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Higher education

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

Original poster

Who else has Teens starting to trawl the Uni's for 2009 entry?

90 replies

Milliways · 11/07/2008 21:45

Can't believe the pile of leaflets etc coming home from school.

Scary looking at accomodation costs (unloess you pick Teeside at £30pw!)

DD was rather struck by Oxford this week....

She is really interested in Exeter though - anyone been there?

One more year and they will have left home

OP posts:
SubRosa · 12/07/2008 13:49

It depends what subject she wants to study. This might help:

www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/single.htm?ipg=6605

Also:

www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forums

If I think of any more useful sites, I'll post them on here

Ellbell · 12/07/2008 14:09

Wondered if this was you, Milliways!

You know where I am if you/she want to ask anything - doesn't have to be about my uni or subject (though obviously those are what I know most about).

Exeter is a nice campus university, very green (though not all the buildings are nice). Have stayed in University accommodation there while attending a conference and it was OK IIRC (better than the last place I stayed, which was Oxford and was dire!). The town is too quiet for some people (one of my current colleagues worked there for a year and hated it), but students tend to hang out with one another anyway, so I'm sure there is stuff to do if you're there as a student. It has a reputation for being a bit 'Oxbridge-reject-y', but I have no idea if that's true or not.

Ellbell · 12/07/2008 14:11

Exeter is also quite easy to get to from where you are.

RustyBear · 12/07/2008 14:15

DD is hoping to go to Exeter to read Psychology if she gets her grades - DH & I met there - we were wondering if we could ask for a family discount

She's applied for catered accommodation for her first 2 choices which iirc is about £110 pw . Her 3rd choice is Lafrowda which is about £75 I think.
I know he goes on a site where she talks to some others who are hoping to go, but I'm not sure what it is & she's in Teneriffe atm - I'll ask when she gets back. Has your DD seen this?

AbbeyA · 12/07/2008 14:25

Thanks for the links SubRosa, the first one looks especially useful.Has anyone done much in the way of Open Days? We took DS to one a fortnight ago but most of them seem to be next term, I just think he should have more idea before then.

Christie · 12/07/2008 14:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Lilymaid · 12/07/2008 15:27

Milliways and Christie
I also went to Exeter and it is a wonderful place to study. It is also climbing up the league tables again after a few years when it wasn't doing quite as well and it is one of the most highly sought after universities for applications. I've just seen DS1 graduate from Nottingham, which also has a lovely campus. (I'm now feeling really empty-nested as I realise he will probably never be at home again apart from odd weekends)l. DS1 was very happy at Nottingham though the area where most of the students live in their 2nd and 3rd years is more than a little grungy! As the VC mentioned at the graduation ceremony, Nottingham is listed in the top 70 universities in the world (hmmm probably that means it is No. 69).
DS2 would be 2009 entry for university but will probably take a gap year, so we aren't looking too hard for him at present.
Happy to answer any queries, having gone through it all before for DS1!

bagsforlife · 14/07/2008 11:11

My 2 older DCs are both at Nottingham!! It is a lovely campus, but would agree with Lilymaid the student accommodation in the town is a bit grotty, but Nottingham is big, vibrant city which DD loves, on the other hand DS rarely ventures into the town! I want DC3 to go to Exeter...too young to decide yet but drive there from here is less stressful (ludicrous reason...).

Original poster
Milliways · 14/07/2008 19:35

Thanks everyone. Sorry for not replying - we had

OP posts:
RustyBear · 14/07/2008 20:12

Do I remember you saying she was interested in Warwick, milliways? DS is doing History & Politics there - just finished his second year.

Original poster
Milliways · 14/07/2008 20:41

Yes she is - Warwick is definately on her list.

How do you find the travelling there? and is it expensive accommodation wise?

OP posts:
Lilymaid · 14/07/2008 21:08

I think it is very important that prospective students have a chance to visit a few universities - and if you can't manage the official open day it is usually possible to visit on other days. DS1 took instant dislike to several highly ranked universities and was determined to go to the one he ended up at. The thing I find strange is all the parents going around with their DCs at open days - if they had existed in my day there would have been no way that I would have been seen dead with my parents!

Original poster
Milliways · 14/07/2008 21:17

I agree Lilymaid - but she may need us for Transport!

The school arranged the Oxford trip, and will try & do others. Also, they had a day at the local Uni where loads of Uni's had a "stall" so they could chat & get literature.

It's such a huge decision!

OP posts:
SubRosa · 14/07/2008 21:32

Milliways, what particular language is she interested in? I'm studying foreign languages as part of my degree at Warwick, so if you want any info. just let me know

Original poster
Milliways · 14/07/2008 21:34

She is doing french & German A level, but French is her preferred, or she is considering a new "hard" language such as Arabic!

Preferably a course with a year abroad

OP posts:
AbbeyA · 14/07/2008 21:47

I thought that it was odd to go with DC Lilymaid, but it seems to be the thing nowadays. We went with DS because it fitted into with seeing elderly relatives. He said he didn't mind if we came so we decided to see what others were doing and disappear if we were going to be embarrassing. Nearly everyone had parents with them so we stayed to have a look.

RustyBear · 14/07/2008 21:54

Do you mean travel to & from Warwick or from accomodation to classes? All first years are in Hall and none of them are more than about 10 minutes from campus. After that you have to move out - most of them go to Leamington Spa or Coventry & catch the bus which takes about 20 minutes from Coventry & about 25-30 from Leamington.

Hall rooms vary from about £80 to £115 pw, self catering, but DS says they are all good standard. DS recommends Rootes Hall and reckons an ensuite room's not worth the £20 minimum extra you have to pay. You can have a hall room for 30 weeks (termtime only) or 39 which includes Christamas & Easter holidays.

He's now in Leamington - last year he was paying £55pw because he had the smallest room in a house of 5, next year he'll be paying £65 in a house of 7. Average is between £60 & £75 pw - that's for a 10 or 11 month rent, August/September to end of June.

As for travelling between Warwick & home, now he's in Leamington he can get a train to Reading which takes about an hour; when he was on campus we usually took him & picked hiom up at beginning & end of term, but he came back for the occasional weekend & then he'd get the train to Leamington & the bus from there.

RustyBear · 14/07/2008 21:58

I didn't go to any of the open days with either of my two - DS mostly went by train with various friends - sometimes I didn't even know he'd gone till afterwards - and DD got her boyfriend who is 2 years older & has a car to take her to most of them.

Ellbell · 14/07/2008 22:05

Milliways, I second what Lilymaid said about looking around as many places as possible, even if not as part of an organised open day. We have an open day in early September if you're interested; or any time she wants to look around up here she can just get in touch with me and I'll find her a student she can 'shadow' for a day.

Warwick is nice. The main disadvantage is it being a campus in the middle of nowhere (not in a town, though both Leamington and Coventry are within easy reach). But conversely that means that everything students could want/need (including films, plays, shops, etc.) is available on campus.

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 14/07/2008 22:18

Milliways - we're in the middle of this too. He's just booked to go to Open Days at Lancaster and Cardiff (that one will be a bit of a trek)He wants to look at Warwick too and Sheffield I think.

Parents seem to go more to Open Days now I think because they have to fork out more. I want to see where my money will be going

Lilymaid · 14/07/2008 22:19

Centralised details of Open Days. It is important that they have a think about the whole environment they will be living in rather than just the campus. My DS wanted to live in a city but liked the idea of a proper campus university. Others might be happy with a campus where there was no major city on their doorstep (e.g. Warwick). Some might like the collegiate atmosphere of Durham whilst others might find a small town like Durham rather claustrophobic. Also worth inputting your views as a parent whether you want to drive up and down to/from Newcastle from the South East six times a year with their junk or similar. After all that, the course has to be considered, though that is rarely what it seems to be on paper in the prospectus!

SubRosa · 14/07/2008 22:43

I don't know about French, but the German Dept. at Warwick is VERY good. If she's interested in other languages, she may like to look at:

www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/languagecentre/

RustyBear · 14/08/2008 09:12

DD has got in to Exeter , so she'll be able to tell you more about it after the end of September!

Original poster
Milliways · 14/08/2008 16:35

I am stalking you today

OP posts:
Marchbirthday · 19/08/2008 12:40

We were about to do this, but AS results very upsetting for all. Well done to yours.