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Higher education

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

Original poster

A Level Results Day

479 replies

3catsandadog · 30/07/2018 09:50

Hi If UCAS does not update first thing before the school opens for result is it a bad sign that the offer has been missed.
Good luck to everyone awaiting results :)

OP posts:
YearOfYouRemember · 21/08/2018 12:59

My eldest goes to uni September 2019 and reading these posts makes me feel so out of my depth to help him. I don't even know what a RG uni means. Dh went to uni so can advise from that angle and I'm advising from emotional and practicalities.

IdahoJones · 21/08/2018 13:08

Year you sound to me like you'll be on top of it. 'RG' (Russell Group) is just a self-appointed group of universities that are good at research.

Undergraduates care about teaching, student experience, accommodation and dosh :)

ErrolTheDragon · 21/08/2018 13:12

Practicalities and emotional support are what it's about at this stage! There's a support thread some of you might like if you've not already found it - I found last year's equivalent very helpful.

I think it's been mentioned on this thread already but one of the practicalities is to make sure they're up to date with all their vaccinations including MenACWY. Otherwise they'll have to get them done when they start, much better get that out of the way now.

Xenia · 21/08/2018 13:31

Year, some universities are better than others, that's all and it depends what you want to do after as to whether that matters or not. Some are hard to get into, require high A level grades and many who apply to do not get in. Top employers in some subjects have so many applicants they tend to limit themselves to the better universities, not even just to those in particular groups. So it can be a good idea to look at which are hardest to get into and go for those ones if you are likely to get the grades.

zzzzz · 21/08/2018 14:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BagelGoesWalking · 21/08/2018 15:27

Good explanations here re Russell Group unis or not. www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2104264

jewel1968 · 21/08/2018 15:41

I have a friend with a PHD. She was able to give the real lowdown on which university was best in her field and why. And it is not RG.

YearOfYouRemember · 21/08/2018 15:41

Thank you all. You're very kind.

DS current favourite is St Andrews. Considering Oxford and Surrey but I think Oxford is third choice. I'd prefer the latter two as nearer home but he'll go were he wants to go and dd is aiming for Oxford so I'll have one nearby

BagelGoesWalking · 21/08/2018 16:06

Just a reminder that many/most universities have bursaries available, dependent on income. If you ticked the box on the Student Finance application, it will be assessed automatically. Here's info from Southampton (presume it's fairly similar for all). www.southampton.ac.uk/uni-life/fees-funding/ug-fees-funding/financial-support.page

MargoLovebutter · 21/08/2018 16:07

Just to update, after #Sofucked results, DS has managed to get an offer for his preferred clearing option. It was a massive sweat and has involved him sending a gazillion emails and lots of phonecalls but he's got the offer.

#NervousCollapse!!!!!

IdahoJones · 21/08/2018 16:19

So pleased for you, Margot.

Clearing's a strange beast. My DS who would happily talk about his A level results as a 'fuck up de luxe' received offers for his chosen (hard science) degree from Exeter, Cardiff, Reading and Essex.

Accommodation was a bit of a nightmare, but hey ho. He's about to start year 2.

ErrolTheDragon · 21/08/2018 16:44

You must be so relieved, Margot!

Clearing must be a bit of a nightmare all round. How courses other than those at the very top of the rankings get their numbers even vaguely approximately correct when they may be insurance choices astounds me. Experience and statistics I suppose.

Nescafegold · 21/08/2018 16:51

Does anyones kids ever regret going to uni? My dd does. It's been 3 years since she left. She went to a not very reputable uni let's say. Now owes just over 50k in student loans. Doing a office job that pays about 17k per year after tax. She does believe the uni she attended and the course she did made a huge difference to her job application and desirability. She was out beaten by better candidates from more credible uni's. Despite having lots of job experience. She thinks the uni course she did was a factor too. She didn't stand out compared to people studying Stem subjects or say English and History.
To be honest her A level grades were shocking and really in my days would not be regarded as university level whatsoever. But because we kinda live in a generation where university is attainable to all whatever level your at asthough it's a right of passage. I think a lot of young ones today don't realise that not all degrees and uni are equal despite having same levels of debt. For my dd it has been on reflection been a bit of a waste of time and effort. She says she would only go to uni if she was able to attend at least the top 50 of unI. Not necessarily RG ones but reputable ones.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 21/08/2018 17:10

What a relief Margot!

Twistella · 21/08/2018 17:41

Where did she go and what did she study nescafe I fear this may happen to my dd

vivprod · 21/08/2018 18:32

Hi totally agree ZZZZZ my DS has always been independently minded and not a sheep. She is willing to work hard.

Xenia · 21/08/2018 19:21

Nescafe, I agree. I want mine at top 5, possibly top 10, ideally universities never mind top 50 and with good A level grades and the higher paid job employers look at A level grades too. My son who only earns about £22k (but has no student debt) does not regret it and says he is glad he went. His sisters earn about £100k as lawyers so it paid off for them and they have no student debt either. Whether my youngest 2 currently there feel the same in due course we shall see but they are certainly doing fine so far. I would not have funded them at a very low ranking university, any of the 5 children.

LittleSpace · 21/08/2018 19:27

Plenty of people get great jobs from other universities.

Nescafegold · 21/08/2018 20:00

twist she did a business type degree the uni is ranked in the 70-80's depending on the league table. I better not give the specifics details as I guess it's unfair to students who go to the uni or doing same degree as they might be luckier than dd. But I just want to give a honest opinion as her friends from the same uni have also struggled to get graduate jobs. Going the long way round of doing any jobs be it retail, voluntary or like my dd admin jobs.
DS on the other hand graduated a year ago better uni, better A level grades had a much easier time getting a well paid job. Even though his degree is not even related to the job that much. He got it from doing internship he did in year 2. Which dd could not get losing out to better candidates.
My dd didn't do well at gcse or at A levels but got 2:1 degree. She is more extroverted and confident than my DS and has had lots more partime/summer jobs on CV than him.
I really don't want to put people off going to uni. But I just want to give a candid real life struggles they might encounter going to a uni with low entry requirements especailly if uni don't have good career advice support/ help or events. To be frank my dd really isn't academic enough to be studying a degree she acknowledges this too.

jewel1968 · 21/08/2018 20:41

But how do you judge the various universities and how do employers? How do you judge people who went to say an Italian university? I work with a wide range of graduates. Some Oxbridge, some went to universities I have never heard of, some to universities in RG and some didn't go to any university. I can tell you they all have something to offer and their skills are not defined or limited by the universities they attended. There is real diversity of thought and it is a pleasure to work with them.

Nescafegold · 21/08/2018 22:47

What I'm saying in essence is that sometimes it's not worth going to low entry uni and getting yourself into debt for. The struggle to get higher paid professional graduate jobs can be alot greater and failure rate can be higher than someone who goes to a reputable uni on a better course. DD could have done the job she has now with just A levels worked her way up the department through their appraisal and performance schemes. Then apply internally for higher paid roles in a lot less time to a graduate level paying job within her company with no debts and alot richer. She works for a regulatory body for a certain profession with good training schemes. In hindsight she said, had she had known that many large companies have good internal training schemes she wouldn't have gone to uni. In her days schools were wanting and encouraging kids to attend uni especially the local one which she went to. I only have one advice for those who have kids that have poor A level results and are encouraged to go to low entry uni. Do think about other options available like apprenticeships.

Thesearepearls · 21/08/2018 23:27

This whole thing about the Russell Group is slightly bizarre IMHO

The reason Russell Group universities are Russell Group Universities is because of the quality of their research, primarly

Which has next to nothing to do with the way undergraduates are taught

People have referred to Loughborough and Bath as good universities that are not part of the Russell Group

Conversely Birmingham and Southampton are part of the RG and certainly the number of unconditional offers thrown out by Birmingham in particular would make you wonder about it as a destination for an undergraduate

I think that if your DCs find a course they are happy with in an environment they are content with then that's all good :)

jewel1968 · 21/08/2018 23:42

I think you make a valid point and in my work I also see the apprentices with A levels doing really well and no debt. I did suggest this route to my DS but he has a real passion for his subject and it is his decision at the end of the day. I do think if he didn't pursue it he would always wonder - what might have been. He has reasonable grades and going to a fairly reputable university but not top 10.

Clairetree1 · 21/08/2018 23:46

I think you make a valid point and in my work I also see the apprentices with A levels doing really well and no debt.

the idea that apprenticeships are a better option and students who go down this route do better is thrown about quite a lot.

The reality is that it is FAR harder to get a place on an apprenticeship compared to a place at a university, and the students that win those places are the creme de la creme before they even start

ErrolTheDragon · 22/08/2018 00:10

The girl who was often DDs lab partner in A level physics got a really good engineering apprenticeship. She didn't get the best A levels but DD reckoned she'd do really well in it, absolutely the right thing for her. It's a shame that such places are indeed all too rare - and targets to improve aren't being met - today's (hm, yesterday's) Times:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/may-backs-away-from-pledge-of-three-million-apprenticeships-p0mvqhd5c?shareToken=a1e2c8a9662fab131d7873cfa0b4ee7d