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Higher education

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

Original poster

Are your DC enjoying their degree/university experience?

56 replies

Cranmer · 29/12/2021 18:46

Just that really.

I have met up with various family and friends over Christmas and only one said their DC is enjoying their degree.

The ones at RG universities (in all years) say their DC can't wait to finish and are not enjoying their degrees. University being the best days of your life is certainly far from the truth.

My DD finds her degree a slog and would happily give it up tomorrow! But don't we all feel that when we face challenges? DD will finish, but their is no way she wants to go onto do a masters.

OP posts:
MissyB1 · 01/01/2022 16:58

Ds is enjoying his healthcare degree, he’s in his last year and they will be applying for their jobs over the next few months. He’s done 4 years as he didn’t have A levels so had do to a foundation year. He’s done 3 clinical placements and thoroughly enjoyed each one.
It’s probably different though with healthcare courses.

BeyondMyWits · 01/01/2022 17:10

My 2 dds are at very different unis... one doing a science subject at Bath, she is enduring it..she is first year and a bit fed up of continually going over A level biology stuff (chemistry was compulsory at a level, biology wasn't, so some playing catch up), she loves her halls flatmates and has arranged a shared house for next year...

Dd at Swansea is doing English and thriving, loving her course and her housemates (a houseshare that was arranged lastminute after a big relationship break up).

So a mixed bag here.

rrhuth · 01/01/2022 17:19

Mine are happy, I think they like the fact they can focus entirely on their preferred subject.

AtiaoftheJulii · 01/01/2022 23:27

@RampantIvy

I'm sorry your DD is struggling with her flatmates *@AtiaoftheJulii*. It is soul destroying when that happens. Getting congenial flatmates is such a lottery. Some universities try and match similar minded students together, but I think moore universities should follow suit.
It is difficult. On paper they are a reasonable match lifestyle-wise, but the dominant characters in the flat are very outspoken. There’s been some negative things said about disabled people, which given that dd does have a disability, she finds obviously upsetting.

I’ve suggested asking the university about changing flats, but she’s thinking better the devil you know, I think.

RampantIvy · 01/01/2022 23:48

It looks as if Lancaster is one of the Unis that don't put "similar" students together in the campus accommodation

A friend's DC had such a horrific time at Lancaster that she dropped out after the first term. She is quiet and doesn't drink, and was housed with heavy drinking, drug taking party goers who were bringing random starngers back to the flat during the first week. This was in September 220 when students weren't supposed to mix. They were all horrible to her and bullied her for not joining in. She went home after a week and never went back.

footcushion · 02/01/2022 00:08

Two dcs started this year - were both very lucky and get on with their flatmates. Dc1 was very homesick initially but partied her way out of the misery and has become more socially confident now she’s away from school. Dc2 also very much enjoying the social life and living independently with peers. Academically both are finding it a challenge, the pace is fast and the quality of teaching isn’t always great, they are having to work hard but have no regrets on their subject choice - they didn’t do A level in their subject choice like many - so feel they are playing catch up.

gleegeek · 02/01/2022 00:51

Dd in year 1 loves the course but has been unlucky with her flatmates. She doesn't drink or go clubbing but does likes being sociable and doing things. Most of her flatmates are heavy drinking clubbing types, tinkering with drugs etc so she feels a bit out of place.
She's made one good friend on her course and they're definitely sharing next year, just need to find another couple and a house!
She's fine at independent living but still likes coming home and seeing her home friends!

footcushion · 02/01/2022 11:11

@gleegeek

Dd in year 1 loves the course but has been unlucky with her flatmates. She doesn't drink or go clubbing but does likes being sociable and doing things. Most of her flatmates are heavy drinking clubbing types, tinkering with drugs etc so she feels a bit out of place. She's made one good friend on her course and they're definitely sharing next year, just need to find another couple and a house! She's fine at independent living but still likes coming home and seeing her home friends!
A friend's dd chose a quiet Uni and a room in a quiet corridor - the last thing she wanted was to be stuck with drinkers - the problem is no one on her corridor was very sociable, so she still struggles with finding her kind of friends.
Susiesue61 · 02/01/2022 11:44

DS1 loved uni, he went quite locally but was away during Covid. He made a lovely group of friends and has stayed in touch now he's home.
DD1 is in first year. She was really homesick at first, she's nearby and comes home for work every weekend. She's liked her flatmates though and is great friends with one of the lads, and has a lovely friend on her course too. I've been worrying that she only has a couple of friends, but that's my issue not hers! Although I think she was hoping for a group like her brother has, and that hasn't happened yet.
Course wise, she's been happy but has now decided on a complete change and has reapplied through UCAS for next year. She's carrying on next term though while she waits.

MarchingFrogs · 02/01/2022 12:15

@JemimaMuddledUp

My DS is in his first year and is loving it. Gets on well with his flatmates and is really enjoying his course. He is in a small cohort though which means that 2 of the 3 modules he studied this semester were taught entirely face to face. It might have been different if more was online.
DS2 is having the same sort of experience (UEA). Given his hermit-like existence when at home and his fondness for his bed, he made us laugh last night recounting the time he found himself the only one who had actually got up to attend a teaching session rather than take part remotely. Apparently the lecturer angled his laptop to show the rest of the group that DS2 was there in person.

He is in a large flat and seems to get on with everyone, even those who keep more to themselves. Enforced remote learning in sixth form really brought home to him the value of the social aspect of one's educational setting.

Saracen · 02/01/2022 23:57

My second-year loves it. Their life would be better if Covid didn't exist, but it's still much much better than life pre-university, or any other option they had considered. They enjoy their course, tutors, and the other students.

It has been really tough because of their disability but they are finding ways to navigate those challenges.

I think being a bit older than most students has helped. DC knows better who they are, what they want, and how to get it. Plus they are really sociable, which makes it a smoother ride.

Wafflesnsniffles · 03/01/2022 00:05

Mine loves everything about it - excepting his housemates who he thinks are a bore. Nothing about covid seems to have altered his experience in anyway at all.

pourmeanotherglass · 03/01/2022 23:03

DD has really enjoyed her first term at Warwick. She likes her flatmates, has joined a couple of clubs, enjoys the parties, and has enjoyed the work this term.
She has a couple of exams first week back, i hope those go ok.

MatildaJayne · 03/01/2022 23:16

It’s been a bit weird for DS3. First year was completely locked down after the first week so all online and not much chance to meet people. His flat was very much full of party animals, but he’s very quiet and doesn’t drink. They were nice enough, at least, but nobody he wanted to live with (or they him.)

He’s in a private hall this year which is small and he sticks to his room. He actually seems happy enough, though. Does Dungeons and Dragons once a week in RL and actually has RL lectures and tutorials this year, but it all seems a bit late for him. First year seems to be when you make friends and he hasn’t.

Very much in contrast with DS1 who graduated a couple of years ago. He had a fab time, made lots of friends, played hard and worked hard. But his personality is quite different.

I think I’m more disappointed in DS3’s experience than he is, tbh, so I keep quiet about it and let him get on with it.

SeasonFinale · 04/01/2022 20:02

DS is really enjoying uni and all it has to offer including his course, modules, societies and sports, new friends in halls and teams and on his course and a new girlfriend as well as a number of people he met travelling on his gap year at the same uni and continuing those friendships too.

He also has an idea of what he wants to do for a career (not specific to his degree) so knows his route going forward. I think someone mentioned above it can be tougher when they don't know this and although it is not set in stone I do think it has helped him to have goals in this regard too.

Oneforthemoneytwo · 04/01/2022 20:27

Mine is year 1 at a RG uni and loves every part of it. Everything in the uni town is better than at home, his new friends are better etc etc. he also absolutely loves his course. They have been totally face to face thoigh so that does help

Kite22 · 04/01/2022 20:49

My 2nd yr dc isn't that impressed with her course but is loving 'being at University' experience. Obviously better this year with being able to get out more, to work, to join teams etc.

Fortyfifty · 05/01/2022 07:50

DD1 is in first year and is enjoying it now she has formed some close friendships with both flatmates and people in her course.

She's doing a science subject and has a lot of contact hours which has helped her make friends outside her flat. She is finding the workload huge but the work itself manageable. She's somewhat out her comfort zone learning how to study university style, after being a gcse/A level student who devoured past papers and mark schemes and learnt how to jump through the right hoops.

She spent the 1st month hating the uni experience and wanting to come home. She was surprised by how immature some people are (perhaps the covid effect, and having missed development milestones in 6th form lockdowns) and finds some people behave like they are still in Year 11. She's got some great flatmates and some awful flatmates who at times make sharing intolerable. I would say that it is her course which saved her and kept her there long enough to get to a stage she found the like-minded people in her flat.

Over Christmas I've encountered 5 other young people at various stages of uni and they are all still enjoying it. But they've had their ups and downs.

Opal8 · 05/01/2022 08:01

@Bagelsandbrie

My dd is in her first year at Nottingham and is having the time of her life but I suspect that’s more to do with getting absolutely bladdered every night and going clubbing till 5am most nights rather than anything to do with the work….! Amazingly she’s still doing very well with her course but it’s definitely more about the whole partying / socialising experience for her.
Grin Ds1 is at Nottingham too (he loved the course there) but as we live pretty near he is staying at home for the 1st year... It's helped him settle in, he's joined societies and enjoys those and has made friends. Lots of 1st years we're trying to get out of their housing contracts apparently as they suddenly realised they were paying ££££ and obviously campus isn't the same now. He loves his course but its only 4 hours f2f a week. Much less than I'd imagined. So I'd say he's enjoying it, but it's not the University experience I'd have wanted for him.
RampantIvy · 05/01/2022 08:07

She's somewhat out her comfort zone learning how to study university style, after being a gcse/A level student who devoured past papers and mark schemes and learnt how to jump through the right hoops.

Yes, university doesn't give any guidance on how to write essays or how mark schemes work. At DD's university one of the students asked a lecturer this question and was told "you aren't at school any more, we don't tell you how to write essays or answer exam questions. You have to figure it out for yourself"

What is your DS studying that he only has 4 contact hours a week @Opal8?

Opal8 · 05/01/2022 08:11

F2f is 4 hours
He has online lectures
History and Politics

RampantIvy · 05/01/2022 08:17

DD is doing a STEM subject at Newcastle. Everything was F2F last term - many more than 4 hours a week. I suspect that they may move to online this term though.

MrsSkylerWhite · 05/01/2022 08:19

Yes, though it’s certainly not the same experience they would have had pre-Covid.

MarshmallowFondant · 05/01/2022 08:21

DS is in his first year of a Biomedical Science degree and is not having a university experience at all.

Since October, he has been in Uni just 3 times for lab sessions. Everything else is online. He is living at home rather than on campus. Hasn't been able to make friends, get to know people on his course. Clubs and Uni societies are mostly running over Zoom.

It's shit and I am very glad we are in Scotland and not paying $$$ for this shit.

Wintersun · 05/01/2022 08:27

My friends Dd has started a science degree at her local uni. It’s a good uni and she opted for that as she was worried about lockdowns and being stuck somewhere miles away. She’s really enjoying it and has met others who decided to do the same thing.

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