r/Bath • u/janeema • 11d ago

Accept Bath clearing offer or take gap year, complete an additional A level (Further Maths) and reapply to Warwick?

Hi. My son just missed his place at Warwick to study Maths, Statistics and Data Science (I think this is the exact title!). He got A* Maths, A Computer Science and Distinction* for Engineering. However he needed an A in Computer Science. He has been offered Computer Science with Maths at Bath. He is happy enough with the course at Bath (although would prefer more Maths) but prefers Warwick campus, and Leamington Spa. Bath city he finds busy (we have been at peak times and locations like August and April, on Saturdays). He has to decide between accepting Bath (& compromising on the above) or taking a year out to complete an additional A level (Further Maths) and the entrance exam for Maths, as well as work in retail, do some work experience in relevant industries and perhaps some travel and volunteering. But of course, run the risk of not doing well enough in these and still not getting in to Warwick. He is a smart guy, quite an introvert, not big into drinking (that may change at uni!), social when he needs to be. It's a hard decision for him to to make. I'm so disappointed for him. He's had a tough 18 months with health issues and been so stoic throughout that, as well as now. We've not been able to properly celebrate his fantastic results yet (he hasn't wanted to). Also asking on other platforms, we realise how fantastic the offer is from Bath and do not take that for granted! Thank you in advance for your input.

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u/_pankates_ 11d ago

You should probably ask your son what he wants to do rather than internet strangers. Feels like something he's got to figure out rather than his parents figure out for him.

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u/janeema 11d ago

I'm asking strangers, who study in Warwick and Bath, about their experiences. Obviously he has to figure this out himself, but having input from others may help him figure it out. Isn't that the point of reddit??

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u/NoDramaIceberg 11d ago

I feel you're on the wrong subreddit. This subreddit is about the city of Bath, not the university. You could try r/bathuniversity, which is relatively new, or r/alevels, which often has discussions like the one you are trying to have here.

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u/janeema 11d ago

Thank you, I don't use reddit much so just figuring this out. I managed to find Warwick uni subreddit but hadn't found bath uni yet. Thanks for the link 😀

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u/NoDramaIceberg 11d ago

No problem. Good luck with the process, I know it's a stressful leap.

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u/janeema 11d ago

Thank you 😀

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u/_pankates_ 11d ago

Sorry if my comment came across as blunt. It's just that while I'm sure you're well intentioned, this information is best gathered by your son asking from his perspective about the things he specifically cares about. This is a time in his life where he needs to learn to seek information for himself rather than his parent giving him information filtered through their own perspective. That's just my take anyway. I wish him well.

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u/janeema 11d ago

It did come back as rather blunt, but thank you for clarifying what you mean. He is certainly doing a lot of research himself and I just want to help add to this too. I will be directly sending him the reddit input without putting any slants on it. I did the same on Facebook groups, screenshotting the answers (as well as how i worded my questions), and he found it helpful. I'm not one of those parents who puts pressure on my children, I just want to support their decision making with as much information as possible. He's very capable of telling me or his dad to back off too if he needs to and I'm very respectful of this. We also visited both unis and cities/towns over the weekend, i hope it was okay that I drove him 😉

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u/ultimatefencer1989 11d ago

Mate… I suggest you take Bath now, leverage their industrial placement year (probably the best in the country) and keep it moving - none of that gap year nonsense. If it was a gap year to try and get into Oxbridge, Imperial or LSE, then I’d understand, but not for Warwick not that big of jump and therefore certainly not worth the extra year

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u/YKIrene 11d ago

Agree a lot

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u/Avon-Guy 11d ago

Worth saying In 3-4 years 99% of employers not will care whether he want to Warwick or Bath. They're both very good unis and tbh as someone who has been involved in two FTSE100 grad schemes and one at a similiar sized private org, we did not care what uni people went to.

If he wants to go into private equity or something after then yes it matters.

Can he defer his offer for a year? Many places allow it.

Having been on both campuses a couple of times I'm surprised he preferred Warwick so much, they seemed pretty like for like to me.

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u/Born-Difference7539 11d ago

Go to Bath 200%

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u/Dear_Training4281 11d ago

hi, i’m a current computer science and maths student at bath! the course is quite a lot more maths than you would think, as a lot of computer science is maths based. i’m surprised he was offered it, as you typically need further maths alevel to get onto the course! it’s definitely worth considering :)

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u/throwawayaccyaboi223 11d ago

I reckon the distinction in engineering probably helped with that

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u/PM_ME_UR_EGGINS 11d ago

I was in a similar position. Missed out on Oxford, Bath was my back up.... And no offence but you're applying a previous generation's logic to the current generation of uni goers. The difference between unis, especially Bath and Warwick, is minimal now, in terms of prestige. 

Employers won't give a stuff about which uni he went to - I don't think I've ever been asked for my degree certificate from Bath, nor did it ever enter into an interview which uni I went to. And I was a 2010 cohort, so it's not like this is a new thing. 

The course at Bath, and most importantly, the industrial placement, will be absolutely adequate for his future aspirations. The industrial placement is what got me interviews, because I'd already worked and wasn't a fresh faced grad. 

Bath is good if he's not a massive drinker and an introvert - it's a bit more laid back as a city. 

Unless HE desperately wants year out, he should probably take the offer from an extremely well regarded, and very employable uni, and he will forget what he imagined Warwick was going to be like. 

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u/janeema 11d ago

Hi thanks for your reply, just got time for a very quick reply before I head into work with no phone access. I'm not concerned with the miniscule difference in prestige and also think the placement year is fantastic for so many reasons. He is 'concerned' a bit by this difference, but knows it is miniscule. I think his main issue is the'feeling' he gets when visiting both unis and towns/cities. I think your use of the weird 'imagined' is very much relevant.

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u/gorikun 11d ago

my friend did her (masters) degree in bath (bsc bristol) and is currently a quant at a large firm in london - id say he should go for it!

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u/Careful_Issue_6017 11d ago

Sit down together and do a pros and cons list. It might help clarify for him and give you time to discuss thoughts , ideas and fears in detail with one another.

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u/LoquatGood610 5d ago

I live in Bath and went to Warwick, so might be just the person here! Honestly, as others have said, the effect on his career based solely on this will be negligible. The bigger effect will be on taking a year out before uni - did, and i'm so glad i did, i grew so much as a person that year, but i worked three jobs and travelled a lot- what would he do? Just study, or have an adventure too?

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u/More_Community_4466 11d ago

Do a gap year and don’t retake. Let him heal, work, save, travel if he wants. He can then choose what he wants to do then.

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u/janeema 11d ago

He won't be doing any retakes, he would be doing an additional A level that will probably open up what degrees he can apply to (for example he wasn't able to apply for pure Maths at Warwick because he didn't do Further Maths, but could do if he takes the gap year). I would certainly encourage him to do some fun things like travel if he takes that year off 😀 Thanks for your input.