Visit to a UK university

[Laura Corin]

This is my second university open day: the first was to an ancient institution, the second was to a more modern one. I've finally been able to put my finger on some things that I think may be different from the US system that have been puzzling me as I listen in on discussions here.

 

From the presentations given this weekend:

 

- 70% of the top 100 UK companies in terms of graduate recruitment do not care what subject you have studied at university*

 

What they want is (in this order)

 

- A good degree** from a good university (it's a 'guarantee of quality')

- Work experience

- A record of achievement, sports, societies, volunteering

- The ability to tell a unique story (in interviews).

 

* The remaining 30% are mostly very subject-specific jobs: lawyer, chemist, etc.

** British degrees are graded: First, 2:1, 2:2, 3rd, pass (i.e. not honours), fail. Only a First and a 2:1 are considered good degrees.

 

That leads us on to the next point: they absolutely recommend doing a degree in something that you are passionate about, rather than a pragmatic 'practical' choice. Only if you have that passion will you (in their opinion) put in the work consistently enough to get the good degree.

 

Does this sound different in any way from your understanding of the US university/job situation?

 

L

[Gwen in VA]

Certainly in the U.S. the news articles emphasize the need to major in something "practical."

 

However, I know several top students who have a WIDE degree of college backgrounds who have "jumped ship" into completely different tracks after they got their bachelor's, so I think the reality may be closer to what you describe in the U.K. -- that the academic institution and academic honors and work/internship experience a graduate has matter a LOT.

[asta]

Having been to three Open days (one ancient, one more ancient, LOL), I would say that your assessment is spot on. (we went to one school twice)

 

I believe that this:

 

That leads us on to the next point: they absolutely recommend doing a degree in something that you are passionate about, rather than a pragmatic 'practical' choice. Only if you have that passion will you (in their opinion) put in the work consistently enough to get the good degree.

 

is especially important. When I read the boards here, I often see posts referring to the first year of STEM programs as being a sort of "weed out" year. From what I saw in our Open days, there simply were no "particular" majors that had a weed out year. ALL the majors not only had to hit the ground running (and if they blew their first year, well, that was pretty much it...), but they had to KEEP running if they wished to make it through to an Honors degree (e.g. the one that would get them employed).

 

It's hard to keep running when you hate to run.

 

I am now officially unqualified to comment on the US system: Switzerland is going to his first Ancient Choice! (:: happy dance ::)

 

 

a

[Laura Corin]

From what I saw in our Open days, there simply were no "particular" majors that had a weed out year. ALL the majors not only had to hit the ground running (and if they blew their first year, well, that was pretty much it...), but they had to KEEP running if they wished to make it through to an Honors degree (e.g. the one that would get them employed).

 

 

 

Not just any honours degree, but a good honours degree.

 

The 'hit the ground running' thing is partly because the students will have specialised at school, so they will be diving in at a level that reflects that. This is even more the case in England than in Scotland, because of the shorter courses.

 

L

[asta]

In the "oh carp, didn't see that one coming" department:

 

Switzerland has a completely valid US passport.  He has to submit his passport to the UK consulate to get his Tier 4 visa for school.  No problem, right?  Wrong.  

 

We don't live in the US due to hubby's job (even though we are US citizens).  We have a special visa to be able to stay in our current country w/o having to be considered a "resident" and pay their taxes.  Because of this, rather than simply sending kid's passport off to the UK consulate in New York (or where ever), and waiting in our "birth country" for it to come back with the visa plastered in it, kid had to GET ANOTHER PASSPORT.

 

He had two choices, actually: send off the passport that was in his hands and carry around a photocopy of it - never leaving the country and hoping no one wanted to check his papers (which actually happened about a month ago) lest he have to explain that another government had it and all he had was a copy (um... yeah - that would be fun to do in a foreign language.  To the police.). Or he could apply for his next passport early and briefly have two (they're willing to let him hold on to the other one until the new one comes back from the UK consulate, as his current one is only good until Spring).

 

I know - who really cares, right?  But this is something to consider if you have a kid who is looking at going to school overseas.  Not only is it going to be a pain in the butt to get a passport if they don't have one (it can take up to 3-4 months), if they DO have one, and it is set to expire during the school year, your kid will have to get a new passport while they are abroad.  They may also have to pay for a new visa or to have the current visa transferred ($$$).  Additionally - we learned this just yesterday - if your kid has visited a school and still has a valid "visitor visa" (90 days) in their passport at the time they are applying for their school visa (tier 4), the consulate simply won't grant it. They don't allow 2 visas to be in a passport concurrently.  So... in Switzerland's case, he HAD to have that new passport - he had just been to Open Day and has a valid visitor visa!

 

On the high side, he officially has his accommodation assignment, his acceptance letter, and all of his documentation.  We just need his passport to show up so we can submit for the visa... LOL

 

 

a

[Laura Corin]

It never ends, does it?  I must say that I don't miss the wrangling about visas/passports/residence that I dealt with for twenty years whilst we were all overseas.  We currently all live in (one of our) passport countries.  Our Hong Kong residence can be reactivated at a later date (or so I was told).  And we just have to remember to apply for two new US passports for the kids before we travel to the US again.

 

Hang in there.....

 

L

 

ETA: I meant it about being an emergency contact.  If you'd like my mobile number, drop me a PM and I'll send it to you.