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Higher education

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

Original poster

Heading towards 4th year or post grad/jobs

995 replies

Xenia · 02/07/2020 21:26

Continuation of the previous thread for those of us with children who are just finishing their 3rd year at university (so either "graduating" in 2020 or going into year 4 in Autumn 2020)..........

My twins' degree results will be out in late July. Good luck to everyone else waiting for finals results.

OP posts:
Ariela · 05/07/2020 00:05

Reading's graduation is July 2021, seems like they're tagging it onto next year's. DD won't be going, her choice didn't have a good experience at all.

Original poster
Xenia · 05/07/2020 09:25

I am glad the move from Bristol went well - I wish my son had had his house by then - instead I had to move all his stuff from his student house back here at home and his new tenancy in Bristol starts on 11 July but he doesn't real.y want to go back until September when his GDL course starts as he wants to feel he has had a normal summer holiday first although thankfully his flat mate is going up to collect the keys next week.

His first house guest who was coming today for 4 nights is not - thank goodness although I didn't put it like that to him. he was going to bring her back on his way back from an over night stay - dinner party - last night and he now has his car - as his twin delivered it on Friday to where the other one was going to be staying; so I won't be needing to drive him to the food shopping etc any more.

I am now on my 24 hours alone which I joke will be for the last time for 4 years.... but that may be so. So far so good.

I don't think Bristol has rearranged the graduations yet. My older daughter did hers in the February after she finished as was abroad in the July so may be they can put all the July people into February in that case.

Not sure when my twins get their degree results - probably end of July time.

(On entry to the police - one of my children's cousins on the other side of the family has applied twice of the police (and has a good degree in criminology and law from Manchester U, where I went, and has been one of those volunteer policemen for years and was still rejected the last time I heard. He is also very tall. He just seems to be the perfect kind of person to go into the police - but may be there is some reason they keep rejecting him. He is very law abiding, lives with his parents in Yorkshire etc.)

OP posts:
bigbluebus · 05/07/2020 15:44

DS has had his results and is delighted that he got a 1st (as are we). He is going back to do a Masters in Sept which was always his plan (and then talking about a PhD). Still hasn't managed to get a job for the Summer though so money will be tight next year. Although his Uni have reduced his fees for next year by an extra £2k so that will help.

Horsemad · 05/07/2020 15:48

Great news @bigbluebus, you must be very proud. 🙂

Original poster
Xenia · 05/07/2020 15:48

Congratulations to the bigblue son. A first is really good.

OP posts:
bigbluebus · 05/07/2020 16:17

Thank you. Yes we are. It hasn't been plain sailing after he dropped out at the end of Yr 1 from his 1st Uni/Course choice and then had year at home whilst deciding what to do next. But he is loving his subject (History) and is happy and enthusiastic to follow a career involving that.

IrmaFayLear · 05/07/2020 16:50

Well done, bigbluebus’s ds !

Ds has just fetched his stuff from university. He was quite sad to say goodbye to his room.

Carriemac · 06/07/2020 07:21

well done big blue bus! you must be very proud.

goodbyestranger · 06/07/2020 09:39

Fab result for your DS bigbluebus - congrats!

Haffdonga · 06/07/2020 09:51

@IrmaFayLear and @bigbluebus congratulations to your dcs for those amazing results. That's absolutely brilliant!

@SMaCM great news that your dd is considering a masters. I guess whether she chooses to do one or not doesn't matter as much as the fact she's feeling it could be doable

@olliepolly I think there's a few of us with intercalating students. @Needmoresleep 's dd is intercalating, there are quite a few masters and other courses like @Xenia 's sons so this thread may carry on for a while yet as the student years stretch on...

Is anyone doing a masters applying for the postgraduate loan? The site seems to have been down for ages and ds is fussing that he wants to get the finances sorted.

latedecember1963 · 06/07/2020 10:13

Thank you for the new thread, Xenia.
I hope your DD's job is going well, Errol. I share your disappointment with the weather, it's been grim here for over a week now.
Glad the move went OK Big TillyMint. I hope she has better luck with her house this year as I seem to recall her last house needed major repairs while they were trying to live and study in it.
Wow, a 1st, bigbluebus! What an achievement! 🎉
Only 1 week to go until DS2 sets off home. I'm going to give his room a thorough clean this week. My MiL has moved back to her house permanently from my BiL's and swapped her bubble to us this weekend. She is so excited about him coming back! In theory he doesn't have to quarantine but he'll be going through 4 airports and sitting next to goodness knows who on 3 planes for 29 hours so he has said he won't be seeing her for at least 5 days after his return.

Haffdonga · 06/07/2020 10:16

You must be so excited to see your ds @latedecember1963

Enjoy Smile

SabrinaThwaite · 06/07/2020 12:01

Been lurking but I’ll jump in as well. DS just finished his 4th yr of a 5 yr integrated masters, project results are through but still waiting on exams (suspect they will be the end of the month). No (paid) placement options for 5th year, so will have to do a uni based project.

DS still smarting over the office losing a key piece of group work earlier in the year and then denying it (despite there being a receipt issued). They lost a load of marks which could be the difference between a 1st and a 2:1 for him. His tutor appealed on their behalf but didn’t get anywhere.

He’s still at uni, so haven’t seen him since Christmas!

HarrietWimsey · 06/07/2020 12:44

Well, results arrived for DS1 and he only went and got a 1st for his 3rd year. Also got his choice of Masters project for 4th year and so plenty of work to keep him busy over his now internship free summer. Proud of him of course but so pleased for him as he works hard and clearly loves what he does.
This week it's online exams for DS2 so stress levels are high again. He's Lower Sixth/Y12 so performance will feed into UCAS predicted grades and help to refine his choice of unis for next year. Here we go again.......

BackforGood · 06/07/2020 12:56

dd came home this week, when the contract on her house ran out. Not seen her since January. It is lovely to have her home, though she is down about not being able to get any work - career wise nor temporary 'Summer job' stuff.

Carriemac · 06/07/2020 13:32

DD is doing a masters in Dublin so I dont think she is eligible for a loan? She has free accommodation so we are paying her 10k fees (gulp)

bigbluebus · 06/07/2020 13:34

@Haffdonga DS has applied for his postgrad funding online this morning without any difficulty.

Haffdonga · 06/07/2020 13:38

@bigbluebus

Thanks BBB. I'll tell ds to have another go,

bigTillyMint · 06/07/2020 13:45

@bigbluebus well done to your DS!

@SabrinaThwaite, fingers crossed for your DS. I think my DD has accepted she will get a 2:1 (which is really good!) because of the diss marking down...

@latedecember1963, thanks - yes they had a terrible time with a flooded basement and an awful landlord, so hopefully this year will be better! And how exciting that your DS is returning Smile

Original poster
Xenia · 06/07/2020 16:38

Lots of good news all round then and yet another first - well done. My son got his offer of his law school place today (which was not unexpected - if you can pay you get in just about if you have a degree) but still nice to have and his Bristol tutor emailed too (who had done the reference). Everyone else is fine. Daughter 2 starts new law job tomorrow - contracting which is what she wants with her own business etc and just spoke to other daughter who is fine and my 1st grandchild has got into her first choice of "big" school so all well here.

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ErrolTheDragon · 06/07/2020 16:52

DD and her BF got confirmation they've passed their BAs ... it seems they're not being given a first/2:1 designation as would usually be the case, just a pass with a star for special circumstances and a transcript.

BackforGood · 06/07/2020 17:54

Oh, that's strange Errol.
dd has got her classification and all her friends either have, or are expecting classifications.
I wonder how that will work for applications for jobs or study or graduate schemes that list "2:1" as an 'essential' for the application ?

Original poster
Xenia · 06/07/2020 22:23

I think Bristol is giving grades particularly as most of what my twins had to do was unaffected by covid - one was only due one examination only this term and that was an essay instead so the massive proportion of the marks was in a sense already done plus the dissertation.

Interestingly the one who got his law school offer today only has to get at 2/2 whereas his twin who got his offer back in October last year with the same institution for the same course has to get a 2/1.

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 06/07/2020 22:24

The handful of people who decided to leave this year with a bachelor's are getting a classification, and next year the for the MEng the rest will get the distinction/merit/pass grading as usual.

ErrolTheDragon · 06/07/2020 22:25

The handful of people who decided to leave this year with a bachelor's are getting a classification, and next year the for the MEng the rest will get the distinction/merit/pass grading as usual.