Year 13 -2025/26 - Support, discussion and looking after each other - thread 2 - exam time

That would be horrendous if my two did that @temperedolive , clearly you have children that get on better with each other! 😄

My two have decided to check each other's UCAS on the day and then tell each other the results. I'm worried that has the potential to go very wrong but they're adults now and adamant that this is how they want to do it.

It’s unlikely teachers will have access to individual results before the embargo - it’s normally just SLT and the exams manager so don’t worry that he’s keeping you in the dark!

@BlackBean2023 I imagine it would be a bit difficult for your colleagues too and having the day off sounds sensible! We are friends with DC’s Econ teacher and have to make sure we don’t see him before results day as that would be a bit awkward.

Think today is the day the universities get the results. Feels strange thinking that they might be looking at them right now….

We are ahead of you but I commented on this post at some point and have just been emailed a notification that it has new posts so clicked on the link 😊

This time last year was a roller coaster for us and we went through every permutation. My daughter was convinced she had got a D in a subject and spent the whole summer working herself into a frenzy. In the couse of that frenzy she decided that even if she didn’t get a D she still didn’t want to go to her firm. So we spent the summer preparing back ups.

In the end she aced her exams but decided she didn’t want to go to her firm so applied for something different in clearing and then declined her firm. She had no accommodation guarantee where she switched to so we spent a few days waiting and hoping….

In the end she got accommodation and has had a good first year but all the emotions and choices at the time were hard to navigate.

She decided to open ucas at home first and I think that was the right choice. We waited in the car when she got her results and she opened them with us. That was the norm in her school.

Good luck peeps

DS is finally back from his travels, no luck on the job front ! He applied fir a few while away. Rather disappointed as one apprentiship keeps advertising he was told he would be great by college for it but had no reply to his applications.

DS college are incouraging kids to go in they have a celebrations day planned ! DS said he was going to go collect results. I have the day off so can drive him and wait outside if he wants. As I know he is dreading it.

DS will receive his grades via school portal at 8am - I checked it yesterday to make sure we had the password right and the portal was not working at all. 😬
They are not allowed to school for grades unless pre arranged, so school only if you need help.

We too have had the what are we doing on results day conversation and similar to some earlier posters, not sure.

DD's school is 30 min drive away and open from 8am. If we wait to look at UCAS at home she won't be able to see her actual results for a while but will know if she is actually in or not. If she goes to school for 8am she will have to rely on getting on UCAS on her phone and the signal is awful at school.

It is v unlikely DD will get in with anything lower than her offer so it is a bit all or nothing. She has made a plan B, resit missed A level, UCAT again in Sept, work in current holiday job and some travelling/similar next year. That is enough to focus her I think if the worst happens next week.

DD veers from being very excited at the thought of moving away and starting uni to how awful it will be if she doesn't get in. She has a study tiktok account so has put even more pressure on herself to get the grades. I just told her to delete her account if it is not good news and 'disappear' for a while 😂.

Absolutely not - and I’ve booked the day off to avoid any awkwardness (or overthinking on my part… are they smiling because it’s good news or out of pity….!? )

in all seriousness the embargo is treated really seriously and I wouldn’t put myself in that position - I had the same with GCSE results!

We haven't heard from the school. DS doesn't want to go in. Maybe once he's found out his results online her might want to go in either hopefully to celebrate or to get advice.

Interesting how everyone’s kids have a different plan! Dd announced yesterday that she wants me to drive her to school (20 mins away) as she will be too nervous to drive, then to wait in the car while she goes in. She will then come and open results in the car and then we can either drive off if awful or she goes back in! I suggested to her that is unlikely to happen as she will have known at 8am whether she has got into her firm choice. In which case she will want to open them and celebrate with teachers and friends, and possibly then text me to come in and join the celebrations.. I think we will have to see on the day and take it as it comes. It’s a small independent so some of the teachers have 3-4 students in their classes and I’m sure they will want to be with her when she opens them. I know that they often have sleepless nights too worrying about what their students got.. eek it’s so nerve wracking!

My son will be at college for 8 and check UCAS while waiting in line. He hasn't decided if he wants to go alone or wants me with him. Completely up to him. He will stay in college to see if he gets his uni place because there will be help on the day if he needs it. Not long now.

DH works at DS’s school. It hadn’t even occurred to me that some of his colleagues will know the day before! Aaargh somehow that makes me even more nervous for DS.

He’s been very cool and calm for months, including having two exams on his 18th birthday and just ploughing on with it all - then yesterday he let his guard down and admitted that he’s absolutely terrified of results day. It’s so hard to know what to say. If he doesn’t get the grades he needs, he’ll carry on working part-time at his current holiday job and take some time to decide what to do next, so at least he has a temporary plan B.

Hope everyone is ploughing on ok with the wait!

If anyone is interested in what Loughborough had in clearing for 2024/25 this FOI response might be of interest.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/courses_available_in_clearing_20

Oh wow @BlackBean2023 do you think they might give you a hint or a clue! Maybe a thumbs up or a nod if it’s good news?

DC’s school open at 8.30 am which seems a bit odd given that most places seem to open at 8 am. Hoping it won’t disadvantage him if he has to go through clearing…I’m hoping he will have had the welcome email from his firm at 8 am and can go in knowing he’s met his offer but could easily be the other way around which would be difficult.

Cardiff is a great clearing option with guaranteed accommodation. I know a few people who went there and loved it. DD is likely to call them if she doesn’t make her insurance. The only thing is they are a bit vague on their website about what grades they would accept but I think worth phoning to ask even if you don’t have their standard offer.

DD keeps dreaming about her results and usually that they are not what she is hoping for. We have had an email from college about next week. Results will be on the portal from 8 and going in is optional but encouraged with free food and live music strangely enough. I don’t think she will go though. Tutors available in person or by phone or ‘live chat’ on the website. It all sounds good to me. Just hoping for good news and celebrations but also making back up plans for springing into action with clearing.

DD has announced that she’ll try for Cardiff in clearing if she misses her offer for Exeter.

My mother is Welsh so we’ve spent a fair bit of time in Cardiff but only on rugby weekends so she’s based her whole perception of the city on that which is a bit of a worry but it’s the first back up plan I’ve heard of so I’m staying quiet for now and hoping she won’t need it… although accommodation in Cardiff is cheaper than Exeter.

I’ll be up with DD to find out UCAS outcome at 8. If all good the day is hers to celebrate with friends so won’t go to sixth form with her to collect. If it’s less good news I will be there lurking so we can’t get onto clearing quickly … I actually work at DD’s school, well the MAT, in a very senior role (definitely outing if anyone knows me!) - so next Wednesday will be the hardest day for me knowing my colleagues already know her results but I’m obviously on the embargo list this year!

DD is very pleased that her course is in clearing and has run through all the 'likely' grades (economics made her cry because she realised halfway through a question she was on the wrong track) but has her fingers firmly crossed she'll be ok.

I really hope so as her insurance is the same grades as her firm. She says she'd rather have a year out (not sure what to do!) than go through clearing.

She's not the type to spontaneously make a new plan, she agonised over which uni to firm for weeks!

For DS it's the same as @gingercat02

Hopefully he'll open UCAS at 8am and then disappear off to school by himself.

Not sure what he'll want or need if he's in clearing in terms of parents being at school. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Lordy one week and it will all be over!

DS had a dream a couple of nights ago that he was 2 days away from exams and had done no revision, anxiety is subconsciously creeping in!

He is now 18, has finally started driving lessons and has a job interview tomorrow in a local pub, so we are doing well atm.

@hels71hope you are both on the mend.

@mamoftwoResults day they go into school on their own, it's 10 mins away so no hanging around for parents. Their results will already be on UCAS so I think its just a social thing (hopefully) or advice on clearing/next steps (hopefully not).

Just caught up - thank you @jamimmi for taking the time to share your positive story! Blimey, @hels71 you are all really going through it! Hope everyone heals quickly.

May I ask what is the etiquette of your school/college for results day or rather your plan for results day?! Will your YP go on their own? Will you go with them and lurk anxiously outside? Or go with them and into the school?

@hels71 hope you are recovering well and that DH’s break doesn’t take too long to heal up. I also read it as meaning DC initially!

@Countrylife2002 @BlackBean2023 DC is the same, think he will be really upset if he doesn’t get his firm. I hope that will only last a short time though if there are good clearing options and that it will work out.

One Week to go now! I had a dream last night I was trying to convince his firm to take him but to no avail!

DC is back from his holiday and so are we. He’s exhausted after travelling around with his girlfriend but has had a great time.

Hope everyone is doing ok and not getting too anxious about results.