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Higher education

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

Original poster

Another path- the first year ......

998 replies

chopc · 13/01/2022 20:42

Apologies if I didn't tag anyone. Hopefully have inckueded all current posters

Chopc - Durham-History
@jano69 -Durham -History
@OnTheBenchOfDoom -Durham - Computer science
@Majaso12 -Imperial - Biochemistry
@bendmeoverbackwards -Bristol- History
@Pumpkintopf -Imperial -Physics
@ChimneyPot -Brown (US) - Open
@Stillcrikey -Bristol -MML
@Tenpastseven - Bristol -modern languages
@Longtimenewsee - Durham - Chemistry
@MidLifeCrisis007 - Durham -History
@BigWoollyJumpers - Exeter- History
@SeasonFinale -Bristol- History
@Notagardener LSE
@Revengeofthepangolins UCL - History
@raspberryrippleicecream ? -Maths
@derekthe1adyhamster Birmingham- Computer Science
@Vargas -Durham -Geography
@AvocadoPlant Exeter -History

OP posts:
Original poster
chopc · 03/04/2022 11:07

@Revengeofthepangolins this is the thing - you assume everything is going all smoothly and leave our young adults to it but then you find out what's really been going on .....

DS didn't get all the modules he wanted and the ones he got allocated were very similar to each other ...... why would the academics think this would be oK? If he had told us about it we would have helped him to do something about it. Now it's too late and he won't be able to do one of the modules he really wants in the second year as he couldn't do it the first year. It happens but I don't think it's right that 4 or 5 modules are on the same topic .......

OP posts:
Original poster
chopc · 03/04/2022 11:07

@Dobbyismyabsolutefav oh dear ...... pleased she can enjoy her holiday

OP posts:
Dobbyismyabsolutefav · 03/04/2022 11:18

Thanks @chopc

Longtimenewsee · 03/04/2022 12:10

Dd had lots of hiccups in first term due to modules where she thought she was on them and then she was told late in the day that she hadn’t got on them. 2 alternatives turned out to be ok tbh but there was one which was a required one for the integrated masters and she was told it was full . Anyway.. luckily she *did mention it to me and I told her to email and complain stating it was required and after a back and forth, she did manage to get them to change it (although she missed the first week) . The email back was really snippy though and made her feel guilty about adding to an already full class!Hmm
Dd had a difficult first term tbh..the new labs weren’t finished so the course work was very very dry.. so much so, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to return after Xmas. Luckily the labs opened in Jan so she finally got to do her subject.
One of the things that has helped has been her dept mentoring . Older students saying “ yeah that module is tough”.. or “ yeah you’re over the worst bit now, the next bit is really fun” really helped. @chopc - do your ds’s dept have this?
She hasn’t had good dealings with the uni as a whole.. admin and communication are v poor. Her college is great at getting things sorted (if it’s in their power to do so )though.

Her 2nd term has been good. 😊

As she is stem, with a pretty full, directed timetable she hasn’t had a lot of disruption from strikes . I’m sorry to hear what a shit deal some have had through this. Weeks without anything is terrible! Shock It would make the most organised and dedicated student wonder what they they were supposed to be doing and wonder why they were there in the first place. That sort of thing affects the spirit. I really hope they start getting a better deal soon.

Longtimenewsee · 03/04/2022 12:13

@Dobbyismyabsolutefav. Hope she has a great trip!

Revengeofthepangolins · 03/04/2022 12:19

@Dobbyismyabsolutefav

That’s the other surprise - no teaching in summer term, just 3 exams. First two are in the first 4 days of term. He is yet to find out when the third is but it is theoretically possible that he could be finished by the end of April. Truly bizarre. It is just a two term set up, but normal school terms, not long semesters.

Ha if. Said which he seems supremely unbothered but then it is all they know I guess.

Dobbyismyabsolutefav · 03/04/2022 12:50

@Longtimenewsee Once she has eaten and is up the mountain she will be grinning from ear to ear. Although I've told her to take things easy today due to lack of sleep.

@revengeofthepangolins I was surprised at no teaching next term. My DD has three exams mid-May and then she will done. Apparently all her friends are staying on at uni to party and hang out at the beach. My DD has had a great second term. Hopefully she passes all her modules and if she gets at overall score of 2:1 I will be very happy.

Original poster
chopc · 03/04/2022 14:26

@Longtimenewsee I wish my DS did what your DD did and communicate but hey Ho

He hasn't mentioned a dept mentor - will ask him

Don't get me wrong he is having an amazing time in Durham but not in the history course 🙈

OP posts:
Notagardener · 03/04/2022 16:16

Chopc, neither of my 2 tell me much. No idea about how many essays they have done, marked or not.
I now just wished they would tell me if/when they are home for Easter. ..

Original poster
chopc · 03/04/2022 16:41

@Notagardener 😆🙈

OP posts:
Pumpkintopf · 05/04/2022 18:30

Any dcs thinking of asking for compensation for the missed hours due to the strikes? I didn't assume so but then thought actually, the unis are IN POCKET from this as they have not paid their striking staff members- whilst still pocketing full fees.

This article is interesting- www.savethestudent.org/news/university-lecturer-strikes-claim-compensation.html

Majaso12 · 06/04/2022 16:25

@Pumpkintopf. Has your ds been affected quite a bit from the strikes? I don’t think dd has. All her lectures were online anyway. Think she had a couple of labs cancelled but one was because of the storm.

SeasonFinale · 06/04/2022 21:40

@Dobbyismyabsolutefav Bristol? Yes DS got caught in the ferry fiasco and his bus missed the last ferrry and had to get an early one the next morning but got out on the slopes Sunday

Dobbyismyabsolutefav · 06/04/2022 22:01

@SeasonFinale no Exeter. Sorry to hear your DS got caught up in the ferry fiasco too. DD was meant to leave Friday which was then delayed until early hours of Saturday morning. DD arrived Sunday so 28 hours on a coach! Apparently a Sheffield uni coach was stuck in traffic in front of them as the NUCO reps were chatting.

DD was happy once she was on the slopes and she has made a few new friends.

SeasonFinale · 07/04/2022 09:13

Yes sounds about the same. He was on a coach for 25 hours. Fortunately he had sent me a picture of all the food he had made up as a packed meal because he didn't want to pay service station charges!!

Dobbyismyabsolutefav · 07/04/2022 22:15

@seasonFinale I hope your DS had a better journey home this weekend.

My DD was meant to come home Friday but this has now been delayed until Sunday morning. I'm not looking forward to battling my way through Dover to collect her.

Dobbyismyabsolutefav · 07/04/2022 22:17

@seasonfinale and that he packs a decent picnic for the way home!

Pumpkintopf · 07/04/2022 22:18

Hi @Majaso12 - not too bad I think, not sure on exact numbers.

How's your DD?

Majaso12 · 07/04/2022 22:48

@Pumpkintopf. She’s fine, but at times quite stressed about her exams after Easter. They’re closed book ones this time. They’ve been told they need to know everything and in a lot of detail, but then one lecturer said to choose the topics they like and just concentrate on those because they choose which questions they want to do. She said you can’t do that though, because there’s multiple choice questions and shorter answer questions which could be on anything. There is a problem with one topic in biology where they have lectures from a lecturer who left years ago so they can’t ask questions and he hasn’t explained the topic at all well. It seems there are some good lecturers and a couple not very good.

Her bf is coming to ours tomorrow and staying for 4 days so doubt she’ll be revising again while he’s here!

How’s your ds?

Pumpkintopf · 07/04/2022 23:10

Working hard majoso and like your DD quite stressed about the exams. It's lovely having him home but we only really see him for meals and one tv programme per night then he's back up to his room to carry on working.

I think he's really looking forward to the summer and a proper break!

Majaso12 · 07/04/2022 23:25

Dd is the same, just comes down for meals and then back to her room, except she doesn’t even watch tv with us. During the evening she’s talking to her bf.

After exams, she then has labs and 4 projects to do. She is starting to look at accommodation now. There’s 4 of them, but one has applied to another uni and if he gets in, then he’ll be leaving.

Notagardener · 07/04/2022 23:46

Majaso, my London DD started looking for something to share with one other friend but apparently it's too early to look....
She's coming home over the weekend so hopefully will find out about exams. Seems crazy they just have exams and that's it for the year

Majaso12 · 08/04/2022 09:01

One accommodation they enquired about, they were told they had to view it this week, because others were interested (whether that was true), so her bf got a train as he’s quite a bit closer, and viewed it. Hope they don’t get pressured into making a decision.

SeasonFinale · 08/04/2022 19:17

[quote Dobbyismyabsolutefav]@seasonFinale I hope your DS had a better journey home this weekend.

My DD was meant to come home Friday but this has now been delayed until Sunday morning. I'm not looking forward to battling my way through Dover to collect her.[/quote]
Who knows what ferry he may have got on. His travel company had said nothing other than they were collecting his bus (number 80!) at 2pm. He has a paid for course relating to his employment starting Monday so he and his BF managed to book flights for tomorrow from Geneva to Bristol so he should be home tomorrow evening. They got the bus from France into Geneva this afternoon and are now enjoying an evening there and a cheap deal IBIS. Let's hope there are no flight issues.

His gap year travels have come in handy in that he finds a different plan.

SeasonFinale · 08/04/2022 19:23

that should say gf not bf