Courses in clearing

[loobylou]

Just as an additional though, back on the subject of "previous polytechnics", whilst at an interminably long hot prizegiving evening at school last week, I spent a lot of time looking through the booklet we were given - which had a list of all teaching staff including their qualifications and places of qualification. There was absolutely no correlation between the staff who are popularly considered to be the "best" (both in teaching and subject knowledge) and the relative popularly-supposed-merit of their university.
(I didn't expect there to be but it was nonetheless an interesting way to while away the time. Nottingham Trent seems to be particularly good at producing superb teachers in our very limited sample).

[doodles]

I have always firmly believed that it's not the current (or past) name over the door that matters but the content of the course.

[ToadMum]

Just as an additional though, back on the subject of "previous polytechnics", whilst at an interminably long hot prizegiving evening at school last week, I spent a lot of time looking through the booklet we were given - which had a list of all teaching staff including their qualifications and places of qualification. There was absolutely no correlation between the staff who are popularly considered to be the "best" (both in teaching and subject knowledge) and the relative popularly-supposed-merit of their university.
(I didn't expect there to be but it was nonetheless an interesting way to while away the time. Nottingham Trent seems to be particularly good at producing superb teachers in our very limited sample).

Some of / parts of some of the newer universities were originally teacher training colleges - Canterbury Crist Church, Greenwich (Avery Hill campus), Worcester (I think), Edge Hill.

[TIDDLYMUM]

An interesting thread. My DS A levels didn't pan out as expected which was hard for him ( and me if I'm honest). He was at a high performing grammar and the majority did extremely well. He missed his offers and ended up going through clearing and was offered the exact course he wanted in the city he wanted but at what I think they call a 'post 92 uni' ( I didn't go to uni myself so this meant nothing to me)

I was actually saddened by some of the snobbery from some 'friends' and also posters on a well known 'mums' forum with regards to his option.

However he's had a great first year and is talking about trying to attain the requirements to do a Masters ( hopefully nearer home so I don't have to pay another years accommodation!)

Whilst we were both disappointed, I was proud beyond words of his resilience on results day ( still chokes me up thinking about it!). Though he was crushed , he congratulated all his friends ( quite a few Oxbridge bound) and after a bit of breakfast sustenance he got on the phone and had secured an alternative before lunchtime.

He's also getting together a decent CV , having worked a number of office jobs over the past few summers. He's actually working for one of the exam boards this summer.

So whilst his uni maybe less prestigious , I'm hoping that the qualities he has demonstrated to date plus his future hard work will get him to the same place that he would have got to anyway.

[doodles]

I love your post Tiddlymum and very many congratulations to your ds. I am pleased that things have worked out so well for him.

We were in a very similar position last summer, clearing worked for ds1 and arguably he will be doing a better course than if he had made his offers. His gap year (which was already planned) has worked brilliantly for him and he is a more mature young man who is now much better prepared to begin his next adventure.

My advice for results day should things not go to plan is that, however hard it is on the day, it is not the end of the world. There are alternatives out there, consider a gap year, have a good look at clearing and don't panic. Things have a funny way of working themselves out.

[TIDDLYMUM]

Thanks Doodles!

I’d also say that whilst you don’t have to ‘helicopter’ your children all the time and nor should you , after my experience I really do recommend being available if needed. My son was pretty upset and I think needed me there to bounce his ideas and feelings off and to support him. I clearly recall there being a few lads in the room the school provided for clearing who were completely lost and having heard some of the conversations weren’t making good choices. Plus the ‘careers’ teacher suggesting to someone who wanted to do Drama ‘had they think ugh they about nursing’

So glad it’s all worked out for your son x

[ToadMum]

An interesting thread. My DS A levels didn't pan out as expected which was hard for him ( and me if I'm honest). He was at a high performing grammar and the majority did extremely well. He missed his offers and ended up going through clearing and was offered the exact course he wanted in the city he wanted but at what I think they call a 'post 92 uni' ( I didn't go to uni myself so this meant nothing to me)

I was actually saddened by some of the snobbery from some 'friends' and also posters on a well known 'mums' forum with regards to his option.

Well, here's one to cheer you up - the first I'd heard of the Russell Group was when a friend asked where DS1 was going (back in 2015, Birmingham) and when I told her, the response was, 'Ooh, Russell Group!'. And I actually went to one of the founding institutions of that particular little boys' club , just rather before it made itself up, so to speak. As far as I was concerned, he had picked an accredited course which interested him, at what appeared to be a decent university on a rather lovely campus in a city which I remembered fondly from my youth...

(And as as for a certain other site, they're still at it, sadly. Although some calling out does occur).

[KB]

I love your post Tiddlymum and very many congratulations to your ds. I am pleased that things have worked out so well for him.

We were in a very similar position last summer, clearing worked for ds1 and arguably he will be doing a better course than if he had made his offers. His gap year (which was already planned) has worked brilliantly for him and he is a more mature young man who is now much better prepared to begin his next adventure.

My advice for results day should things not go to plan is that, however hard it is on the day, it is not the end of the world. There are alternatives out there, consider a gap year, have a good look at clearing and don't panic. Things have a funny way of working themselves out.

+1 to all of this!

[loobylou]

I love your post Tiddlymum and very many congratulations to your ds. I am pleased that things have worked out so well for him.

We were in a very similar position last summer, clearing worked for ds1 and arguably he will be doing a better course than if he had made his offers. His gap year (which was already planned) has worked brilliantly for him and he is a more mature young man who is now much better prepared to begin his next adventure.

My advice for results day should things not go to plan is that, however hard it is on the day, it is not the end of the world. There are alternatives out there, consider a gap year, have a good look at clearing and don't panic. Things have a funny way of working themselves out.

+1 to all of this!

So agree. I know that I was in a different era but when I did not achieve my university place grades I thought it was a disaster. But a year later with marginally better grades and a different university place, it was apparent that actually I was much better off than I would have been had my plan A worked.
My last (excellent) trainee was telling me how devastated he was not to get a single offer of medicine in his first application. But he now feels his gap year spent working in hospitals has made him a better doctor than he would have been without it (and much better at empathising with those who have setbacks in life).

[anotherdad]

Well, here's one to cheer you up - the first I'd heard of the Russell Group was when a friend asked where DS1 was going (back in 2015, Birmingham) and when I told her, the response was, 'Ooh, Russell Group!'. And I actually went to one of the founding institutions of that particular little boys' club , just rather before it made itself up, so to speak.

A certain school near me has its own select group of universities which it has entitled the "Aylesburian Group", which they explain comprises the Russell Group plus Bath and Loughborough. The percentage of students attending this exclusive club hovers around the 70% mark so I suspect its origins are in marketing: Perhaps one year they calculated that those universities accounted for 75% of destinations and so they were able to say that "three quarters of our students attended Aylesburian Group universities"?

It's all a bit pretentious for my liking.