Thread 18 - Corona Cohort Enrolling to Year 13 2021, Invasive Infections & Uni Uncertainty

[Orangecinnamon21]

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Oh I thought I was going mad - I posted to Piggy on an Oxbridge thread thinking it was this one - completely confused myself thinking messages were going missing! I forgot I answered a question on there a while back.

Monkey2001 your post reminded me that I knew someone who had doctor/teacher parents and was very much expected to go to Oxbridge from an early age and after the first year he had to take a year out from stress. I believe he may have finished his degree later. He said his best bit was trips with a society he joined.

A pupil I knew well (but I didn’t expect to like Cambridge) absolutely flourished there. He was so enthusiastic at debating his subject and was incredibly bright. Hopefully he drove everyone mad with his questions - like he did me! He was exhausting.

I remember York form the 90s when my Vanbrugh room looked up towards the library and had a big green space outside it and some sort of 'Bowl' nearby which has gone.

DS liked the lake and the sense of space. East accommodation did look better.

He is quite laid back about Cambridge. Definitely very enthusiastic about aspects of his subject especially labour relations, class issues and debates about institutional bias. Hopefully, he'd thrive on that in an interview. But I don't think he'd be gutted if he didn't get in. His life or sense of identity certainly doesn't revolve around seeing himself as 'Oxbridge'. He also liked Birmingham and York and there are courses that he likes at Edinburgh and Glasgow. I think he will like Bath when we go there. He needs somewhere a but left wing really but not necessarily woke. The child, believe it or not, has a strange thing about Scargill... But he doesn't go on marches or anything like that!

Yes York West campus is definitely less attractive than the East campus. Some bits of it looked like a 1960s prison . We went to east campus first and that is where DS liked most. I think I’d rather be on west campus where more is going on though.

The Vanbrugh Bowl is still there Piggy!

Heiffer, I would call the hill in Bath rather more than a ‘slope’!! But there are very regular buses from town up to uni which are relatively cheap.

Oh , I am glad the Bowl is still there! It was pissing it down when we went so we didn't wander too far away from the covered walkways!

Thanks, Monkey, but our dentist refuses to see people who have been in contact with someone who has tested positive in the previous 14 days, sadly, and they have no appointments until mid October now.
Such a pain.

Piggy To be fair it wasn’t in the best condition but was definitely there and was one of the stops on the self guided tour.

@piggywaspushed I don’t think any northern working class kid’s sense of identity would revolve around seeing themselves as ‘Oxbridge’
But, that said, it’s akin to the lottery- is it not?
And if you ‘ain’t in it, ya cannit win it’ so an application is worth a punt.
What is it about Arthur that DS finds so fascinating?

I guess the antithesis of Thatcher! He studies that era for history A Level so is generally interested in the era.

I’m the daughter of a miner , born and raised in a mining village and now live in a former mining village.
I was interested in what he found interesting about Arthur?

I think how he was presented by the press and how Maggie manipulated the media and how he failed to see that coming. I think he admires his passion.

We watched a documentary, Mrs Thatcher vs the Miners. It was really interesting proggy. Was on C5.

A bit depressing that my childhood years are now on the A level history syllabus! 👵🏻😱

@singingstones

A bit depressing that my childhood years are now on the A level history syllabus! 👵🏻😱

Yes and no- dependent upon how the ‘lived experience’ of such times are reflected in what is taught? I suspect I’m older than you @singingstones

@Monkey2001 thanks for the advice really appreciated. We will support DS1 whichever route he takes but it would be nice if he showed some interest in visiting any of his choices. I think he should actually see some of his choices in person.

Yeah, I'm a bit alarmed by my teens being on the history spec!

@Nard75 - I know quite a few people who are only doing virtual tours. They say it’s a fair comparison and are selecting unis based on the virtual open days. Once they start getting offers, they will go in person to the offer holders days or applicants days before making the final selection.

I like an Open Day myself so feel a bit bereft without them. However, if DS sticks to Glasgow or Edinburgh as a choice we won't be charging off to open days! Sheffield is one where I am hoping for an Open Day. He's not really got it on his radar and it is significantly closer than Scotland!

Worrying report about Bristol accommodation in the Times this morning

Bristol University could send students to live 15 miles away in Bath

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bristol-university-could-send-students-to-live-15-miles-away-in-bath-0n3k658cp

I’m so relieved dd isn’t doing Oxbridge, as she’s going for a vocational subject. Her attitude to this summer definitely confirms the decision anyway, she hasn’t done a scrap of work yet and is planning to do it all on the 6 hour coach trips to Plymouth and back next week! My brother went to Oxford and he worked so much harder than me at uni. You definitely need to have a good work ethic!

@Nard75 as long as he picks 5 courses he likes, it might be best to leave the visits until he has his offers? Then the decision is more real and pressing. I wouldn’t make a final choice without visiting places but I know some people do.

@ExtremelyDisorganised the same thing

...... Happened in St Andrews this year and last year - an extra hall in Dundee was used. The universities offer more places than they have, expecting that around half won't get the grades, so they can fine tune which slipped grades they accept . This year most applicants got the grades, so they have too many students. They probably should have been more cautious with their offers, but Bristol uses an algorithm, most depts don't use PS, so their system delivered too many students this year. If there are exams in 2022 and there is a clear picture of whether there will be grade inflation, they should be able to plan better.

[quote ExtremelyDisorganised]Worrying report about Bristol accommodation in the Times this morning

Bristol University could send students to live 15 miles away in Bath

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bristol-university-could-send-students-to-live-15-miles-away-in-bath-0n3k658cp[/quote]
Not sure of proof but there are quite a few comments saying it happens every year but worse last year and this, with some having to travel up to an 1 away (I think until other accommodation sorted). It must ruin the whole excitment if you found out this had happened to your DD/DS.

I wonder if it will put people off opting for Bristol in the future. Seems Firms choices do get local but that doesn't make it ok for those that have gone through clearing etc.

@Piggywaspushed That’s not history, it’s news to my generation!

I really hope things will be more normal for our kids next summer, in terms of uni places, accommodation, etc, though I fear lots of places will have been allocated already to this year’s cohort who have deferred.

Anyone know if a higher number than usual have deferred?

I think I will be advising ds2 (and the students I will be mentoring) to not expect to rely on clearing next year (ie choose an achievable insurance) and preferably go for an insurance that guarantees accommodation for all first years, not just those who firm.

Dd said this year, a lot of people have deferred from her school. Tbf I would, waiting for next year to be more normal. I agree the accommodation is a big thing. We are having a nightmare with Dds 3rd year accommodation and Uni accommodation gets fixed and you can chop and change if things go wrong.

Re the Bristol situation, people in the WIWIKAU FB page are saying, oh it’s only a 10 minute train journey. Which is true but it’s more like an hour door to door. Ds1 is staying living in Bath this year but commuting to Bristol for a placement year - he reckons 40 minutes to his workplace which is near Bristol station.

And apart from the commute, it would not feel like you are really studying at Bristol - especially if lots is still online next year.