2015 university open days

[hellsbells99]

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

Morvah, I am not sure which lectures she is going to today, but interested in the Liberal Arts programme, as well as Geography and Biology. Ideal Liberal Arts candidate, as she is very undecided!

I live near Bristol Uni and it is nearly all residents' parking only round here (thank goodness…). Metered spaces within the residents' parking areas are for up to three hours only. I think the Uni runs a park and ride scheme on open days (check their website?) as I've seen queues of people waiting for the buses, or the closest paid carparks are either this one or this one or this one, all at £10 a day. Speaking from experience, I'd say you're most likely to find a space easily in the Clifton Down one, as the others are used more by city centre commuters.

Though of course tomorrow is Saturday, so fewer commuters but more shoppers...

Many of the parents of the current lot of students would have been the first generation to go to university and not only did they not pay tuition fees they went to university on a full grant.

Seriously? Of my cohort at university in the early 1980s, most of us now in the process of our assorted children applying to university, I knew of one person who was on a full grant. I don't have numbers to hand, but if a full grant was available to 2% of the intake I would be astounded. I know of a lot of people who got the minimum grant, however, which was 1985 onwards was the princely sum of £0.

Any Y11's going to open days this year after GCSE's?
dd finished her exams last Friday and likes the look of a course at Uni of Salford so we've booked on the visit there for the beginning of July
I'm thinking this will give her an idea of Uni life - kind of a starting point
Would you say that's enough for this year?
Any thoughts from those who did some visits in Y11 last year?

Gemauve You are obviously much younger than me. Most of my friends with teens are also in their 50s and were at uni in the 1970s. I didn't go to uni but DH did in the days of full grants, albeit with parental contribution for the better off. There were no student loans then.

I was at university (Cambridge) in the late 1980s and knew plenty of people on full grants, many of whose parents had not been to university. My parents earned too much for me to be eligible, so gave me the equivalent of the full grant (just over £2,000 a year).

for those of you travelling to Bristol uni Open Day tomorrow who would rather not brave the city centre traffic - here is the link to Bristol Park and Rides travelwest.info/park-ride.
Portway is close to the M5 and Brislington is on the A4 on the outskirts of Bristol along the Bath Road.
Please note that on Saturdays this service will mostly be catering for shoppers and there will be a short walk to the university from the city centre.
Hope that helps

Just checked - the university also has its own park and ride specially for the open days, based at Cribbs Causeway (near M4/M5 junction): www.bristol.ac.uk/opendays/travel/

Leeds2 I would be very interested to hear your dd's feedback on Bristol's Liberal Arts programme. My spreadsheet says we're checking it out at the 12 September Open Day! Maybe you could post on the Liberal Arts thread I started in Higher Education? I will post our thoughts on Warwick and Durham's Liberal Arts talks there (if I can remember anything worth posting).

I didn't go to uni but DH did in the days of full grants, albeit with parental contribution for the better off.

I went to university in the days of full grants, albeit with parental contribution for the better off. I think you'll find that the definition of "better off" is not as rich as you think. We can all swap anecdotes, of course, and we'd need a set of statistics to get at the truth.

Anyone off to the Royal Holloway tomorrow? Taking DD wondered how busy it would be?

pleased it was useful Morvah

Dd1 and I went to Royal Holloway last year - was busy, but we parked no problem, arrived about 11. Had to wait a short while for a campus tour. It's Royal Ascot this week of course, but although our route took us straight past the racecourse and I'd completely forgotten about it, it was fine. Public transport might possibly be worse than driving in this instance.

Just noticed that Newcastle and Northumbria have both got the same open day next weekend - glad we are going by train, it'll be a nightmare

Been to Warwick today (maths).It was lovely!! Very impressed :-)

I got a fuill grant in 1986 and I don't feel we were particularly poor.Dad working fulltime ,holidfays, hobbies, owned house etc

Thanks for the Bristol info everyone! Going to use the Cribbs Causeway Park and Ride.

I didn't get any grant in 1989, and we certainly weren't particularly 'comfortable'.

MayPolist I have a DS at Warwick doing maths -he loves it.

'Waves' at MorvahRising in Bristol! We absolved our tour of Bath yesterday (missed the Open Day due to DodE) so just visited. My DD loved the sport's facilities - which were very impressive! She has not been keen on a campus uni but was really surprised how much she liked Bath. The year internship/placement is also of great appeal.

We did Manchester yesterday. DD2 really liked it which surprised me as I had her down for quiet campus uni and not a very busy city one. We are now in Cambridge and had a meal overlooking the Cam last night. There were lots of tipsy students around wearing bow ties etc so I assume some sort of Ball was on last night or some leavers do? There were also lots of students further down the river in the park having BBQs. It all looked nice and relaxed. DD is attending a Masterclass today.

We did Liverpool yesterday
Ddbis quite ambivilent about it. Cant find anything wrong but couldnt find the love she did with Oxford Brookes.

DD2's off to Warwick today with a friend - I was quite impressed they both made it out of bed AND managed to have breakfast in time for the 7:20 train .

DS was up before 6am to get the train to Warwick today - impressive for a 16-year-old who rarely emerges before midday most weekends. He must be keen .