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Original poster

A level results day 2021 support thread

859 replies

Mrs08 · 31/07/2021 15:46

Hi 👋
I thought it might be nice to have a support thread for us parents? (Can't see one in further Ed yet??)
It's been such a difficult time for our kids - and for us! - but the end is in sight!
Ds will get an e mail at 8.30am (apparently) and can go into college in person if he needs help/advice.
Good luck everyone!
X

OP posts:
I8toys · 11/08/2021 14:16

@Artdecolover - It looks like a great place. DS1 and DH loved the place when they went on the uni tour.

We are going to go down one Sunday before he starts to explore the place and find a good place to have Sunday lunch. We are in North Yorkshire so not too far away to pop in and treat DS to Sunday lunch. Not too often though to impose hopefully.

Artdecolover · 11/08/2021 14:18

It's great, ds would be going there but preferred the course at Nottingham.

Artdecolover · 11/08/2021 14:19

It's a great place to be a student imo :)

clary · 11/08/2021 14:22

@I8toys

DS had his birthday party last night and it was a good celebration - only one of his friends was disappointed with his results so hopefully they had a good time in the main. Provided tuk tuk rides around our town and it seemed to cheer him up a bit.

Got his accommodation sorted for Loughborough - most expensive - catered ensuite. Wish I was going.

DS2 going online imminently to sort his Lboro accom. Did your DS get the golden ticket in the post yesterday? Really nice.

We live close to Lboro but DS liked the course and he is very keen on sport so it was a winner all round. Just hope DS gets the hall he wanted - cheapest to allow for more beer!

I8toys · 11/08/2021 14:23

Yes got the golden ticket - I thought it was lovely too- DS wasn't bothered. Grin

clary · 11/08/2021 14:29

@I8toys

Yes got the golden ticket - I thought it was lovely too- DS wasn't bothered. Grin
hahaha I tried to take a pic of him with it but he flatly refused Grin
Artdecolover · 11/08/2021 14:32

Loughborough were the most pro active in comms/nice touches of all ds choices

frugalkitty · 11/08/2021 15:11

We've been on to book accommodation at Loughborough but none of DS's options were available! DH is on the phone trying to speak to someone, in the meantime DS filled in a form with preferences which gets put to the bottom of the pile as far as I can tell, so he'll get allocated something after the insurance kids get their shot tomorrow and Friday! He's gutted, disappointed and now says it'll be rubbish and he doesn't want to go. I'm trying not to cry.

I8toys · 11/08/2021 15:30

Oh no was it self catered? Just trying to determine which halls are most popular as others have said their options were gone when they tried. I am assuming its the cheaper accommodation and not the crazy expensive ones.

clary · 11/08/2021 15:31

Hmm DS has been on to book accom this pm and says they are going to get in touch with an offer - no suggestion that everything is full but also doesn't sound like he was able to book or even request specific halls. That's all a bit confusing. He got really grumpy with me when I asked about it

frugalkitty · 11/08/2021 15:32

Yes, he wants self catered. Oh dear!

clary · 11/08/2021 15:33

IME by the way the expensive en-suite halls are the most popular (in general I mean) so hopefully DS will be OK as that's not what he wants. It's odd anyway as he couldn't log on to book before today but a mat eof his did it yesterday Confused

MarleneDietrichsSmile · 11/08/2021 16:31

Oh, a little Lboro clique Grin @clary @frugalkitty @I8toys 👋

DS got in too, but when logged onto accomm only cheap small rooms free so he booked that, as better than nothing

He wanted non-catered. There were nicer rooms available but they were catered which he did not want

What’s the Golden ticket thing?

I keep being worried about not clicking the right button or link somewhere and the whole offer vanishing before our eyes Grin

Also not sure when/how rooms need to be paid (don’t think it says in the e-Mail?)

(Am not from U.K. myself, and I have found the whole Uni process a bit daunting)

frugalkitty · 11/08/2021 16:32

So apparently, all the self catered options are gone, also the en-suite options. Anyone with no offer or anyone trying tomorrow onwards (insurance choice students) have only got catered with shared facilities left to choose from.
DS has been offered a SC, shared facilities option that's not on campus so he's gutted, but at least it's cheap!

EmmaGrundyForPM · 11/08/2021 16:37

My ds opted for catered (at Nottingham) much to our surprise. He loved it and made great friends that way. He was put off shared flats with people he didn't know by a bad experience a friend of his had. It worked out really well and he got to know a much bigger pool of people.

clary · 11/08/2021 18:16

OK well I really am baffled by this accommodation thing.

DS logged on at time told, no possibility to book anything, had to choose three areas of campus and could specify self catering but not bathroom preference.

He was a bit upset (as a mate yesterday was able to choose a hall) so I had a long email convo with someone at the uni with the following conclusions:

A very few people will be lucky enough to book a room at once (seems unfair)
Everyone else (the majority) will go into a ballot for which the preferences provided will be used
They will allocate a room and you will hear 6pm on Friday
There are rooms in all areas and halls kept back for this so nothing is sold out
If you don't like what you are given, there is a portal where you can swap
Students should have been allowed to state bathroom prefs (but DS was not).

It's really taken the shine off for me tbh. What a silly system. We can't afford for DS to go if he gets an ensuite room. Also she told me that they are 30% oversubscribed - surely that can't mean they are admitting 30% more students as that would really damage their experience I think.

igelkott2021 · 11/08/2021 18:29

@YourLossMotherFeckers

I think the year 13s deserved to do well. Some of the grades that were rejected by unis yesterday according to the WIWIKAU Facebook group were shocking.

Like AAA rejected from Manchester.

Yes the one that really got me was the girl with AAAC and was rejected from both Leeds and Exeter to do geography. The C wasn't in geography. I am not sure where she ended up in the end - no doubt somewhere really good though.

A salutary tale not to do four A levels!

SunshineCake · 11/08/2021 18:32

My son went to Loughborough. He's lobbied for changes that your dc will benefit from and I feel very proud. Tomorrow we await GCSE results. Seven consecutive years of exam days. Eek. Just one more child to go for A levels in two years but then we still have the 2dc degrees to come in then dc3 if he goes to uni.

frugalkitty · 11/08/2021 18:48

clary DH was told that all en-suite rooms have gone. That might be why no bathroom choice was available for your DS. I think part of the problem is that so many rooms are available for second and third years, 30% I've read today, which must impact availability for newbies.

DS is coming round to what he's been offered, the bonus is that it's cheaper than en-suite which he's beginning to realise might be a good thing.

The experience has ruined the joy of yesterday though. It's completely deflated him and has put him off a bit to be honest. He's going to ring on Monday to see if anything SC has come up on campus, but honestly I think he's going to have to just take what's been offered and get over himself. It's not a good system in reality, for all it sounding fair beforehand. Someone on fb was told over the phone that's it's just luck of the draw!

Curledupdog · 11/08/2021 19:10

Despite being guaranteed University accommodation for my First Year, I ended up in a University sublet - not exactly what I had in mind and my flatmates whilst perfectly lovely were not my type - they were all extremely square and hard working and I wanted to be a hell raiser!😂
So I hot footed to the accommodation office and got my name on a list for a transfer - loads of people drop out in the first couple of weeks - don't get stuck in shit accommodation because that's what you were given to begin with...ask there are options, but you may have to wait a week or two.

clary · 11/08/2021 19:30

@frugalkitty

clary DH was told that all en-suite rooms have gone. That might be why no bathroom choice was available for your DS. I think part of the problem is that so many rooms are available for second and third years, 30% I've read today, which must impact availability for newbies.

DS is coming round to what he's been offered, the bonus is that it's cheaper than en-suite which he's beginning to realise might be a good thing.

The experience has ruined the joy of yesterday though. It's completely deflated him and has put him off a bit to be honest. He's going to ring on Monday to see if anything SC has come up on campus, but honestly I think he's going to have to just take what's been offered and get over himself. It's not a good system in reality, for all it sounding fair beforehand. Someone on fb was told over the phone that's it's just luck of the draw!

Ah that makes sense about the bathroom choice! Well we don't want ensuite anyway so maybe it'll turn out OK. It's not great tho is it. The off-campus halls are very nearby as far as I know, like just over the road. I think DS wanted one of those orignally, your ds will be fine I am sure.
boys3 · 11/08/2021 20:13

I get the sense that Loughborough may have been caught out a bit in terms of numbers making their offer grade. However all my elder DCs friends who been / are studying there now love it. Having been on a couple of pre-covid Open Days and been in several of the halls; the room sizes seemed pretty standard whether shared or en-suite bathrooms. Different size beds though. The Loughborough accommodation videos are pretty good www.lboro.ac.uk/services/accommodation/halls/videos/ ; and Falk Egg looked a very good price. Although there then seemed to be quite a jump from that to the next self catered price band.

frugalkitty · 11/08/2021 20:25

Loughborough have a 30% return rate of second/third plus years opting to stay in halls which won't have helped this year. I'm just sad for DS who's gone from excited to rather despondent in the blink of an eye. Never mind. I've told DD she's not to put it on her list of uni choices next year, I can't go through this again Grin

clary · 11/08/2021 21:07

Anyone else hear a story that Leeds are offering £10k to students (I assume on certain courses) who agree to defer for a year 😮😮

Bryonyshcmyony · 11/08/2021 21:14

@clary

Anyone else hear a story that Leeds are offering £10k to students (I assume on certain courses) who agree to defer for a year 😮😮
Yes! Medicine only wasnt it?