University

I forgot to mention when it happened, but my eldest son Christopher has managed to get a place at university and starts later on this year. He applied to 4 or 5 but unfortunately due to the way UCAS work out the points you have based on exam results he was one point short of getting into all but one uni.

He applied for two teaching courses at Wolverhampton Uni and was accepted on both of them so he has decided on doing a combined degree on both of them. At the end of this - 3 years I think - he will get a Batchelor of Science degree (BSc) but still wont get his teachers accreditation and so will have to do a further years course there to get that.

Not sure on the course names, however they are to do with teaching primary age children and special needs in a school environment and will probably give him a more rounded education that a straight forward teaching degree course. At the end of last month we attended the open day at Wolverhampton Uni and I was very impressed with the lecturers there and how modern the place looked. They also have associations with many external faculties both in the UK and overseas which are used to provide the students with placements for "work experience" each year of the course.

Im pretty proud of him for taking this bold step in his life. Actually Im extremely proud with a large dollop of worried. The security & comfort of living at home must be a big magnet to pull against and to spend the next 4 years of your life learning must be a daunting one. Of course this probably all means that these next few months will be the last ones in which he will live with us at home, and thats very sad to think about, almost as if we're losing him. Who knows where he will decide to live when leaving uni, maybe not even in this country.

Still, he's going to be kept busy up until he leaves. He's trying to learn how to cook with us (we're still alive!), he needs to sort out accomodation - he seems adverse to using the Halls of Residence for some reason, and vitally, he needs to sort out funding. Sadly due to the way they work things he is going to need to sort this out himself as our savings are too paltry to assist him at all and he doesn't qualify for a grant.

It's going to be a sad day in a few months time. Okay hes only 2.5hrs drive away but its not like we'll see him that often. Still you have to let them grow up to be what they want and we always knew a day like this would come eventually. Won't stop it hurting though.