Thread 23 Covid Cohort Stepping Into Christmas, Tests, Mocks & 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

@20newnames/ DS / Engineering
@Alsoplayspiccolo/ DD / English + Film
@AnneofCleavage/ DD / gap year? Primary Education
@BlueMarigold/ DD / Biology
@cariadambyth/ DD / History / Southampton, Bath Spa, Warwick, RHUL
@collywobble/ DS / PPE, Economics / Lancaster (AAB)
@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 / Birmingham (ABB), Cardiff (ABB-BBB), Warwick (AAB)
@EwwSprouts/ DS / Biology
@Fiddlersgreen/ DS / Journalism / Bournemouth (104 pts), Brighton (BCC), Cardiff (ABB)
@Fruitygal/ DD / Biology
@Hattifatteners/ DD / Vet Med
@Heifer/ DD / Biology
@Hopeful201/ DS / Medicine
@Horace123/ DS / Classics / Edinburgh 34/665
@icanbewhatiwant/ DS / History + Philosophy
@Isthisjustnormal/ DS / Comp Sci
@JustHereWithMyPopcorn/ DS / Law
@KingscoteStaff/ DD / Medicine
@Knickerthief1/ DD / Child nursing / York
@Monkey2001/ DS / Medicine
@mummabear74/ DD / Environmental Science
@mummyinbeds/ DS / Law + French Law / Birmingham (AAA), Kent (AAB)
@Nard75/ DS / Maths
@NCTDN/ DD / Liberal Arts
@Oblomov21/ DS / Accountancy / Southampton ABB
@OrangeCinnamonCocktail/ DD / Music (uni)
@PaddingtonPaddington/ DD / Music (cons)
@Piggywaspushed/ DS / Social sciences / Birmingham (AAB-ABB), York (AAB-ABB)
@ProggyMat/ DD / Classics / Bristol (BBB), Edinburgh
@SandyBayley/ DD / Medicine
@Seeline/ DD / Liberal Arts / UEA (AAB), Kent (BBB), Nottingham (AAA)
@Shimy/ DS / Business + Management / Birmingham (AAB-ABB), Loughborough
@singingstones/ DS / Neuroscience
@Volterra/ DS / Maths
@whatsnext2/ DD / English joint hons
@Wheresthebeach/ DD / gap year? Marine Biology / Southampton, Portsmouth
@whoamitojudge/ DD / RyanAir cabin crew training
@Zebracat/ DD / Liberal Arts or Anthropology
@ZittiEBuoni/ DD / tbc applying next year

@Monkey2001 loving it !! Fingers crossed he passes when is the test booked for ?

@Fiddlersgreen normally in December to end of March but some may happen in May. If your DC gets an offer they normally send a log in to a site where they can book a day. Really good to go and see the place in this context.

@Monkey2001 I can imagine the fun you had instructing DH without the administrator overhearing you . Your description paints a picture!

Glad it sorted...

@Monkey2001 @Fruitygal thank you both, will need to check with DS if he’s seen anything.

Sorry Monkey but that really made me laugh, getting DH to be pretend to be DS

@Fiddlersgreen I have always got the DCs to forward all emails regarding uni to me so nothing is missed. (DS2 refused told me he knew better cocked up the accommodation as a result - because he didn’t read the detail ) - he told DD to forward the emails

Omg Monkey!

So pleased it’s sorted now

What a nightmare @Monkey2001! I had experience of trying to get through to DVLA last month and it took for ever. They took the money for DD’s theory test but she didn’t get a date. I managed to get a date in the end on the phone but had to pay twice and I’ve still not been refunded!

@Fruitygal the platters at Swansea and UEA were to die back before COVID.

@Fiddlersgreen They usually happen in the spring/summer after most people have received an offer. This is to help you whittle down your final two.

@Fruitygal that’s a great idea, I will ask him to forward everything and I will sit down and read it all at some point

DD was impressed that Nottingham asked for dietary requirements when she made her booking! Open days have been poor on freebies so far - just a couple of tote bags - so hoping for good things!!

@Fruitygal Congrats on the Lancaster biology offer! The lab we saw was fantastic.

@icanbewhatiwant If OU is looking expensive, have you looked at MOOC for yourself. I think it's amazing there is free access to these courses.

Very exciting news here. Not the same kind of exciting news that some of you have been getting from UCAS but ... I saw evidence of an EPQ being written last night. There was definitely something essay-shaped on the laptop screen! With a deadline of the end of the month, and no mention of it at home so far, I'd been getting worried. I must have more faith.

Laughing at Monkey making faces at Dh Ds, whilst on phone to DVLA.

That’s reassuring DoggeralBank, I don’t think you are alone in the must have more faith camp!

Yes good to hear of the quiet progress @DoggerelBank. I know I am not in the "need more faith" camp on EPQ as DS has wanted to drop it for some time. I don't know whether they have been poorly taught, but he finds the process side of it overwhelming. Once I looked into it and understood it, I thought that learning to manage a big piece of research was brilliant for university and real work.

@Monkey2001 Yes, EPQ (or at least the IB equivalents) have been very useful for older DD at St Andrews. They're starting to get going with dissertation planning, and those who haven't written an essay since GCSEs are scared; those that have done all the researching and referencing before are taking it in their stride. Very nice for DD, who's been struggling to learn the endless amount of stuff for medicine, to have something that's not so daunting.

Lots of schools don't do essays for EPQ, just as a side note.

The 'research' they do at my school is very basic and the survey monkey questionnaires they send out make my teeth itch!

We (by which I mean schools) really should teach proper research skills but Gove removed most coursework, of course, so it's not done,and lots of teachers don't know how to teach about research.When I used to teach A Level Comms coursework the students left really knowing how to research properly : now in A Level sociology, they learn what types of research are, so they can write an exam about research methods and ethics, and pretend they are doing a project, which is basically very silly. Silly Gove.

@Monkey2001 DD hated the ‘process part’ - learning log - but this is where the bulk of the marks are gained not the finished product whatever form that takes.
DS needs to think of it as a ‘working document’ running alongside the final product and make sure he records all his thought processes etc
My undergrad dissertation was 13.5K words but my fieldwork diary was more like 5Ok - although in my case that was not marked!

I guess the history coursework is a bit like an EPQ, in that it's an extended piece of work? Having said that, I remember doing my history coursework in the 90s: we each chose our own topic (I did Indian independence) and we were taken to the Birmingham central library each week to do our research. I mainly occupied the music floor of the library, listening to albums and deciding what to borrow! Which led to a huge panic at the end! But at least we found our own books, shaped our own projects etc. Dd's has been 'taught' - they all do a project on the reformation in England, from a choice of about three questions. I'm really not sure how much independent research she has done!

@Piggywaspushed & any other kind helpers to applicants, just saw this on FB from Hull Univ.
Need a hand with your university application? Check out our complete step-by-step guide to applying to university. We can even give you tailored feedback on your personal statement - just drop us an email to [email protected].

Well done to the offer holders, I am hoping DS starts to hear things in the next week or so.

Today we have the LNAT, please send all your positive vibes for a non headachey/non fuggy head day.

@Monkey2001 glad you got that sorted!!

Good luck Popcorn, fingers firmly crossed 🍀

It’s a shame they have taken the practical element out of psychology A level. I think actually doing an experiment really helps get your head around the research methods section and stats.

Oh my DD would have loved to do a psychology practical Volterra. She hates the research methods section with a passion. She was dead set on doing psych at uni, until she realised that research methods would feature heavily.

Lots of good vibes to your DS Justhere!

Good luck today to mini @JustHereWithMyPopcorn I hope his jaw is not too painful?

DS finally pressed submit on the UCAS application last night so it is now down to school. I asked him if he felt relieved, he shrugged his shoulders , certainly I seem to be far more concerned about it all than him!!