Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Higher education

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

Original poster

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

999 replies

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 31/01/2019 09:58

Following on from the previous thread.

OP posts:
LoniceraJaponica · 06/02/2019 13:55

Zanda We did the accomm tour this morning and that is what they told us. They said that DD would get an email when accom applications opened. Maybe it is because she has already firmed her offer.

ifonly4 · 06/02/2019 14:31

That list of unis making unconditional offers is interesting. I know someone who works for one of them and apparently their applications are considerably down this year!

Original poster
NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 06/02/2019 14:32

ifonly4 is that one of the newer universities or one of the much more established ones...?

OP posts:
ZandathePanda · 06/02/2019 14:38

Lonicera thank you - they said to us on the phone you can apply 1st April onwards but allocations don’t start til the 30th June! It would be good if there was a consistent message!

justasking111 · 06/02/2019 14:43

Laniakea she is looking at taking Ocean Sciences I presume. If she avoids the oil industries she is taking many job offers off the table when she graduates. DS went to Bangor, had to take a masters to be taken seriously, so she needs to look at that as well. Marine biology is an indulgence often not paid to start with. There are too many marine biology students worldwide and not enough job opportunities sadly.

Laniakea · 06/02/2019 14:51

yeah she has no interest in marine biology, it's her least favourite science & employment opportunities are limited. She's just firmed the masters - grades are achievable so hopefully that'll be where she ends up.

justasking111 · 06/02/2019 14:59

I wish her luck. The industry is suffering badly. Many exploration ships mothballed. There is a lot of existing data to be sifted through unfortunately it is not that well paid in the UK.

justasking111 · 06/02/2019 15:01

The last ship DS was on was in port and the technology was stripped out by the Chinese who had purchased it.

ifonly4 · 06/02/2019 15:14

NewModel - older

Original poster
NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 06/02/2019 15:19

Gosh...ifonly4 the B one?

OP posts:
minesawine · 06/02/2019 21:12

What a crazy couple of days. Took my DS to NTU for the holder day and we all loved it. Such a nice, welcoming and diverse uni. DS did a taster session and said it was easy. The parents session was informative. Got home Saturday night and Sunday morning he says he wants to firm over UEA, Essex and Cardiff. Loughborough is his insurance. We firmed and had to wait for a reference number. I was panicking over the accommodation because of the horror stories I had heard. Accommodation opened at 8.30 today, his reference number came at 7.30 and by 8.29 we were ready to go. It took a few goes but we got the halls and floor he wanted, but not the exact room. He is happy. He saw on Student Rooms that all City Campus accommodation went by 2pm today. That is crazy and unfair, what about the kids who were at school and wanted to book later today or tomorrow. Anyway my deep joy has turned to sorrow as I realise my baby is going to leave me. I am already heartbroken. But he is happy. Its been a rollercoaster.

Fazackerley · 06/02/2019 21:20

Bloody Bath!! if they dont make dd an offer she will want t to firm NTU and she wanted to be in the city.

I'm trying to persuade her to look again at Swansea as the course sounds good and theyve been really welcoming and proactive.

LoniceraJaponica · 06/02/2019 21:23

DD's offer holder's day went well. She made a friend (I hope she gets her grades), and DD was lucky and knew all the answers to the questins raised in the lab session - she had been so nervous beforehand.

The girl she was friendly with was "hit" on by a young man who aske all sorts of inappropriate questions nand wanted to start a long distance relationship with her. His chat up line was that he had 60 pairs of designer trainers. He also wore a watch on each wrist!

Piggywaspushed · 06/02/2019 21:34

Fucks' sake... mine has an offer from NTU and hasn't made his decisions yet! Looks like he won't be going there then...

You say what about kids who couldn't get it done today because they were at school... what about ones who are having to delay firming, or want to??

NTU on my Naughty List.

minesawine · 06/02/2019 21:56

NTU are guaranteeing accommodation to anyone who firms but it may not be on Campus. We did look at the private blocks minutes from the uni and they were really nice. Have a look online before writing them off. It was really nice there.

Fazackerley · 06/02/2019 21:59

NTU are on my naughty list anyway. two incorrect offers and a really underwhelming subject talk. but dd liked it, i think she likes the idea of it being a party university Hmm

Piggywaspushed · 06/02/2019 21:59

We've been and I know it's nice but I am nt pushing him to firm. the campus was what he liked so he woudl not want to live away from it. I know Nottingham and wouldn't be keen on him living in the off campus locations as a rather shy smalltown boy.

It looks more like Lincoln or Aberystwyth with every passing day! Or maybe Hull.

Piggywaspushed · 06/02/2019 22:01

The party uni puts me off. DS is very insular.

Fazackerley · 06/02/2019 22:02

I'm not going to tell dd about the accommodation in the city going. She'll panic and insist on firming. such a load of bollocks.

Piggywaspushed · 06/02/2019 22:04

It can't be true, surely??

VanCleefArpels · 07/02/2019 07:13

OMG re NTU accommodation going. So you book it like a hotel and know the room immediately?? Every other place asks you to express preferences then allocate later after EVERYONE has had a chance to apply. Jeeeeeez. DD booked in to an offer holder day at half term, not sure it’s worth it now as accommodation is a very important part of the overall picture at NTU. So unbelievably unfair

GoldenRuby · 07/02/2019 07:59

DS insured NTU about a week ago. I think if we had realised how little Uni accommodation there seems to be there he wouldn't have bothered. He should be fine for his grades for his firm (he is doing a Btec so has solid coursework marks in the bag already), but even so it was a waste of an option in hindsight.

Fazackerley · 07/02/2019 08:18

dd says she's going to insure Oxford brookes if she gets an offer from Bath.

i think she can do better than OB but in its defence the course talk was good and she loved Oxford. But its way down the league tables for her subject.

Piggywaspushed · 07/02/2019 08:24

Talking of accommodation, OBU is veeeeeery expensive! And nothing special!

Accommodation stuff was not like this in the Dark Ages. I feel so out of my comfort zone.

mushroom3 · 07/02/2019 08:24

Hi one of you were talking about Swansea, I'm just lurking on this thread as I have a DC applying for 2020, but I have a DS currently there. It's a compact and good City for students. Really good for certain subjects, anything to do with sports (doing them or studying) as it has fantastic facilities, Olympic size pool etc just next door to Singleton Campus. Anything Engineering related, Computing (new facilities on Bay Campus)and Medicine are also really good. It's pretty student orientated with two Universities but also has a bustling city centre. The nightlife is centred around one street, Wind St. There are two sites, both near the beach and easy to get to shops etc from and buses and a segregated cycle route link the two campuses. There are regular buses and trains to Cardiff eg if you want to go to a gig there.