How to transfer uni

Mrsmoneypenny

Does anyone know how difficult it is to transfer from one uni to another. My son has started his first year, loves the course but hasnt taken to the uni. He is used to being away from home because he was a full time boarder for 4/5 years before he went to uni.

Likes the people, no big problem other than he wants to be nearer home for a change.

Has anyone done it and lived to tell the tale! Does it cost a lot to change to a new uni but same course?


The other thing is he has signed (OMG) a lease for his private accom for the coming academic year, so that might be a problem. Might just post that on the renting board and see if there is any help there.
:beer:

Oldernotwiser

When you say "the coming academic year", do you mean 2008/9 or 2009/10?

Mrsmoneypenny

Sorry about that, he started his uni course last September so that is 2008/09. The lease for the house is 2009/2010

kte

If he wants to change mid-year to a comparable course the best thing is to speak directly to staff on the course he wants to get onto to find out:

a) If there are places
b) If what he has studied so far will enable him to transfer across directly
c) Whether they'll accept students mid-year (this will generally depend on how flexible the staff are and what the student numbers are like, also what type of course it is and how easy it will be to catch up)

It is possible academically to do it mid-year put will require extra work and catching up on his part...It should then just be a matter of filling in some paperwork - transfer forms.

As for the lease, I can't help you there...

whitfreak

You'll have to talk to the insitution he wants to transfer to. I wouldn't be surprised if he had to do the transfer between academic years. And as its an early switch he'll have to meet their A Level, etc. requirements.

As to next years lease, first read the contract and see if there are any notice periods you can use to get out of it. Even if it means paying a couple of months rent. If not (my student rents were straight 12 months) then talk to the landlord. As theres still plenty of time to get someone else in then they should be quite tame at this point. Point to note, if its a joint tenancy then the other tenants have a say on the replacement tenant as a new contract would have to be signed. (i've had a friend screwed over on this point).

Its a big step to transfer mid course. I hope he's thought it through fully. Good luck.

flutterbyuk25

I did it back in 2000/1.

I did my first year at one uni, then transfered back to my "home" uni for 2nd and 3rd year for a variety of reasons.

My first port of call was to speak to the advice people at my current uni, then I emailed the head of department for course I wanted to transfer to at home uni explaining my reasons etc and asking who I needed to contact. He pointed me towards various admin people, who liaised with my original uni to arrange the transfer. I had to provide a copy of what subjects I had/were to study for that year and any grades gained to my home uni. I also had to speak to UCAS and Student Loans to advise them.

For me it worked out extremely well. I more or less transferred onto same course at home uni. It didn't cost me anything extra, I actually gained grant wise as I received the Welsh grant.

However there are pitfalls. Such as you won't know anyone on the course, people will have already bonded loads from the first year. (I coped ok with that as luckily I had 3 friends from school doing one or 2 same modules as me, plus as it was my home town I had friends already). You will be expected to prove yourself as a good student. You have to sometimes explain to various emloyers why you transfered (I just use the "it was cheaper to move home" line if questioned).Things may be done differently in new uni to old (e.g. at my 1st uni, you could hand in work handwritten, but in 2nd uni it had to be word processed - I spent a good 2 hour typing up my 1st essay in 2nd yr at the library in the early hours as I did not know this till the night before deadline!!)

Hope that helps

x