How can I convince my niece .....

[earlgrey]

... that just because she's not got the hall of residence she wanted in Manchester not to throw it all in?

She got two As and a B, and was due to read Bio Medical Science. Completely hacked off that she has to share her bathroom with 25 others, and that her friend has got an ensuite.

She wants to put it off for a year and do medicine instead - on the basis of the accommodation she's been offered - but doesn't, in her words, "fancy putting my fingers up people's bums for a year".

I find it hard to understand she went through all that hard work for nothing. Last night four of her London school friends came to our house in Oxford for a celebration. They had a really nice day, but I can't help feeling for her.

Any ideas?

All of Manchester halls of residence have pic and interiors available online so she can see what she is getting and how far away it is from lectures etc before she goes

EG - I think Manchester is one of the top 20. Certainly the one of the oldest, if not THE oldest redbricks. Not sure where it stands in the ratings for medical degrees. Think Cambridge, Oxford, Edinburgh, Glasgow and King's/University Colleges (London) are some of the big ones.

But generally, yes, I would say that Manchester is fairly prestigious. A lot does depend on the course you do i.e. what minimum A'level results you need.

If she can get a place for medicine next year with her grades then I would agree with ditching biomedical sciences as even at manchester she would find it easy and feel it was second best. The hall of residence might be just a way being able to say she doesn't really want to do bms.

Even the worst hall of residence is better than the student houses they share for second and subsequent years - at least a shared kitchen and bathroom in halls gets a proper clean once a week at least!

I don't think she'd walk into medicine anywhere on a sudden change of mind and an AAB. She would have to demonstrate committment and work experience and would prossibly have to up the B (depends what its in; if chemistry it will defintely need to be upped).

She will be very lucky to get in with AAB. A lot of medical schools now want SAT type results of a certain standard too. I just had a girl in the lab for a week who failed to get a place last year. She has 3 As and a year's experience shadowing GPs and doing work in care homes. She is completely committed and fears she won't get a place next year either. Your niece needs to demomstrate real commitment, not just to a career in medicine, but to hard, hard work for 5 years.

Blimey! Thanks to you all so much. I'll show this to Josie (our printer isn't working at the moment) and she'll - if she hasn't already done so - make her own mind up about it.

Lillapin, no, she's not a brat. I would say that, of course, but she doesn't drink, swear, or fraternise with people of the opposite sex. And she's beautiful.

"she doesn't drink, swear, or fraternise with people of the opposite sex"

It's high time she got herself to uni in that case

The University of Manchester website has payment plans for its accomodation - you can pay in full, termly or monthly, though you do get 15% off if you pay upfront.

DS was originally disappointed that he didn't get an ensuite room, but after a couple of weeks he said it was much better than the ensuite - he got to know his neighbours much quicker - especially the girl next door who used to make a quick dash from the shower in an inadequate towel.....
We were quite happy too, as it was only £70 a week instead of £90!

hi earlygrey im currently at manchester and am wondering exactly which halls she will be in! is she going catered or self catering?

Like you say she will socialise a lot more and meet more people in non ensuite rooms.

also if her heart isnt really in medicine she wont enjoy it. can she not defer entering for a year?

Too true Tribpot
Ahhh, happy days.