Going to see colleges with your kids...

[Nigeyy]

driving to Maine now....

 

[ColinJ]

View attachment 404981 driving to Maine now....

Ah, Maine Road. University ... Let me tell you my Maine Road/University story again!

Once when I was a student in Salford/Manchester I was wandering down Chapel Street when a car load of nice young drunken Glaswegian football supporter lads pulled up alongside me. One leaned out of the front passenger window and said "*** *** *** ***lookin' fe the main road."

I replied that they were on the main road.

The man looked like he wanted to get out of the car and kill me, but he tried again. "*** *** *** MAIN ROAD!!!"

Once again I pointed out that this was one of the main roads through Salford into Manchester city centre.

"MAIN FERKIN ROAD!!!!"

He'd clearly had too much to drink ... "THIS - IS - THE - MAIN - ROAD!"

30 seconds of obscenities, then "ARE YE TEKKIN THE FERKIN P*SS! M - A - I - N - E Road, Maine Road - Manchester City football ground!!!".

Oh crap ... "Sorry mate, I don't know where it is!"

 

[Globalti]

Manchester is a big city - one of the biggest in the UK - and the city centre is pretty grim, a big sprawling mess.

Well now hold on there pardner; Manchester is not grim or a big sprawling mess! The city centre is a pleasant place, with some great architecture and facilities and small enough to cross on foot in short time. Unlike other cities like Birmingham, Newcastle and Leeds, Manchester was not decimated by planners in the 60s and 70s and doesn't have much brutalist concrete architecture or any motorways cutting the city into bits apart from the A57(M) which bounds the south of the city.

 

[Electric_Andy]

IME Uni is what you make of it (both socially and academically) so as long as the library etc are well equipped, I wouldn't say it matters a great deal. I've known people who went to Oxford or Cambridge and hated it, but I went to Luton and had a great time. The only things that held me back were my personal problems and my waning motivation to complete my degree, but that could have happened anywhere.

 

[awomaninsane]

I'm just about to start the touring up and down the country looking at Uni's my youngest is interested in. Her favourite so far is Exeter- we live in Newcastle. To go for the open day on a Friday we will have to organise a 3 day trip, but that's where she wants to go so I'll take her. her other favourites are York, Durham and Birmingham though I'm not exactly sure why... think I'll ask her before we organise trips there!

 

[Nigeyy]

into the White Mountains of new Hampshire

 

[dan_bo]

View attachment 404994 into the White Mountains of new Hampshire

I was working in Lebanon NH last November just as the winter weather was turning in. Lovely part of the world. Could see myself there quite easily.

 

[smutchin]

Manchester is not grim or a big sprawling mess! The city centre is a pleasant place

Much of the city centre seemed to be a building site when I was last there.

 

[marzjennings]

We’ll be starting the search over the next couple of years, but so far our daughter is thinking New York, North Texas or Boston in the US, or Falmouth or London in the UK. We’re going to check out Juilliard in June when we’re there for our daughter’s model UN training and hopefully check out Falmouth in November during our visit with family.

My prefence is the UK as it’ll be so much cheaper than Uni in the US, but of course she’ll pick her favorite for her own reasons.

 

[Nigeyy]

We’ll be starting the search over the next couple of years, but so far our daughter is thinking New York, North Texas or Boston in the US, or Falmouth or London in the UK....

which universities in Boston?

 

[subaqua]

Opposite experience . Wife loves the Unis daughter loves and hates the ones she hates . Lincoln looking top at moment

 

[srw]

When I was looking to go to university my parents didn't even think of offering to come with me on open days. I don't think I was unusual. Surely if you're mature enough to be applying for a degree you're mature enough to visit on your own and make your own mistakes?

 

[srw]

Times have moved on since the roaring twenties.

More than two universities?

 

[Inertia]

I would have been mortified if my parents had wanted to join me in picking out a University. I used it as a great way for a friend and I to travel the country attending a series of parties in a knackered VW Beetle. I did in the end pick a University, but that was based on the social life as much as the educational aspect. However, saying that - this is 25 years ago and things have somewhat changed including my maturity.

It seems to be common now, Ive been to university for a place for myself and lots of students were with their parents. There were even events laid on to give information to parents, I must have looked like a dad who had lost his kids.

 

[Nigeyy]

At least over here and given the amount of financial input required, I would like to see what is offered. It's also a little different in that my daughter would face hundreds of miles driving over the distances here. Plus I've got my son who is only 2 years behind, so I think it's valuable for him too to see stuff.

My parents took me to 2 unis to visit, both times letting me tour by myself. I've been on some of the tours, but I hang at the back and let my daughter take things in herself. Interestingly I ended up going to a place I got to and toured myself, but that was because by that time my father had fallen pretty ill and I had to do it myself out of necessity.