DD doesn't have a uni Term 3

[Globules]

Just that really.

She chose modules this year, her first year, that all completed in terms 1 & 2.

She has no lectures and no assignments, nothing, until October 2025.

£9250 academic fees, plus 39 week let fees.

Surely this can't be considered ok?!

Library and admin staff are paid a pittance. It doesn’t add up, none of it, across the country. Why not make it all online and save us the accommodation?

If you want an online course then choose one that's offered online.
However, your typical UG student doesn't want DL and there are a significant number of courses where online isn't practical.

The 9.5k x 100 for uk first years, plus the cost of another 30 odd overseas? It costs more than that to run an established course? Over a million? For one year? 5 hours a week contact time? Library already in place, even a % replaced? Dd rarely gets hold of the books as they’re already out (1 copy) Really? The sums don’t work. Someone is raking it in.

Universities are not 'raking it in'. Your daughter's course might be one of a few that is covering costs but you are hugely underestimating the costs associated with running a university.
A course with 130 students requires a lot of resources being an established course doesn't change that.
I also find it hard to believe that there is only one copy of a key text for a course that big. If that's the case then I hope she raised it with the library.

I'm currently at uni and finished up all modules in two terms. I'm only going back for a short stint for a critical essay so sounds normal

Kent is rejiging it's programms to have 3 full teaching terms

Top London uni, graduated in 2014. 10 week term before Xmas, 10 week term after, exams in May/June.

I thought it was such a joke to live in London for a degree that was essentially 20 weeks a year that I gave up my halls room and commuted from my parents place 2 hours away to save cash!

Apart from Oxbridge, which universities still operate on three terms? I know the uni I went to switched whilst I was there - in my third year I did three terms and the freshers did two semesters. The timing of the semesters then were closer to the three term dates but have since shifted earlier.

My DC semester runs until end May but his exams are over next week and then he will be done until September. My DN at another university is the same.

Now it is starting to make sense why I’ve been seeing some internships that start in late May and June. DC is at Cambridge and doesn’t finish til the end of June so I thought it was really odd. Exams don’t start til early June.

My understanding is that LSE and some others moved over to two 12 week teaching terms and one shorter exam term. It means that they start earlier in the autumn and time is used more efficiently. Christmas vacation to revise for any exams at the start of the January term and Easter to revise for the summer exams. UG exams normally happen before Masters so that term can be quite short.

It saves money for students who don't have to pay for as much accommodation and suits academics who have, apart from marking, more concentrated time for research.

I’m surprised pp are bothered about the rent. If you rent a house for yourself you can’t just leave early and stop paying, or say you were on holiday or staying with your parents so you didn’t need it.
some dc will stay there and your dc can choose to do the same. Or take a non student let for the months required only.

They have no use gor the libraries if their work for the year is done and dusted.
god forbid they learn something about the subject they love outside of the bare minimum expected of them.

Birmingham.

My youngest would have liked the chance to take extra credit over the summer and graduate quicker. She is envious of school friend who emigrated to Aus and did 2 year compressed degree (before further trsining). However finishing up by end of April was useful in her penultimate year as she managed to fit in two 6-week internships (in other years she just upped her hours at her term time job).

Newcastle.

Exeter and Essex are 3 terms.

But still two semesters for undergraduates.

All universities have three semesters. It will just depend on your course as to whether the third semester is used for teaching or not.

The university itself doesn't close either so those students on courses that finish at easter can still access the library, careers support, engage with the the SU etc.

Dd is at the same RG uni I went to in the late 80s. Back then, the last lectures happened in the final week of May. Dd has no lectures at all this term - a final assignment deadline of May 10 and after that it's all fun and games.

She's happy as it means she can start working shifts on her vacation job from early June and make more money.

The third semester runs over the summer so mostly only involves postgrads.

It does seem rather a short academic year but I'd say a good opportunity now to get a job and earn some money for next year's costs.

The third semester runs over the summer so mostly only involves postgrads.

Yeah I know, I teach them. But we also have a number of accelerated UG degrees and they are taught over the summer too.

DD didn't know what topics would be covered in her chosen modules in the following academic year. Also, all her reference material was online - mainly pubmed articles.

However, she did use the library when cramming for finals.

I agree, for core £31.5k teaching costs, plus all accommodation etc and living costs I’m not sure current uni is worth it.

Where have things gone so wrong?

Why when it costs an arm and a leg to go to uni now is there less teaching time and all the unis are bust?

I also graduated mid 90s and had 3 terms. It was more like school terms except you finished in June and went back mid September.

What is the point you wonder, especially seeing so many posts on here about how hard it is to get any sort of job, let alone a graduate job.

I did a science subject. We had four-hour labs/fieldwok three days a week, two to three hours of lectures every morning, a tutorial once a fortnight I think, plus we had several weeks of field trips over both summers. I find it extra-ordinary that some people get as little as five hours per week contact with reading weeks with no contact at all. A degree of self-direction is necessary (and we still had this) but there comes a point where you might as well just let people do all that at home their own at no cost and simply pay to sit your exam to obtain your certificate.

Why when it costs an arm and a leg to go to uni now is there less teaching time and all the unis are bust?

Because universities get less money than ever and we're expected to a lot more with it.

In terms of library - I notice my closest university library allows access by members of the public for reference for free. You can also pay £40 for an annual membership and take books out.

That isn't possible at UK universities because the same people who teach students are the ones who do research.
If you don't want research-based universities, there are lots in other countries.