Any interest in a non-Oxbridge/ non-RG parents chat?

[SockFluffInTheBath]

There are lots of threads about applying to Oxbridge and other ‘top’ unis, anyone interested in a thread for those of us with DC looking elsewhere? Not trying to be divisive, but there’s no ‘drop in centre’ thread for other unis, and I thought it might be good to have a space to chat sometimes.

[Title edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

I would take "party reputation" universities with a very large pinch of salt. Partying is optional.

DD went to a university with a party reputation and enjoyed the kind of social life that suits her - not partying all the time.

So please don't let it put you off.

Thanks all , great to get some info from lots of perspectives! Definitely will gonad have a look the post degree support sounds.good too @mumonthehill , I won't mention how close the rooms are to the lab @thing47 ! Thanks all for the info, mumsnet at its best

Should add apparently Lancaster offer has just come in but as she working not looked at the grades!

Fingers crossed the grades are achievable. Lancaster is top ten so far far better for the cv (not that that is everything but it’s clearly extremely important when you are investing so much money)

Agree @user746016, Lancaster is very prestigious. Well done to your daughter @jamimmi!

Thanks both, yes it's her kind of aspirational offer and her closest to home choice so fingers crossed she can make the grades. It would be a good fit for her, we didn't even consider it for DS , but I will say all his LJMU friends in construction management have found graduate jobs this year. So with the right course non prestigious is fab too

Has anyone got any advice re halls in NTU Clifton campus. It's currently a strong contender. Thanks

@Manyoaks DS was in Peverell. The flats had 6 rooms in. The bedroom was ensuite but quite small. The kitchen area was also not huge. There was a central common room and laundry room shared by a few blocks of flats. They were built around a small green space which was nice. They also had parking spaces so ds had his car. Very close to the university. It also felt quite secure.

Thank you for your reply@mumonthehill I think car parking will be the deciding factor when choosing between the two halls. I have heard the places go quickly when making your preference for accommodation so I want to be prepared. Thanks for sharing

Happy new year everyone!

Is DD the last on here to apply? Promised to back off and leave her to it- am assuming the school will be boot camping the stragglers when they go back next week, but will keep an eye just in case.

Ds submitted his on the last day of term - but that was only because it was his deadline as he’s now abroad. Had he been in the UK he would be submitting it on 31st Jan 🤣 He’s had an offer from Essex though, which I’m relieved about. Good luck @SockFluffInTheBath , I’m sure school will be on to her!

Dd only put hers in the week before Christmas all 3 offers back but still encouraging her to add another 2

Is DD the last on here to apply?

No. As I said upthread, DD's personal tutor 'lost' hers and so it probably won't go in until Monday at the earliest!

@Sweetpeasaremadeforbees sorry I’ve not read through for a little while and came on after a non-conversation with DD. I hope all will be well.

@Sweetpeasaremadeforbees Nope. DS put his in yesterday but it goes via his school who add his predicted grades - so presumably that won't happen till the beginning of term!

sorry I’ve not read through for a little while and came on after a non-conversation with DD. I hope all will be well.

Thank you. Don't worry, I think we all wanted to switch off for Christmas!

I've stepped back a bit, DD knows that the deadline is the end of Jan and she's quite pissed off with her tutor as well and is going to pester her until it's done.

The form is getting the final tweak. Swansea, Cardiff, Liverpool, York and Birmingham.

I may have to get off my own thread 😂

I have just looked at this thread. My eldest DC did an MEng at Swansea and has been working for 2 years in a graduate job directly related to his degree. Great university and much better student support than my other 2 have had at RGs. Engineering is on Bay Campus and he spent his first year in halls there. There are frequent buses that link the two sites via the city centre (they run late enough to cover the hours of the night clubs which are mainly around Wind Street.) Most Bay based students end up sharing student houses in St Thomas for year 2 onwards, which is a short bus or bike ride to Bay Campus (safe, segregated) and walking distance to supermarkets and the city centre (and the beach). Singleton based students tend to live in Uplands, and walk to Uni. Rent is affordable in Swansea.

Great to hear @mushroom3 .DD1 is about to firm swansea - not sure what she does about insurance as they're all the same when it comes to grades!

@minisnowballs That is a tough one. My youngest DS had this, he picked the one he liked second best as his insurance. I know of some friends of my DC in this situation have chosen one which has the option of a foundation year for if they underperform when it comes to the exams or opted for one which went into clearing for the subject the previous year.

That’s good to hear @mushroom3 Swansea is definitely one of her more realistic options.

Great feedback @mushroom3 . Ds just has Essex and Swansea at the moment (waiting on two others but they’re aspirational) and I think I’m favouring Swansea!

DD's form finally went in on Friday. She's had offers from Aber and Bangor so far so we're all relieved. The Aber one was a filler because it isn't really the course she wants but she is thrilled with Bangor because she wants it as her insurance if she gets an offer from Lancaster. Quite a high offer though, 128 points😬

So DS has just found out that he did pretty shit in his mocks (CCD). Annoyingly he got BBC for the previous lot, and was hoping to do a grade better on each this time - but he didn't. Apparently his predicted grades (added 'blind' by the school) will have been based on latest results (he doesn't know what they are) and he had already made his choices and submitted his UCAS to the school, assuming better mock results. So he now thinks (possibly rightly) that he's fucked his UCAS choices by aiming too high.

He only got his form in just before Christmas (ahead of mock results) and had put a few really punchy options:
2 x highish ranking RG (Manchester and Notts)
1 x lower ranking RG (Liverpool)
plus Notts Trent and MMU.

He has one rejection from Manchester - not really surprised
I suspect he will not get offers from Notts or Liverpool now
And we're actually worried about Trent and MMU

Does anyone have any ballpark for how long these usually take?

Thanks

I would not panic! But it is a wake up call and time to pull up the grades if he can get the teachers to help understand where he went wrong. Notts was last uni to offer here and I know the offer is higher than I suspect DS predicted grades were. Ds is resitting chemistry as he got an awful grade last year at AS, however since he has had a tutor and his grade has improved significantly. Hold fast!