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

We have good news - DD got an offer from York for Biology!!
Currently she thinks this will be her insurance choice.

She's applied to Durham - Biological Sciences which would be first choice plus Sheffield - Biology, Lancaster - Biology and Exeter (Penryn) - Zoology.

Good news @Fruitygal

@20newnames I have sent you a PM with my nephew's response to my message - very positive, but too long to post here. He is happy to answer more questions if you have any.

Input: research and narrowing down choices, comparing etc Me: 90% DH 10%. Going to open days Me: 50% DH 50%. Being the one that gets listened to Me: 15% DH 85%.

DH does do the job DS is aiming for and is very good at looking at course details when I have shortlisted but if I hadn’t shortlisted and done so much there would be no potentials. Instead of the 4 we have.

DS has decided to put 4 on his form for now and see what comes back. He has 3 ‘top’ choices and Lincoln as an insurance. The others don’t offer until really late but Lincoln don’t wait apparently so if he gets an offer there he would be very happy with that as an insurance so then the final spot may be another ‘top’ one. We will wait and see…

We were obviously posting at the same time @Monkey2001. Thank you!, will go and have a look now

Yay fruityjr!

@Fruitygal well done on the offer!

Great news @Fruitygal, well done your DD.

Congratulations @fruitygal's DD!
Thank you for all good wishes. DD is pleased, but tired having completed 1.5h Chemistry exam today with full of cold. She chose her interview date to be her brother's (at uni) birthday for good luck

Thanks for all the congrats - she is thrilled to have an offer!

@Hattifatteners clearly yours get along to choose her brother's Birthday for luck. My DCs are close and it's lovely to hear others are too. Is this her favourite place to study Vet Medicine?

@OrangeCinnamonCocktail Thanks for the new thread
Thinking of you and your family

@Fruitygal I think she would have difficulties to choose between Liverpool and Bristol if she would be lucky enough to get offers from both. She did like Liverpool when we visited and is hoping that unis will have offer holder days to make the decision easier. On the other hand, she might only get one offer (or none) and then there is nothing to decide

Input: research and narrowing down choices, comparing etc Me: 90% DH 10%. DH did lovely meta analysis with spreadsheets etc for DD but no concentration for supporting DD on wading through prospectuses, uni websites, modules lists, checking the PS, course options, talking about worries and booking everything.
Going to visit unis (most not open days just campus self tours) for DD 50%/50%: DH attended all with me and DD (11visits?!?) DD did 2 online with no visit
Going to open days for DS1 and DS2 combined across 2 years: 7 together, 6 just me, 1 just DH
Being the one that gets listened to: Very much depends on the uni and the subject - sometimes they listen to neither of us :)

Just realised we have done 25 campus tours or open days across the 3 DCs - (3 universities were visited twice! with different children)

Congratulations @Fruitygal!

@Hattifatteners They are both great places and great for students! We are also hoping on some offer days as DDs favourite places we visited on our own campus tours this summer (luckily meeting a random person studying her course each time!?). She liked the feel of their campuses, got to see accommodation she liked by chance but the open days for the course themselves were online and she would prefer to meet the lecturers and see the department before making a final choice.

Thanks @BlueMarigold

Delighted about the jabs as DS wouldn't have been eligible until exam season.

@Fruitygal Well done on the York offer. DS still not finished his PS and York biology is likely to feature.

In terms of application support 99.9% me, DH 'where did you visit last weekend?'.

@EwwSprouts - her form went in last Tuesday night so not waited long for the first offer (fingers crossed there are some more)

Where else is your DS looking to add PS

We are prepared for a long wait for Durham though think she'll be lucky to hear either way before Feb/March.

Another one here...college not sending off the UCAS form. I'm trying to let Dd deal with this. 3/5 of her institutions require an interview so I don't think it is unreasonable for her to want to have a decent pick of the interview dates (Cardiff, Southampton, Surrey) plus...her anxiety!

She was saying today that she couldn't find a recent picture with her Nan. Both my DM and I were/are quite camera shy...I prefer to take photos. I'm starting to regret that...at a recent do there was a lovely photo of my sisters in a floral archway. I wasn't in it as I was taking the photo. We used to take group photos for special occasions. In the age of the selfie that seems to have been lost I'm going to try and remember for Christmas and birthdays.

@OrangeCinnamonCocktail I know what you mean about always being behind the camera. Hopefully there is one for your DD of her with nan when nan was suffering less.

@Fruitygal Also Sheffield and Durham. Didn't warm to Lancaster.

That's wonderful @Fruitygal. York is a lovely city.

@Wheresthebeach she liked the campus, the course and the city is lovely - not too big but lots to explore.

@EwwSprouts DH didn’t warm to Lancaster either but DD liked it however I asked tonight if Durham doesn’t offer what she would pick - as her top two and she said York then Sheffield where as before she said Lancaster. Who knows how it will change after the offer days :)

@EwwSprouts and @Fruitygal it’s amazing how different they all are and even though all out DCs have picked to do Biology, they are interested in completely different places.

*our not out

Great news Fruitygal on the offer!