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Further education

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

Original poster

Thread 29 - Covid Cohort - Whirlwinds and Waiting

999 replies

OrangeCinnamonCroissant · 23/02/2022 22:29

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 28

OP posts:
GoldenRuby · 04/03/2022 10:20

@OrangeCinnamonCroissant amazing news, well done to mini Orange.

@icanbewhatiwant that is a fantastic business result.

ealingwestmum · 04/03/2022 11:54

Absolutely bloody brilliant Orange. Let the spreadsheet do its work, but also there’s a lot to be said for being wanted by an institution. It is a good sign of how happy they might be there…

scabby1 · 04/03/2022 12:04

@ Monkey2001 I guessed re company/compact live/love :)

Bristol is Ds’s favourite mainly due to his friends older siblings raving about it. Also, from what we can see on line,, it looks beautiful.

Ds wouldn’t entertain applying to a London University. I imagine Dd will be the same when she applies next year.

Shimy · 04/03/2022 12:22

That's great news @OrangeCinnamonCroissant! loving reading all the good news.

Sorry to hear about the change of school rules at this late hour @heifer
I can see it from both sides really. For motivated students like your DD, they've already got themselves into a routine and study time planned out but from school's point of view, there will be those who simply do not work without an enforced structure in place! why they are just introducing it at this late hr though is anyone's guess.

mummyinbeds · 04/03/2022 12:32

DS has finally pressed the UCAS button - firmed Nottingham and insured Warwick. Now to prepare for the Notts accommodation scramble....

Isthisjustnormal · 04/03/2022 12:33

Ahhh, lovely to read all the good news on here: is it weird to be feeling proud of all these dc I've never even met?! Still waiting on Bath and Warwick here ...

Seeline · 04/03/2022 12:38

Wow - loads of good news!! Fantastic!

We're still a bit off final decisions. Offer holder at Kent tomorrow and UEA in 2 weeks. Mock results awaited and final parents evening next week. Hopefully then she will be able to press the button despite missing Nottingham with covid.

Wheresthebeach · 04/03/2022 12:50

That's fab @OrangeCinnamonCroissant. Celebrations tonight!

OMG @Heifer - My DD would explode. She revises much better at home, without everyone talking and goofing around.

singingstones · 04/03/2022 12:56

Which accommodation is he thinking of, @mummyinbeds?

I think DS will be firming Nottingham too. I don't think he's even looked at the options yet (although I have, obviously Smile)

mummyinbeds · 04/03/2022 13:02

@singingstones with a little prompting he wants Rutland or Sherwood. A 31 week let makes catered doable cost wise. Otherwise he likes Cripps or Derby with a summer job to pay for it.

22Newnames · 04/03/2022 13:16

Wow, loads of good news and progress made on here. Well done everyone!

No news here, still waiting on Bath, Warwick and Durham Confused

Last day of mocks today, they have gone ok apart from chemistry which was awful apparently. I am so torn between wanting him to do well and wanting a serious wake-up call. I think a wake up call is needed as he’s not doing enough work but thinks he is….

Alsoplayspiccolo · 04/03/2022 13:39

So much wonderful news - congratulations to everyone who’ve received much-wanted offers, and especially orange’s DD.

DD is STILL waiting to hear from KCL. It’s starting to get annoying now, but DD has all but written it off and booked offer holder days for 3 of he other 4 offers.
DS has accepted his place at boarding school for 6th form, so we’re facing the reality of an empty house in September. Sad It’s made the next few months feel even more pressured than when there was just A levels/GCSEs to think about; I want to find some way of enjoying our last few months together as a family at home.

Shimy · 04/03/2022 14:01

@22Newnames good job on the mocks! are these the first set of mocks done in yr13 at your dc's school? just wanted to know how many sets of mocks other schools are doing as DS did mocks back in Jan and none others have been mentioned.

Zebracat · 04/03/2022 14:08

Wow so much news here. Very exciting. Sorry you are all poorly@OrangeCinnamonCroissant, but all the lovely offers must help. @icanbewhatiwant your amazing boy wins again, think he’s a lot of peoples favourite, altho not easy to live with! Ours has an online assessment and interview for Cambridge foundation, so that is interesting. We have no idea what to expect, as it is the first year, altho they did put up some sample questions. She gets sworn to secrecy about the content too, which is thrilling of course, but we don’t know anyone else applying anyway and would not put more than this online.
I’ve been away for a spa break to Bath with a friend.Realised that my life does absolutely revolve around this kid, as she s all I talk about ‘Blush, so September will be a shock for me too @Alsoplayspiccolo, I had thought I was looking forward to being child free, but when I said so my friend looked totally incredulous.

Volterra · 04/03/2022 14:41

So lovely to see all this lovely positive news 😊

NCTDN · 04/03/2022 14:46

@Monkey2001 that's interesting to hear about Bristol. When we visited I felt it was very spread out - maybe because it's just unknown to me? I was worried that the accommodation was a long way from the uni - is that true?

Decorhate · 04/03/2022 15:00

Great to hear all the good news. Finally persuaded Ds to check Track & he has also had a Bristol offer. So he has heard back from them all now. He’s still planning to firm Leeds & Sheffield will probably be his insurance.

Many of the pupils I have been mentoring are still waiting to hear from unis that previously were not so slow to make their offers. Very annoying.

Monkey2001 · 04/03/2022 15:05

[quote Shimy]@22Newnames good job on the mocks! are these the first set of mocks done in yr13 at your dc's school? just wanted to know how many sets of mocks other schools are doing as DS did mocks back in Jan and none others have been mentioned.[/quote]
One set of mocks for DS, and even that isn't a full set as there is a single 1.5 hour paper for Physics (real thing is 2x2.25 hrs + 1.5 hrs)

Monkey2001 · 04/03/2022 15:11

[quote NCTDN]@Monkey2001 that's interesting to hear about Bristol. When we visited I felt it was very spread out - maybe because it's just unknown to me? I was worried that the accommodation was a long way from the uni - is that true?[/quote]
The Stoke Bishop accommodation is half an hours walk from the university (2 miles), students often walk together and buses are available, but there is also a lot of Clifton and city centre accommodation. I lived in Manor Hall which was a 15 minute walk from Physics/Maths. My DSs walk everywhere; we have electric scooters in Bristol which are very popular with students, but my two are very dismissive of them, maybe because they are another hazard when learning to drive!

Volterra · 04/03/2022 15:25

NCTDN I grew up by the Stoke Bishop halls and went to school fairly close to the University academic buildings . I was never organised to walk but it didn't take long by bus really.

If you look at the accommodation page it says the distance from the academic buildings, some are much closer. It may have changed now and Monkey would know better than me but it used to be that after first year a lot of the private accommodation was in Clifton, Redland, Cotham and Kingsdown which are all very easy walking distance.

22Newnames · 04/03/2022 15:25

@Shimy. Yes this is the first and only set of mocks. He had 2 x 2hr each for maths and further maths (so 4hrs for each subject), and 1 exam of 2hrs 15mins for each of physics and chemistry. I think the volume of exams in the real things will be a shock.

icanbewhatiwant · 04/03/2022 15:33

@Zebracat yes Ds2 does like to wind me up, but I will miss him and his antics the most when he goes to university. Whereas I'm counting the years down until ds3 can go! I hope the assessment/interview for dd goes well.

Ds had mocks before Christmas and again a few weeks ago. They seem to have so many.

NCTDN · 04/03/2022 15:40

I also agree that the real exams will be a huge shock after the' mocks' dd had. They were half the real thing.

NCTDN · 04/03/2022 15:41

@Monkey2001 @Volterra so am I unnecessarily worrying about dd getting lost in a big city?!

Shimy · 04/03/2022 16:03

@22Newnames Glad to see DS's mocks are in line with everyone else's.
Between ill health, poor mental health, increasing bills, increasing student loans, war! & the end of the world, I can't worry about real exams. We have to believe that school is doing it's job and they will be prepared as necessary for the real thing.