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News of non-dancing children.....


JulieW

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My daughter (who does dance at advanced level but not wanting a career out of it) has an interview for Bristol vet school :):) They still only take 30-50% of interviewees, but it's a step closer, and at least means her personal statement and work experience/grades etc must be OK!!

 

So pleased to have heard so early - I feel the same as I did when Josh was auditioning for ballet schools/jobs - that horrible waiting :angry::rolleyes: Still 3 more schools to hear from yet though - keep everything crossed for her.

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Well my youngest was thinking of architecture, but I think he's thinking more of graphic design now (couldn't face the thought of another one doing a long degree - but I'm trying not to let him know that ;) )

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Forgive me if I've bored any of you with this before, but thought some of you might be interested to hear what she's had to do to get this far:

  • Four weeks in two different vets - one had to be small animal and one large/mixed - three whole weeks and the rest spent helping in a Saturday clinic for several months
  • Three weeks lambing over two lambing seasons (where she also got some experience with chickens!)
  • Time on a pig farm
  • Two weeks in two different stables
  • One week in a kennel/cattery
  • (They have to have had at least 10 weeks work experience covering all of these areas - some schools say 6 weeks but you have to go for the school that wants the most as that's what everyone else will have done - plus she should have some dairy/cattle experience, but she's only done a short visit - we're keeping our fingers crossed on that one and she's booked to work on a buffalo farm in the new year!!)
  • A visit to an abattoir (no obligatory, but they like it)
  • They have to have at least 6 A or A*s at GCSE and predicted A grades for A2s
  • Personal statement has to show why you want to be a vet, what you've learnt on work experience, and you must have extra-curricular stuff showing that you've got fine-motor skills (musical instruments usually), that you can work in a team, that you've committed to something long-term (dancing's great for both of those), and done something to help the community
  • And good references from tutors of course
  • Oh - and get through the interview which is a whole other story (I'll fill you in another time on what's involved there!!)

 

And they can only apply to four schools (there are only seven in the country anyway).

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That's amazing Julie :) well done for getting this far!

My eldest (yr12) has no idea what she wants to do at uni and I was secretly hoping for a vet or dentist as the "family rates" would save me a fortune! But alas no :(

It must be wonderful to be that driven and focused to know exactly what you want to do, be it dancing or another profession...I think our family just amble... ;)

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Congratulations to your daughter, it is a very hard and long road to travel to become a vet, well done! Hope she hears from the other schools soon, there is one in Edinburgh isn't there? Exciting times! :)

 

Non-dd seemed at a very early age to want to follow the vet route but that fizzled out. We were informed at her first parents evening at senior schoold that we had the next JK Rowling or Tolkien on my hands! Unfortunately that particular teacher left the school and non-dd disappeared into a black hole. She has a 2.1 in English lit, had wanted to do a Masters but that all went pear shaped (boyfriend, couldn't earn enough to support herself etc etc). She is now back home which is great for me as dd is off at vocational school but she is desperate for a job and just can't seem to get one - not even in Waitrose!! She still writes but nothing published yet. She has had as many knock-backs in a non-dance world as dd has had in the dance world. I think it is so much harder for our kids than it was for us. All career paths seem to demand so much, and there seem to be far fewer places/chances than there used to be so it's great to hear of someonme following their dream. Keep us posted please :D

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Congratulations to your daughter, it is a very hard and long road to travel to become a vet, well done! Hope she hears from the other schools soon, there is one in Edinburgh isn't there?

 

There is one in Edinburgh, but she's applied for Bristol, Nottingham, RVC (London), and Glasgow. The others are Liverpool (want silly amounts of work experience - maybe one to try if she doesn't get in this year), Cambridge (want amazing academic results and she loved the place but not the course - too much research, not enough hands-on) and Edinburgh (nothing against it, just had to toss up between that and Glasgow!)

 

Such a shame that your daughter's finding it hard to get work and sadly she's not alone. It's partly what helped us keep going with Josh's chosen route - knowing that ballet was going to be hard to get work in, but all of our young people are finding it hard to get into any career at the moment. and at least he was getting a chance to do what he loves. I hope she finds something soon - and keep up with the writing - you never know when a "break" will come.

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Good luck to your daughter Julie. Hope the interview goes well. as a by the way my son also started off considering architecture but was put off by the length of the course but the architects practice where he did his first work experience suggested looking at engineering - architectural/structural engineering. It overlaps a great deal but obviously has a different focus and field. In the event, after visiting universities for 'engineering courses' it was civil engineering that really captured his interest. Point of the ramble - talking about design of buildings type industry, there are lots of courses that cover this but to an outsider to the industry 'architecture' is the recognised name for a course and job.

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Thanks for that. My daughter's friend has changed her mind from architecture and is now applying for civil engineering courses. I can't see my son going down that route - he hates physics for a start and is only doing maths because it's a good one to have (when he wasn't sure what he'd need) - he's a bit more of a creative type of person, so hence the graphic design route (he's not that interested in buildings which is why the rethink on architecture from his point of view!) Is your son applying this year?

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Agreed civil engineering is not the route if you hate physics, although maths was the only A level subject specified in his offers. My son started at Plymouth in September, which is actually very highly rated for engineering. He has a friend who does graphic design (not sure where) and I heard from the boy's mother that he loves it. Wish him luck as well as your daughter.

 

 

edited for typo

Edited by 2dancersmum
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Non-dd has got a Christmas job with Next. She's so pleased as she was getting really down. It's not many hours but it is something and she weill be out and about and meeting new people.

 

I've spent most of this evening doing on-line tests and fillilng out various forms so that I can join yet another temping agency! Lets hope all the effort is worth it and they find me some work! :)

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So pleased for your daughter Porthesia, it's soul destroying when you can't get work. My 16 year old dd has been to every likely and unlikely place she can think of to try to find a weekend job. On the plus side, my non-dd who's at uni has just got a Christmas job at Windsor farm shop. At the end of her shift she is given left over food that would otherwise go out of date, so that's extra good for a student! :)

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My non-dancing son lost his job back in June and since has done jury service, got ripped of and mislead by one company but eventually after writing to over 100 companies started a new.job last Monday. He's not an academic with very few qualifications but he is hard working. So relieved for him as his brother is about to embark on the road to find a job! It is so hard for our youngsters to find work in this current climate. Wish all our children luck in finding work.

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My drama daughter has finally got sixteen hours a week working in the cafe at Debenhams in Lincoln. I am torn between being pleased for her and furious. She has 10 GCSES, 4 A levels and a 2:1 degree. She could have done the same job at 16 with no qualifications whatever. :rolleyes:

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Thanks for all the good wishes for non-DD. She had her induction today and starts on Wednesday, she is such a happy bunny now :) . Next does seem to be quite good, maybe she can get on a graduate programme with them

 

All my on-line tests last night paid off. I have been into the Agency today, taken an audio typing test and I start work on Monday :) The downside is that I will not be on the forum as much but ooh the money is so welcome. I could skip round the room with glee except my dicky knees won't let me.

 

Fiz my non-DD also has a 2.1 degree, 3 A levles and I can't remember how many GCSE's - 9 I think. I sometimes wonder if this is the reason she hasn't been getting jobs.

 

Wishing everyone's children luck in looking for jobs

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Well done Porthesia. I worked for four and a half hours today to help out my supervisor. She rides me hard, but I felt so sorry for her when we found out seven students were off sick and another one resigned. I think we should have a thread on the various obs we have done and what has happened in them. :rolleyes:

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A massive huge well done to your PVSD (that's potential veterinary surgeon daughter)!

 

 

Exciting news - my PVSD ;) has another interview :D Glasgow on the 14th December (keep everything crossed that she gets an offer from Bristol next week so we don't have to make the journey - it's a bloomin' long way from Hampshire! Although part of me is looking forward to a visit and possible coffee with Belljul!!!)

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  • 4 weeks later...

She ended up flying on her own from Heathrow. Bit of an adventure as she's only been on a plane twice before but managed fine. Said interview went quite well although they did ask her about a few diseases she'd never heard of!

 

She's on hold for Bristol so has to wait until after all the interviews are done around the end of March. And still waiting to hear from Nottingham and RVC. This is just as bad as all those dance auditions ;-)

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Thanks Fiz.

 

She heard yesterday that she's also got an interview for Nottingham :-). Just hope one of these turns into an offer.

 

There's a forum on The Student Room site with a thread going for those applying this year - and you could be reading one of our audition threads from here. People waiting for post - did they send rejections at the same time - if I didn't get a letter today does that mean I'm rejected - what was the interview like - what are they looking for. I've keep getting deja vu!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Not such a major thing, but big for us -my 9year old son did his grade 1 piano examin December and we've now heard that he got a distinction. It's a really big achievement for him because unlike my other children he is very shy and lacking in self confidence. I did wonder if he would even manage to go into the exam room so I am extremely proud of him. Only potential hitch is that I know from previous experience that exam success is usually followed by an invitation to participate in a concert that a group of local music teachers put on every year.That could be asking a bit too much of him.But I'll cross that bridge when we come to it and in the meanwhile I'm enjoying the warm glow of proud motherhood!

Edited by Pups_mum
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