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Higher education

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

Original poster

When do you start to look at Unis?

48 replies

LumpOfCoalAndASatsuma · 12/11/2022 13:41

DS is in lower 6th. He is just 17. So, his Uni entry will be Sept 2024.

When do we need to start looking at Unis and Open Days? I've heard a few rumblings from other parents and it has got me wondering if I am not on the ball.

OP posts:
AlfiesGirl · 12/11/2022 13:49

Open days tend to take place July thru November - so you've missed most of them for this year.

Plenty of time next year, but do the admin before next summer, look up courses and the dates of their open days - so when the open days start up again in July, you can hit the ground running. It's too much to visit more than 2 or 3 if you leave it until next autumn when the school will be hounding him for completed UCAS forms. Especially if he works at weekends.

You can get quite a lot from visiting Uni towns even not on an open day. Have a nose around the campus, and think "is this the kind of place I could spend three years?". Worth doing a couple of this kind of recce in the coming months, especially if you happen to be in the area.

TotteringByGenteeley · 12/11/2022 13:49

It will make life easier if you start to look now. It will be a rush if you leave all the open days until next year and may mean you miss some out if there are clashes.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 12/11/2022 13:51

We've just done the rounds now for admission next year.

Original poster
LumpOfCoalAndASatsuma · 12/11/2022 14:29

Good advice thx.

OP posts:
Energeticenoch · 12/11/2022 15:16

Also year 12. Will do them in the summer and September

CornishTiger · 12/11/2022 15:19

There are still some open days left. Nothing wrong with looking now if you can. You can revisit next year too as second look is always best after some reflection.

KittyMcKitty · 12/11/2022 16:06

I would go to the ones this summer - we didn’t - only went to York but wish we had been to Lancaster and Durham then rather then pushing it into year 13z

PritiPatelsMaker · 12/11/2022 17:38

You can start looking at courses and admission criteria now and then start registering for Open Days.

Like a PP said, there are some still going now. Both Leicester and Birmingham have had them today.

Which courses are they interested in?

mondaytosunday · 12/11/2022 18:13

Definitely start now, especially if you are looking across the country and into Scotland and might involve an overnight stay, you'll want to spread them out. And I think looking next Autumn is leaving it late - he may well have submitted his UCAS by this time next year, though I know some kids don't go til they've had an offer, but going in person ahead of applying seems more sensible.

OldWivesTale · 12/11/2022 18:19

We're the same as you OP and we've got a few booked for this month. I just think it'll help to spread them out a bit.

Dorestatua · 12/11/2022 18:21

Have a think about visiting a university town on a weekend and check their holidays if you can't do any open days yet. There is a very different feel from when it is bustling with students to when they are home for the holidays. Ds gets 4 weeks home for Christmas, 5 weeks at Easter and finishes end of June for Summer, term restarts either end of September or beginning of October. It definitely felt different and a bit empty before term starts.

Ds had a spreadsheet of course details, entry grades, whether the university was campus based, a city or a small town. Also how far each one was by car and by train just so he could keep track of it all. I will be honest, it can be a lot for them to look into so it might help if you did it with him. Accommodation costs vary wildly and that may be a factor. Have you also looked into what your expected parental contribution is to their finance? What maintenance loan they can apply for?

There are lots of day in the life videos on YouTube so you can see students walking to lectures, see their accommodation etc and other videos, some by the university themselves, others by students about what the university offers. Then you can narrow down which ones to visit and make a plan of action.

EspeciallyD · 12/11/2022 18:22

We started in late spring term of y12 (but it was very limited because of Covid), went to quite a few over the spring/summer then revisited the most likely ones in autumn before making final decisions. DS had decided to restrict himself to 2 hours drive from home which helped. For DD (now y12) we are just starting to plan. But it is hard, they’ve barely started A levels and many have not decided what they want to study or even if they want to go at all.

boboshmobo · 12/11/2022 18:34

Now !

ramonaquimby · 12/11/2022 18:42

Dd3 actually started today, she’s in year 11. More about what uni offers the course she wants and A level subjects/grades she’ll need

mamaduckbone · 12/11/2022 20:41

Oh ye gods - this has been a wake up call! Ds is in y12 and hasn't given it the slightest thought yet! He plays rugby and works every weekend so I can't see any open days happening until next summer😬

BuwchGochGota · 12/11/2022 20:50

DD (Y12) went to her first open day today, mostly to get a feel of the two subjects that she's trying to decide between.

We plan to do more open days in the summer. If you miss those there will be more in the autumn, and then offer holder days in Spring 2024 to help decide which offer to firm.

Her older brothers didn't start this early, but she is more proactive than they were plus Covid got in the way for them.

PritiPatelsMaker · 12/11/2022 20:51

We had a spreadsheet too @EspeciallyD but it was a very competitive course that they had chosen Wink

EspeciallyD · 12/11/2022 20:55

It wasn't me that mentioned the spreadsheet but we did have one for DS, on a shared folder so we could both access and update it.

PritiPatelsMaker · 12/11/2022 20:59

Sorry especially. I haven't drunk alcohol for ages, I've literally had two mouthfuls and it's affected me more than it probably should have! Grin

EspeciallyD · 12/11/2022 21:05

Grin I've been off it for a few weeks (low carbing) and it has crossed my mind to wonder what will happen when I try it again.

PritiPatelsMaker · 12/11/2022 21:09

Well it's certainly cheap, I'll not cope with a second glass Grin

PettsWoodParadise · 13/11/2022 07:29

DD is now in Y13. We were very glad DD did most visits in Y12 (but mostly in summer as few universities seemed to have opened back up this time last last year.). Two offers in so far and one has already sent an invite to an offer holders day. She is far busier in Y13 with studies, job and learning to drive and she is doubtful if she can make all of the offer holder days but there was one university she didn’t get to see that she did apply for and if she gets an offer will try and make that one..

From when she was 14 and during lulls in Covid years we took city breaks to places she might want to study to get a feel for the location. I know it wasn’t the full on student experience but it was also an opportunity for some mother-daughter bonding. I am a bit of a planner though and DH says if I could turn up three months early to the airport before going on holiday then I would 😂.

EspeciallyD · 13/11/2022 08:02

Yes, you can go and wander round many of them and their environs without it being an actual open day. We did that at first for DS two years ago because of Covid, then a few that were limited tours etc because of Covid but we found by autumn last year all the ones on his shortlist were back on full open days.

EspeciallyD · 13/11/2022 08:03

It does take a lot of Saturdays though, tricky if they have a job or sporting commitments or both

Original poster
LumpOfCoalAndASatsuma · 13/11/2022 09:42

Only problem is, DS doesn't really know what course he wants to do?

OP posts:
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