Applying for Uni 2020

[daydreamornot]

Thought it may be nice to have a 2020 support thread, everyone welcome! (maybe Oxbridge posts could be kept to the Oxbridge thread).

[Hoghgyni]

Waving at you from a few miles across the Bypass. Back home for a few days & definitely couldn't have picked a worse time for the weather.

[goodbyestranger]

We're in the SW too but happened to be with family in Scotland, hence the long trek down to go to Boardmasters to go with friends. Yes, lots of people affected, indirectly too. Such a shame.

[FurnitureAndBackgammon]

but DD has only just done her first full yr (12) in a largish environment. The prospect of moving away and on in life is huge for her.

Whereabouts are you? Could she choose a local uni and commute to start with, to gently ease her in?

[thesunwillout]

Hi we're in Rural Devon, commute time to nearest uni would be 1 1/2 hours each way.
Unfortunately, so in some ways she'd be better off living there and getting the maintenance loan etc.
Yet it's alot of loan isn't it for not very far away.
Tiring, but I guess doable, but I'd have to fund the travel for commute.

[ExCwmbranDweller]

I hear what you are saying ClerkMaxwell, I worry too that he is choosing it because he's currently 'good' at it but not sure the proper interest is there. I think he enjoys it because he won't let the really hard bits beat him and works and works at it until it gives in to his relentless pressure! I was very reassured in Bath as the admissions tutor said there were 5 'flavours' of degree to apply for but not to spend a minute worrying over which one to choose as everyone does the same first year and is then funnelled into the different streams with their tutors input.

I thought we were doing really well at having a lovely summer and ignoring the exam results next week but DS2 said he's been dreaming about it. Apparently the other night he dreamed he'd got an E in further maths and was fretting about his revision because he was finding out his physics results the next day. He's not sure why he was revising for the results!

[FurnitureAndBackgammon]

Hi we're in Rural Devon, commute time to nearest uni would be 1 1/2 hours each way.

Ooh yes that's a bit much and would cost a fortune!

[prettybird]

Waves back to ExCwmbranDweller

Ds must have one of the most expensive "commuting" bikes on campus I've still to sell his track bike for him (barely used ) - and carbon fibre TT bars Wonder if I can sell his race wheels too!

[ExCwmbranDweller]

DS1 took his lovely bike prettybird, he's not allowed it in his room and whilst it's locked up on a cage on campus for safety it gets rained on and everything my heart breaks .

[errorofjudgement]

Re maths degrees, we all thought DS1 would take a maths degree. He was always really strong in it and solved maths problems for fun right from when he was in primary school.
However he booked himself into 3 talks at the open day in Bristol - Maths, Engineering maths, and Engineering. Came home and declared he was going to study aeronautical Engineering!
He found the practical application of maths alongside physics and chemistry appealed to him much more.

[FrenchyQ]

DD20 will be applying for 2020... she's a little bit older as we had a couple of false starts with her education, did a year of a-levels but wasnt right for her, then a year doing an nvq in childcare which wasn't right either.
Shes just finished her first year of an NVQ in animal welfare.
Shes looking at applying to Plymouth,Bangor,Portsmouth, southampton to study Marine biology.

[Hoghgyni]

That sounds exciting FrenchyQ. I doubt if she will be the oldest on her course. Has she been to look at Bangor? It can be a bit of a trek for most people, but the surrounding area is stunningly beautiful.

[FrenchyQ]

It is Hoghgyni as we didn't think we ever get to thinking about uni with her.
We are doing open days next month, so will she what she thinks of bangor then... I think she'll end up putting her first choice as Plymouth tho.

[sandybayley]

I had a 'moment' last night when sewing in name tags for DS1. He has grown (again) and I had to get a new rugby shirt. It struck me that it's probably the last time I'll sew in name tags for him.

This time next year he'll just be losing his unarmed stuff on his own.

[thesunwillout]

Hi FrenchyQ, sounds as though your DD and mine have had similar journeys.
If you want to ask anything about Plymouth and the surroundings I can help.
X

[Oratory1]

Hit home here too Sandy when DS got an email to go into school early at the end of August for ‘Prefect’ type duties. The summer has flown by and the final year is nearly here.

[Oratory1]

Not sure he seems mature or sensible enough for upper sixth yet. Ridiculous to think this time last years we were awaiting results and not even sure what A levels they might get in to !’

[goodbyestranger]

Our prefect team swaps in Feb Oratory - maybe that's unusual (the idea is that the Head Boy and Girl and all the prefects can get on with A Level stuff from late Feb in Y13).

[KingscoteStaff]

DS has returned from Newcastle with positive reports on the city, the union building and the swing bridge!

His tour guide shocked him a bit with descriptions of the way the differently priced halls perform a kind of financial apartheid - this had not really occurred to me, as in my day all college rooms cost the same.

[KingscoteStaff]

Sandy well done you for stitching to the bitter end - DS’s new rugby kit has had the Sharpie treatment, I’m afraid...

[sandybayley]

@KingscoteStaff - I've just paid the final bill for his orthodontist (ouch) and am hoping he starts in a lower team as the teeth will be safer.

You're right about the accommodation costs. I was surprised at Durham, York and Bristol about the variation in costs. With finances being tight for so many you can see how this might impact on social mix in each location.

@Oratory1 - DS1 is House Captain and has to report for duty on 28 August. He's quite good humoured about it and is looking forward to organising (bossing) DS2 and his friends around. He was pleased to get a different tie to mark him out .

[ExCwmbranDweller]

I stopped using name tape so long ago I can't actually remember if I ever bought any for DS3 sharpies are the best invention in the world IMHO. I just got the strongest memory of being so excited sewing the first ever ones in DS1's uniform a million years ago.

How much input are you all having with the application/looking round process. DS2 is a very studious boy, homework always done, will do whatever it takes to understand his school work but soooooooo laid back, almost apathetic, about the whole university process. So far I've booked all his visits, although I make him sit next to me when I'm doing it so he knows what's going on. I just remember doing it all myself 25 (ish ) years ago, including organising train travel to and from the unis.

[KingscoteStaff]

DS has researched his own open days (I think they were given a couple of Assembly times to do this at school). I paid for his train tickets and drove him to the station. I also acted as a stenographer and took notes when he got home and babbled incoherently at us.

[OkBobble]

Goodbye - ours does that too, switches so that the yr 13s concentrate on revision/exams although Head Boy and Head Girls still speak at Prizegivings and Days.

[oneteen]

DD's school is similar too, it swaps over the team in March.

@ExCwmbranDweller My DD is very laid back, although in fairness she has applied herself since starting 6th form. I did notice her foot coming off the pedal a little when she decided to do Biochemistry and not Medicine. She's researched Uni's herself, I did have to keep on nudging her to book the open days.

Sadly I have to order a new jumper....there are very large holes around the elbow but the company the school use sew the labels in :-)

The summer seems to be flying by...DD seems to be enjoying partying at the moment, one of her closest friends is 18 on the 2nd September which is a little scary.

[goodbyestranger]

I'm also happily avoiding a name tape moment by having gone on strike on that front in primary school (I don't think I ever managed to sew a single tape without it all bunching up - so annoying). But I am not looking forward to my eighth and last DC going off to uni, not at all - but that's life, so I've been limbering up for some while now.