University visits

[WhereIBelong]

Originally Posted by Frankie & gang

Hi my DS has just finished his course at Solent Southampton & my DD is off to Nottingham in Sept.
I took lots of notes but also took photos of each uni’s accomodation - photo of halls name then inside each room, kitchen, bathroom & communal areas. We looked at 6 uni’s for DD & being able to look back when they’d all merged together in our memory was really helpful.
Good luck all x

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that is a good idea - lots of photos, less reliance on (an ageing) memory

[Dayle]

Although the accommodation is an important point to think about be aware in many universities popular halls are oversubscribed and there is no guarantee you will get into the one you apply for in many places.

[DisneyDaffodil]

Originally Posted by Dayle

Although the accommodation is an important point to think about be aware in many universities popular halls are oversubscribed and there is no guarantee you will get into the one you apply for in many places.

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I am wary of this too. It happened to our eldest son at Southampton. He applied early as 1st choice and put his accommodation requests in. 2 weeks before his move, he hadn't heard about his room so rang them. They had lost his accommodation request so he ended up in a horrible high rise block of flats with warning signs about asbestos miles away from the uni (he had chosen rooms close to campus). This was also catered, which he did not want and rarely used, so far more expensive than his original choices. I hated leaving him there, it was terrible. He coped fine but was happy to move to private rental with mates the following year.

[coggie]

I took my kids to every Uni they wanted to visit..then I parked up and went for a coffee and they visited ( armed with a pen and book) to visit the Uni on their own. It's their choice and they needed to get a feel about it without me plus I didn't want my views to influence their decision.
As mentioned elsewhere they took loads of pictures too so that helped with the decision making.

[WhereIBelong]

DD and DH on their way back from Exeter - sounds like a lovely day was had by all - sunny skies, loads of people to show them around, decent park and ride, lots of lovely food available - and plenty of talks. They split up - DD did the course side, DH the admin side, both the accommodation and general tour. Roll on Leicester next weekend!

[Glee Fan]

This is such an interesting thread, thank you! I’m assuming that students do the uni visits when they’re in the first year of sixth form? I think things have massively changed since I went! We also need to only go to the front runners I think, as I have twins who will no doubt look to do totally different subjects in probably very different places so we can’t be going everywhere! I have a little while to plan yet though as they don’t do their GCSE’s until next year.

[DisneyDaffodil]

We are on our way home from Exeter too 😀. Very tiring day as the sunshine was glorious in Devon today.

Very friendly guides around the campus, excellent modules on the Biology course which DD liked, very nice modern accommodation on campus, and lots of information given to consider. Just under 2 hours ride from home which DD was pleased about too. We also had a couple of hours in the city centre, which was very nice and DD liked very much.

One big downside was how hilly the campus was, very steep and a really steep walk from city to uni. But it was a good start and gives us something to compare others with. Bristol next for us in 2 weeks time. I will report back on our findings from there too.

[BevS97]

Originally Posted by DisneyDaffodil

One big downside was how hilly the campus was, very steep and a really steep walk from city to uni. But it was a good start and gives us something to compare others with. Bristol next for us in 2 weeks time. I will report back on our findings from there too.

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I went to uni on the side of a hill. We didn’t walk north or south. We walked up and down.

After the first few weeks we never gave it any thought and I must have been a lot fitter for it.

[roxie2001]

Originally Posted by Glee Fan

This is such an interesting thread, thank you! I’m assuming that students do the uni visits when they’re in the first year of sixth form? I think things have massively changed since I went! We also need to only go to the front runners I think, as I have twins who will no doubt look to do totally different subjects in probably very different places so we can’t be going everywhere! I have a little while to plan yet though as they don’t do their GCSE’s until next year.

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I think the first year of sixth form is best as they have to apply for uni early in the second year. I think by December/January and October for Cambridge and Oxford. We went to an open night at college which was really interesting. We were told that students have to apply through college earlier than the uni deadline so they can get all the references sorted out for every student.
Dds college said uni visits are authorised absences and encouraged them.
The visits start around this time and the ones we have looked at have 3 possible dates in the year, normally a Friday or Saturday. We have 3 this month, all on a Saturday as I work weekdays. Dd will need 2 afternoons off as we are staying over for Reading and Loughbourgh.
then we have one next month and our last one in September as I couldn't make the July date they offered.

[Leanne1977]

Originally Posted by WhereIBelong

DD and DH on their way back from Exeter - sounds like a lovely day was had by all - sunny skies, loads of people to show them around, decent park and ride, lots of lovely food available - and plenty of talks. They split up - DD did the course side, DH the admin side, both the accommodation and general tour. Roll on Leicester next weekend!

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Originally Posted by DisneyDaffodil

We are on our way home from Exeter too 😀. Very tiring day as the sunshine was glorious in Devon today.

Very friendly guides around the campus, excellent modules on the Biology course which DD liked, very nice modern accommodation on campus, and lots of information given to consider. Just under 2 hours ride from home which DD was pleased about too. We also had a couple of hours in the city centre, which was very nice and DD liked very much.

One big downside was how hilly the campus was, very steep and a really steep walk from city to uni. But it was a good start and gives us something to compare others with. Bristol next for us in 2 weeks time. I will report back on our findings from there too.

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Thanks to you both for reporting back. I was talking to DS earlier today and he has decided he would like to visit Exeter as he has heard good things about the Uni and they do a 4 year degree that offers a year abroad to study, that peaked his interest. So looks like we will be visiting that one on 8th Sept.