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You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

Original poster

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

999 replies

OrangeCinnamonCocktail · 02/09/2021 22:37

Place holder

OP posts:
JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 09/09/2021 11:10

Thanks Monkey I am getting slightly more concerned I have to say. I've told him to try and sleep during the day if he can. His form/eng teacher emailed him a really nice message and asked what he can do to help which was lovely. He's doing a bit of reading in bed so hopefully not to stressful.

NCTDN · 09/09/2021 12:41

Totally different question, but for those of you with girls who bought a prom dress for and if GCSEs, what have you done with it?

ProggyMat · 09/09/2021 13:05

@NCTDN

Totally different question, but for those of you with girls who bought a prom dress for and if GCSEs, what have you done with it?
DDs is still hanging in her wardrobe! That said, she did choose one that could go to Uni with her. She’s had an invite to a charity ball so it could get a trot out soon. Grin
Seeline · 09/09/2021 13:08

@NCTDN

Totally different question, but for those of you with girls who bought a prom dress for and if GCSEs, what have you done with it?
We were really lucky as DD had her Prom after mocks in the January. Thought it was daft at the time, but the school always had it then. In retrospect, it was the best plan! We've kept it - the lady who took it up for us said it would be a good style to shorten to change the style if we wanted it for the 6th form prom, or uni balls etc (I think they still happen!!).
Alsoplayspiccolo · 09/09/2021 13:14

EX's dress is hanging on the back of my bedroom door.
Thankfully, we found one in the sale and it's a classic style, so will work for other occasions.

Monkey2001 · 09/09/2021 13:29

DS already had a tux as he played in orchestras which white them. Don't think it will fit any more after all his body building. DS1 can have the sharp suit and spare tux! A lot of people but and sell clothes on line, so that is an option if style no longer satisfactory.

estherfrewen · 09/09/2021 13:49

DS still has a wedding suit from age 15 he will probably still fit into at his own wedding!

PaddingtonPaddington · 09/09/2021 13:52

@NCTDN

Totally different question, but for those of you with girls who bought a prom dress for and if GCSEs, what have you done with it?
DDs is also still hanging in the wardrobe. There is a sixth form ball at the end of year 13 and she’s determined that it will go ahead and she’s wearing it!
Fferny1 · 09/09/2021 14:29

Keep the dress for uni balls.
Still a lot of them on these days. Dd1 has worn hers several times.

NCTDN · 09/09/2021 15:12

Good to know it could be used for balls at uni. I'm so gutted it's never been worn.

Heifer · 09/09/2021 15:31

DD was never due a prom at end of Y11 as they only do them at end of Yr 13 at her school.

Oblomov21 · 09/09/2021 16:01

Hope zebra dd ok.

Ds1 back today. Ds2 not because of confirmed food poisoning. He's calm because he said it was very calm, very relaxed, huge assembly.
He handed in EPQ today and PS is done. It's already been reviewed once by HoY, and he's finished working on it and is happy.

I think his next big thing is exams just before October 1/2 term.

Zebracat · 09/09/2021 16:38

We have taken her. She sounds like she has the same symptoms as your boy @JustHereWithMyPopcorn. But they have changed from day to day. She felt hot, but had no temp and only started coughing yesterday.
Hope it isn’t COVID, we aren’t generally given to fabricating illness, but I know we will all be waiting for the axe to fall...

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 09/09/2021 17:09

@zebra DS had one day of raised temperature at the beginning of this week and then back to normal. I still believe he has a cold AND covid and that might be why it's taking him so long to shake off the cold symptoms. I hope your DD comes back negative and feels better very soon.

estherfrewen · 09/09/2021 17:24

UCAS form quick query - school have asked for a printed copy for checking. Does anyone know how to do this? I googled and it says do View All and then print but we can't find View all. Stressful...

estherfrewen · 09/09/2021 17:40

Oh think I’ve found it. This year’s guide says you need to submit and then you can download a pdf for checking. Will try that

stoneysongs · 09/09/2021 21:19

Just watched the killer ps video and think it's good. Definitely some useful things to bear in mind when I have a look at DS's first draft tomorrow.

Piggywaspushed · 09/09/2021 21:24

I read soem ridiculous PSs today for Oxbridge wannabes. So overreaching. Swallowed thesauruses! Why can't they just be clear??

Have you got a link to this video?

icanbewhatiwant · 09/09/2021 21:31

I suggested to Ds about watching the killer PS film. He says he doesn't need to 🤷‍♀️ I've already said he will just get on with it without asking for my help. I don't think he will even show us.

Monkey2001 · 09/09/2021 21:58

Killer PS

Piggywaspushed · 09/09/2021 22:11

Thanks monkey

Piggywaspushed · 10/09/2021 08:50

Am watching the killer thing now. Interestingly, DS wouldn't change soem words because 'it didn't sound like him' so that was a good thing. Id wonder how all of the suggestions the chap comes up with have ever fitted in a 4000 character statement.

I liek the video though : helpful examples.

I think what DS has written about the books he has read may be a bit superficial... he is unusual amongst his peers/your averagely schooled student in reading widely and perhaps we haven't thought about the fact that that isn't (to Oxbridge) impressive in and of itself (even though I think it is!)

MidLifeCrisis007 · 10/09/2021 08:52

I've just watched the killer PS video and found myself getting a bit wound up by it! Yes, there are some interesting points, but I don't like the obsessive academic message it gives out and the Oxford tutor's complete dismissal of extra curricular activities.

It's no wonder that Oxbridge graduates are becoming less popular with many employers. The real world wants rounded people who can combine work and play. And someone who was head girl will be an asset in any work place. It's really sad that he's saying that you need to be a total academic anorak to be worthy of a place at any RG university. I know full well that when you emerge from university, employers are very interested in the extra curricular stuff you've done as it shows you can hold positions of responsibilities in clubs/societies, manage your time, get on with people and enjoy yourself at the same time. I would be so sad for my kids if all they did was work while they were at uni!

stoneysongs · 10/09/2021 10:06

The thing that wound me up was his use of "do you know what you're getting yourself in for".
Letting yourself in for! (Or getting yourself into.)

I thought lots of the examples were useful and he did come across as trying to help people not make common mistakes. Tbf he does say at the beginning that his will be a particularly academic slant and not to use it as your only resource. (But looks like this was organised by Seren which is a programme for very bright kids in Wales so makes sense to be more academic and less vocational I guess.) I don't think he's saying you have to be an anorak to be worthy, just that they are looking for people who are right for their very academic courses, so being a non anorak is not in itself an advantage. If you can relate your other attributes to the course, then it will help.

I liked what he said also about being aware that extra and super curricular opportunities are not open to everyone - not just work experience but sport and music provision is not the same everywhere either as they often cost money.

icanbewhatiwant · 10/09/2021 10:32

I have no idea what Ds2 will put in his PS. He has no hobbies or interests, apart from football. He doesn't read books unless he really has to for school. He wants to study history, but I've never got him in a museum, though not tried now he's a bit older. He did do his D of E Bronze. But that isn't really an achievement as only the bronze award. We are a boring family really, we don't travel, we live in a quiet area where not much happens. There were certainly lots more out of school activities where I grew up. So I have no idea what he will write.

A family in the village moved back to England from Qatar 2 years ago. The husband works out there. They lived out there for several years, the daughter wrote in her PS about life for a young woman in Qatar. Apparently she had 3 universities phoning her saying they were so impressed by her PS that they wanted her to attend their university. That sounds like something impressive to write in a PS.

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