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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think Bs at GCSE are ok?

808 replies

catwalker · 28/08/2011 21:31

Some issues with DS and GCSEs/6th form. He didn't get the grades he was predicted (As and As) but then I didn't expect him to as he doesn't put much effort into anything apart from his x box. He got mainly Bs, a couple of As, a couple of Cs and a couple of Ds. I was quite happy until I started reading the secondary education forum where people are tearing their hair out because their dc's didn't get straight As and may have blown their oxbridge chances. I get the impression that anything less than an A just isn't worth the paper it's written on. He could have done loads better but Bs are OK aren't they?

OP posts:
CreepyWeeBrackets · 30/08/2011 20:39

I'm not going to give anyone any links. Or PMs.

That was a bit off and I do apologise. I was clumsily trying to make the point that Oxbridge is not the be all and end all and neither are GCSE grades.

Grin at sharing that you were a teetotal virgin at University though Xenia. How you managed that I don't know as you are very attractive

traceybeaker · 30/08/2011 20:39

Just that I am nosy I suppose.

scottishmummy · 30/08/2011 20:41

is it ok for outers to search you and your family in rl
if they are nosy
will you feel ok about that?

CreepyWeeBrackets · 30/08/2011 20:43

I didn't search her DD scottish, most Royalty know who Xenia is but they share it on FB and whatnot then come here and deplore people for exchanging PMs which I will not do.

If I ever need or want or could afford a specialist in her field I'd know where to go and would be bloody grateful that I knew someone who has achieved so much. I was not deliberately outing, just adding to the debate.

traceybeaker · 30/08/2011 20:45

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scottishmummy · 30/08/2011 20:46

what is most royalty?the bigheids who reckon they are significant
hmmmm.to themselves maybe

Tchootnika · 30/08/2011 20:49

Can we get this thread back on track, please?
Xenia ... sorry if I'm being demanding, here, but what are your thoughts on ROA?

CreepyWeeBrackets · 30/08/2011 20:51

I don't want to get into this. And I apologise once again Xenia. You have every right to employ family members in your firm if suitably qualified.

befuzzled · 30/08/2011 20:54

Well if we are taking the Xenia approach to life and judging success purely by amount of money earnt annually, then it is all bollocks anyway as, the two people I know who earnt most this year are both traders who left school at 16. I know that this is probably no longer possible but neither of them even turned up for their GCSE's and would have been laughed out of oxbridge either campus. They are closely followed by a family that run their own business - again, left school at 16.

If you want to be a doctor or lawyer though, then you probably do need A's.

If you take Oxbridge/money/medicine/law out of it then yes, B's are very good - well done him!

ImperialBlether · 30/08/2011 20:56

Creepy, I've reported your post and think you should withdraw it. You are getting far too involved in the life of another woman on here and frankly I find it intrusive and not what this forum is for.

CreepyWeeBrackets · 30/08/2011 20:58

Well I seem to be living up to my name! I have reported myself.

Xenia · 30/08/2011 21:02

I have often said success if good health and feeling happy. I don't nklow how many times I have to say that. I have one of them ost varied and interesting lives of people I know. I have a lot of children. I garden. I have an island. I sing. I do loads of things which if instead I were just interested in money I would not do.

I don't know why I'm being asked about ROA which presumably means rehabilitation of offenders as I do not know anything about it. The wiping of the slate clean for people who have not done a serious crime seems a fair enough deal in a civilised society.

CWB, I'm laughing here. May be I wouldn't have won the prizes if I'd been taking first class honours in sex and drink.

Back to the hapless youth, his mother said his grades were nothing like expected and he didn;'t work very hard. That's terribly common for many teenagers and not worth getting in a state about bu t yes if he has not done as well as expected because he didn't work then no one is going to say "great", keep it up to him. If he were a bit thick and Bs were a massive achievement got after months of hard slog we'd all be patting him on the back.

CreepyWeeBrackets · 30/08/2011 21:03

Has anyone reported the poster guessing gleefully at initials when I made it VERY CLEAR that I would not be sharing.

Xenia · 30/08/2011 21:03

(on the creepy thing, if I poste enough that someone can work out how I am then that's up to them, but I don't think it's very good form then to post that in real life; it's as if I went to a mumsnet meet up and then got back here and posted user name is called XYZ, she is much fatter than I thought, ABC 's job is X)

scottishmummy · 30/08/2011 21:05

yes.one needs to be circumspect,too many weirdies online
i dont really care who anyone is in rl

traceybeaker · 30/08/2011 21:06

I have found xenia, but I would not dream of poster her name, contrary to what everyone thinks.

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 30/08/2011 21:07

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CreepyWeeBrackets · 30/08/2011 21:07

"May be I wouldn't have won the prizes if I'd been taking first class honours in sex and drink" Shock

Make your mind up Xenia!

You'd be winning second prize after me though Grin

I don't understand your next post though. Too many equations.

CreepyWeeBrackets · 30/08/2011 21:10

Oh I thought you said, would have won the prizes.

Never mind. We are friends, yes? I can assure you that I have never been in prison, don't drop my aitches and have no neck tattoos.

Tchootnika · 30/08/2011 21:22

Xenia, thank you for acknowledging my question!

I ask because I imagine that since you are involved in recruitment and have some stories to tell about applicants (and also since you seemingly have strong opinions about how and why people should make their choices in relation to their career paths), I thought you might have something to say about ROA. Certainly it's very interesting to other lawyers who are involved in recruitment, and I've often found that those who've practiced for as long as I imagine you must have done have a great deal to say about it which is quite salient in relation to some of your comments.

Your comments about doctors and dustbin men made me think about this - I actually thought there might have been more to what you were saying than it just being an utterly glib remark based on crashingly bland stereotypes.

Apologies if that sounds a bit blunt. No time to prissy it up, I'm afraid. A bit surprised that it doesn't resonate more with you, though.

AryaStark · 30/08/2011 21:25

Your comments about doctors and dustbin men made me think about this - I actually thought there might have been more to what you were saying than it just being an utterly glib remark based on crashingly bland stereotypes.

MrsFlittersnoop · 30/08/2011 21:51

Xenia is only involved in recruitment because she presumably recruits lawyers to work in her (highly specialised) legal consultancy. That really isn't the same as being an HR professional. ROA is pretty irrelevant - a criminal record bars you from most professional legal work IIRC?

Xenia · 30/08/2011 21:58

I don't really recruit anyone but so desperate is the job market that people send me CVs all the time.

I can't even remember what I said about binmen. I think it was that the qualifications required for them and doctors differ. Why is that offensive? I also said they are more likely to have tatoos. I bet if got a group of them and a group of doctors to take their shirts off I would win. Why is offensive to say the more tattoos you have the lower your class in the UK if it's a fact? It's like saying 95% of the prison population is male. That's not sexist it's just a fact.

Tchootnika · 30/08/2011 22:08

a criminal record bars you from most professional legal work IIRC?

That's (technically) correct, MrsF - wasn't always so, though, and it's still very much a live issue about which many lawyers have quite a bit to say. I thought Xenia might have dne, because of her age, experience and strong opinions.

ROA's also undergoing some changes which Xenia touched upon, so I would have been interested if she'd been able to say more...
Clearly a red herring to ask about it... I should have listened properly to scottishmummy and realised MN is really just 'bibblebabble'...

MrsFlittersnoop · 30/08/2011 22:11

Xenia don't be specious.

"Most of our bin men have tatoos and plenty are just out of prison."

I'm sure you are capapble using the Crtl-F function to find your previous posts on this thread. If not, then ask one of your children to show you how.

You are far too smart to make silly remarks like that. you are just trying to be provocative.