17 when going to uni. Do they cope?

[Puygo]

Why do scotlands education system do this? Kind of wishing we were in England where ds would be oldest in year and would be almost 19 when going to Uni. Did anyone have dc go to uni at 17? Don’t they seem really young still? We are a few years away , but just worrying about this already.

Christ. That's finishing uni before many in England have even started.

So likely to end up having taken a degree in no way related to what they later realise they want to do. Imagine setting up your life plan that young.

I’m not meaning to labour the point but this thread is about Scottish students. The reason they are 17 is because they can leave school for uni a year earlier than English pupils

Both my teens went to uni at 17. Eldest turned 18 in the December and was just starting t9 hit the pubs and clubs when lockdown and covid happened, so his social life came to a halt.

youngest was 18 in the October and has an amazing social life, she’s out and about with her friends most weeks. It didn’t hinder her as there were a few who weren’t 18 until the oct, nov, dec, Jan and feb.

Yes I can read thank you @user09876543

I am Scottish and went to uni in Scotland 10 years ago. So there are two possibilities: they can leave earlier for the reason you say OR because they turn 18 after term starts that year. It's really straight forward.

I think it’s easier if they are going to uni in Scotland where there are lots of people on the same boat and social events are run accordingly. I think it’s hard if they go to England to study

@user09876543 many many pupils will leave after s6 and still be 17 until the February of 1st year uni at the latest.

Those same pupils would be 16 if they left after s5!

One Of my DC went to a London uni at 17. They were one of 3 in their year not 18. There were pictures of the 3 behind the students union bars so they couldn’t get served.

I was 16 when I went to uni and coped fine. I was completely ready for it, but I guess it depends on the person.

Biggest issue was using someone elses ID to get into clubs and hoping it wouldn't be questioned.

I think parents tend to baby teens too much now, they're young adults and are capable of far more than are given credit for.

I left after S5 and was 16 when I started and turned 17 in the November

Dd and ds will have stayed on until S6 and start at 17 and turn/turned 18 in November and October respectively.

They won't have left school early for Scotland and will have stayed on at school for as long as they can.

You definitely can’t rely on someone else’s ID these days. They cross check . Can ask to see your social media or banking app for example on your phone to make sure they match.

My dds friend was fine. Just had to have a different wristband for fresher events . They're not 17 for long, someone has to be youngest.

I went at 17 around 25 years ago. I was never interested in drinking so that made socialising difficult, not my actual age.

The main thing I found difficult wasn't the social side of things but the lack of preparation for uni. They don't really tell you what to do or what to study, you more or less have to guess.
Lots of things came up in the exams that were never covered in lectures. I passed but many other students failed.
I think they offer study support for new students so I'd recommend those.

Started Uni 2 months after my 17th birthday. I was able to stay at home and commute for first year or so but then moved out. I know several people who went at 17 (in fact weren't even 17 at start of course), straight into halls, and all coped fine. I had 5 decent Higher passes after S5 and although I had initially started S6 (in June) I got a place at Uni through clearing. Whatever age folk go to Uni they might not be ready - it's a big change and folk can find it overwhelming.

I graduated with an honours degree a few weeks before my 21st birthday, so I was still 20, quite a few folk on my course were older but didn't do any better (in fact some got lesser honours). This isn't a brag - it's not that abnormal in Scotland.

I went at 17 and was fine, I don't think my dodgy fake ID would stand up to checking these days though! I would encourage my own DC to take a gap year now, being similarly young in their year.

Socialising in the first few months is really important (for many, not all) new students and being excluded from pubs and club nights would make that harder I think.

In terms of maturity, that's down to the individual I would say.

Your op says you are a few years away - so watch and see. Your child may feel ready enough/ have a peer group to share the experience with, or they may not. You’ll have a better idea as they transition to year 5 I think.

That said, my niece goes to uni this year, she will turn 18 in August , and up until Easter , I would have thought her too young, but she has blossomed . S6 and more independent study for Advanced Highers have really helped.

I was 17 when I first went. Was def not ready. Swept up into bars and freedom and fun and discovering people actually liked me haha. I dropped out (though have studied for many years since). My mum kicked me out and I learned a lot quickly.

The comparison was doing the same chemistry course as kids who'd been at college two years, and who were way ahead academically. I was just lost. Tried to tell head of course and was told to just keep trying. Didn't know how to study. Lucky the Scottish higher ed system covered my mistakes and when I did do the degree I was meant to, it was still covered.

It's a circumstance things for me, everyone's different. Maybe your kid will be just fine! I ended up always being older than everyone I was studying with. Worked so much harder.

My dd started at 17. Her 3 Scottish flatmates were all also 17. All it meant was they socialised in the union until they all had turned 18. The doormen stamped their hands and they couldn't get served alcohol.

A couple of months going to the union before hitting the pubs/clubs of Glasgow did them no harm. They were by then a closer bunch and more committed to looking out for each other.

I do think being younger has other disadvantages though. However, it has been nice to see resilience growing.

My DS will be 18 in the August after A levels. I definitely want him to take at least one gap year before he goes to university. I think maturity levels at university make a huge difference to how much you get out of it. I want him to have a good year of managing himself after the babysitting of school and thinking about what life under your own steam looks like, so he is more ready to tackle a very expensive course responsibly.

DH and I both went to Oxford neither of us think we got the most out of the academic opportunities on offer, because we thought we were just there to party.

I meant to add, DD will be 17.5 (feb born) when she starts uni in 2025. In S6, she's doing a work placement, one AH, 2 Hs and also doing a college course one day a week.
This college blurb says uni lecturers deliver the course and the course includes some preparation for university and ucas application writing. So that's a really good opportunity that wasn't available to me years ago.
Also she'll have to travel to that course each week as well as travelling to another school for an AH, then do her work placement.
So I hope that all that responsibility, travelling around and the college thing will no doubt mature her and prepare her. Plus she has a part time job.

That's what I meant by 'hoping it wouldn't be questioned.' They had Facebook and online banking then too!

Most degrees in Scotland are 4 years so you won't be 'graduating before most have even started.'
You don't need to have a life plan to study for a degree either, lots of subjects are not related to a specific vocation and further study is always an option.

My middle (and most socially confident) one went after S5 so didn't turn 18 for 1st 8 months. He did fine socially (probably used his brothers ID or borrowed other students ID or went places less stringent. Academically found it tough when they covered something in a single lecture which they spent 2-3 weeks on in AH. However he coped fine. Was working a year ahead of his classmates.

Even starting in the September, they'll be 18 by end of February, I never gave it any thought, they've progressed to S5/S6; it's natural
progression, if your DC isn't capable of coping maybe you need to think what you've missed in encouraging them to independence.

In England there's 14 years of schooling reception then years 1-13 from age 4.5 to 18.5 approximately

In Scotland there's just 13 years of school. So a September born starts at just under 5 and leaves at 17.