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Original poster

The trials and tribulations of Uni Apps for 2018.

660 replies

WaxOnFeckOff · 19/09/2017 13:21

Just thought I'd start a wee thread for those with DC applying for uni for next year (or indeed applying for themselves) in ase anyone was up for sharing knowledge/support/venting etc.

I have DS1 applying for this year. Still doesn't know where to or what for Confused.

Not done any open days yet and lots now clashing so can't do them all. He wont go alone and wont ask anything or tell us anything about it if he did, so looks like it might be family days out for the next month or so. Dragging DS2 with us as he is currently doing Highers and given his poor Nat 5 results, he needs some motivation to pull his finger out if he wants to go to Uni.

How is everyone else getting on?

OP posts:
Kr1st1na · 23/12/2017 09:43

Ha, just spotted you guys, good luck to all your kids. Don’t worry if they have no offers yet as many courses don’t make any decisions until 15 January.

I was in your situation this time last year and I was more stressed about it than DD!!!

She’s now at Dundee and LOVES it. She works very hard and we are from the country so it’s a big enough and sophisticated enough city for her. Might not suit if your kids have the time and money for a very active social life.

Dundee uni halls are all purpose built self catering with en suite and either right beside the uni or about 10 mins walk away. Not cheap at £633 a month. She’s right on campus and has a 5 min walk to classes.

She has managed to save a lot of money by going home for lunch and tea, and then back to the library at night to study. They even have kitchens in the library where you can make snacks and Coffee so you don’t have to buy from a machine!

Next year she will be renting a flat, its much cheaper at about £350 a month plus bills. But she will be about 15 mins walk away.

Her friends who are at Edinburgh spend a lot of time travelling in from their halls in Leith or from Pollock into the Kings Building. And it costs them a lot to eat out for two meals a day on top of bus fares .

Rented accondation in Edinburgh is also very expensive and I guess it’s the same in Glasgow’s West End .

Just thought I’d mention all these practical issues, as I know that some of your kids are on a budget.

BTW I know that Edinburgh and Glasgow are amazing universities with world renowned courses etc etc so not dissing them.

howabout · 23/12/2017 12:05

I'm lurking in anticipation of next year. Just wanted to say thank you for all the really insightful research so far.

Neighbour's DD is at Dundee. They would second Kr1st1na on accommodation. However after some landlord issues they worked out that it was actually just as affordable to buy a flat. This was the norm when I was in Glasgow 30 years ago. Wouldn't work today in Glasgow or Edinburgh but does in Dundee.

IndigoApple · 23/12/2017 13:05

That's very interesting Kr1st1na as Dundee is DD's 1st choice. Sounds expensive! We have spent some time in Dundee and liked it.

howabout a friend bought a flat in Dundee when doing their PhD in the 90s, cost £18k!

Kr1st1na · 23/12/2017 17:04

Ha! I think it’s now about £85k for a one bed flat near the uni. Though Im sure you could get something on the outskirts for a lot less.

I’ll admit Dundee doesnt have the style of Edinburgh or Glasgow. Though it’s lovely down near the water.

And many courses have little choice, because there’s only one or two places to do it in Scotland. Or one place is outstanding and the others mediocre.

Going south at a cost of £27k plus is a big decision. Friends ( who are not well off ) have a child doing drama in England. I can only assume they think he will never have to pay it back.

IndigoApple · 24/12/2017 17:03

Too much chance of DD bumping into family members in Glasgow or Edinburgh, Kr1st1na 😁. I may be misremembering but is your DD doing dentistry?

Kr1st1na · 24/12/2017 20:33

My goodness you ARE good Indigo! Do you have a spreadsheet or do I know you in RL? Grin

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 04/01/2018 09:41

Anyone got any more updates? DS1s email address is linked to my phone (don't ask) and I'm not sure if he still remembers it is. I can see that he has 2 emails, one from UCAS saying to log in for an update on his status from yesterday evening and the other from Glasgow admissions this morning that says Offer Notification. Clearly I can't open either but he is in bed and I'm at work (on a break) and I'm not sure if I can do anything other than remind him to keep checking his email - which I already did yesterday... frustrating beyond belief!

So, the UCAS one might also be about Glasgow so he has at least one but maybe two responses.

Besides Glasgow he is waiting to hear from Strathclyde, Dundee, Heriot Watt and Edinburgh.

OP posts:
Groovee · 04/01/2018 11:02

DD's all say referred! I pointed out that on Christmas Day, it would be a miracle to hear!

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 04/01/2018 11:13

I wasn't really expecting any news until next week as ours schools don't go back until Monday and presumed Unis would be the same. However, I suppose Glasgow schools went back on Wednesday so maybe that's why he has a notification from them. The one from UCAS will either also be an update on his status from Glasgow or possibly Strathclyde since I am guessing they are back too?

From other threads I'm guessing Edinburgh will be the last to come in and that's the one where he doesn't currently have their requirements so probably the least likely to get an offer from.

OP posts:
ALLIS0N · 04/01/2018 11:47

University admissions staff don’t get the school or university holidays, some of them will have been back on Wednesday.

Good luck to your kids.

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 04/01/2018 16:12

Unconditional for Glasgow :) All others still awaiting a decision.

OP posts:
IndigoApple · 04/01/2018 16:31

Fantastic Wax! Is he keen on Glasgow?

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 04/01/2018 16:51

Thanks :) I think he is keen on all of them to be honest Indigo If he gets more than one offer I think we will be back into the whole dilemma thing again. He liked that Glasgow were very clear about the flexibility so he has an offer for Software and Electrical Engineering but could switch into Computing Science if he enjoys that side more. I think he likes the thought of being able to live at home but I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing for him tbh.

He has also applied for a degree apprenticeship so that might be another dilemma in the mix!

OP posts:
prettybird · 04/01/2018 19:17

Congratulations to your ds Wax - having an unconditional takes some pressure off but not having the other offers yet means that he'll still be motivated to work (at least, that's the case for ds as he doesn't want to go to Strathclyde, the unconditional and only offer he has had so far).

"Knowing" your ds virtually Wink, I wonder if he would feel more comfortable commuting in his first year and then once he has developed some Uni friends and increased his confidence, can then think about whether he wants to be more local to the Uni in subsequent years.

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 04/01/2018 19:27

Thanks pb, that's what I said to him, that it wasn't an all or nothing and that he start travelling and then move down if/when he felt comfortable.

I have no issue at all about him being able to look after himself, he is competent and mature. I have an issue about him staying holed up in his room and not taking advantage of the freedom and opportunities :) On the other hand, if he stays at home he may do exactly the same although obviously he will be comfortable in his own place and if he went away, he may come out of his shell more. Confused

The only likely condition should be Edinburgh who would be looking for a B at AH in Maths. That one point coming back to haunt him. He got another Silver in the Senior Maths Challenge having missed the Gold by, you guessed it, 1 point.

The B should be achievable but who knows. I don't think he is invested in any of the applications to be honest. If he gets no more offers he will happily trot off to Glasgow. Driving test soon too so that may effect his decision but I'm not sure why as Driving daily to Edinburgh or Heriot watt would be a pain, He would train Glasgow or Strathclyde and for Dundee I guess it would just make weekends home easier...if he took a car and didn't drink on Friday nights!

OP posts:
Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 04/01/2018 19:29

I'm sure everyone will here a bit more about their applications over the next few weeks, so we will keep our fingers crossed.

OP posts:
prettybird · 04/01/2018 19:32

By "confidence", I was meaning his social confidence. I know he's done (is doing?) his Gold DoE, so I'm sure he is very capable Grin

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 04/01/2018 19:32

In other news we have been looking at cars and struggling to find something low in insurance that he can fit in! He is 6'3" which isn't outrageously tall but is all legs and he's having difficulty getting them in and still being able to get his knees either side of the wheel and get his feet in a good position on the pedals or get his arms in a comfy position on the wheel. And he won't get a passenger in behind him either.

OP posts:
Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 04/01/2018 19:37

Yes, I know that's what you meant and that definitely is an issue - he is competent not confident :) as in he can cook, do laundry, shop and catch public transport - god help him if he actually had to talk to anyone while doing any of those things though! Yes, he only has his week residential to do and that's Gold complete. That will be a walk in the park really, we just need to find/choose something that fits in with the holidays at Feb or Easter. I think he'd like to finish and get his award in the summer with the rest of his gold group.

OP posts:
Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 04/01/2018 19:38

DS2 has more or less finished his Silver - just a few weeks to go of his volunteering and whilst he is sociable but quiet, he is not competent! :o

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Groovee · 04/01/2018 19:47

Great news for your DS @WaxOnFeckOff

prettybird · 04/01/2018 19:55

Ds is confident but not as competent as I'd like him to be. Will happily take public transport to new places, make himself scrambled eggs but as for doing a washing or keep his room tidy (or clean Hmm), I've been remiss in getting him to take responsibility. He will iron his own jeans though Wink

He says he wants to learn to drive in May after his exams (which, iirc, finish on the 8th). He has said he'd like us to take him out for a few times before having proper lessons. I've told him that that. Is. Not. Going. To. Happen. Don't think he realises quite how difficult learning to balance the clutch and accelerator will be. Nightmarish memories of my dad with his head in his hands saying "you will jump the engine out the mountings" Shock Happy to take him out for practice drives once someone else has got him through the painful stage Wink

At least he won't have the problems that your ds has of being too tall as he's only 5'7" at the moment (and at best will grow another inch or two). Not that we could afford to put him onto our own insurance at the moment (beyond the learning phase) although my dad is keen to get him into his insurance so that ds can drive him to and from Murrayfield (my dad has debenture seats and takes ds)

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 04/01/2018 19:56

Thanks Groovee, hopefully that's the start of it and your DD will get some good news too soon. (as well as all the other waiting hopefulls on the thread).

OP posts:
Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 04/01/2018 20:01

We haven't taken DS out at all. I'm too much of a woose and DH doesn't want to teach him any bad habits or confuse him (despite him being a professional driver!). We've had a bit of a nightmare with teachers too so he has a few gaps and changes of car/teacher. His teacher though it worth postponing his test for a couple of weeks just to give him a decent chance which we did, but he's only managed to fit him in for one extra hour of lessons so I'm questioning what the point was really. The cheapest quote I've had was for £780 with him as main driver in a Hyundai i10 - he doesn't fit in that though.

OP posts:
Superjaggy · 04/01/2018 20:22

Congrats to your DS, @WaxOnFeckOff ! He'll be feeling good about getting an offer under his belt.

Re driving, I haven't taken my DS out at all as driving is the one thing his dad (my ex) has actually stepped up on. He was advised by a driving instructor to get out as many times between lessons as he can - and he started with a bit of clutch control in the school car park Shock. He's 5'11 and driving one of those tiny wee Citroens (C1?), so it might be worth trying one of those - counterintuitive as that may seem! His dad is 6'4" and fits in ok too.