Thread 19 - Corona Cohort, Enrolling on Year 13, hopefully NOT unlucky for some

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We only looked at the accommodation on University Parl Campus itself which was catered (DD only decided there and then she would like catered) I think because it looked o much easier. We didnt' walk it ourselves as we drove around (we got caught up in traffic and was 4 hrs late and had to go to York to check into hotel). But it really didn't seem very far - and very easy to access everything.

To be honest DD preferred the Biology set up in York (loved the greenhouses etc) but doesn't like the idea of York itself.

I do think Nottingham & York will still be in her top 5 and then once she gets some offers (fingers crossed) we can visit again properly to see. I am interested in what she thinks about Bristol. Bath and especially Swansea. Realised that Biology is on the older campus (not the new Bay one) so I do wonder if that will put her off.

Has anyone seen Lancaster Uni? any thoughts? DD won't even consider it for some reason but the uni looks great and the course looked right for her too.

She won't look at Warwick either (probably similar reason to York plus her Uncle went there). I've given up trying to reason with her, it's her life after all.

Well done do your DD @Zebracat, she has done really well, especially during the holidays when it's so hard to be motivated (looks at my own DD and shakes head) ;-)

DD was up until the early hours last night working.. I knew she wouldn't just turn up at school today without having done anything but she did admit it wasn't a great way to start the school year.

So to hear of birthday plans being kaput, that sucks for all concerned. Hope they are ok and recover quickly.

New name here for @AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore: I do regular name changes so apologies. So sorry to hear your news @Piggywaspushed: hope you are doing OK. Are you back at school/feeling better yourself? And sorry to hear the news on more covid cases @JustHereWithMyPopcorn and the impact too: expecting more of that this term... :-(

DS is resisting all re-engagement with unis and PS: but is actually still waiting feedback on his earlier draft from his form tutor, so he has sort of got an excuse there!

Ok I’m panicking reading that everyone has their PS done, I don’t think DS has started it!!!

Oh, I don't get to call you foff any more!

I was going to go in and teach a couple of lessons today but woke up with a temperature so no dice. Hopefully tomorrow as I have now spent two hours trying to explain work to non specialists...

DS has done PS but only because he is early entry just.

Regarding personal statements, would you mention how you have dealt with significant health conditions - this will also affect attendance this year as there will be hospital visits etc and is the reason for wanting a deferred place. School do not want to mention it at all. Methinks a nod to it would be appropriate as it has taken a superhuman effort to stay on track.

Sorry to hear your still feeling poorly Piggy I hope this passes soon.

OK we’re not early entry so that’s better but still he should have made a start?! He’s currently lying in bed half comatose when he should be online, I’ve shouted at him twice. DS2 is up and on the PC Ive set up in his room. During lockdown he worked in my office downstairs with me but because he’s isolating it’s now in his room. There’s a lovely cable running up the stairs and into his room for an internet connection as the P-C does not have a WiFi card. 👍🏻

@Zanda - absolutely mention it!! Did school say they would mention it in their comments? DD had to complete a questionairre from school and 1 of the questions was asking what has she overcome in her life, what difficulties etc. I got the impression it was so they could add comments themselves and they were be things that they just didn't know about.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn - DD hasn't started her yet either - and 1st draft is due this week apparently (may even be today)....

Just no I’d leave him rest as much as possible. Didn’t see Piggy’s message before I posted but I am sure she will tell you as well - rest as much as possible with a virus. We were told with Dd it could be 2 years with fatigue from the virus she had. If he does a lot, he’ll just be more shattered later. Leave his energy for when he is working.

Zanda
No idea if this is the right approach but in DS's embryonic PS he talks about A levels and how they relate, and then says the most important thing he learnt in Y12 is resilience and determination because of overcoming various things. He didn't want to make a big thing of his Y12 struggles but thought that was a good way to mention it. May not be appropriate for yours though.

Sorry to hear of all those sick, and Piggy still not right, must be very frustrating all those who are having to miss the beginning of the year.

Heifer Dd thinks they thought it a bit pushy to be mentioning it. I expect she’ll have to tick a disabled box category (which will be hard for her to admit to herself) so it can’t be ignored. Maybe it looks better if the school do talk about it but we never saw Dd1’s teachers bit and I want them to get the details right so it doesn’t disadvantage her.

@BlueMarigold. 15 days is ample. Mine had this happen, they do it in year 12 at her school. She had all her background materials ready, and wrote it in 3 hours. She got an A.

singing yes that’s exactly how I thought she could tackle it.

I think resilience and determination are such important things to demonstrate - would get a big tick from me if I was in admissions. (Disclaimer: I'm not, so really, wtf do I know?!)

@Zandathepanda. I think she should mention it. We had the same thing with ours and being looked after and in a difficult home life. She got so disheartened by all the examples on line with people up to grade 8 on instruments and county level for sports, volunteering and part time jobs and straight A s at school. She had no chance to be like that , and neither did yours, but they certainly developed resilience and persistence. It’s about widening participation too.

@Zandathepanda yes, this is a good point, I have left him alone since the two shouts. I have advise school he has Covid so hopefully they won't tell him off if he hasn't registered this morning.

@singingstones I think that's a good way to put it. Not over stressing it but saying it was tough but I've learnt from it.

No start on PS here and he is early entry but neither of his choices use it for shortlisting. Will get a first draft done this week. Before getting too stressed about PS, it is worth checking with Admissions at your DC's choices how much it is used. I think overcoming challenges and explaining reasons for a gap year are good things to include, but always phrased positively, eg "I will be a better position to make the most of the academic and extracurricular opportunities available...."

3 hours to write EPQ??!! Wow!

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn we have these, which are brilliant. Uses the electric wires of the house, then DS can get WIFI and plug in his gaming PCs at the top of the house, where signal does not get through from ground floor, where router is. You can also get one which just works on WIFI and has an ethernet port, but the connection quality is better with these if you are going any distance. www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LXOZ4EN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_P97QD23DX8ZCDS7ATANF?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Thanks Monkey, we do have the boosters as our house seems to be built from wifi blocking walls, but the problem is that PC has no wifi thingy built in, it can only be hardwired (it's from DH's proper office). This wasn't a problem downstairs but there's no hard connection upstairs so a looooong wire is required. Its only for a week so we'll try and not trip over it or garrotte ourselves in the meantime!

I'm not a techy person, can you tell?

Thank you @Zebracat that is reassuring although I doubt my DD will be able to just do it in 3 hours. I am not sure how much of the background stuff in in place either so we shall see…

@Heifer My DD is interested in Lancaster too but we weren’t able to visit.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn are you sure that none of your existing WIFI boosters have an ethernet socket? If they do you could just plug one of those in in his room and have a short ethernet cable. We also have WiFi blocking walls and kitchen is through what used to be an external wall, the thing I linked is the only one which has worked reliably for us.

Dd hasn't started her PS yet either. I asked about it last week and how long it had to be and she just shrugged me off. I'm sure when school start nagging, she'll get on to it.