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

Has anyone been to a Bath bitesize day / campus tour? If so, how was parking? We want to go into the city first for a look around and not sure where to park! Also, anyone who has been recently...how bad was A36 closure?

@Piggywaspushed we went in August and the A36 closure was a real problem and added probably 45 mins on our journey sitting in traffic around the city.

If you can park at the uni, I would always do that and get the bus into town. I think the car parks have payment machines but as we went in the summer it was free and there was hardly anyone there so not relevant as to whether you can actually find a space now!

Google tells me A36 reopened on Monday for cars so hopefully that helps!

Sorry about the weather, Piggy

@Piggywaspushed If you are coming down the M4 I think there is a way to get to the uni campus by coming off the motorway early & going on back roads. Alternatively if you go down the A36 you can turn off to the right & loop around to the west by the race course & you could perhaps park somewhere in the city & take a bus to the campus. I know there is free parking in Royal Victoria Park but not sure if there is a time limit.

Weather should brighten up a bit! Hammering down in Cardiff ATM...

Hideous rain for most of the day in St Andrews too. Glasgow rain tomorrow. But blue skies for the Cairngorms on Saturday, we hope.

Forgot to mention that Ds has finally submitted his application. Obviously nothing will happen now until school do their bit (hopefully next week) but at least I can stop nagging him now!

Well done @Decorhate ds! Dd says she’s drafted her PS; I haven’t read it yet, not sure if I’ll be asked to. She tends to talk literally everything in life through with me, but never asks for help with school work/revision etc.

@Piggywaspushed

Has anyone been to a Bath bitesize day / campus tour? If so, how was parking? We want to go into the city first for a look around and not sure where to park! Also, anyone who has been recently...how bad was A36 closure?

Driving through central Bath always bad. Coming down A46 can turn left at junction with A4 and go over toll bridge in Bathampton. £1 each way.

Well done to @Oblomov21 DS!
Happy birthday to your DD @Alsoplayspiccolo!

Gosh this thread had had a racing start!

I'm sorry those needing help are as ever struggling to access it.

Happy Birthday to piccolopiccolo

Thanks for all the lovely birthday wishes for DD (love the name suggestions for her 🤣).

Our weekend in Bath was lovely…so lovely, in fact, that DD is heartbroken that Bath Uni doesn’t offer English.
It’s been a day of reflection for me, realising that that’s her childhood over; this time next year, she’ll (hopefully) be celebrating at uni, with new friends, in a new city.
Couldn’t be prouder of her and how far she’s come, whilst wishing I could go back in time and make a better job of parenting, knowing what I know now.

Piggy, I drove through the bay twice this evening, on the way to and from dropping DD for her night out.
The weather!!!! I promise it’s not always raining here!

Wonderful news, Oblomov. Phew!

Happy birthday to Piccolo Bambina!
Well done to DS for Soton offer @Oblomov21
Beep beep beep to your DS @sofakingcool

@Alsoplayspiccolo happy 18th to your DD

@ZittiEBuoni our DD has been referred for ADHD and she ticks all the boxes for inattentive. The wait for CAMHS is really long so I'm hoping to get a referral through private healthcare but still waiting to hear back from them. She was referred by the school back in May for CBT and still on the waiting list to get seen via CAMHS.

My DD is also waiting for a referral for ADHD. What CBT techniques do you try and what do you find helps with attentiveness? My DD is quite worried about it and is now saying she wants to go to an “easier” university? Is there such a thing? Would getting a 2:1 degree from a uni that wants BBB rather than AAA be easier?

@BlueMarigold the equivalence of degrees from different institutions is one of those odd things! It seems intuitively obvious that it must be easier to get a First from Sheffield Hallam than from Durham. But some of it is down to forms of assessment - a DC who is good at exams might thrive at Durham whilst a DC who did great coursework is a star on a course at a new university. Not necessarily easier, but different. It is difficult to see how a First in maths from a place requiring CCC could possibly be equivalent to a First from Oxbridge/Durham /Warwick/Lancaster.

But it is a fact that all institutions give Firsts and 2i , whatever their entry grades.

Some places have learning support mentors in place to help support through a degree and I’m hoping DD gets access to one shortly. She has found the organisational side difficult, especially when classes stopped and the whole lot started coming through email. As Monkey says the form of assessment can make a difference.

DD is very variable with her work and has had to resist a couple of modules but is top of her year for something else. She has decided she wants to give the ADHD medication a go so I’m hoping this makes things easier for her. Originally I would have been delighted if she got a 2.2 and still would but I know she wants the option of studying further so would need a 2.1. Not looking forward to next summer as will be finals and A levels .

I think you also have to take into account that there has been a tendency for places to hike up their entry requirements to keep up with others doing so whereas the reality is that although some say AAB for example, a lot on the course in reality have significantly lower grades.

@Piggywaspushed We go to Bath fairly frequently and park in Charlotte street car park. If you want to do the town it’s super convenient and never not got a space ( but only parked before 10.30am on the half term week). If you look on google maps it’s about 7-9 mins drive from uni.

We love the cook shop called ProCook several floors of kitchen stuff and Paxton and Whitfield cheese shop on Quiet St plus Mr B’s Emporium which is a lovely bookshop not far from there. The Crescent, Circus, Roman Baths and the cathedral are all great if you want to do the tourist thing and ALL less than 10 mins from the car park but Crescent and Circus up hill! Plus loads of traditional chain shops and some more upmarket ones DD not big on shopping but loves here so much!

@BlueMarigold DS1 has severe dyslexia plus mild ASD and managed well with demanding BSc snd MSc courses and come out with strong 2:1. Uni were great with support and study sessions and help with organisation (recommended the uni to two friends for their dyslexic children and they have also felt well supported so far.) Anyone with diagnosed dyslexia and other learning needs can apply for DSA disabled students allowance. It is not means tested. DS1 needed a new laptop and they gave him it ( £200 contribution from us for expensive computer) - plus free printer, books, paper and cartridges allowances and software throughout course) We had to pay for dyslexia assessment at 15 and 17 as school told me he wasn’t dyslexic just stupid?!?!? to allow for extra time in exams and use of a laptop. Best money I ever spent! Uni far more supportive than school and free 1 to 1 study support. Speak to the learning support team at the unis you are looking at and they may be able to advise you about help and support now. Waiting lists are appalling for any assessments at present. Friend’s DD has been told wait more than 12mths. My DD just moderate dyslexia so no need for laptop just has extra time and school great with small considerations to make things easier.

Good morning all. DS has his second offer - AAB from Kent. As exciting as that is, that will likely be his lowest offer so not much room for a bad day in May/June. He has no idea where Kent is (that place we get the ferry to France from 😂) and applied because they offered his course without needing an A in French. I think the course and uni look amazing and quite fancy a day out in Canterbury 😁

Fruitygal, Piggy, we parked in Charlotte Street car park at the weekend, and “did” the circus, Crescent, Pulteney Bridge and abbey, plus the independent shops and dinner at The Botanist.
You can do a Bridgerton tour, and we saw McDonal and Dodds being filmed

Love Bath!

@mummyinbeds Kent is one of DDs choices and (if she gets an offer) will probably end up as her insurance (they only want BBB for her course). We've been a couple of times - once for just a visit to Canterbury and a self guided tour round campus, and then again for the recent open day as it's only about 90 mins for us. The Canterbury campus is lovely, and lots of the accommodation looked really good too. The city was beautiful, and an easy bus ride from campus.

mummabear74 The wait for DD to get her ASD diagnosis was so long (nearly 2 years). The thought of another loooong wait for another diagnosis is unappealing to say the least! I think I'll have a word with the school counsellor next week and see what she reckons.