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

[Orangecinnamon21]

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Well they are all going back soon, the holidays have been fast. It is a hard slog for them now until the exams (if there are indeed exams).

My DS came back from Reading on Sunday, he was exhausted and needed some sleep. I was very relieved to get him back and looking ok.

He did his UCAT just before going off, his result was ok but not top notch. So now we have a huge load of work to find his 4 best choices. He did his PS at the beginning of the holidays, studied for UCAT and now has to do a bit of his A levels before he goes back.

LF tests being done here, mainly because of Reading. It looked packed there, fingers crossed they are ok.
Has everyones DC got their choices thought out?

@Alsoplayspiccolo I did follow my passion. I did lots of horse based exams, which was enjoyed at the time. But now I'm not into horses at all and all was pointless really. I'm currently looking for work and my GCSEs and lack of experience are not good enough for most jobs. All because I couldn't be bothered. My dc's have tried to persuade me to do some GCSEs. It's great to see my dc's doing well at school instead. Thankfully none have followed my footsteps with a can't be bothered attitude. I'd better not speak too soon though as Ds2 still has his A levels and ds3 only year 8.

Thank you @icanbewhatiwant, @Monkey2001and @Oblomov21 I successfully booked DD a driving test this morning and have downloaded the app. I’ve been teaching her for the last 3 weeks and she’s booked in for lessons with a ‘proper’ instructor next month. As we live in the middle of nowhere she really needs to drive particularly as the school bus is costing £250 a term (and that’s discounted due to her SEND) and I’m only paying for this term. Previously it was free until she started year 12.

DD starts back on the 6th. Homework being done this week apparently.

We’ve got open day trip to Leeds Conservatoire and a tour at Royal Welsh in Cardiff both booked for September and as DD only wants to apply to 2 at least she’ll have more of an idea what she’s applying to and how ridiculously far away they both are!

icanbe, I’m sorry about your job search struggled. Could you teach yourself GCSEs? There are so many online resources available now, you might find it easier than you think.
Have you got a specific job in mind?

@Alsoplayspiccolo no...not got a clue what I'd like to do. I should really re train but no idea what in or where to start.

Paddington, has she picked those particular 2 for a specific reason? Did she consider RBC or Trinity Laben?
Is she applying for music at uni too, or a different subject?

Got DS back safely from Reading yesterday. Knackered but happy. Just making him do daily LFTs now as the chances of getting it are ridiculously high with the amount of people there and the close proximity of them all. Fingers crossed.

For those that have not heard, driving test examiners are currently balloting on strike action so we are anxiously awaiting the outcome of that as DS’s test is in a few weeks. Will be so naffed off if it gets cancelled…

Oh no 20! DD has hers next week...

@Alsoplayspiccolo DD discounted London ones as too expensive, Scotland too far and then did online open days for Leeds, RWCMD, RBC, RNCM. Discounted RBC and RNCM from those as just didn’t get a good vibe from them. Plan B is either a gap year and reapply next year or music performance based degrees at uni but not sure what predicted grades are yet.

@Hopeful201 - you should join us on the Medicine 2022 thread. I am so glad UCAT is done but DD is doing BMAT on 3 November so it feels like it's never ending. Plus her driving test is booked for 20 October.

It’s really interesting how people get a feel about a place from the online open days, isn’t it, Paddington? I’m not familiar with Leeds or RBC, but have heard really positive things about RBC and the auditions process from someone whose DS has a place for September.
DH went to RWCMD and DS is at the junior conservatoire, and we know quite a few colleagues who teach there, as well as the head, Tim.
I get the feeling it’s welcoming and friendly, being smaller and less competitive than the London Conservatoire’s.

DS back to school next Tuesday. He's finishing up his second MOOC and then has PS to do and revision for a microbiology test. In between social events of course, he's out tonight for the third night in a row - apparently they just sit around drinking cider and reminiscing about their school days

He has narrowed his uni choices down to six and we have visited four with Warwick to come on Monday. We've decided not to go all the way to Sussex unless/until he gets an offer, but will have a look online instead.

Anyone want to share what subject their DC is applying for? I think Paddington Jr is music and Hopeful Jr must be medicine. DS is looking at neuroscience but this will be heavily reliant on him persuading his teachers to up his predictions from his AS results.

(Intrigued by the Surrey convo and pp naming Kingston and Walton but not Epsom, is it like Macbeth and 'the home of the Derby' is like 'the Scottish play'?!)

DD seems to have settled on a Liberal Arts degree. Basically she couldn't decide on one subject and has fallen in love with the flexible pick and mix nature of the (few) courses available.

You should hopefully be ok @NCTDN, I guess they will only have made the decision then and have a week or so notice 🤷‍♀️, no idea really.

DS is applying for engineering. Would be interested in what you think of Warwick after your visit @singingstones. It is the last on our list to look at. Warwick are hoping to do in person days in October and November they say but no dates announced yet.

@singingstones I actually had to google the “home of the derby” after reading it on here, despite living only about 10 miles away!

DD will be applying for variations of Middle Eastern & European Studies. Basically Arabic (beginners) and Spanish (A level). Across 4 countries - there’s been many essays and different submission requirements. I hope she’s on the ball before she presses send to any of them!

That's my fault @singingstones I try not to and fail spectacularly to give too much info on here about myself. In reality, this is the only thread I do! I don't really say anything interesting enough on other threads to be too worried tbh.

Born in Guildford, grew up in Epsom, secondary school Ashtead/Leatherhead, Shopped Kingston and Sutton, now live near Portsmouth

Dd Music degree with an eye on a related career e.g teaching, therapy, arts business, promo/marketing.

Dd no longer has her seasonal job. They were crap employers but she really enjoyed the social side of it. It really has been the making of her. Not three months ago she was scared to approach people in college, saying she wasn't a 'social' type an introvert etc. Now she is hacked off because she has no more shifts and will miss all her work colleagues !

@ealingwestmum that sounds really interesting and potentially very useful (Diplomatic Service?).
I wish Dd had a love for languages, we thought she did when she was little but French GCSE broke her!

DD wants to read Classics and then a law conversion.

“Home of the derby “ made me smile too. My dad used to take me to the races at Sandown when I was growing up, but we never went to Epsom. 😀

DD is thinking of English lit at uni, with or without theatre studies.
Contrary to my previous posts, she’s become more open to Cardiff 🙏

DS wants to do biology. Also interested in opinions on Warwick as it's just been promoted into the possibles.

We have a lovely spread of course interests across this board!

Civil Service is one of the options Orange, though I don’t think she’s thought that far ahead in any more detail than headline career sectors.

What an interesting bunch, I'm glad I asked.

I will report back on Warwick. I think DS will probably like it, he seems to prefer campuses (Exeter / Nottingham) to cities (Manchester).

Orange, your obfuscation worked on Fiddlers anyway! I did a music degree and then worked in a related field fwiw. Now embarked on an attempted career change with an OU psychology degree and another therapeutic training course but still freelancing a bit.

Ealing v impressed by the four countries. DS won't even entertain Wales or Scotland.

Glad to hear your DD has softened on Cardiff Also. How is she feeling about going back to school, after all that happened last term?

DD is applying for medicine. Current list is Oxford, Leeds, Bristol and Newcastle - you can only apply to four medical schools. She might add Durham Nat Sci as the 5th.

We live in SW London and I grew up in Worcestershire and went to university in Edinburgh.

DD wants to do biology.