Thread 34 Covid Cohort - Heat 'Waving' DC to final exams and drinking more

[OrangeCinnamonCroissant]

...water

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. It's all relative!

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 continue down various pathways ( employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will find a thread within the Further Ed board.

Possibly a move to Parent of Adult Children Board in future? Post Results?

Previous Thread

DSs school has put on the website that year 13s can go in between 8 and 10 and year 12 from 10-10:30. So I presume he will go in!

For DS's GCSEs I had a woman who I hadn't spoken to for about a year (no hassle just hadn't been in contact) whatsapp me to ask what results DS had got!! She had always seen my son and hers as competitors at primary school but they had not seen much of each other at secondary. It was most bizarre suddenly getting the message asking how he had done 😮. I did some generic reply about how he had done really well and was pleased without giving exact results which I know must have killed her

Well extenuating circumstances form submitted by school for the appendix so all we can do now is wait! Going to be a looong few weeks.

Does anyone know how early UCAS track shows whether they are accepted or not? Or does it vary from uni to uni?

@IdaFlowers I think (but others who know better may correct me) that unis get the results a day or two in advance of kids and schools, so they make their decisions and then update UCAS. UCAS track then updates track at around 8 am (or sometimes earlier) on results day, showing what the unis have decided.
so I don’t think one university might update at 8am and another at 12.30.

Thanks Delphi

So I assume if they got say, a grade lower than the offer in one subject but a grade higher in the other 2, which were more relevant to the subject they want to study, there wouldn't be any point contacting the uni to see if they'd budge, because they've already made their decision? Is that right?

@IdaFlowers Track can show that offer has become unconditional or can show that a decision is still pending - can be the case if the university is still considering the application. Some people see that their Firm has accepted them, so assume they got the grades, then are disappointed to discover that they did not get the grades. Of course, if the Firm has accepted them that is more important than whether they got the grades, but it is a day of high emotion!

Universities actually get results a week before students and schools get them the day before results day. A lot of people who deliberately don't look at Track before getting results find out because they get a "congratulations" message from the university which has accepted them.

Thanks Monkey2001. Useful to know

What a cheek ! Bet she was the type desperate to find out what book bands others in the class were on.

Glad you didn't tell her 😀

Ds1 asked me to accompany him into school. He liked the envelope in the playground which he had for GCSE's, as did I. I'm not keen on the Uni's doing it first at 8am. But at least he'll know. I may say he did well to people, if he does get good enough to get into first/firm choice. I wouldn't dream of telling anyone (other my mum) his actual grades, only you guys.

Cheeky cow NewNames.

@Oblomov22 thought you were calling NewNames a cheeky cow for a shocking moment!!😂

It is funny on FB how some people are really coy, others outright boasting. Best answer is always that they are happy and got what they wanted as some people would be gutted with BBC and others delighted. The important thing is whether they got what they needed for their chosen journey.

Because this thread is moving so fast, I've given up trying to go back pages to see what the updates are so I'm just going to carry on where I find you everyone.

@272Newnames Cheeky git! I had someone along those lines trying to ask ds1's results, I just said he did 'really well'. She blinked a few times and kept quiet. I love it on results day when everyone piles onto Mn and posts their dc's results though.

@OrangeCinnamonCroissant re book bands. I had a very competitive mum at swimming when the boys were little. Would rush round the pool side to ask (at the end of each term) if ds was moving up to the next level like her ds (who'd been jumping in the ocean whilst on holiday) ds was rubbish at swimming and I used to love telling her, Nooo! he's repeating the same level, just to see her turn purple & clutch at her throat in shock .

Oh yes, she liked a book level conversation too There is more but that will definitely be outing if anyone knows me!

@Oblomov22 thought you were calling NewNames a cheeky cow for a shocking moment!!😂 Haha, me too but only for a fleeting moment

When ds1 collected gcse grades a good friend of mine suggested I picked up her son and they could both go together. I knew her son was in low sets for most things. So I'd told Ds not to say much about his grades until we'd returned home. Ds wasn't expecting A* grades but we knew he'd do better. Anyway....they went off to get their grades. The friend arrived back at the car first, Ds was talking to other mates. I asked the lad how he did, he said "ok" I told him I got rubbish grades at school and not to worry about it. He kept quiet on the way home. His mum looked at the grades when we got back and started shouting at him, he must've been so embarrassed. She had made me tea so I couldn't make excuses to leave, so I gestured towards the garden, so ds1 followed me out. We left them shouting for a bit. I couldn't believe she could tell him off like that in front of us. So I wouldn't take anyone else's child again after that experience. I know Ds2 will pick that lads brother up for A level results though. But he should do ok.

No! You know I never would do such a thing! Sorry it if wasn't obvious I was referring to annoying mum.

@icanbewhatiwant . How could someone behave like that?? Just awful. Poor lad.
I was always very laid back about my childrens education, but they mostly scored As which upset the competitive parents😁. The one before this one got Ds tho, which seemed pretty good on very poor attendance. He’s done very well with them.
This time feels much more scary because I don’t know what she’ll get. I wonder if I should tell the school about her trauma based inability to revise and meltdown. Is that an extenuating circumstance?

DS was at school with a lad until about year 6 when he left to go elsewhere that costs an eye watering amount of money. Have occasionally seen her over the years. GCSE results day I had a full breakdown of subjects and grades of her DS’s grades from her before DS’s school had even opened 😳😀She was the only person I told other than family and here what his grades were. I sent the full breakdown back to her as she had sent me.

DS hasn't got a clue about results day. He has asked me how clearing works though 😱 He got his GCSE results from school but opened them in the car which given the expletives he came out with was a good job.

Today we went prom suit shopping. I'd forgotten what an impatient shopper he was - looked at one suit, said it was fine and was ready to go to pay until I suggested he select the right size and try it on. He picked up size 10.5 shoes and insisted they were his size. We bought 8's which are his size. How is this kid going to survive uni?? He's now having a nap after his exhausting day 😴

@mummyinbeds lucky he had you there! DS1 (age 21) went shopping with GF before holiday and bought himself some shorts - size 36 when he is 32. He said he didn't want to spend more time looking and he could wear a belt. Sigh!

Not like these girls with their very committed prom dress procurement!

Anyone's DC going to Leeds? We were there yesterday. DH insisted on various trips down memory lane....

I was shocked a bit by how much graffiti Leeds has! Much grimier than the bits near Birmingham , for example.

Haha, nothing like the girls! 😂 Dd has ten or so parcels still to return in her bedroom. I hadn’t realised she’d also been ordering multiple pairs of heels. After all that commitment though, she ended up with two different black dresses! I was expecting some colour…

Ha: Ds has been the same - I’ve left Dh to help him and between them they decided his old trainers would work if given a wash, and his old shirt (3 years old, you can imagine how well it fits!) would also be fine. They have reluctantly ordered a couple of short options but Ds is now away until the day before the prom so we’ll just have to hope that they fit and somehow match the colours in the checked suit he’s chosen ;-). In comparison, dd (y11) and me have Pinterest boards for hair, multiple accessory and shoe options etc etc ;-)