How to approach this

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

mountainofdebt wrote: »

Junior in his 1st year of a 4 yr university course with the 3rd year being a year in a university abroad.

The course can be done without this year (so is effectively a 3yr course) and I've had it confirmed today that the year abroad has no bearing on the classification of the degree - ie so long as he passes the exams in the host university he can proceed to the 4th year back in this country.

I can't see any advantage in him doing the 4yr course either academically or financially and I think of many other (practical) reasons why its a bad idea. I've also had it confirmed that it possible to switch to the 3 yr course.

Any tips on how to approach this?

Yes.

Keep quiet and let the adult taking the course get the incredible experience that is spending a year overseas whilst they can.

celyn90

mountainofdebt wrote: »

He's doing a science course and it's not a sandwich course (I could understand the benefit of doing that if it was) ...the 3rd year is literally a year in a foreign university which has no bearing at all on the degree he (hopefully) will get.

Shegirl it would have to be Junior that I talked about this and I know he's abit of a traveller at heart, which is what attracted him to the
course in the first place.

I guess that having found out that there is no 'added value' to this extra year (in fact I've been told that the only 'advatage' is that the student comes back fluent in the language they've been taught in - not really applicable as he's going to an english speaking country - and can enjoy the local culture) then I can't see the point in him doing it.

I don't have an issue with him studying abroad per se ....if he wants to go and do a post graduate course abroad I wouldn't mind.

For a scientist, having worked abroad at some point in your career is a major plus (doesn't matter about language skills). He will likely make contacts that may be useful in the future and will be more attractive to potential employers/supervisors - especially if they have bases in other countries. Even academic science is a very nomadic profession to be honest and showing you can travel, move and adapt is important. Having something other than a degree is also important; it makes you stand out.

We have frequently hosted students on these types of programs in my group - they have been a joy to work with and if I thought they considered their year or time with us worthless or just a way of improving their English, I'd be very sad. Our last intern (on a three month placement - didn't count towards the degree) is now looking at returning to another department in the same university to do his final year project, all arranged through contacts he made when he was with us.

It's his choice ultimately - as is what he makes of the opportunity, but please don't dismiss these schemes as lacking in value because they don't have a grade attached to them.

floss2

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

Again, what are you actually approaching? Telling him he can't go, that you can't afford it, that you think 1/4 of his degree time will be a waste of time, that he won't be able to hack his 4th year with students younger than him?

Until you know what you are trying to approach and why, how can other people on here assist you?

My DS2 had a gap year before he went to uni, so was already with kids a year younger than him when he went off to London. Then he did a Masters split over 2 years, attending lectures with students in his 2nd year who are 2 years younger than him. What's the big deal? Why would being a year behind his fellow freshers after an international year be a disadvantage?

floss2

celyn90 wrote: »

....It's his choice ultimately - as is what he makes of the opportunity, but please don't dismiss these schemes as lacking in value because they don't have a grade attached to them.

It's the invisible value to your son - helping him become an adult who can stand on his own feet; creating a new network of friends and contacts that may be with him for life; experience of other countries and other academic institutions; an enormous advantage when applying for more study, placements, internships, jobs etc. Would you really want to deny your son all that, just because you don't think it's a good idea?

I didn't think taking a gap year to work with young people and then studying religion, philosophy & ethics ( and spending 1 summer travelling in South America) was the route to a job for DS2, but it enabled him to get a permanent job he loves, he now has his Masters too and his experiences during his gap year and at uni were part of the route to being invited to join the board of trustees of an international charity. Now all that wouldn't have happened if I had said "no, go straight to uni, do not have a gap year and do not consider a Masters", which is what I thought. It was not my decision to make, it was not my future ahead of me, but my son's. I supported him financially through all of it, and am incredibly proud of him having the sheer guts to do everything he has done.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

If you stop him now, there's an extremely high chance that he'll be packing his case for the airport as soon as he gets his degree classification through. At least you know he'll be back for year 4, instead of heading overseas permanently as soon as he has graduated because he wasn't allowed to do it for fewer than 9 months, just a year previously.



Don't give him a reason to resent you as one of his last memories of being a kid/one of his first memories of becoming an adult.


Oh, and by the way - my eldest is in her first year of a Fine Arts degree. She's 20 next week, so she is 2 years older than some of the students. And up to 30 years younger than some of the others. It makes no difference to anybody once you get to 18.

nervousftb_3

I haven't had time to read all the replies but I just had to reply to tell you about my experience. I did a science degree and did a year in France as part of my degree. And it was the making of me! Before I went, I was shy and lacking in confidence. I came back a completely different person, having been forced to come out of my shell a bit in order to make friends in a different language.

It was not a waste of time academically either; I did a research project in an area I wouldn't have had the opportunity to study at my home uni, and learnt a variety of new lab skills along the way.

Financially, it was my best uni year - I got a bigger loan for the year I was abroad, and I didn't have to pay any fees. Rent over there was ridiculously cheap, so I had more spare cash than ever before, and it was the only year that my parents didn't have to give me extra money to help me through.

Finally, I got the chance to experience a whole new culture and make new friends from all over the world. Without my year abroad, there is no way I would be in the fab job I am now, mainly because of the confidence boost it gave me. I wouldn't change it for the world, and I would urge any student to consider it. Lots of people in my year at uni did it, so when I returned there was a big group of us who were already friends, and then we also made friends with the year below.

I genuinely can't think of any negatives, and I can't imagine why you would try and discourage it. It is an amazing opportunity that can't ever be repeated (unless you get a very understanding boss or win the lottery!) and I wish everyone could do it.

YoungBaker

I cant believe this thread is still going.

It is very simple - you need to pipe yourself down.

This is not your life, your son is no longer a child and to be quite frank whether or not he goes is very little to do with you now.

chirpchirp

Some quick questions for OP.

1. Is he an only child?

2. Is he living at home and paying board?

3. You do realise that if he pays for the year with a student loan he isn't effectively taking on that amount as a normal loan? He only repays the loan dependant on how much he is earning, therefore if he was to earn less than the threshold during all his working life, he would pay nothing

midnightraven3

my son is in his 1st year (of 5) at uni
and he will go abroad for a year in his 3rd year

am i worried about it? of course i am
BUT i am also excited about it for him
he is looking at going to Dubai

no matter how nervous or worried i am i could never deny him this chance, the experience he will have when he comes back, his CV
all of it, is what he has worked for, he knew since he was 5 year old he wanted to "build things" so he is studying civil engineering

i couldnt be more proud
we spend our lives preparing them for opportunities like this
you cannot do anything but support him and congratulate him

Sambucus_Nigra

floss2 wrote: »

My DS2 had a gap year before he went to uni, so was already with kids a year younger than him when he went off to London. Then he did a Masters split over 2 years, attending lectures with students in his 2nd year who are 2 years younger than him. What's the big deal? Why would being a year behind his fellow freshers after an international year be a disadvantage?

???

I have absolutely no idea why the OP has issues around this - hence asking what the issue actually is.