Thread 26 - Covid Cohort Hoping for a Stable, Successful 2022

[OrangeCinnamonCocktail]

previous thread

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.

Marking my place. Any prospective UCL students here?

@icanbewhatiwant

I just said to Ds as he walked past from the kitchen to the stairs (which is the only time I see him when he leaves his room to eat) I said...I wonder when the other offers will come in. He said I've got them all. I said you never told me. Why would I? came the reply 🙈

LOL I so relate to this.

@CaliforniaDrumming

Marking my place. Any prospective UCL students here?

There's a list above (scroll to the top) that gets updated and shows roughly where everyone is applying to plus some offers. I think @Shadedog is applying to UCL.

@Heifer Is it a university she has applied to? I've had messages from random universities that ds has not applied to (no idea what has triggered it, never registered with them) along similar lines, 'Come to visit', 'if you have any questions' etc. Of course, If it's somewhere she's applied to that's understandable.

@CaliforniaDrumming

Marking my place. Any prospective UCL students here?

Yes, DS has applied for law but not heard from them yet. We're not really expecting an offer to be honest.

I think my DS had phone calls from Portsmouth when he applied 2 years ago, but can't remember where in the process it was - he did put them as his insurance in the end. But as you say, a teen never answers their phone, and certainly not to an unknown number, so never really found out what they wanted!!

Ds1 had a phone call from Sussex university after he'd chosen his 2 universities. They asked him why he hadn't chosen them and whether he'd consider changing his choices. I don't think you can change your mind anyway once firmed. We were driving and lost signal, they didn't call again.

Welcome @CaliforniaDrumming

No UCL application here but know someone involved with the physics dept. If that helpful feel free to message me.

I don't think we have any physics apps on our list 🤔 wonder what other courses are 'out of favour' nowadays?

@OrangeCinnamonCocktail That's very kind of you-bless you- but DS already has had all his unis reply, and has an offer from UCL.

He is considered an international student and I think that is why he has had offers early. His home students have not had replies from UCL yet.

Thanks for that info oblomov I actually didn't know the dates for replying. DD's head of 6th form said not to make a decision until after the Feb/March mocks but that was all I knew.

Thank you again for the well wishes. We are so proud of her. Oxford Brookes interview went very well today too and the interviewer was v impressed. She's done for the day now so is chilling before doing some coursework as she has work later and is pretty shattered.

Tough week for her Anne, but she's really risen to the challenge! Not surprised she's shattered.

@CaliforniaDrumming

Yes, DD has applied for two courses there. Politics, and the dual degree where you go to France for first and second year, then London Y3 & 4. The dual degree sprung a request for two additional essays on her with just a couple of days notice, which was a surprise. They say they interview and she's not had a request for that, though they keep mailing saying they are looking forward to meeting her. Bizarrely, though the course is taught in English, they mail in French.

She had a ropey last half term due to covid (it floored her), so I feel we may have to reset our sights somewhat. She has recovered, but has a months learning to catch up on.

Welcome @CaliforniaDrumming & I’m glad to hear your Ds has had a UCL offer - I remember you from another thread before Christmas. He had done very well to get offers from such competitive universities.

Thanks @PaddingtonPaddington both Dd and I have become quite nervous about music uni courses...there was talk about cutting funding at one point. Hope it has impacted. Got a Cardiff Interview to come and offer from Sussex though.

Hope it hasn't impacted

I just asked Ds what his offers were. He was happy to tell me this time. All 5 have offered the same. Distinction in business, B,B.
He thinks 3 have offered a drop to C in one A level if he firms them. One of those is Sussex so that means he doesn't have a lower grades offer as a back up. So if he firms Sussex whatever he puts as insurance will be higher grades than the firm choice. So not quite sure what he's meant to do.

@icanbewhatiwant glad to hear he is being nicer today! You can try to find out what people actually had on those courses in past years by looking at DiscoverUni tariffs, but do his teachers think D*BC is achievable? There is usually flexibility on results day from all but the most competitive universities.

Just had on line parents evening which was encouraging re grades. I now think that if we get TAGs he will be OK, but the school seems very confident that exams will go ahead.

@Monkey2001 he needs distinction in business. His teacher says he should get distinction star. Religious studies/ethics/philosophy he needs B he has been getting either A or one mark off A. Then history he is predicted B. So hopefully grades of DBC are achievable. But as they have not sat actual exams, plus history, RS, ethics and philosophy are subjects they say aren't that easy to predict the grades I feel we don't know for sure.

I know Ds will be ok if TAGs, but I think there will be exams too.

Dd will be fine with TAGs too, and would prefer them but I think year 11 ds would do better with exams so I’m torn! Glad I’m not making the decision! I had felt that it was going to TAGs but now I’m thinking maybe exams will happen - you’d think they’d have cancelled them by now if not?

Exactly the same here @crazycrofter, DS would probably be better with TAGs again but y11 DD better with exams. We've got DS's parents eve tomorrow, will be interesting.

@icanbewhatiwant do any of the other 4 offer a foundation year? That might be the way to pick an insurance choice, they'd hopefully take him for the foundation.

@Heifer I got that all the time from a uni we were looking at but decided not to go ahead with. They used to ring my phone and I ignored it because I didn’t recognise the number. DD got the emails and ignored them because she didn’t want to go to that uni. Anyway, one time I did answer the phone and after a conversation where I said she wasn’t going to go there, the phone calls and emails stopped.

@ExtremelyDetermined good idea, thanks. I'll tell Ds. When we were at the Sussex open day, they did say if you don't get the grades do call and ask if you can do a foundation year.

Thanks all, seems it's not that unusual to get a phone call then - although DD said no missed calls on her phone, so they didn't phoner her! I've just been into UCAS to check her number and it is correct. I'm surprised she listed her own number as she usually lists mine...

Anyone elses's DD/DS switched off from the process? DD has had enough and doesn't want to talk about/think about it right now. I am trying to sort out the Offer Open days she actually wants to go to and I don't think she wants to go to any! Talked to DH about it and decided to leave her. We have visited her current 2 favourites already so it's not the end of the world if she doesn't visit the others and just picks those 2. Her school has told the girls NOT to accept any offers until they have had a session about it this term.

On the plus side DD has got out of her lazy rut. I knew she would but did worry still. She has joined a gym with some friends and loved it yesterday. Seems to be back on track with school work too thankfully, although I know 1 lot of homework was late but she got away with it. Teachers always seem to be ok when it happens I guess because she is usually on time and works hard.

I've decided I need to focus on me. I had 2 migraines yesterday because I am so tired so I've told DD to stop coming downstairs at 11.30pm to watch tele (just as Im coming up as I give in and end up watching something with her) 10.30 cut off.

Also I need some fun in my life - I can't remember the last time I had a proper laugh and actually had some fun. Someone at work yesterday asked if I fancied going ten pin bowling and although Im not really a fan I said yes. Not really a fan of going out in groups either these days but I need to go. There won't be more than 6 of us so I can cope with that. I also need to make more of an effort with friends again. I have let friendships slip away by not joining in. I am naturally a social person, always hated being by myself but now love it. But also miss the chat and laughs. New Year = getting old me back (along with the new improved me also).