Changing universities

[Porseb]

DS is looking at changing universities next year. He has just started his first year and isn't particularly happy (pandemic notwithstanding).

Has anyone's DC been through this process?

How difficult or easy is it?

Can you go from non red brick to red brick in 2nd year?

What does he need to do this year to ensure his chances of a transfer?

Thanks

bumping this for advice

My DC both have friends who transferred into 2nd year. One nearer home because he didn't like his campus uni and the second because he didn't love the course.

Asked DC2 and he said his friend applied before end of January with his December exam grades. He thinks he approached the department at an open day. They had drop outs and were happy to get someone to fill for the stats. He had good grades 2is mainly. I think he was a bit limited in course options for 2nd year but okay after then.

A neighbour's daughter did this two years ago. She got the grades she needed for her first choice university and went there, but didn't really settle and left around Christmas (I think). She then reapplied to her reserve option and received an unconditional offer which she accepted.

In her case the original university is generally better regarded than the one she is at now, but she is much happier. She started the first year again at the new university, partly because she didn't want to finish the first year at the original place and partly because she wanted to start with all the other freshers, rather than joining them in the second year by which time they would all be in established friendship groups.

I don't see that there would be a problem in swapping to a 'better' university provides that his A levels are good enough. If he meets the standard offer I imagine he would get an unconditional offer (assuming he's not applying somewhere where he would need to be interviewed, in which case it's harder to predict).

My dd never really settled when she began uni last year and I suggested that she looked at transferring. She applied to start again (ie from Y1) onwards at another uni this September, but also looked at transferring to Y2 of a similar course at another uni.

She decided to start again rather than transferring - but I found out a lot about the transfer process along the way.

First of all some universities won't accept transfers into Y2 for certain subjects. This is usually made clear on their website. If it isn't clear, you can find out by giving them a call.

Secondly, in order to transfer to Y2, you have to be able to show that the modules studied in Y1 at the first university are similar to those studied in the second university. The second university will ask for a copy of the student's transcript showing subjects studied in Y1 and results. In my daughter's case, this was an incredibly frustrating process, as no one would reply to her emails. This was even when she made it clear that she had a deadline to submit this. I eventually found out the name of the university's Chief Operating Officer and they released the transcript on the same day.

As you can see, it is a complicated process but is worth pursuing.

There's a difference between transfer with transfer of learning credit (APEL)and dropping out and reapplying to a different university to join y1 again next September.
Is he planning on completing this year in full? APEL may apply. If not, he stands the same chance as any candidate applying with his grades in hand

I think he is intending to finish Year 1 this year and transfer into year 2 next year.