Looking at Universities for 2017

[Crackle]

I did this last year with son1, though I packed him off to the open days by himself and went to the later interviews, which are mini open days and am about to do it again with son2.

Going to the uni's is really useful but ultimately the decision is made on the courses and the content and the requirements and expectations. Exciting times for your daughter.

 

[Smithbat]

I did this last year with son1, though I packed him off to the open days by himself and went to the later interviews, which are mini open days and am about to do it again with son2.

Going to the uni's is really useful but ultimately the decision is made on the courses and the content and the requirements and expectations. Exciting times for your daughter.

It is very exciting for her, scary for me though, in my head I am still 28 and she is just starting school, not contemplating uni!

 

[Crackle]

It is very exciting for her, scary for me though, in my head I am still 28 and she is just starting school, not contemplating uni!

But think what you can do with her room.

 

[Smithbat]

But think what you can do with her room.

Ooooh!!!!! I feel a sewing room coming on, my knitting yarn and material would not have to be put away in the airing cupboard. Trouble is she will come back an then I will have to put it all away again

 

[djmc]

Think about what aspect of the subject interests her and go for somewhere which is known for that. If she is interested in mediaeval texts there is no point going somewhere where all the lecturers specialize in modern literature. Look at the specialisms of the lecturers. Years ago I knew someone whose interests at school were physical geography. She got a place at LSE and found that the economic geography which was the specialism there was not really what she had bargained for.

 

[swansonj]

Think about what aspect of the subject interests her and go for somewhere which is known for that. If she is interested in mediaeval texts there is no point going somewhere where all the lecturers specialize in modern literature. Look at the specialisms of the lecturers. Years ago I knew someone whose interests at school were physical geography. She got a place at LSE and found that the economic geography which was the specialism there was not really what she had bargained for.

+1. I did physics, and, while even there some universities did a bit more thermodynamics/optics/other classical
Physics, and some a bit more relativity etc, and some certainly did more maths than others, unless you actually wanted to read astrophysics, basically a physics course was a physics course. My daughter, however, is doing English, and I am conscious of just how wide that subject is, and how frustrating it would be to spend half your first year learning old English so that you can read Beowulf in the original if all you really want to do is read plays about angry young men or whatever.

Having said that, I am a bit old fashioned; I liked that my physics course started with a solid if tedious grounding in the maths of physics, and I like that my daughter is going back to the foundations of English literature. It's not supposed to be easy though it would be nice if it were fun...

 

[mjr]

[QUOTE 4321006, member: 259"]I used to work with someone who went to Kingston Poly to do computer science. He occasionally sends me Facebook updates of his new luxury yacht and his castle in Hollywood. [/QUOTE]
I didn't realise Kingston specialised in photo editing

 

[Smithbat]

Think about what aspect of the subject interests her and go for somewhere which is known for that. If she is interested in mediaeval texts there is no point going somewhere where all the lecturers specialize in modern literature. Look at the specialisms of the lecturers. Years ago I knew someone whose interests at school were physical geography. She got a place at LSE and found that the economic geography which was the specialism there was not really what she had bargained for.

That is definitely something we have considered, when we were going through the big list, one of the things that she was checking was the modules in History, she loves the Mediaeval period from the Wars of the Roses to the Reformation so a lot of universities went on to the 'no' list as they concentrated too much on post Victorian history.

 

[fimm]

I'm trying not to repeat what others have said too much; I'd agree with whoever it was that said you can get a "knowing in your knower" about a place (in my case it was one that totally put me off and I have never been able to define why). I'd really think about transport/travelling time (having been to UEA Norwich once by train for the interview, never again...) and also accommodation - is there campus accommodation/halls available or is she going to have to do battle with dodgy landlords and dingy student flats?

 

[threebikesmcginty]

[QUOTE 4321006, member: 259"]I used to work with someone who went to Kingston Poly to do computer science. He occasionally sends me Facebook updates of his new luxury yacht and his castle in Hollywood. [/QUOTE]

I've got a new chicken coop in the back yard.

 

[DRM]

My daughter did her english degree at Nottingham Trent & enjoyed it, new halls were built while she was there, but for her 2nd & 3rd year she lived at West Bridgford, mightily handy for the cricket ground the city isn't as big as Leeds but public transport seems to be pretty good, with plenty to do, History will probably be at Clifton Campus where she was, it's about four miles from the city centre.

 

[Ian A]

One thing to look at is the cost of student accommodation and private accommodation. At Universities I've worked there was a move towards very nice rooms with en suite bathrooms. All very nice but not cheap. The area the student accommodation is in is worth looking at as well.

I worked at Birmingham University for six months and it seemed a good place to study. My wife also did her PHD there years before I started working there and enjoyed her time there. The city itself is quite nice and I missed it when I moved.

 

[Ian A]

I'll add I lived in Birmingham for seven years when I got a job there after univetsity. When I left it was "we" rather than an I as my wife got a good job elsewhere worth moving for. Like every city there is good and bad but I enjoyed my time there.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Daughter #2 is in Nottingham (Uni) and have to say as a family of soft southerners it's a great student city and she's very happy.
At the end of the day if the course is right and you like vibe of the place, go for it ....

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

My elder daughter is currently studying in Aberdeen, having spent her first year in Edinburgh. I have absolutely no idea of the merits of either. Her choices.