University A level preferences

[kenyancowgirl]

Sounds like a very difficult time Steve DH but, (as this is a very, very old thread), I am hoping that she is now well out of Cambridge Uni, that those trying times are merely a distant memory, and that she is now settled and more happy than she was then.

[berks_mum]

After knowing some experiences I have started thinking if Oxbridge are good options for some DCs, no matter how bright/academically suitable) they are. I think the DCs go away from home for the first time and some may feel home sick. Pastoral care could be an issue as well.

[ToadMum]

Just because you can / may go to a given university, it doesn't mean that that particular institution is the best place for you, Oxford and Cambridge included...

[tabasco]

Irrespective of whether Oxbridge or any other universities, the most important character a DC need to have is to be able to adapt accordingly. No university is going to be perfect for anyone so prior research is essential before applying, hence this is why attending open days are useful.

For most foreign students at Oxbridge their first priority is to get a good degree at the end of their studies hence they tends to be more flexible with whether there are going to make a lot of friends or not.

We have talked to DD with regards to the intense academic terms, highly challenging course content and supervision method at Cambridge before she apply. Her response was "I want to study Mathematics and I want to go to Cambridge if they offer me a place". Anything else is of secondary concern for her.

[berks_mum]

Just because you can / may go to a given university, it doesn't mean that that particular institution is the best place for you, Oxford and Cambridge included...

Very true. How do you know it before selecting the Uni though. Any tips?

[SteveDH]

Sounds like a very difficult time Steve DH but, (as this is a very, very old thread), I am hoping that she is now well out of Cambridge Uni, that those trying times are merely a distant memory, and that she is now settled and more happy than she was then.

Yep finished and now got a job she likes, however as I mentioned before she now looks back on her Cambridge days with a certain amount of fondness. I think by the final year, despite the stress of finals etc she had managed to settle in and got quite a bit out of Cambridge, quite a few formals, trips to Korea and Japan, quite a few parties and stuff with the societys' she had joined, May Balls,and a few trips with the friends she had finally found.

I think she is now looking forward to going back to get the Cambridge MA and reunite with her friends.

[Jean.Brodie]

What did she hate about it?

Was it not what she thought it would be? DG

It wasn't fully university specific, it was a number of things,
She had difficulty making friends and didn't really have any until near the end of the 2nd year.
because of this her work suffered and at Cambridge if you fail your end of years your out, no retakes.
And because the friends she made were all foreign students who all seemed to get top marks
And because counsellors don't really have time for you unless you are suicidal.

Hi Steve DH! Sorry to read about your daughter's past experiences. Good news about her later Cambridge years, though, and I expect she will now be stronger in life going forward.

My daughter was horribly homesick at first and took a good two terms to properly settle. She wanted to come home for good in the middle of her first term! And this in spite of making lots of friends.

She also had a wobble later on, triggered by a bereavement in the family but, quite possibly, also rooted in a number of other factors. She went to her Personal Tutor straight away and, pretty much immediately, had a session with an external Counsellor. This helped her enormously. I encouraged her to continue and have more sessions but, needless to say, she did not. Anyway, the Tutor support, the Staff support and the Counselling was very effective. The Head of College also spoke to her and showed a lot of concern and personal kindness.

You are right about friends, of course; our daughter has always spent a lot of time and effort on her friends and her friendships and, when she needed them, those friends really looked after, both her new Cambridge and her old HBS friends at Cambridge and at other universities. We were also in touch with a few of them,especially during her later wobble.

But I recognise that each personality is distinctive and that each individual's experience can be different. I write this mainly so Forum contributors and visitors can know what is possible in Cambridge colleges.