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Higher education

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

Original poster

Going to university (2019/20 academic year) - and the fledgling freshers are off!

999 replies

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 04/09/2019 14:56

Previous thread

OP posts:
bigTillyMint · 13/09/2019 17:10

@Benjispruce, that video is great - the room looks pretty decent, and enough space and actually has stuff I thought we might have to take - thanks. Really hope your DD gets a single/makes peace with the idea of sharing.

Benjispruce · 13/09/2019 17:10

DD had Men jab in year 10.

bigTillyMint · 13/09/2019 17:11

DS applied online too Confused

Piggywaspushed · 13/09/2019 17:11

Just reading some Facebook stuff and beginning to think I am the only parent not providing my DC with alcohol supplies....

bigTillyMint · 13/09/2019 17:12

Lol, DD/DS must have >10 pairs of trainers each, not counting actual sports ones Blush

MrsPellegrinoPetrichor · 13/09/2019 17:13

DD had Men jab in year 10

Ds did too,it was presented as 'in case they go to uni.'

Benjispruce · 13/09/2019 17:14

piggy I won’t be. DD wouldn’t expect me to either. Student bars are cheap enough!
Tilly did the request for ID come before the card was issued?

bigTillyMint · 13/09/2019 17:16

Yes Benji, AFAIK he has applied online and had an email to say bring in ID. But I've barely seen him as he's working long shifts back to back and going out every night....

Benjispruce · 13/09/2019 17:21

Strange that they ask some and not others for ID.

Ontopofthesunset · 13/09/2019 17:25

I thought DS2 was covered for meningitis as he had it at school but it turns out it was he only had the jab for MenC in March 2015 with his other teenage boosters, as the broader MenACWY was only introduced later that year. Glad I checked.

Piggywaspushed · 13/09/2019 17:26

Birmingham is one of the RG unis with a genuinely good outreach programme (DS2 going to a conference there this week). I wonder how they are going to alter admission with their mission statement which clearly states that they want to recruit students from schools and communities with little track record of application to the 'best' universities. I expect they will start using contextual offers more openly.

SoonerthanIthought · 13/09/2019 17:37

I thought the article meant that Birmingham were going to stop doing 'unconditionals if firm' rather than unconditionals altogether.

Though I am not sure how that would work for Birmingham - if the result is that the high prediction students make them their insurance, those students will only go to Birmingham if they don't get the predicted grades, or good enough grades to go somewhere else through adjustment. Which may mean the next step is to stop doing ucs altogether - otherwise Birmingham may only get the students who 'bomb' - as those who only just miss the predicted grades will go through adjustment.

No particular axe to grind but I thought unconditionals had a place, and have never been convinced that they led to students not working (suspect it is more the other way round - students who realise they won't get their predicted grades are more likely to accept an unconditional). In any case, I thought Birmingham uif holders tended to perform well at A level?

Piggywaspushed · 13/09/2019 17:40

Yes, they definitely do : you wouldn't apply there if you weren't in at least the AAB ballpark.

SoonerthanIthought · 13/09/2019 17:46

Agree Piggy but the received anti-uc wisdom is that uif holders then promptly stop turning up at lessons, barely even turn up for the exams, and drop well below their predicted grades! True for some no doubt but I have a feeling that the evidence at Birmingham is that they don't.

Also, many students underperform their predictions even if not holding a uc - although I think there is some evidence that overall, taking all universities together, this is more common with uc holders (but repeat the cause and effect query!)

blametheparents · 13/09/2019 17:59

DS has an UIF offer from Birmingham. He didn’t put it as his 1st or 2nd choice, which tells me he was prepared to put the work in for his first choice (at A*, A, A / 38 IB points).
As it happens it wasn’t the university offer that motivated him. He wanted to get the most out of the two years and get the highest grade he could.
Birmingham would argue that these are the ‘type’ of students that get an UIF offer from them. But, who knows? They certainly seem to offer a fair few.
You could argue that they devalue their own brand by making so many UIF offers?

Alicatz66 · 13/09/2019 18:22

@Piggywaspushed ... my DS doesn't drink !!! ( doesn't get it from me !!)
I wouldn't be buying them booze ... it's a bit cringe !

Mustbetimeforachange · 13/09/2019 18:46

I've always told mine that if they want to drink spirits they pay for it but I'm happy to buy them a pack of beer or cider when I'm doing their small starting uni shop. DS2 doesn't drink so no need with him!

simbobs · 13/09/2019 18:55

My 3rd year dd doesn't drink, but the same cannot be said for ds. Some of his mates are going away tomorrow so they are having a send-off session tonight. I hope he doesn't do that when it is his turn next week I want him firing on all pistons. He actually mentioned kitchen supplies earlier - progress at last!

BringOnTheScience · 13/09/2019 18:57

Just back from the store cupboard shop. I offered to buy booze for 1st night but DC1 pointed out that 'going out to get a drink' was a good sociable thing to do.

We've vacuum bagged everything to great effect. Bass guitar is loaded. Cards Against Humanity is packed. Doc Martin's have been waxed.

Just need the king-sized tissues for me!

MrsPellegrinoPetrichor · 13/09/2019 19:04

Ds is on his way out, I've asked him not to drink too much as the journey with him hungover will be hell as he takes it out on anyone near him and I'm likely to be snappy back Hmm

Empra123 · 13/09/2019 19:19

Frantically packing here. Off tomorrow, staying with friends tomorrow night and moving in on Sunday. Lovely friend will be helping us with stuff on Sunday. She came to a meeting with student support last month as she lives nearer than I do and if anything goes horribly wrong she can get there a lot quicker than I can. And with Autism one never knows what might go wrong. All the support is in place and she's determined to try so all I can do is pray hard.

justasking111 · 13/09/2019 19:23

Back from family meal. DS now double checking his clothes packing. It all fits in the car thank goodness. It is so weird like the night before going on holiday. Lord I will miss him. Empty nest now.

MrsPellegrinoPetrichor · 13/09/2019 19:41

I'm glad we're staying over tomorrow,it means we get to have a family meal together which I doubt would happen otherwise as ds would be out with mates,and it eases me into it gently😉

MrsPellegrinoPetrichor · 13/09/2019 19:42

It is so weird like the night before going on holiday that's exactly what it feels like, especially as we've just sorted out birth certificate and passport!

bigTillyMint · 13/09/2019 19:43

Good luck to all those off tomorrow!
DS is going out for a send off for one of his mates tonight.