Janepie33 Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Has anybody been on a university taster day and did they find it useful? DD is thinking of attending one of these at Cornwall College - Newquay campus - next weekend. She wants to study their Wildlife and Media degree. It is all booked, but a bit of a pain to get to as we live just outside London, plus the weather might make it a bit tricky to get to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I've been on Vet-Medlink and Vet-Sim ... kind of similar I think I stayed at Nottingham Uni for 4 days and we just had lectures about vet school, getting in, what we need to do etc. VetSim was more hands on, with animal handling sessions etc. I'd say if she can get there it would be good to experience. They really help to answer any questions so useful in that sense, and meet people you could end up at Uni with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poachedegg Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 We went with DS last year to some and found them very useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbier Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Was the Vet stuff from sixth form college? My daughter has her mind set on being a vet at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clash City Rocker Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I've been to a few of the university open days with the "Brat" ahead of her UCAS application. We went to Twickenham (nice but very expensive), Queen Mary's in Mile End (Horrible), Buckingham New in High Wycombe (ok), Oxford Brooks (My Favourite, Brat hated) and Nottingham Trent (ok). Her school made all pupils complete the UCAS application before October half term and she has received "conditional offers" from all five (dependent on final grades). A' Level exams starting again next week. As a parent, what I was looking at and what my daughter was looking at were very different things. What I liked, she hated and vice-versa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 So these kids would be starting uni this September, yes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clash City Rocker Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 So these kids would be starting uni this September, yes? "Hopefully" !!!! In her last year at sixth form, (18 in July, the youngest in her year). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 *phew* Mine will start next year,thought I had missed the boat there for a sec! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGirlsMum Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 You'll certainly find our way of life very different to London so probably a good idea to have a look around although Newquay is the life and soul of the party.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clash City Rocker Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 *phew*Mine will start next year,thought I had missed the boat there for a sec! Have fun, You'll be able to join thousands of other parents driving the length of the country at "stupid o'clock" on a Saturday morning to get to your chosen destination before 10.00am. Start booking your Travelodges' now !!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurmurf Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 We went through all this last year and the year before (we started doing open days in year 12 and a couple early in year 13). Shonagh didn't get a taster day at her choice universities but there were interviews for her course at each one, hospital visits and specialist open days in addition to the univ open days. It made a big difference to see the univ that was 'good on paper' but didn't live up to expectations. Like Crash said, do be prepared to stay overnight - she went as far south as Colchester and Brighton for her open days and interview, and staying over was a better option than leaving at 5.30am to get to Leicester in time for her early interview! if there are taster days i would leap at them - it will give a much better idea of the course, the univ and the opinions of the other students. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I went to two university open days / interviews and found them really useful. It gives you a chance to work out whether the place suits you as well as the course. Sometimes you just get a gut feeling and know somewhere is going to be right (or not!) which you wouldn't get without visiting. I didn't go with my parents as I didn't want them to have an opinion one way or the other! Edited to add - I also used to volunteer to show visitors around the uni and answer all the questions about anything and everything. They would always get an honest answer from me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janepie33 Posted January 8, 2010 Author Share Posted January 8, 2010 My daughter's birthday is the 17th July! We have already looked at the college as my son was considering it for this year (he is now having a fantastic time in Hampshire studying Aquaculture and Fishery Management). DD wants to study Wildlife & Media and the only 2 courses she is considering are in Cumbria and Cornwall both about 5 hours away from us in completely different directions. We went to Cumbria in the October half term and the advantage for DD is that there is on site accommodation, but the wildlife she would be studying is local British wildlife. In Cornwall, she would have to live in private accommodation, but would spend a great deal of time at Newquay zoo which she would love. My Gran used to live near Torpoint, so we have spent many happy family holidays in Cornwall. Newquay looks great if you love surfing and parties (which my daughter doesn't!). Her UCAS form only went off TODAY as the college kept sending it back with minor alterations and of course college has been closed for 3 days. What an anxious time in our lives. Well, I seem to be more anxious than DD! I know everything will work out in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 *phew*Mine will start next year,thought I had missed the boat there for a sec! Well it's worth going to a few before Devon applies, just so you know what things will be like etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 My UCAS went off just before we broke up for Christmas ... they may be extending the January 15th deadline because of all the snow Sarah, school should go through everything with Devon - how to fill in the forms, write a personal statement etc. Do think its a good idea to have a look at courses now just so she can fulfil any requirements (work experience) even if you don't have a look round. Have had a conditional offer for Animal Science at Aberystwyth With open days I've been to Nottingham twice (main campus + vetty) and also been to the Vetsim/medlink at Notts, Bristol and Aberystwyth. I read the taster days as a visiting day rather than open day ... you go to the open day to see if you like it and what they have to offer, then the visiting day later on when you know you like it and the decision is very close to being made, to have a look more specifically at the course. I've been invited to a visiting day at Aber. One thing I'd say to everyone looking at Uni's ... speak to the students! Lecturers will say its good, but students tend to be honest and can answer questions better. Was the Vet stuff from sixth form college? My daughter has her mind set on being a vet at the moment. I arranged it myself - school announced it in assembly the week before and it would have been sold out by then They're really good and worth the money ... just to see what you're going into, meet other people in the same situation and get a few tips. I wanted to be a vet more than anything, just know I won't get the grades so an going for Animal Science/Zoology and Bio-vet science, you can go on to do post-grad vet school if I wanted to after Any questions just ask Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 We had a lovely girl showing us around DD's preferred uni, she was really honest about it. DD was besotted with the uni as soon as she saw it (Nottingham). It has so many beautiful buildings. DD arranged herself on a legal course at Cambridge whilst she was in 6th form, she was there for about 4 days and loved it. We thought she had arranged it through school but she'd just booked it up herself and met a great group of people there. They still keep in contact now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clash City Rocker Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 We also visited our local university (Worcester Uni) for their open day, though my daughter had no intention of applying there. we went to the "funding"presentation, How to get it, When, paying it back etc. and we also attended their "UCAS application" session. This was quite useful and didn't involve travelling hours/miles around the country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbier Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Any questions just ask Thanks. My daughter is two years younger: just applying to sixth form now. She's only just come around to realising that she needs amazingly good grades to be a vet, so goodness knows if she'll actually end up doing it, but it's good to hear they may be other ways of approaching it. She did work experience at a vet's and enjoyed that, but it's a way to go yet, I know. The A levels she's picked are Chem/Phys/Biology/Maths, but she does enjoy science and hasn't considered anything else. I just hope she gets in to her preferred sixth form college. Where we live there are none local, and her favourite is very selective. Fingers crossed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester_H Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Hi I work at Leicester University. We have many open days (sometimes need to register ahead of time) - usually for lower sixth (showing my age now ) ie year before applying via UCAS - so know which to apply to. Usually students show prosective students around - as well as more 'official' talks by staff. We find it really useful for people to get a feel for the place - there are often several/many places that offer the required course but it all depends if student feels comfortable and likes the place - not a measurable quantity. I'm sure most/all depratments would be happy to arrange a mini-indivual tour if the scheduled ones were n't convenient. These days, Universities are as interested in getting the right students (ie those that will suceed) as students are to get the right University. H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbier Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 HiI work at Leicester University. We have many open days (sometimes need to register ahead of time) - usually for lower sixth (showing my age now ) ie year before applying via UCAS - so know which to apply to. Hi Hazel, What time of year are they, normally? btw, I had a mis-spent youth at Leicester Uni Disco (pre-uni, for me) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester_H Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Hi Sorry for delay. They occur throughout the year - there are usually a few over the Summer Vacation, but term time ones may give better feel of place http://www.le.ac.uk/study/opendays/index.html H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
