University visits

[Bella Girl]

Also at Lincoln today with DD.

This is Visit no 7 to Uni Open days and this is officially the coldest one yet. The wind is howling around the campus. My lot laughed at me when we left the house this morning because I was all wrapped up. They are not laughing now.

The Uni is small and the course DD is looking at is relatively new so has a very limited track record and few graduate employment pathways . If it were me , I would not be considering it as an option but we will see what DD thinks. She is currently in a talk and we are in the bar keeping warm and watching the rugby.

7 done, 2 more to go.

[CrispyA]

Originally Posted by DisneyDaffodil

I think meeting others on her course will be good for my DD as once she meets people she is friendly and comfortable, she’s more anxious about the thought of it than when she’s actually doing it. At the open days she had been very quiet and nervous until she gets to the Biology labs, then she enjoys it and loves exploring and talking to the current students about the course.

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This year, although an unexpected gap year, has been really good for my daughter. She really wasn't ready to go last year but is getting much more confident and will be in a much better place this September. I agree that the thought of having to meet lots of new people is usually harder than the actual experience and DD has managed well when she's been on her own.

We've got Bristol coming up this week. It's a long train journey, so we're staying overnight to give us a chance to see the accommodation as well as the department. I think it might be too far away to be a viable option but we'll see what DD thinks. It doesn't look as though there is much for parents to do at the department as we aren't invited to the lecture or the tour which I'm actually quite disappointed about. I'm not sure why they think we wouldn't be interested! I was hoping to at least go on a campus tour while she's doing those but they don't run when the departmental stuff is on. Guess I'd better take a good book . . . There is apparently a "parents lounge" which sounds intriguing.

[DisneyDaffodil]

Originally Posted by CrispyA

This year, although an unexpected gap year, has been really good for my daughter. She really wasn't ready to go last year but is getting much more confident and will be in a much better place this September. I agree that the thought of having to meet lots of new people is usually harder than the actual experience and DD has managed well when she's been on her own.

We've got Bristol coming up this week. It's a long train journey, so we're staying overnight to give us a chance to see the accommodation as well as the department. I think it might be too far away to be a viable option but we'll see what DD thinks. It doesn't look as though there is much for parents to do at the department as we aren't invited to the lecture or the tour which I'm actually quite disappointed about. I'm not sure why they think we wouldn't be interested! I was hoping to at least go on a campus tour while she's doing those but they don't run when the departmental stuff is on. Guess I'd better take a good book . . . There is apparently a "parents lounge" which sounds intriguing.

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We visited the open day last summer at Bristol and self guided around the university. It isn’t really campus based, more buildings set along the main courtyard and surrounding streets, so you could wander around these to find where your DD’s course would be taught and get a feel for the university.

Are you going on Wednesday? I was very surprised as all applicant days for my daughter’s course were on Wednesdays, so she has to take a day off college to go. We are going in March for hers. We haven’t had full details yet but we were hoping that some accommodation would be open to look at too. Hope it goes well for you and your DD, it’s a lovely city for coffee and shopping while your DD is busy 😀

[CrispyA]

Originally Posted by DisneyDaffodil

We visited the open day last summer at Bristol and self guided around the university. It isn’t really campus based, more buildings set along the main courtyard and surrounding streets, so you could wander around these to find where your DD’s course would be taught and get a feel for the university.

Are you going on Wednesday? I was very surprised as all applicant days for my daughter’s course were on Wednesdays, so she has to take a day off college to go. We are going in March for hers. We haven’t had full details yet but we were hoping that some accommodation would be open to look at too. Hope it goes well for you and your DD, it’s a lovely city for coffee and shopping while your DD is busy 😀

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All of her Open Days have been on weekdays - it’s a pain to take time off but at least you get to see the University on a typical day with students around. And most don’t have any teaching on a Wednesday afternoon, keeping it clear for sport, so it makes it easier for staff and students to be involved. At least she isn’t in school now so not having to miss lessons - hope your DD isn’t feeling like she’s missing too much.

Saturdays are more convenient for a lot of people, but tricky to get academics to agree to come in!

The accommodation is open in the morning which is why we’re going the night before, especially as neither of us has ever been to Bristol before.

Thanks for the tips - all her friends who have visited really liked it. Think the distance and the size of the cohort could put her off though. We’ll have to see.

[Melbatb]

Exciting times ahead! I hope all the visits goes well!

We are still flying blind! DS now has 2 offers from UK universities but they are higher than HK which still remains his first choice! He is also doing his application for French schools - really is the back up. He will apply for maths as all the computer science courses are competition based so the maths would prepare him for that...

We are currently waiting to find out the start date (around the 18th August) so we can book flights - eeeekkk! August is going to be very strange!

[DisneyDaffodil]

Originally Posted by CrispyA

All of her Open Days have been on weekdays - it’s a pain to take time off but at least you get to see the University on a typical day with students around. And most don’t have any teaching on a Wednesday afternoon, keeping it clear for sport, so it makes it easier for staff and students to be involved. At least she isn’t in school now so not having to miss lessons - hope your DD isn’t feeling like she’s missing too much.

Saturdays are more convenient for a lot of people, but tricky to get academics to agree to come in!

The accommodation is open in the morning which is why we’re going the night before, especially as neither of us has ever been to Bristol before.

Thanks for the tips - all her friends who have visited really liked it. Think the distance and the size of the cohort could put her off though. We’ll have to see.

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My daughter has a busy day in college on a Wednesday so it isn’t the best day for her to miss, but it can’t be helped as it’s the only day Bristol has applicant day. I have considered going the evening before and staying overnight too.

My daughter quickly decided that Bristol was her favourite university and she is generally very indecisive so she obviously loved it. Distance is a big factor as it’s less than an hour from home. She liked Nottingham University too but discounted it because of the distance

[1972]

Thank you everyone for your replies about my daughter's Applicant Holder Day at Lincoln.

It was our 3rd time there, the first time being on a hot day in July, the 2nd on a dull day in December and then yesterday which was a blustery day, but with a beautiful blue sky and views of the castle and cathedral which stand above the university. It really is s beautiful location.

I am glad it was yesterday and not today as it is miserable and wet outside.

Again the day was very well organised and the registration and people directing was run by the Student Ambassadors.

We arrived at 10 am and got free drinks and Danish pastries. We spent the morning registering and getting my daughter's goodie backpack from the English department and the itinerary for the day and looking around the accommodation, some we had seen before and another which was only opened in September (which ended up being our least favourite!) and the one which was her favourite now isn't.

We had some lunch in McDonalds and went back to Campus for the afternoon sessions.

My daughter's first session with the Head of English was on another part of the campus starting at the same time as ours. She was happy and confident though to walk there herself and find the lecture theatre.

We went to a parents information session which ran through all the basics about going to uni, application, finance, moving in, freshers week etc. It was a bit rushed as she knew people had to be at the next session on the other side of campus.

We then went to a lecture with the Head of English while our daughter went off for 2 hours with the course she was dong.

Our session was very good. He went through what would happen before uni (our daughter would receive a reading list in about May to read by September, so he said anyone that thinks they will have a nice break before uni won't be!). He went through how some might struggle during the course, but reassured how they are marked on a register each session and if someone didn't turn up for a couple, they would be contacted to see if they needed to see a doctor or needed help.

He also said that if a parent contacted him with concerns, he would always respond to these concerns.

The Student Wellbeing at Lincoln does seem very good.

He then answered any specific questions about the courses. He told us that the English and Creative Writing degree only had 8 hours a week contact time, but the student would be expected to do lots of reading at other times. There is no exam at the end of her degree as she would be submitting a portfolio.

I also asked him if she decided to defer her unconditional offer for a year, would it still be unconditional. He seemed pretty confident it would be as he said "you are nit able to take something back once it had been offered", but he advised me to check with admissions.

Once we had left that session, we wandered into the city and had a look where some other accommodations were located and had a drink in Wetherspoons before going back to meet our daughter.

She had enjoyed the session. She told us about the lecturer who was very nice and that they had done a little exercise where they had to write a "6 word memoir". She then said she had read hers out and that he had said it was very good and said there was a website that you could add these to and they get published on and said she should do this. So I was worried that she would feel anxious about going on her own and joining in, but she obviously felt comfortable.

So overall, it was a really good day,she still really likes it there and can see herself there - it has such a lovely, friendly, safe feel about it and is less than 2 hours from home.

We are at Birmingham and Royal Hollway in Half Term and she is going to apply for an apprenticeship and think about her options if she takes a gap year.

Good luck to everyone else with their choices.

[DisneyDaffodil]

Thanks 1972 that was really helpful to read as we have wondered if the applicant day is any different to an open day. It definitely seems to be more course focused and more detailed so should be interesting.

I’m pleased your daughter enjoyed it and found the course interesting. I do think that my DD will enjoy a Biology class and it will settle her nerves to get involved and try it and see what the course involves and meet others who may be on the course. Your DD can now make a more informed choice about whether the degree or the apprenticeship is right for her.

[1972]

Originally Posted by DisneyDaffodil

Thanks 1972 that was really helpful to read as we have wondered if the applicant day is any different to an open day. It definitely seems to be more course focused and more detailed so should be interesting.

I’m pleased your daughter enjoyed it and found the course interesting. I do think that my DD will enjoy a Biology class and it will settle her nerves to get involved and try it and see what the course involves and meet others who may be on the course. Your DD can now make a more informed choice about whether the degree or the apprenticeship is right for her.

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I am glad my post was helpful (I didn't know if I had rambled too much!).

I suppose each university might be different. I liked how Lincoln split the afternoon up into students and parents and made us feel like we were part of the process too. I have not seen an itinerary like that yet for the others we are visiting, do we might be at a loose end at those!

The session she went to wasn't so much a class, but more of an information session for her course (although there were people there who were doing just English and others just Creative Writing aswell as the combined course) and they did just little ice breaker things.

It did feel more personal this time as when she went to register and the English desk, the girl who we spoke to in December about the course recognised her and she spoke to her in the session to. She was given a lanyard with her name and course printed on it.

Hopefully your daughter will have the same kind of experience at the university that she visits.

I am also impressed with the parent and guardian Facebook page that the university has recently set up where we can discuss things and a rep from the uni can comment on to. There is so a university accommodation specific page too.

[1972]

Thought I would add some info on the day so that you can see how the day at Lincoln was set out.

Just realised the photos are upside down and I can't work out how to turn them around!