Shirtback

If it helps, I wasn't seeing you as a "helicopter parent, at all. I was (still am) genuinely interested in the question/different POV (way back then in the UK, recent years in Canada) I posed.

I could equally be a totally negligent parent for *not* being more involved!!

HGerchikov

Ditto

gryphea

I believe most UK universities run a separate parent's programme every time they run an open day.
It's very different now to when some of us went to uni.
Ann, I would get her to contemplate class size, tutorial system, type of assessment, amount of assessment.

Shard

Why doesn't she just go to UofC or UofA, both solid Canadian universities?

Tinpusher63

My teacher son would question your opinion of the U of C. More specifically their education program. He says he is a teacher despite the U of C education program.

We also have a friend who has a doctorate in education and she agrees with his view.

U of A has a much better reputation.

Oink

I'm sure there 100s if not a few 1000s of teachers out there who'd say the same about me.

dave_j

I don't think anyone should have placed Ann M into a position where she felt scolded.
Times have changed a great deal since I went to University in the UK.
The days when you you turned up at the train station and walked to the interview safe in the knowledge that the local authority grant could support you are long gone.
Today it's a serious money making concern and a substantial drain on most family budgets. As such I feel that the parent should have some input into the decision making process. And how do they acquire sufficient knowledge on which to make a sound decision? They seek third party reviews and if necessary they visit the place for themselves, with or without the student and they ask questions that the starry eyed student might not.
Now I know that there will be those out there for whom the question of funding isn't of great concern, but for most of us, supporting a young adult through university will affect the entire family. Young Jimmy who can't have his new iphone because older Katie is soaking up the spare cash might feel that he should have a say, but he won't get one will he?
The days when you chose Media Studies, or 'colouring in' as a friend of mine once described it, as a viable career choice should also be fading away, as should those who will wonder, as young Jimmy might wonder, to what purpose the 'ancient greek' course that the elder Katie thought was a good choice, could be put.
We have to face it that the university degree is a key that opens the lock on some doors, but once unlocked it is the individual who pushes at the door and moves on. Not all will be able to make best use of the these keys and for many they will turn out to have been a very expensive purchase indeed.
I have to say that today I would choose not to attend university. The cost of a university course could probably fund any number of diversions that would make me attractive to prospective employers or even to set myself up in business. How about spending the money to get a pilot's licence, breaking into the realtor business, become a certified gas engineer or electrician. The choices, while not endless, are wide indeed and many are very well paid.
So Ann M, do enough to satisfy yourself that the family resources are well invested.

dbd33

I didn't pay for university as some sort of vocational training course. I paid for it as education. It seems to me that the subject taken is not vital as what one hopes to attain from a university education is not the ability to plug pipes together but a critical mind and the ability to construct an argument. How much money one can make should only be a consideration if the degree is in law.

paw339

The virtually only advise I gave to my daughter who started University in September was unless she wanted to do a very specialised course that wasn't offered locally she should seriously think about initially studying locally as by living at home she would save a fortune and she might change her mind anyway about what degree she wanted to do. She ended up doing open studies at the U of C and by living at home and by keeping her part time job is able to self fund. This has taken all the financial pressure off enabling her to try a number of sensible courses before making a final decision on her degree.

scrubbedexpat091

Is tuition low there? No loans at all?

paw339

We're guessing the tuition will be between $32-40k for a standard degree. Knock off about $5k for being a good student from Alberta and the rest she hopes to earn. It does help being a waitress at a restaurant as though its hard work, the average hourly rate inc tips is quite good if you only work when its busy.

scrubbedexpat091

I am just mystified how one can pay out of pocket part-time, but I guess serving might make a lot more then just working straight hourly wage. I was thinking of a typical part-time job, 20-25 hours a week, and was truly mystified...



I am not looking at a degree though, so the full tuition has to be paid upfront all 17,000 of it....lol... Sometimes I wish a degree program would be an option as I could manage paying a couple classes at a time, but schools don't let you do that with the short term programs. All upfront.

Shard

Precisely this.

dbd33

Further to that, I encouraged attendance at remote universities for the "growing up" factor. I didn't expect the Grand Tour of Canada but that's better in my view, for parent, child and the university itself, than commuting to school from Mummy's.

scrubbedexpat091

Gotta have a lot of money or nice parents to go off to a far off school...