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Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

Original poster

Thread 27 Covid Cohort Snow or Like Spring? Let's Do This Thing!

999 replies

OrangeCinnamonCocktail · 21/01/2022 14:21

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 found here

OP posts:
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Piggywaspushed · 06/02/2022 16:33

I think you should check it. It doesn't seem in the spirit of a foundation degree.

Piggywaspushed · 06/02/2022 16:36

We are going to Sheffield on Saturday. So far , only very vague info from them which intimates a 9.15 start. Ermmm. I love me a bit of uni snooping and UCASing but leaving the house at 6.45 is not going to happen.

Birmingham was binned off this weekend because of football match. Sigh.

I have no idea how DS is ever going to decide.

ExtremelyDelighted · 06/02/2022 16:43

I've just talked to DS and agreed that I will, he ticked the box on UCAS saying I can speak on his behalf. Otherwise it is going to niggle away at us.

crazycrofter · 06/02/2022 16:49

@Piggywaspushed we’re going to Southampton a week on Sat for a 9am start 😮 Dh (who finds getting up at 8 a struggle) reckons we’ll have no trouble leaving at 6.30 😬

Dd is doing the bibliography for her history NEA and wants me to give it another read later. She’ll be glad to see the back of it. Then it’s more mocks in 3 weeks. She’s really worried about doing a 3 hour exam for the first time. Have yours all done full length exams by now?

@ExtremelyDelighted it’s definitely worth a phone call, those are high requirements for a foundation year.

Seeline · 06/02/2022 16:55

DD has done 2 hr exams. The longest A level exam she has is 2.15 any way. Three papers for each. Her mocks in 2 weeks are only 2 papers each....

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 06/02/2022 16:57

@crazycrofter DS last history mock was 3 hours (4 essays). He had a crampy hand afterwards!

crazycrofter · 06/02/2022 16:58

I guess she must be talking about history then @JustHereWithMyPopcorn! She’s really worried she’s not going to be able to learn all the content in time. I guess they’ve not done it before, having not taken GCSEs.

NCTDN · 06/02/2022 17:35

DD has only done one paper for each of her mocks and none longer than two hours even though the real ones are three hours Hmm

ExtremelyDelighted · 06/02/2022 17:57

Looking again at DS's RHUL offer. It really is a bit odd that for a History Degree they want a Grade C in History and a Grade A equivalent in Sport. I will ring.

Monkey2001 · 06/02/2022 18:01

Good plan ED

Piggy Sheffield offered accommodation pre-Covid, sorry if they are not doing that again. He really has ages to decide though, we are not even expecting decisions for another 7 weeks!

Piggywaspushed · 06/02/2022 18:05

Is the BTec a diploma, extended diploma, or a certificate?

ExtremelyDelighted · 06/02/2022 18:09

It's a Level 3 extended certificate.

ExtremelyDelighted · 06/02/2022 18:11

The Pearson website says it is equivalent to one A level.

Fiddlersgreen · 06/02/2022 18:15

@NCTDN

DD has only done one paper for each of her mocks and none longer than two hours even though the real ones are three hours Hmm
This is the same for my DS, only one paper taken per “set” of mocks
JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 06/02/2022 19:37

@crazycrofter

I guess she must be talking about history then *@JustHereWithMyPopcorn*! She’s really worried she’s not going to be able to learn all the content in time. I guess they’ve not done it before, having not taken GCSEs.
There is a huge amount of content, it surprised me how many stats and facts they had to learn, I don’t think I could remember all that (probably why I gave up History when choosing my options!).
crazycrofter · 06/02/2022 19:43

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn I know, it’s ridiculous! I’m surprised at the difference in amount of content between subjects. Dd says RS has much less content by comparison. She barely seems to revise for it and never gets less than an A.

Alsoplayspiccolo · 06/02/2022 20:05

Talking of exam lengths, DD says that a friend in her year was contacted by the exams officer urgently this week, to be told that all of his exams take place over 3 consecutive days, and on one of those days, he has 7.5 hours of exams! Shock

Heifer · 06/02/2022 20:11

Does anyone know if the strike actions are likely to effect the offer open days?

@Piggywaspushed - we were due to go to Sheffield on Saturday too but DD has decided she doesn't want to go (can't be bothered/doesn't want to miss club hockey match).

She is already going to Nottingham on Wednesday and York in half term (again) and is going to leave it at that. If she doesn't like York (again) she will just put Sheffield as her backup even though she hasn't ever been to Sheffield! - lots of people pick uni's they have never seen apparently....

Piggywaspushed · 06/02/2022 20:18

Well, I guess that's true, especially at the moment!

I really wish we could do mid week visits/open days. Saturday always clashes with football...

Not sure about the strikes. I would think they would. But the strikes aren't at weekends so perhaps not. I got the impression that staff get paid more /extra for doing Open Days so not part of main paydeal.

crazycrofter · 06/02/2022 20:32

It's a bit onerous having to do all these visits isn't it?! But dd definitely wouldn't choose somewhere she'd not visited. At the moment we have Southampton and then York two weeks later. Nottingham is also booked in for a midweek visit a week or so after that, but she says if she likes the first two enough, she won't bother with Nottingham. And she wishes Bath would hurry up and reject her if that's what they're going to do, so she can rule them out!

Piggywaspushed · 06/02/2022 20:37

It just delays decisions though, doesn't it? And then I worry about accommodation.

I did a (very bad) spreadsheet today of coasts but every uni has different number of weeks, room types etc and it is so hard to compare!

Does anyone know what the catered halls' food is like at York?

Piggywaspushed · 06/02/2022 20:37

costs not costs!

Piggywaspushed · 06/02/2022 20:38

Oh, you get the drift...

crazycrofter · 06/02/2022 20:54

The only uni on the coast out of DD’s list is Southampton 😂

There is one good value catered hall at York that’s cheaper than most of the self catered stuff isn’t there? But dd thinks she mightn’t like the food and also that most people will be self catered.

crazycrofter · 06/02/2022 20:55

I tried to do a spreadsheet of costs a while ago but it seemed to be swings and roundabouts. There’s things like the cost of a gym membership to consider, and whether there will be travel costs to uni/to city centre etc. Southampton gives first years a free bus pass