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

Oh that's great advice, thank you Blue. I feel like DD in particular needs something to look forward to, she's very sad and fed up at the moment, but I didn't want to get her hopes up if it wouldn't work out. Maybe after Christmas we can start looking.

[quote Fruitygal]@Heifer yep no probs - Durham, York, Lancaster, Sheffield and Exeter (Penryn) last one Zoology and others Biology or Biological Sciences. What have you got short listed ?[/quote]
thats a good list @Fruitygal.

Tbh DDs list changes weekly: at the moment it's
Nottingham
Bath
York
Loughborough (back on the table)
Birmingham

Sheffield dropped off along with Swansea as she now doesn't like the modules any more. Still not sure if Msci/Mbiol or 3 yr option.

Did you apply for the 3 yrs with workplacement/work abroad or just normal BSc? ( I think I saw they were different codes but not sure).

She wants an insurance but I think she will get some contextual offers - at least 1 for our postcode being low on young adults going to uni (which is mad as this area is a mix of very weathly odd people plus some not so rich families, but certainly not deprived) but we will take it - also some mentioned lower offer if B in Core Maths. If she can find somewhere she would actually go with lower grades then fine but no point if she won't actually go there, might as well wait for clearing - although obviously hoping it won't be necessary :-)

Thanks for the new thread. Not really caught up but sounds like DS may be home today. He has been allowed to eat so won’t be operating I guess. He has had various scans and IV antibiotics since Thursday night and says feels ‘fine’ but he has the pain threshold of a ninja so that could mean anything. Am going to visit at 2 so will find out more then. He joined his English class by Teams on Friday morning! He has private room with en-suite as private treatment is on hold at the hospital and they’ve moved the surgical patients there so I think it is his little home from home now!

I was so sorry to hear about your lovely mum on the other thread @OrangeCinnamonCocktail. A big hug to you.

@Piggywaspushed - that’s amazing of young piglet! Well done - will keep my fingers crossed!

@Shimy I don’t think I can say anything more than @Zebracat - that’s shit. He sounds like a strong person who understands this is not about him but about them - doesn’t make it hurt less though.

@ZittiEBuoni well done to your DD on mocks. My DS produced another substandard performance which is frustrating because he works so hard and his teachers and tutors say it isn’t reflective of his knowledge. He has processing issues and he is really struggling with the rigidity of the mark schemes of biology and chemistry. They are still predicting him what he needs to get offers but it is demoralising for him.
His UCAS form still at school, also annoying… so no offers to report yet. hey ho.

@Heifer she’s gone for BSc and will choose abroad or placement later. MSci has some merits around student finance payback but I think the unis like it because it guarantees an income stream for 4 years. If your DD is certain they want to work in research/lab AND they like the research strengths of the key lecturers at a uni then I’d go for it but if they are unclear then I’d stick with the BSc. However if the take the MSci they can always drop it and complete a BSc. (Students don’t end up with 2 qualifications just one)

DS1 did normal MSc and was given bursary due to his performance for BSc so the PG loan covered his tuition fees and all his accommodation normal with his Bsc there is a shortfall for us of £3-4K against accommodation costs so MSc was slot cheaper to fund as it was just his living costs like food etc

I think DD’s list may have been different if wider unis had offered her language combination Monkey; B’ham as an example. I also think she would have liked Sheffield. Newcastle if it wasn’t so popular with the London crowd right now…

Our DD has EPQ so that helps with 3-4 of the unis if offered obviously not Durham. We don’t get contextual for home postcode or school as grammar - my DSs did as their local sixth form college did despite it doing well for getting kids to uni - think it was to do with the location in a town? Didn’t moan as DS1 needed to get easier offers. Pretty sure Bath do grade offer drop for EPQ and core maths.

Birmingham last year offered AAB down to CCC if firmed for Biology. Nottingham offered BBB with no special terms to another friend. How knows this year?

Loughborough is a bit too sports science in nature in terms of the modules. DD wanted to like the place as loads of friends go there but she said ‘ it’s just a bunch of building on a field … I don’t get it ? ‘ think she was referring to a lack of planting and landscaping (see Birmingham for a good example) - 😂😂😂 - to be honest she’s not super sporty so not surprised… but their rationale for discounting places does make me giggle.

Sorry @Heifer meant to tag you on the above comment

singing, we’ve introduced various kittens to resident cats, always in pairs (because one kitten is never enough!)
Ours have always been female kittens, and the resident females have been hissy and cross for a few weeks but gradually accepted the newcomers.
As long as the resident cat has their own bolt hole to escape to, it seems to work out fine eventually.

We currently have sisters we have had since tiny, but even they bicker and hiss at each other in the evenings.

@singingstones we have also introduced kittens and dogs to resident dogs and cats. There has never been a problem that lasted, sometimes a bit of hissing in the first week,memorably our greyhound coped with the crazy kitten we got and then the following year became a very involved maiden aunt to her kittens. I do believe that most animals are protective to babies, unless they are food!

Can I pick you lovely people’s brains about a non uni/A level topic, please?

Firstly, those of you with DCs at private schools, are you aware of any financial help offered to parents whose income was affected by Covid?

Secondly, are there any parents with DCs at boarding school (I know someone’s DS moved to boarding in year 12 - anyone else?)
How did you adapt to hone life without them, in particular if they were your last/only DC to leave? I guess that includes youngest DCs going off to uni too - the whole “empty nest” thing.

We’re facing a possible dilemma, related to both my questions, which is causing me some anxiety this week, so I’d love to hear anyone’s experiences.

@ealingwestmum - fab - congrats on the interview.

@ZittiEBuoni Lovely that your DD has had a good set of mock.

Bit worried that exams may not go ahead now, and why are they asking for 3 sets of mocks suddenly? Wonder if they are desperate to get grades down after last year.

All a bit stressful - DD really wants exams to go ahead.

@AnneOfCleavage hope you have managed to join us on the other thread!

Sorry to hear you tested positive, but if your symptoms started more than 3 days ago you might be OK for next Saturday. Have you had any positive LFTs? Hope you make a speedy recovery and the others don't have it. If you are isolating at home and being waited on, hope that bit is nice!

Thank you for the kitten advice Also and Zebra.

One kitten is never enough
I cannot agree more!

Also I have no wisdom to offer on either of those issues but I'm sure someone will and I hope you can resolve things and relieve stress soon. Is it @ExcessiveIyDisorganised whose DS started boarding recently?

Piccolo my DS boards but weekly rather than full boarding, which is your DC looking around? Weekly feels like a halfway house between school and university.

It was quite difficult at first as it was quite unexpected and DH boarded in 6th form and was really miserable so I was very anti boarding and swore mine never would. Also he is youngest and I had geared myself up an empty house for 2022 and it felt too early. Then he really struggled at the start (we now know he was really quite unwell) so it was horrible.

However I think he quite likes it now and has made good friends. We are in a routine now which we quickly switch into when he gets back on a Friday night and it’s like he hasn’t been away, I feel ok about him being away now overall but it is a bit strange sometimes reading you all on here during the week as we often don’t hear from him and I feel a bit like I am parenting part time.

I’m unfortunately unwell at the moment so do feel a bit like my life is falling apart a bit around me as been made redundant and can’t really job hunt until I have a diagnosis with not knowing I am going to be , the medication I may need is immunosuppressant and a bit scary , plus some days it is hard to move. I was feeling quite ok about the empty nest thing and saw it as a time to focus on what I wanted to do and had lots of plans but sadly they have gone a bit awry currently. I think planning lots of things you have always wanted to do is the way forward probably.

@Alsoplayspiccolo School were certainly sending out messages saying talk to us before it becomes debt. They can help going forward but not with debt I think. For context, not a flash school & 10% of pupils were on bursaries pre-Covid.

@Volterra Sorry to hear your health problems have such a significant daily impact. Fingers crossed the scary drugs are a huge help.

@anneofcleavage get well soon

@Alsoplayspiccolo Your question is a little cryptic for me but I think you are asking about possible reduction in termly school fees due to reduction in salary, redundancy or income from a business etc over covid? I know that a friend ( several are educating privately) who was made redundant during covid was given an extension of 2mths to pay the terms fees. Another who was in the middle of a messy divorce was given 6mths to pay AND then as a single parent afterwards got access to a bursary that permanently reduced the fees by 30%. Both ladies went to speak to the head and laid out their difficulties.

My kids were at the local high school and last one at the selective state grammar. I was a day girl at a private boarding school. We used tutors to supplement poor teaching in a couple of subjects at DSs high school. We are lucky that there are grammar school options where we live

Volterra: sorry to hear about your health. I hope once fully diagnosed and on effective meds, you can continue to look at your future opportunities. Redundancy can be such a reflective time (we are huge baton passers in this household!), but without sounding cliche, can be such a positive time for crystallising what we can do next. Obviously once to financial wtf do I do next has passed.

Piccolo, schools will not normally ‘offer’, but when approached, can be surprisingly supportive. Have a chat with your bursar as soon as you can, even if not in a position of need immediately.

@volterra sorry you are feeling so rough and I hope you get answers and a diagnosis very soon.

Volterrathank you for sharing your experience. I’m really sorry to hear you’re going through such a challenging time and living with uncertainty about a diagnosis and treatment. I guess some may say dealing with something like that is easier without having to look after children, but you don’t stop worrying about them when they’re not with you, do you? I hope you find a way forward soon.

It’s DS that might move to boarding for 6th form next year. It would be full boarding, just as DD leaves for uni, so potentially a huge change for us as a family.
Your point about planning things you’ve wanted to do is really pertinent; faced with the possibility of no DCs at home, I’ve been struggling to think how I would fill my time (what I think I really mean is the mental/emotional hole).

EwwSprouts, that’s very interesting.
We lost virtually all our income between March 2020 and September 2022. Both DCs are on scholarships and bursaries, so we spoke to the bursar throughout, agreed to pay what we could during that time. We also put in a bursary renewal form earlier this year, which reflected the huge change in income, but the bursaries stayed the same.
We’ve paid this term’s fees, but suddenly got a demand for the amount outstanding from the lockdown period, threatening action if not dealt with. We’ve spoken to the bursar, who stated that every family was given a 5% fee reduction to reflect online learning restrictions, but that they were not making any allowances for families whose financial situation had been severely affected by Covid.
We’ve been left a bit shocked, to say the least.

@anneofclevage sorry you have Covid - hope you get it mildly

Apologies if I came across as cryptic, Fruity, I didn’t want to out myself, or influence anybody’s answers to my question by detailing our situation; just interested to hear how schools tackled the financial impact of Covid, generally speaking.

I’ve given more specific info in my post above. It’s all a bit sensitive and complicated, as I’m sure you can guess.

@Alsoplayspiccolo wow! That’s a shock! But I’m not surprised - lots of private schools run on small margins so they are accommodating to a point over a term or two but then start requesting.

Are you now back to your pre covid income and able to pay the current fees without difficulty?

Not sure if you owe 4terms per child or 1 term per child as you put 2022 so I assume you mean 2021? Or 2020? In your post.

Options I see are probably

1. getting a personal loan if the fees owed are under £20k

2. adding to your mortgage if larger sums are involved - likely if you mean 4 terms

3. ask for family support/ loan if you can’t find the funds yourselves