[ebowey]

Just thought I would set up a thread for student who are applying for the four year BA (HONS) with foundation.

Has anyone been offered a place or applying? Or is currently a student on the programme?

What subject are you studying towards?

[alishazoe]

I'm currently doing my foundation year in Physics at Durham, so I might be able to help if you have any questions

[Mania06]

I have applied for Durham Foundation too. I applied on 6th November and haven't heard anything yet. I gather they are closed now over the Winter Holiday - so it certainly won't be until January now The waiting is awful! Let me know how you get on

[ebowey]

(Original post by Mania06)
I have applied for Durham Foundation too. I applied on 6th November and haven't heard anything yet. I gather they are closed now over the Winter Holiday - so it certainly won't be until January now The waiting is awful! Let me know how you get on

Have you had your interview yet? What are you wanting to study?

[Mania06]

Yes, I had an interview at the end of October for Criminology.

[ebowey]

(Original post by Mania06)
Yes, I had an interview at the end of October for Criminology.

You should hear soon, sometimes it depends on how fast the departments reply back to the foundation centre. Good luck

[Mania06]

Thank you - I have got everything crossed. I desperately want to go to durham

[AishaFletcher]

I have applied for the sociology with foundation course, still waiting to hear back. Anyone heard anything yet? Also which colleges did everyone apply for? I applied for Hatfield (wishful thinking).

[Mania06]

(Original post by AishaFletcher)
I have applied for the sociology with foundation course, still waiting to hear back. Anyone heard anything yet? Also which colleges did everyone apply for? I applied for Hatfield (wishful thinking).

Sociology and Criminology are in the same department and I still haven't heard anything either - that give me a bit of hope
I have applied to Hild Bede

[AishaFletcher]

(Original post by Mania06)
Sociology and Criminology are in the same department and I still haven't heard anything either - that give me a bit of hope
I have applied to Hild Bede

When did you apply? The wait is killing me! Ah hild bede is really nice and it's so close to the foundation centre, if I wasn't so keen on old traditions I would have definitely applied there. How old are you?

[Mania06]

(Original post by AishaFletcher)
When did you apply? The wait is killing me! Ah hild bede is really nice and it's so close to the foundation centre, if I wasn't so keen on old traditions I would have definitely applied there. How old are you?

I applied in early November but had already had an interview in October after emails going back and forth. We also live in France and it was when I would be in the UK. I am only 18 but have genuine reasons for applying for Foundation - long story
My Mum went to Durham so I knew about the colleges and liked Hild Bede the best.
How about you?

[AishaFletcher]

(Original post by Mania06)
I applied in early November but had already had an interview in October after emails going back and forth. We also live in France and it was when I would be in the UK. I am only 18 but have genuine reasons for applying for Foundation - long story
My Mum went to Durham so I knew about the colleges and liked Hild Bede the best.
How about you?

I also had an interview in October and applied later. Who did you speak with? Ah fair enough, I'm 20. My reason for doing foundation is also a long annoying story haha. I don't mind doing an extra year though

[Mania06]

(Original post by AishaFletcher)
I also had an interview in October and applied later. Who did you speak with? Ah fair enough, I'm 20. My reason for doing foundation is also a long annoying story haha. I don't mind doing an extra year though

I had my interview with Ian, he was great and really inspirational. It was on October 29th - waiting is killing me too!!
(I don't mind the extra year either - I think I need it!)

[AishaFletcher]

Well I shall let you know as soon as I hear anything, and vice versa

[Mania06]

Will do - if I haven't totally cracked up from the wait!

[Mania06]

(Original post by AishaFletcher)
Well I shall let you know as soon as I hear anything, and vice versa

STILL NO NEWS - AAARRGGHH!! It is my birthday on Friday - I am expecting a big fat rejection as a present

[ebowey]

(Original post by Mania06)
STILL NO NEWS - AAARRGGHH!! It is my birthday on Friday - I am expecting a big fat rejection as a present

Be positive. It can take ages, i'm still waiting for two uni's yet. Also, there are exams around this time so the process can take a little bit longer.

Try not to think too much about it, and enjoy your birthday.

[AishaFletcher]

(Original post by Mania06)
STILL NO NEWS - AAARRGGHH!! It is my birthday on Friday - I am expecting a big fat rejection as a present

Don't worry I've not heard anything yet either, I think because we're applying for the foundation course it takes slightly longer for us to hear back, not sure why.

[StefanieLouise]

Are there any people who have applied for a foundation course who have taken A levels? I sat my A levels last year, and now I'm on a gap year, but I definitely feel I could've done better. I went to a really bad school, spent three years in the sixth form (so I'll be 20 in March) but feel I could do much better at a good university. Do you think there's any point in me applying with ABC at A level to an English foundation course? I would LOVE to go to Durham, and if there are spaces in Extra for the foundation course then I'd really like to know if it's worth me applying.

[undergradstudent]

(Original post by StefanieLouise)
Are there any people who have applied for a foundation course who have taken A levels? I sat my A levels last year, and now I'm on a gap year, but I definitely feel I could've done better. I went to a really bad school, spent three years in the sixth form (so I'll be 20 in March) but feel I could do much better at a good university. Do you think there's any point in me applying with ABC at A level to an English foundation course? I would LOVE to go to Durham, and if there are spaces in Extra for the foundation course then I'd really like to know if it's worth me applying.

Hi,

They specifically say that it's not for people who didn't do well in their A levels ("The Direct Progression Programme is not normally suitable for current A-level (or equivalent qualification) students or those who have studied at A-level (or equivalent qualification) within the last 3 years." (http://www.dur.ac.uk/foundation.centre/dpp/entry/)

If you did the wrong subjects (eg did humanities A-Levels but now want to study Physics) then they may let you onto a foundation course, but otherwise it's very unlikely that they'll accept you.

If you spent 3 years in 6th form because you were ill/etc and those mitigating circumstances affected your final grades (not any modules you resat eg if you resat year 12) then you can ring the university and ask if they would consider you because of this (either for the foundation year or if you applied through UCAS for the normal English degree next year), but I think they'd have to be pretty serious circumstances.

Definitely ring up the foundation centre and ask them about it, but remember that the University do say the foundation degrees are specifically for people who haven't studied for years, or who haven't studied the right subjects, not for people who didn't do well enough in their A-Levels the first time round (unless they did them years ago). Also, if you already have humanities and English A-Levels you'd just be relearning the same things in the foundation course which probably wouldn't be a great use of your time.