Your thoughts on university

susancs

OP, I have had to get my head around Uni applications during the past year, as my daughter decided a couple of years ago that she wanted to become a pharmacist. It is not as simple as getting UCAS points from A levels anymore as there are so many applications that some take into account extras like GCSE results and a good personal statment with work experience. DD's school got a shock a few years ago when a couple of Uni's asked for a language GCSE at C or above, so now they have to do a language at GCSE. To do A levels they need to get a minimum of a B at GCSE or A to do Maths plus have a minimum of a C grade in both English and Maths. Some students do the Extended project qualification as well as A levels to give them extra UCAS points and provide a talking point at any Uni interview.

My daughter has already attended Uni open days (she is 16 and in her first year of A levels) and these have provided good insights into what is required. These places go quick and need to be booked in advance (in fact one for pharmacy she wanted was booked up within hours of going live on the booking site). Imperial college does a particularly good presentation she said on a good and bad application including personal statment, interview etc. They said UCAS points from AS levels and GCSE results count, plus the personal statment is what sets a lot of applicants apart. A great value was placed on transferable work skills (paid or voluntary) with evidence, keen interest in subject, mention of an up to date related topic, social skills in relation to hobbies. For the interview the candiate should research and be able to talk about current topics in the area they wished to study, plus again any work placement could provide a good talking point.

ViolaLass

susancs wrote: »

It is not as simple as getting UCAS points from A levels anymore as there are so many applications that some take into account extras like GCSE results and a good personal statment with work experience.

That's been the case for many years. Medical degrees have always been competitive and required more than just good A-levels.

susancs wrote: »

. To do A levels they need to get a minimum of a B at GCSE or A to do Maths

Those are school requirements, not university requirements. My school allows anyone to attempt A-level maths although if they don't have an A then we warn them that it will be tough.

susancs wrote: »

A great value was placed on transferable work skills (paid or voluntary) with evidence, keen interest in subject, mention of an up to date related topic, social skills in relation to hobbies. For the interview the candiate should research and be able to talk about current topics in the area they wished to study, plus again any work placement could provide a good talking point.

Again, this has been the case for a long time, particularly for competitive degrees. It's not a recent development.

pinkteapot

TheEffect wrote: »

I believe the grading goes as following:

1st = 70%+
2:1 = 60%-70%
2:2 = 50%-60%
3rd = 40%-50%
Fail = <40%

This is not true at all universities, though used by most.

The most fundamental difference between school and university is that exams are not set, marked and moderated by a central exam board (all schools do the same exam papers - universities don't).

Each University sets their own exams. They do have external moderators from other universities to check the standards, but it's not standardised across universities, and not all use the % boundaries shown above. However, all do give you a 1st, 2:1, 2:2, third or fail.

For the big graduate recruitment schemes, they'll specify that they want a 1st or 2:1. Their application forms filter people out who have 2:2 or thirds, but you'll still get jobs with smaller companies that actually review the rest of the application. There is huge pressure at uni to get a 2:1.

I have a degree in Economics and Management from Oxford and the doors it's opened are unbelievable. Neither of my parents went to uni and I didn't know what to expect as no-one from my school had been to Oxford.

It was really hard work - we had to research and write two 2,500 word essays per week throughout the three years and then be prepared to read them out and defend our arguments in tutorials. None of them counted for anything as my degree was assessed purely on final exams (two weeks of hellish stress!). None of the vacations were relaxing as we had exams on the previous term's work as soon as we got back each time. Again, they didn't count but if you persistently did badly you'd be chucked out.

That being said, it was in many ways the best three years of my life. I made amazing friends who I had so much in common with. I used my brain far more than I have done since and learnt so much. It really, really stretched me and I loved that. The experience was absolutely worth it and would be even at today's prices (I went when tuition fees were £1k per year).

My particular course is like a conveyor belt into the city. Half the people I studied with are fund managers in city financial companies now. I did a brief stint in the city but it's totally not me so now I do something I love for a quarter of the salary instead.

pinkteapot

lazer wrote: »

I have taken the first steps towards it - have started to volunteer in a related area, testing the water before I go ahead and more from a my good paid job into a career which is all about job satisfaction with very little money to show for it.

lazer - see my post above. I made the jump to a much lower-paid job to get job satisfaction. It was the best thing I ever did. I have occasional pangs about the lifestyle we could have had if I'd stuck at it, but it wouldn't have been worth it. I feel guilty sometimes but DH says he's far happier having me come home from work happy and jabbering about what I've been doing.

Good luck with the move - I know it's daunting. But if you can afford to live on the new income then it's so worth it. My old job was utterly soul-destroying (and I didn't really understand that expression until I was in that position!).

lazer

pinkteapot wrote: »

lazer - see my post above. I made the jump to a much lower-paid job to get job satisfaction. It was the best thing I ever did. I have occasional pangs about the lifestyle we could have had if I'd stuck at it, but it wouldn't have been worth it. I feel guilty sometimes but DH says he's far happier having me come home from work happy and jabbering about what I've been doing.

Good luck with the move - I know it's daunting. But if you can afford to live on the new income then it's so worth it. My old job was utterly soul-destroying (and I didn't really understand that expression until I was in that position!).

Stories of it being a success for others give me hope!

Somtimes i regret buying a house, it is what is really stopping me from going ahead with the change, but given time fingers crossed - all will go according to plan!

pinkteapot

lazer wrote: »

Stories of it being a success for others give me hope!

Somtimes i regret buying a house, it is what is really stopping me from going ahead with the change, but given time fingers crossed - all will go according to plan!

Good luck! I've you've got a plan to get to the point where you're in a position to do it then at least you can grit your teeth through each day and focus on what it's going to earn you in the long run.

susancs

ViolaLass wrote: »

Those are school requirements, not university requirements. My school allows anyone to attempt A-level maths although if they don't have an A then we warn them that it will be tough.

I Know it is off topic, but I am just curious as to whether many at your school who achieve a lower grade in GCSE maths go on to do well in A level Maths? I only ask as DD got a top grade in GCSE Maths, but has found A level physics maths challenging at times and her classmates who do A level Maths after getting the top GCSE grade, all say the Maths A level is so much harder (but supports Physics and chemistry A level well).

larkrisetocandleford

ViolaLass wrote: »

Except that if you don't get the good job, you don't have to pay the tuition fees loan back. You can also get a student loan for living expenses, for which the same terms apply. Deciding not to go because of that loan doesn't stack up, IMO, since it also won't affect your ability to get a mortgage and will have a minimal impact on your ability to save a house deposit.

Student loans are a necessary evil. A means to an end. Certainly not something that should put bright, academic kids off going to University.

pinkteapot

Now that the loans are so large, they're getting more and more like the graduate tax that could have been introduced instead (and that Australia has). It's just a small amount that comes off your salary each month. It's not debt like mortgage/credit card/loan debt. If you never work, you never pay it off.

his_missus

Claire21, I think there used to be an impression that if you went to uni it meant you were smarter, would get a better job, earn more money etc. but I'm not sure that's always the case these days. I remember the days of university or polytechnic where the not-as-smart ones went to do "easier" courses at a polytechnic and a university degree was deemed better than a degree earned at a polytechnic.

My dad was really proud of the fact that I was the only one of all my cousins on his side of the family to go to uni and get a degree. It was a big deal for him and I went to uni because it was somewhat expected of me because I was academic and because my intended career preferred a degree. I went to uni when I was 19 and it was my first experience of independent living etc. Then again, my sister left school at 16, got on a YTS, moved in with her boyfriend at 18 and was living independently with far more financial responsibilty than I was. We're now both earning a similar salary...

Depending on their choice of career, your children may need to have a degree behind them. If they choose more practical careers an apprenticeship and working their way up may be more beneficial

I don't think a university education guarantees a better job/wage/lifestyle though.