DS attended Uni Open Day - now a bit overwhelmed by subject chosen.

dora37

DS (17) went with OH to an Open Day on Saturday at Bangor Uni. DS liked the look of the Uni, however the presentation in the Chemistry dept (the subject he is thinking of studying) has put him off a bit.

DS got a B in the first part of AS and is expected to get a B overall, but has
been told by tutor if he really worked hard, would be possible to get an A.

The presentation at Bangor baffled him really - in the way that a lot of what they were talking about he didn't understand!

As we haven't studied Chemistry beyond O level (:o ), we don't know if what we are advising him is correct.

We have advised him that he is only half way through his A level course, so the degree may sound out of his league at the moment. As he is expected a minimum of a B, and Bangor want a C, then they must think he is up to standard.

Are we right in advising him this way? If it was over whelming for him is he choosing the wrong course?

Opinions gratefully received.

PS Anyone studied at Bangor recently?

melancholly

http://www.chemistry.bangor.ac.uk/undergraduate/listcourses.php?view=course&prospectustype=undergraduate&courseid=115&subjectarea=3
from the website, they only require a C at A2 level, so from that I would assume that your son should be more than capable of doing the course. they also have some interesting courses with placements in industry or europe which could be great for getting a job after uni! chemistry A level (and at degree!) has a steep learning curve and it sounds like the open day was pitching at the wrong level rather than your son not being up to the course.
my only comment on bangor is that it's a small place and some people prefer bigger cities (but then again some people prefer smaller places too).

Idiophreak

I wouldn't worry about it - when I went to these things most of the people seemed to be talking gobbledygook - there's a big step up from A level to uni and an equally large step down the other way - in my experience, a lot of uni folks find it hard to talk about things on a high enough level for A level students to get...

Voyager2002

I suggest he seeks advise from someone in that (or another) Chemistry department. Contact the admissions tutor (by email) and ask if there would be a convenient time for a telephone chat. Maybe ask to be introduced to a first year student doing the course, and again ask for honest opinions. Or it might be worth visiting a Chemistry department near to home.

Oldernotwiser

I think that your advice is spot on. Was this his first open day? If so, he probably found the whole thing a bit overwhelming.

Stubert

I stayed in Bangor Uni halls as part of my uni course. Its a nice little place/uni!

dora37

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I think that your advice is spot on. Was this his first open day? If so, he probably found the whole thing a bit overwhelming.

He went to Manchester last week with a few of his mates, however he didn't sit in on any talks - more of a general look around of the department.

He is going to Sheffield next week too.

dora37

melancholly wrote: »

my only comment on bangor is that it's a small place and some people prefer bigger cities (but then again some people prefer smaller places too).

Both OH and DS liked this aspect of it - as DS is quite quiet, they thought this would be an advantage. Though there could be the possibility of him outgrowing it.

He also liked the activities that were available in the area - canoeing etc.

ames123_2

Hey, I am graduating next week at Bangor, having just completed a history degree there. I love the place! If you have any questions about the place I will be more than happy to help!

pavlovs_dog

i think the advice you gave your son was on the money. the best thing he can do now is to continue going on open days. some places just feel 'right', others just feel 'wrong'. going on open days really helps you get a feel for which uni and course is best for you.

JohnDep_2

I just finished my 1st year Chem at Bath, I got a B and TBH i have struggled.

The open days may go over his head, but bare in mind the person doing to presentaion doesnt know his specific syllabus! And when I went to York the talked about Salters which is quite different from the OCR spec i did.

Also remember at unis alot of lecturers havent got the ability to teach lesser educated people (at a-level you still only know the basics). I find some lecturers just dont go into the detail and assume you know it and skip large parts because they know all about it!