Christmas half term - Year 13 (another original thread title!)

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Carrying on from previous thread

I'm so rubbish with thread titles. Anyway...

This time last year there was lots of chat about tests/exams/mocks at this point. Are there fewer of them, or is everyone more chilled about them?

Thank you starfleet that's encouraging.

New to thread, hope you don't mind me joining in. DS2 has had offers from 2 of his 5 choices in the last week, with an email from one yesterday saying they're looking at it and to come to open Day. He's already been to one there and did a taster week in the Summer so hoping he's read that wrong and it's an offer holder day.

Welcome Pantah!

Track is always flipping down. dd needed to log onto it today and couldn't.

We started looking at student bank accounts as I remembered reading somewhere that you had to be a santander customer for 6 months before you could get their student account with 4 year railcard. I can't find that on their website at all.

Track working again; he has received an offer that is actually achievable for him (112 points). He likes the course there, so that's the insurance choice sorted.

Good news Second

Kitten that's not true. DS1 opened his in the summer and got a railcard straight away. They do get booked up with appointments at the end of August though.

DS1 opened an HSBC account for his first year, attracted by the year's free Prime membership and Amazon vouchers. Also easier because he was already had an HSBC account and Santander was very busy.
Then he switched to Santander last summer to get the railcard!

Flipping student room again then Raspberry that's good to know!

Second that is great news :)

Great news second!!

We haven't even thought about student accounts yet! It seems rather early to be thinking about that.

If they're at a campus university rather than a big town or city, it might be convenient to go for the bank which has a branch on campus. Although these days most banking admin can be done online anyway.

ah but if you had the wrong belief as I did MrsAD about needing 6 months, it concentrates the mind rather

Ooh forgot about student bank accounts. I was never eligible for the freebies so didn’t bother.
Dd1 has a railcard and NUS card already.

Are student bank accounts a thing then? Can DD not just use her existing account?

Any road, that is all so far in the future on the other side of that there big hill I cannot be arsed to think about.

I expect she can Ursula The free 4 year railcard is good though. I'm hoping DS won't use the overdraft facility though.

DD has had 2 offers, so will have a happy Christmas! One is very achievable, is also unconditional if firmed. I think it will be her insurance though. The other is high, but they all will be from her top 3.

That's brilliant news Raspberry!
What subject did she apply for in the end?

Thanks Lobster. Various forms of Classics/Classical Civilisation. Different unis to your DD except for Durham.

That's great news raspberry

Fabulous raspberry!!! Congratulations to your dd!!

Fantastic! So there's still a (small!) chance they'll end up on the same course!
Durham is definitely near the top of DD's choices, if she gets an offer there's a good chance she'll choose it as her firm choice.
IF she gets an offer!

DD failed her driving test yesterday.
She was devastated for the evening but seems brighter today - luckily lots to distract at this time of year!
It was the new sat nav but that got her

*Sat nav bit not but!

Glad she's brightened up Lobster. DD's test is in 2 weeks.

Durham was a last minute decision as she liked the course, but had been adamant she didn't want to go there. So IF she gets an offer it will need to be visited.

She's really struggled to find courses she liked matched with places she wanted to live.

Don't worry Ursula, it's me jumping the gun as usual! It's turning out to be quite a hilarious pattern this, I do everything umpteen months too early, everyone else goes In the end though we've all ended up in pretty much the same position each time.

Student accounts do look good though, they earn interest if in credit and can have free overdrafts (hopefully not needed!)

Dd is leaving driving til the summer holidays. It's just too much with everything else she's trying to pack in, she has really long days. It was a stress too far.

Today's post contained bumpf (sp?) from three of the places who've given DS1 offers. Perks include:

Aspirational offer uni 1: £3K if he gets 1 grade above offer and still decides to go there

Aspirational offer uni 2: £6K if he gets 2 grades above offer and still decides to go there (if they've seen his predictions they'll know this is never going to happen).

Unconditional offer uni: a free laptop if he goes there

Goodness! dd has had nothing like that. Just a free paper advent calendar from one place

Dd has had stuff like that from 2 places, one of which is her last choice so she won't be taking it up. The other was in her top 2, then they offered: unconditional if firm, and money for each grade above the published offer. She is planning on firming the unconditional.

That's very good MrsAd.

Eek. I don't think dd has read the stuff that has come from her offer places. Just looked like standard mailshots.