Send teenager 400 miles to Oxbridge interview by herself ?

Savvy_Sue

mountainofdebt wrote: »

Never going to talk to you lot again - you keep making me feel like a carp mum!

:rotfl: well how evil am I, taking DS1 but not the others? :rotfl: Especially as DS1 is the steadiest of the 3, and has the best sense of direction!!!

OK, that's not quite true, DH and I did take DS3 all the way to Brighton, which required an overnight stay, in all that snow. Really glad he decided not to go there ...

babyb06

I travelled to my Oxbridge interview (and other uni's) by myself without parents - not from as far afield Scotland, but still, train (with changes) and stayed overnight on my own.

I think your child should do it alone - in less than one year they will be going to Uni alone and it is a good try/test to see if they can manage and are happy.

DOn't get me wrong I was nervous and when I arrived at Uni I had a brief look around town before returning to my room and spending over an hour on the phone to my parents (no TV in room, no laptop with me) and then read the newspaper to ensure I was well prepped for interview before speaking to my parents again.

Gave me a lot of confidence to realise that I could be independent as I was very much a shy child. It was 10 years ago now, but hope my experience helps!

property.advert

Oh, just another point. When we were traversing the world at 16 there were no mobile phones and there was no internet. Communication was one way only, from child to parent and then only when the child wanted it as the parent had no way on earth of contacting the child.

Perhaps the mobile phone has turned parents into worrying wrecks whereas before they had to make sure their flock was ready to leave the nest.

Pee

If you were asking this question without reference to the costs involved, my response would be that she should go on her own. If she lets slip in the interview that she came with her Mum that is likely to count against her and is the sort of thing that would come up in the opening small talk i.e. how was your journey?

Person_one

Pee wrote: »

If you were asking this question without reference to the costs involved, my response would be that she should go on her own. If she lets slip in the interview that she came with her Mum that is likely to count against her and is the sort of thing that would come up in the opening small talk i.e. how was your journey?

I don't think that's true. Lots of people have parents drive them to interviews, lets not scare people too much!

As long parents wait discreetly somewhere and don't try to be too involved its fine. What might harm your chances is if parents actually follow you into the interview! There were about 15 parents (from a group of 50 interviewees) who did this at one of mine last year, they had to be asked to leave! :eek:

Brighton_belle

Person_one wrote: »

As long parents wait discreetly somewhere and don't try to be too involved its fine. What might harm your chances is if parents actually follow you into the interview! There were about 15 parents (from a group of 50 interviewees) who did this at one of mine last year, they had to be asked to leave! :eek:

It's known as 'helicopter parenting' and is a real turn off to interviewers and employers.
(This isn't a comment on you OP - what you are considering isn't the same. EDIT to add -I see you have ecided not to go. Good decision in the circs.IMO; she'll be fine, well looked after at Cambridgeand she has a mobile phone so can be in touch with you for moral support if needed. I flew to Paris on my own at 14. No mobile phones then. Once you are on a plane, the length of journey doesn't really matter.)