Thread 54 - Summer 25 - Graduations after Uni Year 3

[Oblomov25]

This is a support thread for our young adults post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting, and their results ( or life updates for those who went into work or have had results earlier). It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, uni vs employment please don't within this thread.
Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue. We were previously on the secondary board and then further education, now we shall be here in 'Parents of Adult Children' gulp
Our DS/DD may continue down various pathways ( employment, apprenticeships, higher ed). Experience is that everyone is welcomed wherever, whatever their child is doing we have some in work, gap years , apprenticeships etc too. Lots of contributors with different experiences and always sympathy and advice to be had.
Previous thread 53:
Thread53

By contrast to @Oblomov25 and @shimy Ds, dd did a dissertation/research project in year 3 and will be doing another one this year!

Theoretically both your boys are correct on SpringBreak timings@crazycrofter and @Shimy 😂

My understanding was you applied in Y1 if on a 3 year UG, Y2 if on a 4 year course (eg with YA or Placement Year). DD fell into the latter category and was in awe of those disciplined enough to have applied having just started at university.

As fortunate as students are to be in the ‘early bird’ pipeline for some of these grad schemes, openings are for all stages, including final year or those already graduated so all is not lost if Spring slots are not secured. If the YP can ensure their psychometric skills are strong, then even with less jobs flushing about, they are equipped to apply at the appropriate entry points. And to look at the necessaries for the CV to get through the pre screening/early stage hoops 🤞

@Shimy I didn't do a dissertation back in the day and I have an honours degree. DS isn't doing one either. DD is. In fact, if she could do three she'd be happy as she has so many ideas she wants to delve into.

Ah, that makes sense @ealingwestmum - thanks! Ds is really keen and motivated, but also, as I may have mentioned 😂, a bit organisationally challenged so I think he's a bit stressed about it all. But he could actually apply for spring breaks next year if he misses out this year?

Where can you practise psychometric tests?

@crazycrofter Practice tests can be found just with a search eg https://www.psychometrictest.org.uk/ or university careers will usually offer access to some.

@Shimy there was a while thread a few weeks ago on what is the difference between honours and non-honours degrees, there was a LOT of disagreement as is often the case on HE threads but I think the consensus was that it's not necessarily about dissertations although a lot thought it was I lost the will to live halfway through reading it

Thanks @EwwSprouts , ds loves a plan/feeling like he's doing something productive, so I'll suggest he practises them.

ED 'lost the will to live' 🤣
so do we now know what the difference is?

I think it was only doing 300 credits instead of 360. Dissertations are normally 60 so not doing one could be a cause. But so could failing modules or not completing them. Not 100% sure on this though.

Honours degrees were definitely only given to those who had done a dissertation when I graduated 35 years ago.
Now it depends on the number of credits passed. Over 360 you get an honours degree. 300-360 you get an ordinary degree.

If it's a 3 year course @crazycrofter then for the Easter type spring tasters he would need to apply this year, so he's right with what if he's doing.

But, if he doesn't get one, he can continue to apply next year for that year's summer internships under the 'penultimate' year, these then can lead to an returners offer upon graduate, invite to assessment or a further final year internship before decision, they all cary so much.

Then there's the applying in the final year as an UG, where judging from DD's UK friendships groups, they have the most success of getting invited to the respective processes. As an example, before DD had heard back on her returners offer early last month, she applied to 2 top tier consultancy firms and one major multi brand org and got through to the testings and beyond, where as last year applying to the same businesses she got auto rejected within hours/days.

Finally the applying as a grad. Looking at the openings dropping into the recruitment portals now, they are there, though to @Shimy's point, the roles will be where the remainder opportunities lie, not already taken with the early bird students via the internship/placement routes. I don't think this is a bad thing, businesses are just more cautious with not taking on volumes of the past due to market conditions.

Your boy is very driven, and so long as he gets a spreadsheet up so he can log what he's applying for and the deadlines etc then he'll be grand. My point is that he needs to get stuck into his course too and in this climate of negative noise it's easy to panic.

Apologies for the over explaining, I got very confused with the timelines early on with DD, but knew she didn't want to go into a masters so we got our heads into it like your son is.

That's really helpful @ealingwestmum , thanks for taking the time to explain it.

He's looking forward to getting stuck into his course, but he said that at the spring week seminar he went to yesterday, they said it was sensible to focus more on applications in first year, even if your academics suffer! I'm not sure that's the best advice for him, but hopefully he'll find the right balance.

No worries @crazycrofter, good luck to him (and sorry for my shocking spelling and grammar, I was clearly really tired last night)!

No dissertation in my degree in the Stone Age either.

Just 9 (I think) . Might have been 12.

All the credits etc didn't exist either. I always assumed the idea of credits came from the States.

We were continually assessed at York - this was considered very newfangled back then. York's aim was to be different.

I had a lab based research project in the final year, so not so much paper research but lots of experimental work. I've still got my bound copy, I typed it up on my mum's new-fangled Amstrad word-processor (she taught secretarial skills). I also had to do a project in my placement year and that was hand written up including diagrams, I've got a photocopy of that too, I'd never be able to produce anything that neat now.

I also did a lab based research project in my final year. I had to physically stick in photos - scanning them was against the regulations. Everything had to be single-sided and double-spaced. I’ve still got a copy. It took me over 10 years to spot that I’d accidentally put 1988 instead of 1998 on the front cover!

DD has decided that she doesn’t really want to work as a PA long term. She’s been applying for other jobs, and had a second round interview for a sales & marketing role next week. It was going to be via Teams, but it’s been moved to F2F and now includes meeting the CEO. Fingers crossed for her.

I enjoyed reading that aswell Ealing.

Wishing her a great interview @OublietteBravo 🤞

So many different experiences re: Honours degrees. Funnily enough, I did a 'taught masters', about a decade ago but didn't know it was possible at undergrad too. I wonder if its just for specific degrees subjects or an option on all degrees???

DS is finally starting to sort through the 'junk' of belongings he brought home after placement ended in the summer, despite my constant reminders. Clothes stuck together, food items expired, beddings smelling of damp sweat...an old and battered jug kettle suddenly appeared in the kitchen, wondering where it came from, DS cheerfully announces he is 'gifting' us his kettle, so I asked where he got it from? Apparently, another student who was leaving gave it to him. God knows how many owners that kettle has had but its seen better days!. Never mind the fact we have a perfectly good kettle at home. I've chucked that out! i.e 'new' gifted kettle. He goes back Saturday morning.

Btw many years ago, on language courses (Hons) meant having completed a year abroad. Those that completed a dissertation still didn't get (Hons) unless they'd done the year abroad.

Good luck for your DD @OublietteBravo.
@crazycrofter your ds seems very with it in certain respects.
I had to do a dissertation back in the dark ages. I remember my then boyfriend typed it all up for me 😀
Thank you for explaining the meaning of Spring Week @Shimy. I don't have anyone studying those degrees so that's why I was totally oblivious.

I spent the summer before my 3rd year wallowing in rivers on Dartmoor collecting data for my dissertation. I then had to do lab work and statistical analysis as well as reviews of published papers. My mum typed it up for me - I posted it chapter at a time, and then had to send back any pages with typos. I had hand drawn maps, all neatly coloured, as well as graphs, charts and calculations. Then it all had to be photocopied in the library and we had to bind two copies ourselves, all in time to be handed in at the Departmental office by the deadline.
My DS was still making final adjustments to his 30 mins before his deadline - uploaded with 20 mins to spare!!

DD went to the LSE and from the moment she started unpacking all the talk in the corridors were of Spring Weeks and internships. DD had no interest. She applied for grad schemes after finishing university, whereas DS applied for a grad job during his final year and they wanted him to start as soon as possible after his final exams.

DD had a spread sheet of the various grad schemes she applied to and where she was in the process. She took a scatter-gun approach and applied for all sorts of sectors.

@OublietteBravo I hope your DD interview goes well.

Phew! DS all dropped off and ensconced in his new flat. Met one of his flat mates, nice boy. He was a bit huggy when i was leaving and glanced round before whispering 'I love you mum' .