Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Higher education

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

Heading towards year 3 exams (uni 2017)

998 replies

Xenia · 05/12/2019 09:23

Continuation of www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3538808-heading-towards-year-2-exams-uni-2017 as we have reached page 40.

Hard to believe they are all in year 3 now and many will finish university in June 2020.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
SMaCM · 15/02/2020 19:54

DD has been home this week and we've been talking about her plans for the summer. She has a nice long list of questions to ask the careers advisor when she gets back.

One of her friends told her this week she hasn't even started work on her dissertation topic yet. She is now panicking she won't get it done.

Another friend took a gap year after year 2 and wants to return to uni, but not the one she was at. I know people change after year 1, but can they change after year 2?

MarchingFrogs · 16/02/2020 00:25

I know people change after year 1, but can they change after year 2?

I would think it pretty unlikely that she would be able to transfer into the third / final year at a different university and only having to repeat year 2 (as opposed to starting again from the beginning) would depend on the modules she had taken fitting with the ones taken in the relevant course?

Xenia · 16/02/2020 09:29

I tihnk it is hard to change at that stage. My older son who got behind with his dissertation was allowed to stop year 3 in about January or Feb and then restart year 3 in the Autumn but at the same university so he did a 3 year degree over 4 years. I tihnk the friend who took the gap year afer year 2 should just go back and finish year 3 at the same place in that case as that is going to be easier and then go elsewhere for post graduate studies.

The SMaCM is doing the right things. I never seem able to convince mine to speak to the very useful careers advice service at the universities - it is all on tap for you there and a great service with employers coming up to display themselves at careers fairs etc. It is certainly worth taking advantage of it.

We are even struggling to arrnage a visit this term as first my son couldn't do a lunch the day he had a 21st in the evening and now he has found out it is the night before he could not do a lunch the day after the 21st as will not be fit for it - so it is obviously going to be quite a 21st he's going to.

Meanwhile my daughter and son in law completed on their house purchase and my garage is now clear as of yesterday of her landlord's furniture which had been stored here. She also sold their 2 bed flat too which they had been letting out. Mind you I have just started moving the 50 or 60 boxes of the girls' things in my attic to the now empty garage for better ease of access so I do not feel clear of possessions of others yet.

OP posts:
SMaCM · 16/02/2020 10:02

Xenia - we have to fit visits around social events too 🙄.

One day you will get your loft and garage back.

Xenia · 16/02/2020 10:16

Good point and my neighbour (85, lives alone) says I will be sad then so may be she is right ........ one of my daughters likes sorting things out as do I and I think she might be happy that I just get her 25 boxes sent to her as she suggested that the other week so may be once the boxes are all down from the loft I can get rid of quite a few quickly there.

OP posts:
Haffdonga · 16/02/2020 14:05

I've worked with some of the uni careers services and agree. They can be very good. It's definitely worth your dc checking things out with them even if they think they know their future plans.

Poor ds has just had to miss his halfway ball last night because he has suddenly come down with a nasty flu type virus. He's so disappointed - he'd been looking forward to it for months. I want to go and scoop him up and bring him home to 'mother' but he says 'it's not worth it'. Sad

Xenia · 16/02/2020 18:02

Hopefully not coronavirus.

OP posts:
Haffdonga · 16/02/2020 18:33

@Xenia I hope not! Corona did cross my mind in a panic and ds has to be conscious of it as he's currently on a hospital placement. Luckily he's feeling a lot better today so I think it was a good old-fashioned 'normal' virus . He's just messaged me telling me that he's bought 3 sirloin steaks for £1.50 each so I think the UK epidemiologists can breathe easy! Wink

Needmoresleep · 17/02/2020 12:13

No graduation presents from us. DS graduated twice, BSc(Econ) and Masters, and we marked both occasions by taking him out for rather grand meals. The second time was at Wilton's, which fitted the bill perfectly. Lovely welcoming service, straightforward food cooked very well and traditional surroundings. We knew he was off to the States for six years so thought we would give him a proper Downton Abbey send-off. It was expensive, but since we lived within walking distance of his University we had no other costs.

I think he also graduates with a second Masters this summer, as part of his PhD, but he seems completely uninterested in finding out anything about it. A pity as US Universities tend to take that sort of thing very seriously with quite formal events.

As for DD, we have a few years to go, though I assume she gets to graduate as part of her intercalation, providing of course she gets accepted. And thanks to Haff for reminding me about possible funding. I once did a tour of a City Guild where the guide talked their charity work including educational grants, and a quick Google suggested her course might be eligible. Even if it is not a lot of money it all helps, plus it would be something to put on a CV. (And indeed since DD was initially torn between applying for medicine, or for the subject of her intercalation, there is some chance she might want to go on to a Masters once she has finished her clinical years.)

Perhaps instead there should be graduation presents from children to parents once they start earning?

No coronavirus, but good old fashioned norovirus last week. DD was well versed in the routine, as during her ski season it was not a question of if, but when. Then some astonishing wind, rain and hail. Biblical times.

SMaCM · 17/02/2020 13:35

The posh dinner sounds lovely. I like the idea of graduation presents for parents.

Xenia · 17/02/2020 15:33

We could start a new trned. My son did have one classmate at school where the oldest child once in work had to fund the university costs of the next sibling down etc That presumably only worked because there were big age gaps between the three but sounded very strange.

My older son and I have now been able to pin down a time for our visit to Bristol fitting around student parties and as I will drive my older son I will get to see his new house too which none of us have seen as yet other than in photos. Meanwhile daughter 1's 36 boxes from the lfot are now in the more accessible garage. I found loads of books for her degree and as one my sons is doing the same one he wants me to bring some of them with us - so that hopefully will be helpful for him.

I still have daughter 2's boxes to move down from the loft - starting tomorrow I think although work is very busy today.

OP posts:
Carriemac · 18/02/2020 19:50

I paid my little brothers uni fees (1.5K at the time ) for a year as my dad had just retired and he was the fifth child in our family to go to uni. My other siblings also contributed. I had forgotten! must remind him he owes me now :)

Malbecfan · 19/02/2020 11:21

Interesting comments about graduation gifts. We have rewarded DD1 in the past. She was convinced that she wouldn't do brilliantly in her GCSEs so we promised her a tenor sax if she did. I'm regretting tutoring her for her Music listening paper as I ended up splitting the cost with DH (but she has since played in concerts and shows for money). For her A levels we took her out for lunch and her employer in the ice cream shop gave her a free ice cream as large as she wanted as long as she scooped it herself. In fact they did the same for DD2 as well and much experimentation took place in preceding weeks to work out in which order to best squish the different flavours into their largest cone.

We still have over a year to think this one through.

In other news, DH and I are finally going to a formal dinner at DD's college tomorrow. I'm really excited! DD's boyfriend is over from his placement as his semester has finished so is joining us. One of DD2's school friends is at the same college and will also be there. DH is lecturing until just after noon so it's going to be a "fingers crossed that the roads are clear" drive. Then on Friday we're going to see DD2 who is only about 90 minutes away. She has most of the day off so it'll be good to see her too. Hopefully we can also look into the shared house for next year. Planning to come home on Saturday, weather permitting.

RedHelenB · 20/02/2020 10:37

Glad to hear they are all on the way to graduating Scary having to think about careers etc! Dd1 has passed her dental competency and is enjoying working with the patients. Both dds are coming back this weekend so that will be nice.

Needmoresleep · 20/02/2020 12:41

‘Family scholarships’ were common in Asia when I lived there. The extended family would club together to send a bright child overseas to study. Overseas fees are huge, especially from the perspective of a lower average incomes. They would then be expected to return the favour. One reason why some overseas students are so focussed on their studies.

Our children are lucky.

We have realised we are really enjoying not having children at home. No need to do a big weekly shop. Able to go to the theatre or away for a weekend without planning. (Kunene And The King with Anthony Sher is strongly recommended!) The house stays tidy.

It’s been a long journey. Thank you to those who have accompanied me.

Eve · 21/02/2020 11:05

Ref graduation presents for parents, my DH bought his grandmother ( who brought him up more than his mother) a very expensive gold necklace with his 1st months salary.

I now have the necklace & DH comments every time I wear it ( particularly as he had a battle to get it from his mother after GM passed away).

Haffdonga · 21/02/2020 11:42

That's lovely, Eve. Perhaps you could pass it on to a future granddaughter of yours when she graduates. Smile

bigTillyMint · 21/02/2020 13:34

@Needmoresleep, we are loving an empty house too. The holidays seem to come round very quickly though Grin

bigTillyMint · 21/02/2020 13:35

@Eve, that is really lovely.

Horsemad · 21/02/2020 22:27

Oh yes, it's quite nice, having a tidy house when they are away!
I do sort of miss them though 🙂

We're off to visit DS tomorrow - just a day trip to celebrate his 21st.

Eve, I love what your DH did for his GM. I remember buying some gold earrings for myself with my first month's wages - I used to walk past the jewellers every day to and from the station and eye them up longingly! 😆

ErrolTheDragon · 01/03/2020 00:03

DD is happy - despite being lower in the room ballot for next year she's got the same one again. She didn't get any of her 3 choices of 3rd year projects but she's pleased with the one she's got anyway so that's fine.

Malbecfan · 01/03/2020 10:45

Eve that's lovely. Errol that's good news about the room and I'm glad your DD is happy about the project. Your post reminded me that I need to ask DD about which room she's got. She knows which block she'll be in at least. DD is battling a cold (which I may inadvertently have given her last week Blush) so I'll FaceTime her later. We hoped to go to Wembley today but the tickets were so expensive, and kick-off is so late that I would have had to drive there and back as there are no trains and I'm working tomorrow from 8.30 so can't afford the time or money to stay over. I'll listen on the radio as I can't afford Sky either!

Needmoresleep · 01/03/2020 12:22

Who do you support? Our team is in a bottom of the table fight along with Villa so though happy for the to win the cup, we dont want to see them win much else.

Like everyone else I am watching coronavirus evolve. DD received HCA training as part of her degree plus has already done a reasonable amount of basic practical stuff (taking patient histories, inserting cannulas etc). I wonder at what point they will consider drafting in medical students to help. I hope it does not affect her intercalation.

latedecember1963 · 02/03/2020 09:20

Hello everyone, I've been reading through the last couple of pages and the main themes seem to be 21sts, graduations and next steps. Exciting times ahead!
We had a fabulous time visiting DS. I found it much harder to leave him behind than waving him off from the airport last July but I held it together and made sure the last he saw of me was me smiling and waving. I'm not ashamed to admit to shedding a tear in departures though.
Carriemac, I would recommend the guided tour of the Opera House if you have time. We did the 9am tour, then had brunch overlooking the Harbour Bridge before catching the ferry to Manley Beach. We had plenty of time to get back and freshen up before going to watch Carmen in the evening. Ds2 said it had been a magical early 21st birthday present.
Glad you all survived the horrible weather. It's blowing snow here at the moment but I'm not sure it will stick.

Haffdonga · 02/03/2020 19:44

Welcome home Latedecember . Tough saying goodbye, isn't it? It's lovely that you had such a good time though. How is your ds finding Ozzie life and uni?