Education of Lady Louise and the Earl of Wessex

[Iluvbertie]

Originally Posted by TLLK

Alison- When would students know if they'd been admitted to the universities that they applied to? In the U.S. applications are due by November and students entering as freshman, typically know by April at the latest.

The difference is that in the UK (like NSW and Vic in Australia) students sit externally set and marked exams, based on a common curriculum in May-June and don't get their results until August. As a result they can't know their university placement in April - as they still have to actually do their end of school exams.

In NSW our students are finishing their 'trial' exams in preparation for the HSC exams to be sat in October-November. They have to have their uni applications in by the end of September and they will get one uni offer in early January, based on their exam results. The UK has some similarities and some differences to the NSW system but the essential similarity is an end of year exam, externally set and marked, then wait for exam results and uni acceptance based on those results. The UK does more pre-offers dependent on results than happens in NSW but the exams are the main criteria for entrance to uni with no need for the extras that US students need to do.

I am not saying one is better than the other - just different.

[TLLK]

Congratulations to Lady Louise on her acceptance to St. Andrews University.

[Alison H]

I’m so pleased for her. Waiting for A-level results is very stressful, and she would have needed very good grades for St Andrews.

[Claire]

hmm - it seems that the apartment that William used is still owned by William or Charles so she might be using that. And that might have played a big role in deciding whether to go there. Well it sure beats dorm life.
But to be honest I expected a gap year - I think all the grandkids did gap years. Even the ones that didnt go to uni.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Iluvbertie

Maybe she felt that the UK's education was as good as anything she saw in the US.

Was there any credibe suggestion that Louise was considering studying in the US?

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Claire

hmm - it seems that the apartment that William used is still owned by William or Charles so she might be using that. And that might have played a big role in deciding whether to go there. Well it sure beats dorm life.

I thought William lived in Halls of Residence (St Salvatore's) for the first year, andthen rented a house with friends, including Catherine, for subsequent years. I do not think a house was bought by Charles at the time.

Originally Posted by Claire

But to be honest I expected a gap year - I think all the grandkids did gap years. Even the ones that didnt go to uni.

I do not see that many children take gap years these days. I think they were very popular about 15 years ago, but less so now.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Alison H

I’m so pleased for her. Waiting for A-level results is very stressful, and she would have needed very good grades for St Andrews.

Yes, Louise has done well. St Andrews requires a minimum of 3 A's for an English degree, so congratulations are very much in order.

[Alison H]

I think it's a good choice for her. Most British universities are in big cities, and, whilst that suits a lot of people because it means that there are a lot of shops, nightclubs, etc, someone concerned about their privacy is probably better off in a quieter location like St Andrews.

[FigTree]

Originally Posted by muriel

I thought William lived in Halls of Residence (St Salvatore's) for the first year, andthen rented a house with friends, including Catherine, for subsequent years. I do not think a house was bought by Charles at the time.




I do not see that many children take gap years these days. I think they were very popular about 15 years ago, but less so now.

People don't really tend to take gap years now you are right. Erasmus...although now a new system post Brexit...has gained in popularity although always popular in Europe.

He lived in Sally Halls and I think fornone year lived in a flat and for others I think they rented a small house with friends.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Iluvbertie

Maybe she felt that the UK's education was as good as anything she saw in the US.

She can always finish her degree in the UK and then go to graduate school in the US.

However, given that she is going to study English, I believe UK universities are a better option for her anyway.

BTW, "graduate school" in US English means "postgraduate" in British English.

[Somebody]

Sounds like an excellent choice. I am sure she (and her parents) talked about it with William and Catherine to get an inside view of what student life at St. Andrews is like. It indeed sounds like an excellent choice; and I agree that it wouldn't make much sense to study English in the US.

[TLLK]

It's been revealed that Louise worked at a local garden center this summer.


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...eader-comments

he 18-year-old daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex has been earning £6.63 per hour this summer since finishing her A-levels in June, working several days a week - despite living in a £30million mansion in Bagshot Park, Surrey.She confirmed her place at St Andrews University after receiving her A-level results, Buckingham Palace has announced today. She will read English at the Scottish university.
Lady Louise is said to have been helping out on the tills, greeting customers, pruning and potting plants at the garden centre.

[Winnie]

Good for Lady Louise. Her parents must be proud and I believe showing her the "down to earth" way of life is great. She will probably never be part of the FIRM although might be called upon to help her parents or Uncle Charles occasionally. Seems level headed and was extremely close to her grandfather as she got older, who was well known for "just getting on with it" in life. Hopefully we will witness lovely things from this young lady as she pursues her life's ambitions.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Winnie

Good for Lady Louise. Her parents must be proud and I believe showing her the "down to earth" way of life is great. She will probably never be part of the FIRM although might be called upon to help her parents or Uncle Charles occasionally. Seems level headed and was extremely close to her grandfather as she got older, who was well known for "just getting on with it" in life. Hopefully we will witness lovely things from this young lady as she pursues her life's ambitions.

Hopefully she will be allowed to have a career in the private sector, unlike her parents.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

Hopefully she will be allowed to have a career in the private sector, unlike her parents.

I have no doubt that she will end up building a life for herself outside The Firm. Things were different with her parents. And perhaps, if they had commercial success in their ventures and avoided the pitfalls (like the conflicts of interest and the Fake Sheikh situations), E&S may well have been allowed to keep independent careers.

[Claire]

The Wessex children have been brought up very differently to their royal cousins so not at all surprised by this. I did think it was funny when it was noted that they have chores and pocket money.
I also know that Edward and Sophie miss the volunteering they were able to do during lockdown. They miss been able to talk to new people and really pitch in as a team - it has been noted that after the crunch of the Jubilee and Commonwealth Games they might be able to get back to it.

[_Heather_]

Many congratulations to Louise on her exam results and admittance to St. Andrews. She seems to be relatively close with William and Catherine, as do her parents, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if they've discussed her university choice and their own experiences there. And how nice to hear of Louise's summer job at the garden center. While we of course don't know her personally from what we've seen it appears to be just the kind of thing she would enjoy.

While I fully expect Louise to use her degree from St. Andrew's to pursue a career that she loves, I would not be at all surprised if we see her pop up from time to time in the next few reigns in order to support a charity close to her heart, fill a gap when someone is needed, or accompany other family members on special or fun outings. I very much picture her future as a private one with some "special guest appearances" much in the way we've seen other non-working members of the family do.

[Erin9]

Originally Posted by Alison H

I think it's a good choice for her. Most British universities are in big cities, and, whilst that suits a lot of people because it means that there are a lot of shops, nightclubs, etc, someone concerned about their privacy is probably better off in a quieter location like St Andrews.

Good to know. I know St Andrews is a good school, but it’s interesting to read what might specifically be appealing about the school for Louise.

How exciting for her. I imagine she and her parents probably did talk to William and Catherine about the school.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by Alison H

I think it's a good choice for her. Most British universities are in big cities, and, whilst that suits a lot of people because it means that there are a lot of shops, nightclubs, etc, someone concerned about their privacy is probably better off in a quieter location like St Andrews.

It is the same as the princesses Elisabeth, Leonor and Alexia going to a school in Llantwit Major, County Glamorgan, Wales. One can say a lot about that location but not that it is studded with shops, nightclubs, etc.

From my distant perception of Lady Louise, St Andrews looks like a perfect match for her.

[Iluvbertie]

Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair

It is the same as the princesses Elisabeth, Leonor and Alexia going to a school in Llantwit Major, County Glamorgan, Wales. One can say a lot about that location but not that it is studded with shops, nightclubs, etc.

From my distant perception of Lady Louise, St Andrews looks like a perfect match for her.

There is a big difference between the level of education that the girls did in Wales to Louise in Scotland. The Welsh place is a SCHOOL while the Scottish one is a UNIVERSITY - or post-school educational establishment.

The girls in Wales would have had a lot of age related limitations on their activities as nightclubs etc often insist on the person being 18 to get in. They were school girls not university students.

When at school the school will arrange a lot of activities to keep the students busy while the university expects their young people to behave more as adults (which they are) and so doesn't provide as much in organised activities and none (other than those directly related to their education) that are compulsory.