University 2020 :5: Results day approaching and beyond

[MillicentMartha]

Old thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3855474-University-2020-4-The-wait-for-grades-and-better-days-ahead?pg=40

Less than 3 months to go until we have a better idea what the future has in store for our DC. Let’s hope that even if most lectures are online that accommodation is open and they can move up, across or down to their university towns and start their student life.

We should have been in the middle of exams, instead we have this strange limbo of lockdown. It could have been worse, though.

I have an antique copy of Grub on a Grant - it was the student equivalent of Annabel Karmel!

Millicent St Andrews is odd for accom, the best value and most characterful accomodation is catered halls with shared bathroom - only(?) £7k which is same as self catered en suite, but most people recommend the social experience of a catered hall.

Another odd aspect of St A accom is that it includes 3 meals a day, so you go back to your hall for lunch. I assume it is because in the past most students would have come from boarding schools, indeed many still do.

I was in catered halls for first year back in the day. £990 all in per 30 week year for all breakfasts and evening meals and lunch at the weekends. I put on a lot of weight.

@Oneteen’s DD is going to Warwick, so that may be of interest to her, MissJane.

.....and my hall in Clifton, Bristol was £145/TERM in a shared room. Makes me feel very old!

OK, the angst here is over and DS has firmed Leeds (over Loughborough) for a 2021 start (which was always the plan). Really hard decision, as the Loughborough admissions team have been really attentive about staying in touch/ providing information etc, whereas he's had hardly any info from Leeds.But overall he felt Leeds was a better fit and offered more of the extra curricular he wants.
I get the impression loads of students were leaving it to the last minute as he had a general email from his Head of Sixth reminding students of the deadline and saying "I can see many of you have still to decide" .

People do say they put on weight in catered halls. St A is a cooked breakfast and 2 X 3 course meals/day apart from weekend evenings.

Gosh, Monkey! That was cheap. Mine was in 1984 when the full grant was around £1800. I’m from Bristol and my parents tried to encourage me to stay local so Bristol was on my UCCA form. Luckily their offer was a bit high.

Mine was 1986. Then £220/term in single room in university flat. We were the lucky generation for HE, but I think my DCs have had a much better state education than I had. Although it is not always perfect, my DC have had some excellent teachers.

Well done Divoc2020’s DS. My friend’s DS is still trying to decide between an eclectic mix of offers. He has an unconditional full scholarship from Princeton, (not sure what mix of subjects) a medicine offer from Exeter and a few engineering offers from Bristol, Loughborough etc. I think he needs to take a gap year and make his mind up!

Yes, Monkey, my ex secondary modern turned comprehensive wasn’t very good at all. Some of the old secondary modern teachers were terrifying and only the younger teachers had degrees. Out of 240 of us in my year group only 4 went to uni and another 4 or so to polys or other HE. My DSes’ comprehensive had much better teachers and teaching itself has improved beyond measure.

1986, shared house £30 a week plus bills.
We also got housing benefit of about 7 a week!
I had a full grant of about £1800 a year.
Great days

Housing benefit! I remember that! My third year house was very, very cheap. After housing benefit it was £11/week each. Made up for halls being a bit pricier. I think the little 2 up 2 down terrace we lived in could be bought for £8k.

I know!
I remember going to the council office to apply, someone savvy had mentioned it.

Was just thinking about prescription charges, I assumed university/higher education students would get free meds.
Wrong.
From what I can gather, and I'm sure others will know or have experience.

Still age 18, free.
19, you pay?
I'm on a qualifying benefit due to illness, and somewhere on the government site I read that a dependant age 20 and under would also qualify.
How can they still be a dependant.
Then HC2 forms?

Anyone enlighten me?

Not that it matters in our circumstances if DD goes to her firm which is in Wales.

I’m not sure, thesunwillout? Students don’t pay council tax but I don’t know about prescription charges? We’re lucky in that none have mine have needed a prescription since turning 18 and I had an exemption certificate. Maybe a question for the money matters board?

Hmm.. yes, this has just reminded me that DS was meant to have an eye test and get new glasses before he left school (free eye test and NHS voucher if 18 and in education) but of course all the opticians are closed .

How much of that 65000 is due to the lower birth year? Locally it’s been 2 forms lower at secondary/1 in 6th form.

@TheDrsDocMartens, the 65,000 have already applied and have offers waiting to be confirmed/rejected ...

Only around 25k fewer 18 year olds than last year in UK, and only probably 10k of them would have gone to uni, so it’s more loss of international students and deferrals.

@Monkey2001 I had Grub on a Grant too!

My favourite chapter was ‘Choosing your Wine’. Just one sentence:

Buy wine to match your carpet.

Wise words.

Milli - as monkey said - dd is keen to go in one of the old buildings at St. Andrews and they are catered. If she doesn’t get it the roasting tin book will go with her!

I loved Leeds (many years ago). Amazing for live music and social life and still the case I’m sure.

@KingscoteStaff, spit out tea funny post ! Just googled Grub on a Grant and now remember it really well, so funny, a totally buried memory!

N Ireland reducing social distancing to 1 metre 👍 all looking more hopeful

Nottingham have just extended their term dates to fit more teaching in. Looks like might do longer days and weekends too. So glad Unis are so organised. Wish someone would sort schools out (said as a v tired teacher).

Oneteen’s DD is going to Warwick, so that may be of interest to her, MissJane.

Thanks Millicent.

Warwick accommodation is now open properly @Oneteen @DuckyMcDuck and anyone else with DC going there.