers - Sussex seems to offer a lot.

[Dunlurking]

sunshineboo she's keen on Loughborough (on paper) and they ask 3Bs she says, so it's likely to be one of her 5. oldowl that's interesting about those grades at Nottingham. They're asking for 1 or 2 As on the website. I think she'll probably not want to look at them as she would have to do some physical geography modules, from what I can see. MightyMing thanks for letting me know what your ds got in with. Glad to hear his remarks were profitable in the end. BubblesB and stonecircle that's interesting about the unconditionals and lower grades. I don't think dd would get offered an unconditional though - I think they usually go to candidates with predictions a few grades above that university's usual offers - at least that's how ds was offered his from RHUL, as far as I can see ( he didn't take it). Dd is currently looking at universities that she will just scrape the offer for. Sussex had an International Development type degree I think, so maybe if they would consider lower grades....
Thanks for your thoughts on Sociology, and on further courses after a Geography degree BubblesB. Very helpful. I shall get her back to read this thread again. She has a friend who is just starting in a one year trainee planning job locally following a Geography degree, with a further year(s?) back at uni/college to follow - so she should be able to see how it works.

Thank you everyone. This has been really helpful. I'm always stunned by the enormous resources, knowledge and support, to be found on mumsnet!

[BubblesBuddy]

Lots of our friends are planners! (Yes, I know!) All bar one did a geography degree. The one that didn't did a planning degree. Also, don't rule out landscape architecture. A friend does this and loves it. The Land Management degree at Reading is highly thought of.

[MrsMontgomerySmythe]

My ds is interested in geography and we went to the Sussex Open day and had a chat with 2 lovely chaps from admissions.

DS is doing a different qualification (overseas) which is graded out of 100%.

They said their standard offer was 80% but they would then write to you and say of you firm they will adjust this to 77% and that on results day they would take 74-76%. Not sure how this relates to A levels but does show there is some flexibility at the Unis.

[FinallyDecidedOnUserName]

Sounds exactly like my DD - off to look at aberystwyth this weekend. I honestly can't see what use a geography degree is but apparently it's one of the degrees that shows a broad range of research, intellectual etc......

[Ludo2017]

I would start by looking at her predictions. Eg what were here GCSE results? They might indicate she will get more than BBB. I haev two children who read geography and one is a solicitor now and one at university (Bristol). They got AAC (mess up on a science A level) - they both did/ are doing a BSc although the one applying last year looked at BAs too in geography. I found it quite confusing which you do where and I think my older one was offered mid way through based on module choices whether to do BSc or BA (she mostly had science A levels).

So work backwards - what kind of earnings or career are they after. If high paid career and degree does not matter (like law) then your suggestion above of anthropology sounds spot on - lower grades required and more chance of getting into much better universities. I had an ancient history child and their grade requirements were lower at better universities than say the geographers.

[Ludo2017]

By the way my boys decided not to do the EPQ and feel some friends challenged by A levels who also did it disadvantaged themselves by spreading themselves too thinly by doing it. I am not knocking the EPQ at all and it can help in terms of university entrance but do consider hard if it is really helping the process and give it up if necessary, early on.

[Sunnyshores]

If shes done 2 periods of overseas volunteering I would have thought shed get a dispensation on Grades from some Unis. Does she volunteer through a company that could give her guidance? It certainly seems that an International Development bias is what would interest her and UEA have a particularly wide range (No idea as to whether its considered a 'good' Uni).

[Daisymay2]

My DS1 did a geog degree at Southampton but he specialised in Human Geograpy in years 2&3. You couldn't escape Physical Geog there when he applied ( 2011). Interesingly he struggled to find a course where he could do both Human and Physical in the first year at least, there seemed to be loads who did Human Geog or Physical Geog . At Southampton at least you got a BSc if you specialised in physcial and BA if you concentrated on human. People switched between BA and BSc.
He is now doing chartered Accountacy training. One of his friends is working in Logistics for a Shipping Company. Another is working in housing for a LA

[TheMightyMing]

Daisymay- good info about future careers thanks ! My DS doing HG , just started.

[BubblesBuddy]

"Arch and Anth" is the typical "get to a better university with a lower offer" for people who cannot get into regular history courses. Ditto Ancient History. Employers know this and it won't get you to the top of the employment tree.

These days, training contracts and pupillage for Law are ridiculously competitive and not going to a Russell a Group university puts you on the back-foot so to speak. Arch and Anth won't cut much ice for Law careers.

For Geography, which is offered nearly everywhere, go to the higher ranked universities. So if Sussex, Aberystwyth, UEA etc are not highly ranked, and they are not Russell Group, I would swerve them unless you really must be in wildest Wales, Norwich or in Brighton.