Thread 28 - Corona Cohort Awaiting Offers, Advance Notice, Gap Years and New Jobs

[OrangeCinnamonCroissant]

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 27 Here

It’s the boss of Co-Op who has decided to take time off from May to support her children through exam season, singing.
I was really hoping to read the boss was male, but unsurprisingly perhaps, she’s a mum.

I just read that article about the Co-op boss too. It seems very appealing at the moment. My job isn't that pressurised but it is very complicated and I have to keep a lot of balls in the air at once. In spells where the "home admin" load is heavy too, like now, I really struggle. Last time it was this bad was when I was going through the EHCP process in 2014, but generally any year where one DC is changing their stage of education is hard, having both do it together this year is definitely making me struggle a bit at work, just too many things to remember all the time. I'd love this year off but it just isn't practical.

I was thinking today about time off - I have already taken May half term though.

I am very lucky, in that DH’s work is sporadic (I mean, that’s not lucky from a finance POV, obviously, and especially given how crippled we were by lockdowns), and I mostly teach after school, so have time in the daytime to keep things ticking over.
I have friends where both work full time and they say that their DCs just have to get on with it; one friend’s daughter didn’t even discuss her uni application with her at all, except to tell her where she’d applied and what for, after she’d submitted it.
I sometimes worry that my DCs have had too much done for them and will struggle with independence and self-motivation.

It’s all a balancing act, isn’t it?

[quote JustHereWithMyPopcorn]@22Newnames happy birthday to your DS![/quote]
They might respond differently to A*AB?

@Oblomov22

No. I'm not ok about it. At all.

sorry to hear that @oblomov22. I'm not really sure what's happened tbh as all I saw was that you said that you were pleased restrictions were being removed. Whilst I don't agree with you, your comment certainly wasn't offensive so I'm not sure if I've missed anything. You have both been very supportive or others so hopefully it's just a miscommunation and you both feel you can carry on chatting on here.

We all aren't all going to agree on everything and considering the number of posts we have had, I am amazed there haven't been any fallout already :-)

I think we can all agree that the Wordle word yesterday was crap! damn American spellings!

[quote mummyinbeds]@Heifer, according to the Nottingham website accommodation opens on the 4 April. I've read 1 March on here and elsewhere though so goodness knows which is right 🤔[/quote]
@mummyinbeds - thanks for pointing that out! I am sure (well at least I think) it used to say 1st March!

@Alsoplayspiccolo

I am very lucky, in that DH’s work is sporadic (I mean, that’s not lucky from a finance POV, obviously, and especially given how crippled we were by lockdowns), and I mostly teach after school, so have time in the daytime to keep things ticking over. I have friends where both work full time and they say that their DCs just have to get on with it; one friend’s daughter didn’t even discuss her uni application with her at all, except to tell her where she’d applied and what for, after she’d submitted it. I sometimes worry that my DCs have had too much done for them and will struggle with independence and self-motivation.

It’s all a balancing act, isn’t it?

I work from home on a self-employed basis and have done for 15 years. While I work pretty much full time, I have a lot of flexibility over hours and work. DH and I decided years ago that it works better for our family to have one person as flexible as possible. He is also pretty flexible and now works 50/50 at home or in work.

Like @Alsoplayspiccolo I do worry that my DS is too pampered and will get a shock in the real world but the balance is very tricky to get right. Plus to be honest I enjoy pampering him as he's my youngest.

(he's perfectly capable of doing his own washing though and basic cookery, just pampered!)

Thank you Heifer and Zebra.
I am very very sorry to Zanda and have messaged her twice to apologise. I apologise to you all.

Maybe I was too casual, not sensitive enough to Zanda, or her dd. I was at work, rushing and just wrote a quick sentence of 'I'm ok about restrictions lifting'. Clearly it went down like a lead balloon.

But I had written previous very nice posts before. I of all people understand how shitty some conditions are. Being a diabetic and almost CV myself, I have every sympathy for how utterly shit her situation is.

I didn't realise that writing .... I'm ok with restrictions being stopped. Was so contentious. Obviously if you are vulnerable you'd still be worried. Or a teacher. But most people have had enough and welcome the restrictions lifting, more freedom for our dc, more for all of us. I didn't realise what I thought was such average views would cause such a stink. Wish I'd never said anything. I feel shit.

Sincere apologies.

Really @Oblomov22, there is no need to apologise to us. You weren't incendiary, just stated your opinion in a non-aggressive way. Obviously different people have different circumstances that cause what, to most people, are normal sentences to pique. It's a shame that happened but please don't let it put you off posting. You're a very valuable member of this thread

@Oblomov22 it is so easy for quick written communications to be misunderstood. We know what you meant, everyone wants normal life back, and we all see that for some it is more of a challenge to even imagine how they can get there. I value first hand accounts from all angles as they help us to understand the wider picture.

I think we can all agree that the Wordle word yesterday was crap! damn American spellings!
Yes!!! Angry faces flying around on WhatsApp on that one!

I prefer NERDLE personally as there is less luck involved, and also do BYRDLE as we are a singing family - no American invaisions there!

Don't feel shit, Oblomov 
Blimey, you have got enough to worry about at the moment with your DS's applications. Is everything ok with Reading and QMUL now?

I sometimes worry that my DCs have had too much done for them and will struggle with independence and self-motivation.

Completely agree Also, as I sit here proofing DS's Welsh Bacc project because it might be the difference between a university place or not. We went to look at the local sixth form college for DD yesterday and there was lots of emphasis on helping them to become independent and self-motivated learners, which we both liked. DS has not got those skills yet and actually neither had DH or I when we left school, hence slightly disappointing degrees! I'm not getting involved in revision organising or nagging, so at some point DS will have to decide he wants to do it for himself and hopefully that will happen very soon!

Thank you @mummyinbeds for the amazing news that Nottingham have moved the date (I'm sure too that it was 1 March). Now DS can fit in all of the offer holder days he needs before deciding, phew.

I love Nerdle @Monkey2001 but what's Byrdle?

I agree about Wordle yesterday.

As for the restrictions, everyone I have spoken to since yesterday seems to think differently, but the consensus seems to be that Feb is far too soon, maybe because everyone I know that's had Omicron has been properly ill for at least a week and some with long covid effects now.

I also worry that I am doing too much for my DCs, but it is all a lot more complicated than it was in my day and I really wish I'd had more help (my parents both worked full time and I was definitely left to get on with it). DH and I both work flexibly, as in if we need time off for an appointment or emergency plumber or similar we just take it and make up the time. Similarly I should have finished for the day but am still here because I have been on MN . However we both have a lot to get through in a week so that time has to be done whatever, neither of us works from home (or could do so for more than the odd few days, our work isn't suited and we don't have suitable workspace at home).

@Monkey2001 - at 12.01am every day I complete Wordle, Brydle then Nerdle - then go to bed :-) Have to admit though that although I do Byrdle I didn't even noticed for weeks that it's words based on Choral Music! I just thought it was a harder version.

@singingstones

I love Nerdle *@Monkey2001* but what's Byrdle?

It is chuch music WORDLE, created by an ex Bristol lay clerk, includes composers and choral music terms, last couple of days were Verdi and Noble, has also been sixth, solos, slurs, quire.....

DS and I do it every day.

We have discussed members of my department ill with Covid at the moment...

Sheffield is on by the way Saturday. The talk starts at 10.30. Hoorah.

That's an decent time Piggy - Our schools juniors side now have 13 members of staff off! 4 of which are supply covering for the usual staff....

I have been covering sick people. The Ed Sec's promised retired teachers don't seem to be at my school. Part time staff are working on their day's off...

Bit of a shit show.

4 class teachers, 2 class TAs and 3 1to1 TAs off at our Primary School.

I've lost my last 3 PPA sessions, plus had to cover for 2 clubs! I'm happy with chess, but not convinced how effective I was at Junk Modelling!

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn and anyone else who's interested - re the firm and insurance.

Some unis are hard with their grades - Durham wants AAA (if you get an offer) and has an FAQ sheet that states clearly that AAB or A*AB will not do. So no wiggle room.

Other unis will allow a total of A*AB instead of AAA as long as key subject is still an A - so DDs case would be her Biology.

Then you have unis which will take a near miss so AAB if AAA asked for and others which will take ABB if AAA if you applied and put them down in 1st or 2nd position.

So knowing how the uni works on results day is very important and also were they in clearing in previous years? ( I looked at this in July and August to find out - but only this organised as it is the 3rd child - would have been clueless with the 1st)

Offer days are a way of having this informal chat with the admissions tutor (one of the lecturers) about near misses. If they advertise the fact that they will take near misses to the whole room in a presentation generally means they were in clearing last year. If it isn't mentioned that openly go and ask.

Friends in academia say they would rather take a known quantity who wants them after careful consideration with a grade lower than planned who will stick the course than an unknown quantity who does not know the uni and may not stick it.

One of DDs choices is Exeter - wild card of Zoology (everything else is Biological science or biology) at their Penryn campus advertised as AAB but last year we saw it advertised before results day at BBC. (Its a great course and a friendly team but remote location near Falmouth so they struggle to fill)

I watched an online course talk at Nottingham and they were clear they would take a grade drop at the time of making the recording. Think it might have been the 2020 online open day. So worth an ask to see if this is still the case - with exams there will be more people not meeting grades so more flexibility (outside of medicine ) than the last 2 years.

Thanks Monkey, I will add Byrdle to my daily puzzles. I like wordle, nerdle and globle too.

Sorry to hear of school shitshows - the school where my nephew teaches gained a retired non-teacher graduate and were pleased, but he only lasted until the first lunch break, apparently.

All the talk of offers and offer holder days is exciting - in a few weeks those who are uni-bound will have made their decisions and be heads down trying to make their offers. (DS perhaps more likely to be head down on his pillow and fast asleep but I can hope.) Fingers crossed they all stay well and can do their best. And that the remaining offers turn up soon!

Whoop! well done to your DS on his Durham offer @EwwSprouts! My alma mater
Congratulations to your DD @KingscoteStaff!

@singingstones just tried Globle and had a lucky first guess but still took 7 goes. I am not convinced I like it, it is tricky to tell just what shade of red you have got.

[quote Monkey2001]@singingstones just tried Globle and had a lucky first guess but still took 7 goes. I am not convinced I like it, it is tricky to tell just what shade of red you have got.[/quote]
I know what you mean - I thought I was super close with Germany the other day but the answer was China 😂

It does get easier as you get used to the colours and what they mean in terms of distance away from the answer.