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

Original poster

Thread 30 Covid Cohort, Mad March Hareing Towards Exams

995 replies

OrangeCinnamonCroissant · 13/03/2022 09:12

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 29

I've made this one a little bit earlier as things are so busy, at home and on thread, so please feel free to use up previous thread first Grin

OP posts:
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crazycrofter · 19/03/2022 19:57

That’s a shame @Cantonet. I suspect if he doesn’t like Aber he won’t like Bangor, but you never know.

I don’t remember that chocolate bar @sofakingcool!

Alsoplayspiccolo · 19/03/2022 20:53

Your idea of writing down a sort of contract for DD is really helpful, thanks, ealingwest. She’s very good at refusing to listen and also claiming she said things when she didn’t/didn’t say things that she did, so having something on paper might help that particular issue.
It’s comforting to hear that your DD can also behave like an unreasonable 14 year old.

Alsoplayspiccolo · 19/03/2022 20:56

DD was supposed to be at Southampton today, cariad…but she forgot completely and only heard from them at 9.15am, when we were on the way out with DS Confused
She’s had to rebook for May, which isn’t ideal, but at least she’s already been to their open day.

She’s off to RHUL tomorrow, which is in competition with Southampton for her insurance.

icanbewhatiwant · 19/03/2022 21:45

Nothing to do with university....but thought I'd say it is my birthday today (I'm really in denial about my age) For the first time in almost 4 years we went out as a family. We met Ds1 at his student house in Norwich, had a wonder round, then lunch followed by bowling. Ds3 completely ignored Ds1 which I find quite sad, he wouldn't answer anything he asked, but at least they didn't argue. So it was great to all be out together and catch up with Ds1. If ds2 goes to Sussex I don't suppose we will do anything with all 5 of us for a long time.

Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can get Ds2 onto student finance. Not sure I'll be successful.

ealingwestmum · 19/03/2022 21:55

Ah, happy, happy birthday ican!

crazycrofter · 19/03/2022 22:01

Happy birthday @icanbewhatiwant!

Piggywaspushed · 19/03/2022 22:10

Happy Birthday!

Fiddlersgreen · 19/03/2022 23:52

Happy birthday @icanbewhatiwant!! 🎉

Monkey2001 · 20/03/2022 00:55

Happy birthday @icanbewhatiwant. 🎂🎉🍾

Maybe DS will still be nice to you for your birthday tomorrow, which might make him more inclined to do what you want!

BlueMarigold · 20/03/2022 07:00

Happy Birthday for yesterday @icanbewhatiwant. I am glad the day went well with no arguments.

cariadambyth · 20/03/2022 07:17

A belated happy birthday @icanbewhatiwant.
That’s a shame she forgot @Alsoplayspiccolo, in fairness to her, she’d have had a very busy weekend if she’d done both open days. I hope she likes RH today. My dd was very impressed with it and is now having to decide between there and Southampton for firm and insurance. Southampton is very… aspirational!! I wonder if firming RH is the better idea as we can sort accommodation. I fear that if we firm Southampton, she won’t get the grades and we’ll be scrabbling for a accommodation elsewhere in August.

BlueMarigold · 20/03/2022 07:38

@cariadambyth are you putting Bath Spa as the insurance? DD was allowed to choose accommodation at both her first and insurance choices so I don’t think there will be a mad scramble for accommodation at the end.

What is Bath Spa like?

Isthisjustnormal · 20/03/2022 08:17

Belated happy birthday @icanbewhatiwant! Glad you had an argument free day!

cariadambyth · 20/03/2022 08:36

@BlueMarigold, I don’t think she’ll put Bath Spa as her insurance because it’s been in Clearing in recent years so I think she’d ring them on the day if necessary and hope they would have her.
I’d be really interested in hearing people’s thoughts on Southampton v RH. We weren’t expecting yesterday to have been such a hit and now we’re all a bit confused about next steps. It was Warwick she thought she’d love, I suppose it goes to show how important it is to visit places.

Seeline · 20/03/2022 08:59

Happy Birthday @icanbewhatiwant Glad you had a good day. We were in Norwich too yesterday and the UEA campus looked wonderful in the glorious spring sunshine. DD seems to have fallen in love with it - she came out if her course session really animated which is unusual. She thinks Norwich is the place for her. She just wants to check with the school UCAS person tomorrow and then I think she'll be pushing the button!!

icanbewhatiwant · 20/03/2022 10:01

@Seeline ds1 has mostly enjoyed his time at UEA. He regrets staying so close to home now, but has made life long friends, who are also fairly close Norwich (Suffolk like us, Cambs and Essex areas) Norwich is the city we visit the most, but Ds showed us areas we'd never been to. The saying is there is a church for every week of the year and a pub for every day.

Thanks all for the birthday wishes.

Piggywaspushed · 20/03/2022 10:06

Usual adulting annoyances this morning :

1)student finance site is down

  1. Birmingham accommodation portal keeps telling us that mealplan is a great idea but then gives absolutely no clue as to how you add it!! We chickened out of saving our accommodation choices because of this...

Does anyone anywhere actually ever trial their own websites for clarity? !

Oblomov22 · 20/03/2022 11:08

Happy Birthday icanbe.

EwwSprouts · 20/03/2022 11:26

@icanbewhatiwant Hope it's an extended celebratory weekend! CakeWine

Fruitygal · 20/03/2022 12:05

Happy Birthday to @icanbewhatiwant and trying to catch up with everything as been ill (not covid) and DD been ill with something else (not covid) the NEA geography is in (so bloody pleased to see the back of it) and now she just has to get well for Durham open day this week. After that we hopefully can firm, sort accommodation and focus on revision.

Did Finance and DSA last weekend (a lot easier than last done in 2018)DSA has been confirmed ???already but the email sent on Friday which has the link for the Needs assessment is not working - anyone else had this issue?

Alsoplayspiccolo · 20/03/2022 12:08

Happy, happy birthday weekend, icanbe! 🥳

cariad, DD was never going to be able to make Southampton yesterday, as she had no one to take her! She made a mix up with dates, looking at April 19th not March.

She liked Southampton uni very much but hated the city. I think she’ll love RH’s campus and course (liberal arts), and she’s already had a reduced offer from them, and of course they guarantee places even with a grade drop, which is a really good safety net for insurance BUT I think she’ll find life there just too quiet and suburban.

Really tricky to choose between them.

Wheresthebeach · 20/03/2022 14:13

Happy Birthday ican Glad you had a nice day

Offer days certainly make a difference!

piggy How frustrating!

crazycrofter · 20/03/2022 14:21

@Alsoplayspiccolo that’s a tricky choice! Dd thought Southampton would be too quiet and boring in comparison to Nottingham but I’m sure in reality it would have been fine. She does love parties though Grin Is Royal Holloway the one where people tend to go home at weekends?

Dd is feeling a bit miffed that we’re moving away from the city as how will she go out with home friends in the holidays?! An Uber to our new place after a night out will be way too much. I’m sure she can just stay over at a friend’s though.

ealingwestmum · 20/03/2022 14:28

Ah Crazy: that’s the dilemma that keeps DH and I up at night! I’ve been wanting to move away from London for a while now having been here since mid 90s. But, the DD on the other hand…

I never expected for us to stay in one home for 19 years, so I can see both sides. And she is a true Londoner, unlike us.

crazycrofter · 20/03/2022 14:52

This is the tricky thing @ealingwestmum. Dd is such a city girl. She’s used to jumping on the train with her travel pass and we live close enough to the city centre here for an Uber to be reasonable. But we have to move for dh’s work so that’s that. Ds really likes the idea of a country town but he also likes going out with friends. Im hoping he makes some new ones! In your shoes I’m not sure what I’d do!