2015 university open days

[hellsbells99]

So, following on from the year 12 thread, here is our open day visits thread!

Loughborough seems to be very much about sports and I got the impression that to be happy there you need to be a certain type.

Impostersyndrome, we were at Loughborough on Friday and Birmingham on Saturday so we had lousy weather on Friday and glorious weather on Saturday - it's amazing how much the sunshine can affect your impressions of a place.

DD didn't like Loughborough at all - there barely seemed to be anyone on campus and everything felt dull and washed out. She's very sporty but there was no "buzz" about the place and the town itself looked very sleepy. By the time we got to Birmingham on Saturday, the sun was blazing down and the campus looked great. It's ridiculous that if we'd switched our days around she could have come away with a completely different impression. Mind you, coming from London, Loughborough town was always going to seem a bit tame .

Birmingham is on our list as well.

Interesting, Legalady, I've been to Birmingham myself on a sunny day, but the memory wasn't strong enough to dispel the feeling of bleakness, not assisted by the unprepossessing outlook of the scruffy area outside Costa where we say when the drizzle abated.

The lecturers were great though. It's still a possibility, especially as DS didn't share my impression!

Reporting back as promised after the Aberystwyth open day yesterday. We had a successful and informative visit and all the staff and student ambassadors were very friendly and helpful.

The department talk gave a good overview of the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences. It was given by the Institute Director and the Director of Learning and Teaching, who was very enthusiastic and going round talking to a lot of people individually both before and afterwards. The subject talk and minibus tour was useful and DD was able to ask all her questions and got a lot of extra information.

The campus itself is set on a hill at the top of the town and had a lot of green spaces. We visited 3 of the self catered halls. The newest one only opened this year and has double beds, en suite showers and even had a TV and dishwasher in each kitchen, all for £123 a week, which is about the same that DS paid for his halls at Manchester last year with much less impressive facilities. They do guarantee accommodation to all first years, unless they come through clearing.

DD thought the town was fine, she is not a fan of big cities and she said she could definitely see herself at the university.

The only problem for me was that it was a slow journey to get there and back, we travelled down the day before.

The only problem for me was that it was a slow journey to get there and back
A few years back there was a coach service from Aber every Thursday bright and early all the way to London, no idea if it still runs but would probably be quicker than the train.

Thanks Rocky.

It is a bit of a trek. Two and a half hours by car from us which is a good 45 mins if not more further than anywhere else we are looking at. Even longer on a train.

At the end of the day if it is where they want to be though

Where else are you looking at?

DD and I had a really encouraging first Uni visit to Salford (on the outskirts of Manchester) yesterday. Looks like it would be particularly good for the course she's interested in - one of the life sciences which are grouped in the most attractive old part of the Uni, and on a lovely campus on the edge of Peel Park, also by the river. All quite green and attractive and with the busy city of Manchester close by too. Accommodation and course both more affordable than some. A definite contender! I'm only telling you because we're not applying this year LOL

Newcastle.But just looked at the website and you are right they do a BSC mathematics and an MMath .He had a great trip to Oxford and was blown away it all.He stayed the first night at Brazenose and the second night at Christ Church.The Andrew Wiles building (maths department was amazing apparently)

Yes Gas, the most important thing is that they go where they feel they would be happy with both the university and the course. She will wait until after the AS results and review where else to visit. Aberystwyth definitely seems like a front runner at the moment.

We are going to UEA on saturday. Have been sorting out plan B if the as result dont go well. One is going to local college to do an extended diploma which UEA will take but will have obviously take another year.
Then last week dd did work experience at a SN school and did so well ,they have said they will set up an apprenticeship for her. She has an interview next week

The Andrew Wiles building (maths department was amazing apparently)

Yeah, it's gorgeous A million times fancier than the old maths institute.

Glad he enjoyed it - nice to experience two rather different colleges too

Anyone else off to Cambridge today? Going to be hot again . . . . !

Not today Morvah but we were there yesterday when it was mercifully cooler than Wednesday in London!

We had a great day. DD went to a sample lecture and tour of the faculty and we toured 3 colleges, which means she's now had a proper look at 5 in total. AS grades permitting I think she's happy to apply to one of the 5 (currently deciding between 2/3).

It wasn't as busy as I thought it would be and all very well organised.

Enjoy your day.

Yes we're here. Not visiting the department because already been to a department outreach day. Going to one college organised thing and then mooching round, showing DD1 my old haunts.

Narvin are you wearing your mn scarf?

Rocky DS is doing a BTEC course so knows his grades for this year. In theory if he carries on as he is we have a good idea of what he will come out with next summer. Although he will be taking his English GCSE next year so will be nail biting for that.

My DS is very keen on Cardiff Metropolitan but we missed the open day so will have to wait for that visit. No dates on the website yet.

Good luck with the AS results

Gas give them a ring as we found out they have different days depending on which faculty you want.

Thanks Gas, hope all goes to plan your end too.

Thanks eatyourveg - I will call next week

Marni we had a good day but gosh it was hot! DS liked Cambridge very much (it's a long shot, but why not?) and particularly Peterhouse which we all thought was gorgeous. Engineering dpt was very impressive. I wished we'd had more time to soak up the atmosphere though; we seemed to be in a non-stop rush all day from talk to talk to college.

I also think that in the open day info they should tell you to factor in half an hour at least to queue to buy your park and ride ticket - the queue was massive. Not as long however as the return one which snaked along the street for miles; we queued for 35 mins and then the bus ride took 55 mins, standing as it was packed to the rafters and incredibly hot!

Southampton tomorrow, so off at an early hour again!

Return to the car park in Cambridge took us 55 min walk, I wish we started sooner because we first wasted 20 min in the queue waiting for buses which were stuck in traffic (we saw them whilst walking).

We saw one college properly, DD liked it so we decided not to waste time on looking at others.

We were booked on one college open morning, and we did the general tours of two others. We both got quite unwell from the heat though (this is not unusual - when it's hot). We actually got a taxi back to the station from lion yard which is pretty unusual for us, we are great walkers - but we really weren't feeling good. it was a lovely day apart from that though.

Gosh, sorry to hear it was so hot on the Friday open day. Sounds like we got the best of the weather on Thursday. We also avoided the park & ride queues as we went by train (it's 45 minutes from Kings X).

Morvah Peterhouse was one of the colleges we toured and you're right, it's absolutely beautiful.

Newbie to open days here,

DS has just done his GCSe and considering a levels, our local uni has a department that he is interested in and has an open day next week.

Would it be frowned upon to book a place and go talk to tutors about what's expected & to go and let him get a feel for things and for that kind of course?