Thread 22 Covid Cohort - Creeping towards the Future - Personal Statements and Interviews

[OrangeCinnamonCocktail]

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.

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/4370509-Thread-21-Corona-Cohort-Nervous-waiting-so-frustrating
Role Call below
@20newnames / DS / Engineering
@Alsoplayspiccolo / DD / English + Film
@AnneofCleavage / DD / gap year? Primary Education
@BlueMarigold / DD / Biology
@crazycrofter / DD / Child (?) + Mental Health Nursing
@Decorhate / DS / Economics + Politics
@Delphigirl / DS / Oceanography
@DoggerelBank / DS / tbc sciencey
@ealingwestmum / DD / Middle Eastern and European Studies
@EerilyDisembodied / DS / History or Environmental Management
@estherfrewen / DS / History
@EwwSprouts / DS / Biology
@Fiddlersgreen / DS / Journalism
@Fruitygal / DD / Biology
@Hattifatteners / DD / Vet Med
@Heifer / DD / Biology
@Hopeful201 / DS / Medicine
@Horace123 / DS / Classics
@icanbewhatiwant / DS / History + Philosophy
@Isthisjustnormal / DS / Comp Sci
@KingscoteStaff / DD / Medicine
@mummabear74 / DD / Environmental Science
@mummyinbeds / DS / Law + French Law
@Nard75 / DS / Maths
@NCTDN / DD / Liberal Arts
@Oblomov21 / DS / Accountancy
@OrangeCinnamonCocktail / DD / Music (uni)
@PaddingtonPaddington / DD / Music (cons)
@Piggywaspushed / DS / Social sciences combo
@ProggyMat / DD / Classics
@SandyBayley / DD / Medicine
@Seeline / DD / Liberal Arts
@singingstones / DS / Neuroscience
@Wheresthebeach / DD / gap year? Marine Biology
@whoamitojudge / DD / Cabin crew training
@Zebracat / DD / Liberal Arts or Anthropology
@ZittiEBuoni / DD / applying next year

Ds is also waiting for school to send off his form. They spotted a mistake last week (he forgot to take off FM which he has now dropped). Hopefully it will go this week.

By the way, Nottingham seem to be quick making offers going by the kids I know of who have done early entries.

@Fruitygal How frustrating. We had similar, DD handed in first draft on August 10th as requested, multiple meetings/adjustments and then the school sat on it for weeks. Similar that others are getting offers for her first choice so it's hard. Hope it goes soon.

We’ve still got quite a way to go before the PS goes in i think. We’re visiting Leicester on Saturday and Manchester the last Sat in November. If she likes them both, she may take Plymouth off the list as she’s also going to apply to York, as she knows and likes the city,

@Wheresthebeach we felt a little bit the same after visiting Plymouth- it was fine but didn’t feel positive in the same way as Southampton and Nottingham did.

Dd said at lunchtime that her history coursework draft is due in tomorrow and she’s only done one third of it 😩 I knew she was burying her head in the sand as she wouldn’t answer my questions about it during half term!

Thanks for listening to my frustration - lets hope Monday brings a response and some positive movement - DD needs a couple of offers as a positive feedback to drive her through the mocks in December and the NEA work. Also we know that while some places like Durham, Bath etc are waiting to offer considering all applications together many like Sheffield and York are offering within 1-3 weeks. When my DS1 applied to Royal Holloway the form went in late November - his friends who got the form in earlier had been offered for the course but the percentage of early offers available were used up and the uni did not release the next batch until after the January deadline so he had to wait to know until Feb. As DD has Durham and Exeter as choices which often are late offers (if she's lucky enough to be offered) then having 1-2 offers from the others would really help her believe in herself. In the end it does sort itself but this year is a weird one due to deferrals from 2021 and other issues at unis (they are looking at strike action) so early offers are more settling.

@crazycrofter We liked Leicester for biological and biomedical sciences that whole department was friendly and organised. Fresh homemade pizzas were yummy from student union and we sat outside on deckchairs! It was June :) and our first visit x

Argh @crazycrofter - the stress! (for you both). DD said she was sure she could be happy there, but there wasn't a bounce in her step. We've taken a deeper look at Swansea and will make the effort to get out there (we were so sure it would be Plymouth and Southampton in the top two places, with Portsmouth third that we're a bit 'need a new plan' now).

@Fruitygal I think its so tough when the uni's behave so differently. I think my stress levels will drop when DD gets an offer, so I can only imagine how it will impact her. One or two offers in their back pockets will make everyone feel better.

Gah ' there' being Plymouth

Just to change the subject for a moment, did any of your dc go to Boardmasters this year? Dd2 has just messaged me begging me to get her tickets (which she will pay for) as 'all my friends are going' but I've told her I need time to think as I don't really know Boardmasters, except that virtually everyone came home with Covid this year. I have a feeling some of your dc may have been there this year - was it well managed/organised? Did they enjoy it? Any horror stories?

Thanks in advance and woah at some of the fantastic offers rolling in now. Loving the updated list!

@ZittEBuoni My DS2 went to most of the main festivals - Reading, Boardmasters and several in London this year - he said he felt old at reading (21) as there were so many kids 14-16yr olds. He didn't get COVID about 25% of Boardmasters did (most had no or one vaccine so not surprised my DS2 had both of his) but was tested lots of times by PCR but did get a horrible respiratory infection from Reading. He first went to the big festivals and gigs in London from 17-18 and always with a group of close friends. There are drugs and misbehaviour everywhere you go so sticking together and being careful while having fun is all they can do. Warning the cost of food and drink is crippling at these events so mine take stuff with them (additional soft drinks and snacks etc) DD 17 started going to gigs with DS2 aged 15 then stopped due to covid and now goes with her friends to gigs in London.

Zitti my niece enjoyed it, but not enough to make up for missing family holiday. Toilets were disgusting, even by festival standards, but if she can deal with that, it seems to be a good festival.

@Decorhate DD had an offer from Nottingham within 2 weeks of application being submitted, so yes pretty speedy.

She has heard from 4 of her unis now - 3 offers. Birmingham want a 1000 essay on one of 3 questions, to be answered with an emphasis on an interdisciplinary approach. 28 days to submit. Really annoying that the request arrived halfway through last week rather than during her 2 week half term.... Still waiting on Exeter.

Just to clarify, she missed family holiday due to catching Covid

@Seeline how does she feel about the Birmingham essay? Did she know it would be a requirement? Sounds like a very good idea for students with CAGs and inflated A level grades coming to have something else, but I dont know how they can be sure it is the student's work and having support from parents and teachers must make a difference. Would be great if they make unconditional offers to the applicants who write the best essays (provided they really wrote them!)

Yes, Birmingham did say that the essay would be required before offers were made. The email says that 'Based on the standard of the application and the quality of the admissions essay, candidates will typically be made a Conditional Offer of either AAA or AAA within 25 working days.' so I don't know if a reduced offer/unconditional offer would be forthcoming. Beyond a plagerism check, I can't see how they can tell it is students own work. Birmingham is DDs 5th choice - I'm not sure she would even have it as her insurance choice (unlikely scenario as it is likely to be the highest offer if standard offer of AAA is received).

Thanks, FruityGal and Monkey2001, I don't want to stop her going and her group of friends are lovely and generally sensible (as far as 17 year olds ever are ) but there was a terrifying thread from parents of Reading-goers this year about tents being set on fire on the Sunday evening, so I just wanted to be forewarned/forearmed.

Zitti there are probably websites reviewing all the festivals, but DS1 has been to a few -
Reading as Fruity said was very much kids let out and going wild,
Y Not more civilised, but did not want to go again
Truck is a lovely little festival which he wants to keep going to
Shambala is the nicest of all, not really his type of music, but very civilised. It is vegetarian and committed to low environmental impact, they run coaches from various places to make access easy. He will keep going to that one too.

I remember when DSD went to Reading...tents on fire then as well (and she's nearly 30 now). It's been going on for years. When I told DSD that DD was going to Reading she wasn't happy, and gave clear instructions to DD about where she was to camp (family enclosure) and to avoid the rest as it wasn't safe. She also announced that she wouldn't drink at all that weekend, and that DD was to call anytime day or night to be picked up if she was uncomfortable. In the end it was cancelled...and we're on the lookout for a calmer one for her to go to this summer.

Hi all,
Sorry not been around much...thread is moving fast. Finding it hard to keep up!
DM is very much at end of life stage, she is not even being taken to hispita anymore, being made comfortable as poss in her Nursing Home.

Just an explanation from me in case I disappear for a while.

Sending Hugs @OrangeCinnamonCocktail. Its so hard.

sorry to hear that @OrangeCinnamonCocktail - thinking of you. Please never apologise for not posting - that's the beauty of this thread, we can dip in and out as we feel the need and time/life allows.

take care

DD went to Leeds festival this summer and it was similar to Reading. She went with 3 friends (2 boys 1 girl) and they camped in the family enclosure as felt safer. It was a good idea as no problems there at all. DD said she was stopped and offered drugs a lot (and people asked to buy of her) but all in all felt safe enough. She did get hit on the head with a full can of beer (boys were throwing them across the audience (and worse apparently). I don't think DD will be in a rush to go back as she didn't really enjoy it or Parklife either - although I am sure if all her other friends went she would probably go too.

Hope you and your family are bearing up Orange, and she’s sensitively being cared for in the home

So sorry to hear that Orange, thinking of you all 💐

Sorry to hear that Orange, thinking of you

Thinking of you all @OrangeCinnamonCocktail

Big hug to you @OrangeCinnamonCocktail.