Corona Cohort: Statements Scripted, Grades Predicted

[Monkey2001]

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to threads about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue.

From OrangeCinnamonCocktail:

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

Previous thread - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/4339233-Thread-19-Corona-Cohort-Enrolling-on-Year-13-hopefully-NOT-unlucky-for-some?pg=1

@PaddingtonPaddington if the application was started in school the link bit might already have been done. I seem to remember it was obvious when DS1 did the whole thing at home second time round.

Thanks @Monkey2001 for both those links!

The UCAS application paid and sent here

Well done @Hattifatteners Good luck! (and have stiff drink)

Wow, well done to those who have submitted for UCAS already: ds definitely needs a few more runs through his PS before we get to that (it's with his tutor at the mo). He's off to a uni fair tomorrow with school, and I'm intrigued to find out whether he finds that useful or not. Amused to hear about the party/not party guys! DS had the first of the 18th party invites for tomorrow, but he's decided it's probably not for him: he's autistic and loud music/drinking isn't a great space for him. By and large his gang are low-key with their hang outs: a trip to the supermarket for snacks and a walk round the canal; lots of gaming; board games and volleyball sessions!

Well done to all those passing driving tests and submitting ucas forms, we are a long way off either of those things!
Happy birthday to those turning 18 and hope all the celebrations go well

Wow I can’t believe that some people have already completed their ucas applications! We haven’t even got our predictions yet plus some of the uni open days aren’t until the end of October so we are still a long way off.

DS is putting 3 initially as soon as possible and hoping for an early offer on one of them but let’s see. There were some very late offers last year for his subject resulting in May rejections.

Mine is autistic too which I think goes a long way towards explaining the lack of partying, he too is more likely to wander into town with a friend, grab a Subway and kick a ball around in the park. Having said that, they had their y11 prom pre Covid and he loved that.

It is great to hear about all these UCAS forms going in. We've got Open Days lined up into November, having said that it will be 5 out of a shortlist of 6 so perhaps not too far off. DS has got a careers interview at school next week.

Well done @Hattifatteners!

DS and DH off to Newcastle open day tomorrow. It looks like a "proper" open day, campus tour, accommodation tour (happens to be the 2 at the top of our shortlist), sports facility tour, subject talk, lots of other talks available AND a goody bag! Bit odd that universities can do a full lecture theatre for this, but actual lectures are still on line.

It is a very long day out, but in the interview he needs to be able to talk about why he loves the course and city, which is much easier if you have really been there it is 5 hours each way on the train and 5 hours there, and I am lucky that one of my best friends is a train driver who can get us the occasional very cheap ticket, so it isn't costing us £340 (or £250 if we bought a Railcard). Virtual open days are not the same as the real thing, but they save a lot of time and money. I remember people struggling with the cost of going to several open days in the past.

Have avoid day in Newcastle @Monkey2001 - as you know it's on DD's list as well. I think if she gets an interview we'll pop up but just no time to fit in a trip at the moment.

@Monkey2001

DS and DH off to Newcastle open day tomorrow. It looks like a "proper" open day, campus tour, accommodation tour (happens to be the 2 at the top of our shortlist), sports facility tour, subject talk, lots of other talks available AND a goody bag! Bit odd that universities can do a full lecture theatre for this, but actual lectures are still on line.

It is a very long day out, but in the interview he needs to be able to talk about why he loves the course and city, which is much easier if you have really been there it is 5 hours each way on the train and 5 hours there, and I am lucky that one of my best friends is a train driver who can get us the occasional very cheap ticket, so it isn't costing us £340 (or £250 if we bought a Railcard). Virtual open days are not the same as the real thing, but they save a lot of time and money. I remember people struggling with the cost of going to several open days in the past.

@monkey2001 DH drives a Train but his new company rule is that we have to be with the passenger when they take the cut-price journey. You are v lucky.

I was only thinking about this yesterday, there really should be a fund or something. Dd wants to go to RHU tomorrow, I suggested she take a friend on the train but as she is under 18 she can't use the friends and family ticket. So I priced it up...it was silly money.

@OrangeCinnamonCocktail with the 16-17 rail card you get 50% discount
DDs runs out soon and the next one only gives her 30% discount

I've been driving DD to all her visits. Even those further away where we've had a night in a premier Inn or similar, I reckon it's been cheaper than going by train!

@OrangeCinnamonCocktail yes, we are lucky. He works for cross country and can get us a 1 day unlimited ticket for £10 but only gets about 6/year. That covers Bristol to Dundee for DS1 or a day trip to Newcastle. Being a train driver has brilliant perks - and it is all he wanted to do for as long as I have known him (since we were 11!). Otherwise you have to fly, which is very cheap and convenient, but we try hard not to for environmental reasons. Train travel needs to be more affordable in the UK for so many reasons!

School is back to enhanced measures again. Rise in numbers in some years means seperate toilets for them and staggard lunch/breaks and all of the school to wear face masks in communical areas. No visitors unless agreed and urgent and have to show LFT, open evenings back to virtual. Fingers crossed we get to Christmas with no online learning...

@Piggywaspushed thanks for the heads up re Sheffield open day - unfortunately Biology is already full so have to make do with online. If DD gets an offer we will visit properly.

I have two open evenings in two weeks coming up at my school. If I hadn't already had covid, I'd be pretty jittery!

How are you feeling now, Piggy? Is your appetite back to normal?

On the subject of 18ths, DD’s is in half term. DS will be away in a music course and our DCs don’t have extended family that bother with them 😞
DD says she’s not bothered about having a “do”, but I really want to celebrate it (my own 18th was pretty much a non-event). I’m thinking spa day/champagne/theatre/fancy meal/special present…but don’t really know what or where.

She’s at an 18th tomorrow night - marquee in the garden, parents present, girls only 👌

Ds is at an 18th tonight, he only rally started doing 'proper' socialising at the end of Yr10 and then w went into lockdown in Yr 11 so it got more difficult. He has definitely become a more sociable being in sixth form and making effort to meet new people and network as someone who used to be super shy I'm very impressed at his turnaround. He has a job now and seems to be making new friends there as they are all similar age. He's never had a big party (other than when they were little) but has asked if he can have an 18th with about 30 people. I have tentatively said yes but it's not until spring so we'll see how that pans out.

Is anyone's DC doing law on here or is it only mine? I need to discuss LNATs with someone!!

Sorry for typos again, it is my keyboard as it likes to not type letters randomly and I don't proof read before posting!

Hi everyone. Impressed with those who have got UCAS forms in - we are waiting for results from new set of mocks before half term to (I hope) raise predicted grades. So won’t be applying until early Nov I guess.
My DS seems to have a fantastic social life, and has had it pretty much throughout, which involves lots of friends sitting in a thicket in Port Meadow or University Parks in Oxford with beer and a portable speaker on low for music. Pretty much what I did as a teen except it was “by the river” with cider and a transistor radio! But the 18th parties are racking up - tonight it is about 40 people in a garden in the middle of nowhere - I think he might have to bring his own tent.

I am going to Newcastle this weekend for a memorial /wake/party for a dear friends parents who died within 2 weeks of each other, but I’m rather worried I will get up there and have no petrol to get back. It feels as though people are panic buying and that never ends well. I’m kicking myself for not having an electric car!!!

I have just booked a little trip for DS and me to look at Queen Mary and Sussex at half term. Hopefully he'll make his picks after that and the form can go in.

We are going on the train as Brighton and Mile End are such a pain to drive to for us - with one overnight it's costing about £400

Thankfully this is our last trip apart from DH taking him to Bristol (very close). Fingers crossed DS doesn't have any radical changes of mind.

DD’s thinking about QM and Sussex, singing.
Will be interesting to hear your impressions of them both.