Applying for Uni 2019 entry Part 4, UCAS & offers (and thinking about exams)

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Following on from the previous thread.

It's just...Swansea.

We tried to sell the Welsh universities to DS but he'd have none of it (he seemed to think they'd be anti-English).

Clearly not the case.

That didn't cross my mind!

Just got back. Weather was vvvvvvvv windy but dry.DS did not like it , though, unfortunately. He thought the town was run down. He did in the end feel it was too remote which I think is a valid reason and must be Aber's big problem. They have had very interesting guest speakers come to them, though, such as the Israeli ambassador!

Most accommodation was rather Butlins like but there was a nice new building : more expensive though.

We left a bit early and are now returned. Decisions to make now. Very conflicted.

On the subject of anti-English, nearly everyone we met at Aber today was English. Lots of kids from Birmingham and the Midlands. Even lots of the employees were English.

The main ant-English sentiment is really in North Wales ime.

My ILs are from the Valleys. Swansea is in a lovely location. The Mumbles is great and you have The Gower etc on your doorstep. I am annoyed DS didn't apply there!

I wasn't aware until recently how different student finance is in Wales. On our salaries dd would only qualify for about £4k maintenance loan and her accommodation at York is coming out at about £6.6k. As We are in Wales she will get £1k grant and can borrow (if the table on student finance Wales is to be believed) £7k.

This week she got the email saying she has been identified as qualifying for adjustment for Cambridge if she exceeds her firm.choice on results day and meets the standard Cambridge offer. She was told thanks but no thanks by them and thought it was the end of it but now she might have another chance to go after all.

Dh thinks as the should tell them to sod off if they didn't think she was good enough to get an offer initially.

Oh gosh madeline, that's such a hard decision to make. How does your Dd feel about that?

Sorry Aber didn't work out piggy. I do think there's merit though in visiting, even if the outcome is to discount. Things on paper don't always 'feel' right in reality.

Visited DS at Lancaster today. He's loving life there. Topped up his food stores with healthy items and took him for lunch. Looks like he's going to pass his first year with flying colours as his marks are very high already. He struggled at times during Y13 to understand some of the maths he was being taught, scraped the grades and felt under-confident. He said today the teaching methods are so entirely different that he's actually a little cross - it's understanding the concept rather than endless computations.

Just to give hope to others!

She's philosophical about it. Just another avenue to consider come Aug.

Dh thinks as the should tell them to sod off if they didn't think she was good enough to get an offer initially.

The fact they're coming back to her now suggests that's not really fair - Cambridge simply has an excess of applicants who are good enough, and there's got to be a degree of luck.

It's surely good to have this as a risk-free extra option she can take up or not depending on her results - and there won't be the accommodation problems which could apply if you use adjustment to go elsewhere.

Just got back. Absolutely knackered but happily so. DS surprisingly loved Cardiff and said it was the best he’d seen. Still doesn’t know which one to insure out of Swansea and UEA. The talk about employability was very. Very good with vast opportunities to gain work experience, with CV prep and interview/assessment tests. The person in charge of student employment seemed brilliant at negotiating great deals on behalf of the students from salary negotiations for placement students to rejecting employers who offer a not so positive working experience for the students. Really impressive.

I am v scared of edges , bridges , drops .Glad I googled the A44 to Aberystwyth after returning! Most dangerous road in Wales!! Better because I was driving mind and not DH .

Thanks, eccles , that's how I'm thinking. It's almost - to my mind - better than if they'd offered in the first place as they want A*, A, A not inc Welsh Bacc. Which puts a hell of a lot of pressure on her. York wants A, A, A which can inc Welsh bac. Liverpool, her insurance place, want A, A, B, also to inc Welsh bac. Both of those give her great flexibility as she's already achieved an A in her Welsh bacc work.

She already took an age to decide which one to firm and which to insure due to stressing that she would pick one that she couldn't achieve.

She is, however, predicted at least A in every one of her A levels, so it's not beyond the realms of possibility for her to achieve the Cambridge offer. So it just gives her the scope to pick up the phone and talk to them on results day without risking her York place, if she wants.

I don't envy them this stressful time of their school days though.

I think if it were my child I'd be telling them to try not to think about it - just work hard and do your best as you would anyway. The Cambridge Adjustment depends on so many variables - you've got to get the grades, and your course has to have at least one space, and then they have to pick you rather than anyone else - that it would drive you crazy if you dwelt on it too much.

As I said on the other thread, it improves Cambridge's state vs private stats whilst giving them a chance to fill up each course. I can see why they thought it was a good plan!

ragwort and anyone else, which private halls has your DC booked at NTU? There are a lot of different ones and I am sure some must be more popular with first years.

I looked again last night and am still choking at the cost of NTU accommodation!

DrMadelineMaxwell well done to your DD. Is this related to Cambridge academics doing an 'about turn' regarding contextual offers, announced only this past week/fortnight? I can understand your DH's point of view and why you would all be in a quandary about it, particularly at this stage in Yr13. Good luck to her.

That's a pity, Piggy, but at least it helps with your DS's shortlist? Did Aberystwyth used to be a thriving seaside town that's now become shabby? Would have thought having a university in situ would have helped it to remain relatively 'buzzy'?

Shimy that all sounds very positive re Cardiff.

Justanothermile, good to hear that your DS is thriving at Lancaster. Another one that I thought might be right for DS but he dismissed out of hand.

I am generally shocked at the cost of university accommodation, period. I am beginning to wish we'd aimed to pay off our mortgage before DS reached university age.

Piggy My DS is on City campus in Sandby halls, but his friend said Glasshouse was really nice and close to the campus and has got a room there. Not sure of the costs.

I have to say the relative cheapness of the accommodation at Swansea is a big draw. A huge room with double bed and large shower room is 150 a week.

That's cheap?

Piggy & Mine my DS has booked in at Glasshouse so glad to hear it’s considered nice (should be at £150 a week) at least I hope he’s got the accommodation, most complicated booking procedure ever, I consider myself reasonably intelligent but it has been such a difficult process . Make sure you go through the official university accommodation office as originally I tried to book direct which was a mistake.

Piggy, yes I am glad we only have one child and that our mortgage is paid off. Our DS’s accommodation will cost £150 a week. As older parents we are having to put off our retirement!

Sorry, my smiley should have been

The accommodation where DD will be going isn't as expensive.
We are older parents putting off retirement as well Ragwort. I'm glad we only have one to fund through university as well.

I don't think that's cheap, either!

At ds's uni, non-en suite is about £100 and en-suite £120 (but he's going to live at home!)

£150 a week is expensive. I was looking at accommodation under £100 ideally, but given DS's choices that's not looking likely. Sighs.