Another path to greatnesses

[chopc]

I woke up around 4:30 this morning and it hit me like a tonne of bricks. Couldn't get back to sleep so thought I will have a go and starting the new thread. Hope the title is not too cheesy

the train ride to Durham is brilliant - and the moment you first see the town from the station is truly heartstopping.

Just think Hogwarts express and you're there.

I envy students who get to see it for the first time from the train - it's absolutely the best way to arrive.

It's an easy journey - the town is not remote like St Andrews.

@PresentingPercy it is lovely to read your wise, calming posts. Did you have a redirected DC from Oxbridge too? Sorry if I haven't picked up on it before

@Jan069 how often does your DS come home?

Yes it's less than a 3hr train journey from KX but it will take another hr to get to kings cross from home ...... but agree it shouldn't be a deterrent

If it’s any use I went to an open day for Durham when Ds was looking (now in his first year somewhere else). I have a close relative who graduated from there a couple of years ago. DS was looking at History. The town is really lovely and the cathedral and cloisters, which my relative had to walk through each day from her halls to her lectures are beautiful. The students all seemed to have a strong sense of belonging to their college and obviously the colleges differ quite a lot but all are nice. The history course seemed very flexible in terms of what you can study. I remember we attended a lecture about Chinese history which they seemed to be pushing a lot. DS didn’t apply in the end but I think he’d have been quite happy there.

I think accommodation is expensive in Durham which maybe puts some people off.

@hellsbelles Yes, I think for a lot of us parents it was our dream too. I didn't have a great education (I made my parents turn down my 11+ offer to a top London independent school back in the 80s so I could go to the local comp) and years later felt I never reached my full potential. I guess I'm guilty of living vicariously through my dc which is a terrible confession.

DS has received an e mail to say that York accommodation is open. Decisions on preferences will be made based on application date but you need to make York your firm or insurance. I hate this pressure to make a decision in order to get the best chance of getting your favourite accommodation. I really think that accommodation applications shouldn't open until the UCAS deadline in June.

@chopc DS used to come home once a term in his first year. Now he stays up there all term, as most of his friends do. Students often don't want to come home much from second year onwards, especially as the holidays are so long.

@Jan069 will send you a PM about History at Durham so I am not flooding this thread any more than I am

Hi all,
DD (redirected from Oxford Law) was doing better but had a bit of a setback on Cambridge results day. Her best friend got in for the same course - she was delighted for her friend but they had been through the entire process together helping each other out and I think it was a bit of a tough day for both of them (DD felt awful for feeling jealous and her friend had convinced themself after DD’s new that they weren’t getting in and so was quite freaked out by the thought of going to C rather than Durham). Anyway, she’s feeling happier again today. She’s suppressed her emotions over the last two weeks because she wanted to get on and do well in her mocks but now that they’re over, I think it’s all catching up to her and it’s very overwhelming . Rationally, she knows that she hasn’t ‘failed’ and she’s still exactly as intelligent as she was when she applied but she does feel very down - wouldn’t come out of her room all day yesterday though thankfully after a Zoom with her friends she seems to be in a brighter mood today. I think she’ll probably firm Durham, although I do feel sad as she was super excited when she got her Durham offer but now doesn’t feel particularly enthused at the prospect of going.

Back in my day, few of us left Durham (other than to go to the Tuxedo Princess nightclub in Newcastle!) during term time. One of the best things about Durham is that it doesn't clear out at the weekends like some unis.

And the London-Durham train was not used often either. I've just done a quick google search and see the coach is £13 v the cheapest train at £33. I seem to remember the prices being similar to that (in absolute terms, not just relative terms) in the late 80's.....or maybe I'm going senile!

@mikeandike I feel your DD 💐

It is especially difficult when people you know succeed and you don't and it wouldn't be human not to feel jealous.

No. Not exactly. A few years ago now, but DD had other traumas around her Oxbridge offer.

We are now out the other side and she is working. I do really, really hope that I can bring some balance to what you are all going through. I was devastated with what happened to DD (too complext to write about here) but with a Bristol degree under her belt and a lot of very hard work, she is now a barrister. Bristol, Durham and other universities are realy no barrier to DC carrying on with their dreams.

I think not going to Oxford eventually became a relief for DD. She thrived at Bristol and many of her school and current Bar friends thrived at Durham, Bristol, Exeter, UCL etc. You honestly will come out the other side and your DC will too.

They have to believe in themselves, get all the work experience and "soft skills" they can muster and start to plan their careers. Having said that, some of the ones who are aiming for less competitive jobs do have a slightly more relaxed life! However some DC like to be busy and are driven to succeed (to greatness even).

I really came on the thread to offer sympathy, understanding and to tell you all that there is light at the end of the tunnel after what appears to be dark days. Believe in your DC and support them. You will all be stronger for it.

Durham is a great pkac to go for Law and History. One of the best and Durham grads really can do as well as anyone else.

@chopc

You are so right *@PresentingPercy*

Are you able to elaborate on which jobs don't look at which university?

I know medicine doesn't and my DH said now in law they blank the Uni from the application apparently

What about banking?

I think it's all the input and headspace that has gone into the Oxbridge journey over the past 1.5 years or so and now it's over with a negative outcome - it will take some time to recover but recover we will 💪🏽

Not ALL law firms blank the Uni from the application just a few. Most do still look for a minimum of 2.1 and AAB at A levels.

This link still holds firm as far as a career as a solicitor goes :: www.chambersstudent.co.uk/where-to-start/newsletter/law-firms-preferred-universities-2019

As far as banking goes if you mean investment banking their "six" are :

Top Targets: LSE, Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick, Imperial, UCL
Low targets: Bristol, Durham, Edinburgh

I woud assume that all the DC here are likely to be AAB and above. Bristol and Durham are not back numbers for banking but, like everything else it depends on the candidate. University attended is never a guarantee to a job or career. Every employer, whether they look at university attended or not, will expect employees to jump through certain hoops of their design. University can be no more than a first hurdle and there really are non Oxbridge grads everywhere! DC with very high attainment are likely to be able to get onto internships and vacation schemes. University attended is no particular barrier to that. That should be the aim for lawyers and bankers and management accountants.

For Law, Imperial, LSE and UCL are not really where you would go. However do not forget that around 50% of lawyers do not have Law degrees. So competition for places is immense. It also depends what sort of law. The mathematicians and economists are more likely to want banking so Warwick, Imperial and LSE would naturally be very high up on the recruitment tables. I do not see why any talented person would not be considered because they had been to Warick for eample. (English Law is different to Scottish Law so Scottish universities need to be entered with care for Law).

Always remember that firms are ofter top talent. That is not found solely at two universities. They do recruit from more than two. Even the Oxbridge grads have to go through the selection hoops and work on their CV!

ofter..... after

@SeasonFinale thanks very much for the useful info

Thank you to each and every one of you. I do feel positive about DS available options

@PresentingPercy thanks for the input again.

Sorry to hear of your daughters experience. If you want to share, hope you feel you can. If not, absolutely don't have to

Just grateful for all the handholding

Always remember that firms are ofter top talent. That is not found solely at two universities. They do recruit from more than two. Even the Oxbridge grads have to go through the selection hoops and work on their CV

So true. Depending on what you are looking for, it can actually be a hindrance to have an Oxbridge degree. Quite of few of the grad schemes positively discriminate against, as they target under-represented cohorts. DD1's experience of the grad round was awful. The only big grad scheme she got anywhere near was with MI5, which she got right down to the last group in, but wasn't successful, she really enjoyed it though ;-)

Thankyou for all the info and support here. DS is feeling fine today. Basically, he was very borderline about applying for Geography or HSPS at Cambridge. He went for Geog as he hadn’t taken Politics or Sociology A-level, so thought he might struggle with HSPS against those who had. But he very much a human geographer and actually, it was the LSE course that initially inspired him. He went for C as he had the grades to apply - that’s it really. At UCL and LSE it’s all Human Geog (apart from a climate change module but obviously that’s one of the biggest challenges for his generation and feeds into everything). Particularly at LSE, you can take modules across the social sciences. A language module is encouraged too and if you proceed on this pathway you come out with that language as a ‘with’ for any BA / BSc.

DS has really enjoyed Economics but couldn’t proceed with it to degree level as he didn’t take maths A-level. This is one of the setbacks of his type of independent selective school. He was in one of the bottom maths sets (like set 8 out of 10) so always perceived maths as ‘not his thing’ throughout school. Even though he ended up in the 60% or so in his year who came out with a 9 at GCSE, he still thinks he’s crap at maths and was never offered the further maths GCSE option because if the maths set he was in. Anyway, at LSE particularly, there is a large overlap between Geography and Economics (as well as Anthropology, Politics and across the social sciences really) - and this intersection is really his thing. He can take modules from other departments and this is encouraged. He’s not the green wellies type, put it that way.

Interestingly, at C, of the 4 interviewers he saw, 3 were glaciologists and on was an oceanographer. Hmmm.... The entire first interview was about glaciers (even though I’d been assured interviewers are not supposed to only ask questions related to their specific research areas - that’s precisely what they did).

Also, at all his other uni choices there is the option of an overseas year. After this, if he still feels he wants to go to Oxbridge, he can apply for a masters anyway. So basically, he’s realised it’s all just a different route to wherever he’s heading and I know it will be the case for all the DC here.

Hope noone minds but I have kind of tagged on to this thread as DS was redirected last year and is on a gap year. He deferred his Bristol offer last June prior to results day so will be starting at Bristol this September. My background is in law and I currently work in a Sixth Form office as a UCAS Adviser/Exams Administrator.

You are welcome @SeasonFinale