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

Thanks for the new thread 😀
DD is working on the 2nd draft of her PS and gradually making a long list of possible unis/courses.
She's quite keen on RH for an integrated foundation year, for either liberal arts or comparative literature and culture (do you know anything about the latter, Piggy?).
Her dream uni is Exeter but she's realistically looking at more Bs than As, so it will stay a dream. Cardiff has thankfully made it on to the possibles, albeit reluctantly.

Glad you liked RWCMD, Paddington. It's a lovely building, in a beautiful location, and very convenient for the city centre. DD and DS's school is at the far end of the park, and DS goes to the junior conservatoire. We love the compact size of Cardiff and it feels safe too.

I know we have moved on from the drugs chat, but there is an interesting discussion on WIWIKAU which was started by a DD saying she didn't want to be "square" when a flatmate asked if it was ok if they did drugs, and then found there was a constant smell of cannibis which she didn't like.

Somebody posted "I'm really shocked at the sheer amount of drugs at university. I'm a 40 Yr old 1st year student at Leeds with 2 teenagers and I'm actually beginning to wonder whether I even want them to go to uni! The group chats have menus sent with all sorts from weed to ketamine & loads of stuff I've never heard of. It is really scary!"

I asked DS1 about how it has been for him and it seems lower key at St Andrews, he is aware of it, but it is not endemic in the same way. I am going to make sure I speak to DS2 about what you would say if you move into a flat and a flatmate says they want to do something illegal. I hate the idea of the whole flat doing a line of coke before going out for the night. I think it DC are probably more streetwise than is though!

I went to ds1's school Yr 13 information evening. I was also supposed to be as Ds2's same for Yr 8 (don't ask ). Glad I went because it was very informative. Impressive re their support.

But today I feel bamboozled by the enormity of it all. Remember I am trying to help ds get an accountancy apprenticeship (which for those of you who don't know is like gold dust) as a first choice, Uni is second route.

There may be repetition here but calling over from last thread

@AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore @Decorhate @whoamitojudge @icanbewhatiwant @BlueMarigold @Piggywaspushed @Isthisjustnormal @Zebracat @SandyBayley @PaddingtonPaddington @Hattifatteners @sofakingcool @Horace123 @Soma @cariadambyth @CatMandarin @EssentiallyDisorganised @whatsnext2 @20NewNames @mummabear74 @Wiifitmama @Nard75 @Fastforwardtospring @Zandathepanda @MarchingFrogs @Alsoplayspiccolo @ealingwestmum @Volterra @OrangeCinnamonCocktail @crazycrofter @MrKlaw @ProggyMat @ChristopherTracy @AnneOfCleavage @KingscoteStaff @MidLifeCrisis007 @Fiddlersgreen @JustHereWithMyPopcorn @Hopeful201 @singingstones @Shimy @ZittiEBuoni @Heifer @Fferny1 @Rivermonsters @Seeline @Delphigirl @Monkey2001 @EwwSprouts @estherfrewen @Oblomov21

@OrangeCinnamonCocktail thanks for tag. Thought I'd lost the new thread. Quick panic 😂

I saw that thread on FB too @Monkey2001. I'm the same as some others posted yesterday, hardly drink, never really encountered drugs other than a bit of weed at uni in the 80s, no one I know uses them as far as I know. I went to a talk at DD's school a few years ago which was pretty good (they talked to students as well as parents). They emphasised that legal (pharmaceutical) drugs are a problem as well as street drugs, always read the leaflet, never take anyone else's prescribed meds. They also rammed home the fact that any conviction for drug offences would have you banned from travel to the USA, thrown out of college/uni, unable to get into many careers and that dealers are adept at recruiting naive youngsters to do them favours which can lead to such convictions.

Dd had a really good drugs talk at school last week. She said it was more informative, rather than a 'don't do drugs' message, so it was all about what taking particular drugs will do to your body, the risks etc so that they're fully informed. She said it has really put her off (not that she was interested anyway)!

@Oblomov21 is he wanting to do a higher apprenticeship or a sponsored degree, like PwC's Flying Start?

We are looking at both Crazy.

I don't also but I will have a look and see what it sounds like! It's the kind of degree that was very in vogue 15 years ago before successive governments crushed the Arts

Sorry to hear your DD still struggling with illness Seeline; the worry of what they miss just compounds their stress...

Thanks ealing - yes, I think she is getting stressed at firstly missing tests that she knows she will have to do at some point, but isn't up to revising yet, and then also missing lessons which she will also have to catch up on as well as doing the work that is actually set when she returns! It seems never ending at times!

Really, the apprenticeship. He wants ACA asap. But the chances of getting on are slim.

I'm quoting 2 posts from another thread, where poster is saying that apprenticeships have now become the creme, and that those who don't get on, then go to uni!

Then. The pwc flying start has brand new courses, starting this year, for the first time, at both Mary's and Reading. I believe Both only take 60 students. If Ds choices those, it's only 60 places. Good God. And then Durham(whose new accountancy course only startrd last year) and Southampton as next choices. He stands little chance of getting on anything, at this rate!

Is is gin time yet?

What are his predicted grades @Oblomov21? And how would he come across in an interview, is he confident? Has he looked at degree courses where they get loads of ACA exemptions? On the ICAEW site you can find all of them. Uni of Liverpool seems to give 12 exemptions (out of 15) and then there's loads of others that give up to 8. That would shorten the process considerably.

Sorry to hear dd is unwell @seeline. It is stressful when they miss stuff at this point.

At interview? He's impressive. Maybe a bit too cocky. Dh and I heard him talking to his October 1/2 term work experience that he's just arranged, she's a tax partner at a local firm, about his personal statement that she'd just reviewed.

Yes I'm aware that most uni accounting courses, including Southampton and Durham make them exempt from 12 of the ACA papers.

ABC. He now claims it's AAA. We are waiting for latest predicted. They are doing Oxbridge students first, so I assume later this week.

HoY said last night: go on predicted grades, not unifrog aspirational. Chose 1 aspirational, 3 predicts, 1 safe bet.

I fear he's aiming too high.

Sorry to hear Seeline dd ill. The added stress of knowing you have to catch up doesn't help the actual illness.

I am slightly amazed there are so many people without first hand experience of drugs - it was widespread at my uni in the 90s.

I am in London and same here as Birmingham - you smell more weed than cigarette smoke and at all times of day. We have lots of chats about super skunk and mental health plus the dangers of mixing things like ket with alcohol. I take a firm line on heroin, coke, bodybuilding steroids and strong painkillers/prescription meds.

Anyhow we are hoping for an apprenticeship as wel but a higher one not a uni replacement. The services are the other iron in the fire. DS is predicted AABDistinction by dint of some expert tutoring and pulling his socks up but uni is still out of the question.

I love that so many of you are having drug chats with your DCs. I wouldn’t know where to start. I don’t know what’s safe or what they do to you.

@oblomov21 maybe I've read it wrong but it suggests on the ICAEW website that only Liverpool gives 12 exemptions and all the others give up to 8? However, it's much better for him to go somewhere he wants to go, obviously! Liverpool's entry requirements are lower than Southampton or Durham though. I think I've mentioned before that Aston is well thought of for finance and also requires lower grades. I worked with a few Aston graduates at my big 4 firm.

@ChristopherTracy bodybuilding steroids are my concern for ds, as he's not convinced there's anything wrong with them! I need to do more research...

This is a good resource: www.drugwise.org.uk

I can't remember the last time I smelled weed, we're in a small market town. However I am aware that there is a drug problem here, county lines is a big problem. I do volunteer litter picking and find nitrous oxide canisters regularly. There have been drugs busts in houses locally too.

DS1 made a good point about not smelling cigarette smoke - he said that a lot of conventional smokers have switched to vaping, so there may be a bit more weed and a lot less cigarette smoke.

I was very impressed by DS2's response when I asked him what he would do if a flatmate asked if it was OK to take drugs in the flat.

@crazycrofter I could ask DS about the people he follows who are passionately anti-steroids and where to find the facts.

@Monkey2001 that would be great, thank you!

Friend’s DD started degree apprenticeship with PwC a few years ago. It wasn’t for her as she wanted to go to university full time so she dropped out after a few months which was definitely the right decision for her.

Didn’t have particularly high grades, took 3 years over sixth form as reset, interviews really well and had sorted a fair amount of work experience for herself which I think helped a lot.

DD has tried weed at university but had a bad experience and won’t touch it now though I think her housemates do occasionally.

Wrong way round. Dropped out then resat.