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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

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Monkey2001 · 07/02/2022 15:21

Ooh, good luck ED, into battle for your chick!

Wheresthebeach · 07/02/2022 15:32

@Alsoplayspiccolo Agree ! It's pointless and without more understanding of what they mean, rather than these hints it means that if you want top grades you're going to have to know all the content. It's infuriating.

It does give a core to work on, but it doesn't remove the rest for sciences. Whereas it sounds like other courses have properly taken out chunks.

ExtremelyDelighted · 07/02/2022 15:34

They were very nice and said they would accept either BTEC at distinction not just the one specified, as neither is the degree subject. But not drop it to both at merit because although that is equivalent to their A level grade requirement in UCAS tariff points they don't make a points offer and therefore aren't bound by that equivalency.

DS received an email from them this morning saying that for a firm offer they would accept one grade lower, I asked how this works for BTECs and they said it is a bit case by case (a one-grade difference in BTECs is equivalent to a two-grade difference in A levels) and would take into account the grades from all 3 subjects but depend also on factors such as applicant numbers.

So, it does put their offer back into contention but at the high end of DS's predictions. I will talk to him again tonight.

Alsoplayspiccolo · 07/02/2022 15:37

That sounds more reasonable, Extremely. Well done for not giving in without a fight!

Eduqas website still down…

crazycrofter · 07/02/2022 15:38

That’s good @ExtremelyDelighted. Does it mean that if he firmed them, he could also get in with B, Merit, Merit? Does he like the university enough to make it worth firming?

Zandathepanda · 07/02/2022 15:38

Although the increase in top grades went up to an average of 35% from 2019-2021, some subjects went up more than others. Dd is doing a subject that went up by to nearly half getting top grades and this is the subject they’ve just made the easiest in terms of today’s tweaks, in comparison to the others. In contrast, one of the traditionally ‘harder’ ones has no changes that help at all.

Zandathepanda · 07/02/2022 15:41

Extremely that sounds promising.

ExtremelyDelighted · 07/02/2022 15:48

@crazycrofter

That’s good *@ExtremelyDelighted*. Does it mean that if he firmed them, he could also get in with B, Merit, Merit? Does he like the university enough to make it worth firming?
Yes, it almost certainly does. His official predictions are B, merit, merit, but he is likely to get distinction in one of the BTECs (we should know that by Easter as he is nearly finished the module he needs to get a D in to get one overall) so would be able to get away with a C or even a D in history then. So complicated!

As for whether he likes it enough, it is STILL a decision between the countryside/heritage course or History, he's dithering over that. IF he chooses history it is still a decision about foundation at RHUL or straight into year 1 at one of his other choices, of which two offer a foundation year as fall-back for a more-than-marginal grade-drop.

ExtremelyDelighted · 07/02/2022 15:49

It is actually really helpful to be able to work through this on here, in real life everyone's eyes glaze over......

Fferny1 · 07/02/2022 15:52

@Extremely well done for sorting it out.
I still have had no answer from Aberystwyth with regards to the ADHD & dyslexia ds forgot to add on to the uccas form. Whenever I phone the undergraduate admissions no. there's no one there. I'm not really sure I want to send him to such a dozy place if they can't even manage to staff an information line.

Wheresthebeach · 07/02/2022 15:54

That sounds good news ED

Monkey2001 · 07/02/2022 16:08

Well done ED. Don't forget that most of the lower tariff ones will be in Clearing. It is more risky for people who reject a high tariff offer and then don't make the grades for the ones they kept, like my niece who firmed Oxford (AAA), insured Bath (AAA), but got AAB and was rejected by both and could not re-instate her Exeter offer. But it was all fine as she is very happy at York.

Zebracat · 07/02/2022 16:10

That does sound good news @ExtremelyDelighted. Well done for asking. We were impressed by the virtual open day for History there, the lecturers and students were so enthusiastic, it felt like a dynamic department with opportunities to follow your interests. The heritage / countryside stuff is a lovely mix with history, it seems a shame they couldn’t find a course to combine them.

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 07/02/2022 16:32

Glad you managed to get some clarity @ExtremelyDelighted.

@Monkey2001 what was the thinking of your friend firming an AAA and insuring an A*AA offer? I don't get the logic.

@Zandathepanda this easing of exams doesn't seem very evenly balanced does it. Hmm

Piggywaspushed · 07/02/2022 16:39

DS is very deflated in that sociology and economics seems to have virtually no changes. I have now seen Eduqas sociology and they have cut one bullet point per topic. It is basically sod all. Then my colleague tells me so much has gone from LangLit she is not sure how she will fill time!!

Piggywaspushed · 07/02/2022 16:49

Meanwhile , Sheffield have very unhelpfully said that the offer day begins at 9.15 as that's when we register. Are they really expecting people to get there??

Monkey2001 · 07/02/2022 17:11

@Piggywaspushed there are some VERY cheap AirBnBs in Sheffield - a couple of weeks ago I paid £21 for a single room, you can get a 2 bed apartment for £50/night. Or a travelodge on the A1 so you are nearly there?

Monkey2001 · 07/02/2022 17:12

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn I may have misremembered the grades, maybe Bath was AAA too, but she thought Oxford would be the least flexible and I think she was very shocked to get a B!

Piggywaspushed · 07/02/2022 17:13

There is no way DH would spend any money on staying somewhere overnight to go to an offer holder day...

Fruitygal · 07/02/2022 17:15

@Piggywaspushed does DH know how much Uni itself costs?

Monkey2001 · 07/02/2022 17:15

@Piggywaspushed

There is no way DH would spend any money on staying somewhere overnight to go to an offer holder day...
Ah, I thought £50 would be acceptable to most people as it helps make the most of the day. Such a shame they are not doing the deal they did before where you could stay the night before in hall for £5 - I assume that would have been OK?!
BlueMarigold · 07/02/2022 17:20

@ExtremelyDelighted glad it got sorted!

@Piggywaspushed is there a way you can go to Sheffield the night before and stay in a hotel or do you have to leave super early to get there?

Fiddlersgreen · 07/02/2022 17:43

@Monkey2001 I think the last line there is the most important:
“But it was all fine as she is very happy at York”

I’m pretty sure that no matter what, our DC will mostly be happy wherever they end up and will not be able to imagine having gone somewhere else!

Fiddlersgreen · 07/02/2022 17:46

That’s quite unreasonable of Sheffield I think @Piggywaspushed! It took us 4 hours to get there when we visited! I don’t see why they can’t have staggered start times

icanbewhatiwant · 07/02/2022 17:59

Ds1 was catered as no self catered at UEA. The kitchen was always really messy. Even he complained, he's not clean himself. There aren't any big supermarkets near UEA which was a problem. He had to either pay for the campus shop which was expensive or had a long walk. He could have done online, but never wanted to. He took his car year 2, so not a problem now. I did think when Ds2 gets to university age I'd insist on one near a supermarket. But Sussex is the same. They have a very expensive co op.

@Delphigirl yes. That sounds like a great plan.

Ds says they've been told everything apart from one thing will be in the A level history paper. So hasn't really had anything reduced.