Thread 36 - Covid Cohort from GCSE 2020 - The Final Countdown to Results Day for Some?

[CinnamonOrangeCremeBrulee]

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

@Delphigirl oh no, they don’t think do they. I hope his tutor can see him at 9.

DD is back again tonight which is lovely and adds to the feeling of the move being the right thing for us all. I’ll be ringing my Stepmum when DS has results . She is absolutely lovely and we are very lucky to have her. I think she is having lunch with Dad’s best friend from his school days for the first time since Dad died so would be lovely if there’s good news to give them.

Slept 6.5 hours last night which is longest stretch for ages and a lot more than I will tonight.

I think this may be an unpopular opinion but I don't much like Nicola Walker. The dramas she's in tend to be good though, have downloaded the first ep of Marriage to watch later.
26hrs to go..

@singingstones I like her in things like the split and the crime stuff she’s done- marriage is not grabbing me after first one so not sure I’ll continue if second one isn’t better - I think the appeal in The Split is she’s fairly ordinary with a face that looks like she’s taken some crap and is angry about it and won’t take anymore!😂🤣 She then has to deal with young adult kids, her difficult family and she is also fits in an affair! Admiration x

Ooh yes I loved The Split but NW was my least favourite thing about it. She's usually a sign of good quality drama though.

I think my favourite NW thing was River from a few years ago, a police one with Stellan Skarsgard. I hadn't seen her in so many things at that point so didn't mind her style so much.

I woke up early so have been having a walk. It took me near school and I could see several cars arriving, which I’m sure belong to teachers. Is weird thinking they will get to know results today…

@MirandaWest Teachers won’t know today. It’s very strict - only the exams officer can access the results & I think the only person they can discuss those with today is the head teacher.

I’m going into my school today. I’d love to know how my mentees fare but will have to wait till tomorrow

@MirandaWest Oh golly yes: heads got them after midnight today? It is very weird to think about it! I woke up really early, too. Urgh

I think exams officers and data team know today, plus the head. I think the results can be shared with SLT but not sure about that. It's anyone who is needed to process results for Thursday within the school.

I’m glad not everyone will know - maybe it’s the thought of really knowing their results exist then!

Am trying to decide whether to go for a longer run tomorrow morning as I am very sure I’ll be awake even earlier…

One day to go, not sure I am going to sleep tonight.

@horrificbiology me, neither. Time seems to be going slowly..

@MirandaWest I'm thinking exactly the same! it might be a good idea to have a very early run so we're firing all cylinders whatever the results are.

Aghhh. It’s all feeling too real! Have a load of work today today and don’t feel my concentration is going to be great!!

Can someone explain to me what happens if you choose to go into clearing, as opposed to bring out there automatically, please?

Do you have to decline your firm/insurance before you can approach unis for informal offers?
If not, how do you get a clearing number?

@Alsoplayspiccolo I'm wondering the same. I don't know what dd would do if she gets accepted by her insurance but doesn't want it. I don't know if she needs to reject that before she could look at clearing- but then potentially she could end up with nothing?

Thanks @Monkey2001
I saw that on the Nottingham uni website but not very specific to clearing. It's just worrying that all the accommodation says fully booked. Is it a risk too far to apply in clearing then not get any on site accommodation?

I'm fairly sure you can contact any unis in clearing even if you have an offer. Once you have an offer from them (preferably in email) you can ask your original uni to release you, and can then add the new one to track.
You can ask them about accommodation when you first call so you know the likelihood of getting it before you make them an official choice.

Also Notts is one who has already allocated accommodation, so any students not getting the grades will have their accommodation returned to the available pile.

Also you contact the uni you're interested in before you decline anything, otherwise you risk being left with nothing if the new one turns you down. Once they have agreed they will take you (verbally or preferably in writing) you can decline your held place and carry on as usual and give the new uni the clearing number if they need it.

DS is thinking about choosing insurance over firm too. Mind you he is also thinking about deferring, not going to university at all, and switching from neuroscience to archaeology. He's all over the place, basically.

Has everyone made a note of the UCAS number - it's on the Hub but I'm sure that will crash frequently.

My friend’s daughter got Nottingham in clearing about 3 years ago and got her first choice of accommodation- self-catering in Broadgate Park. I should think it will be fine if you act quickly tomorrow.

Yes all their firm offer holders have a room booked at the moment, and they won't all get in, so lots of accommodation will become free tomorrow.

@Alsoplayspiccolo we are in between Lanlivery and Luxulyan slightly nearer the south coast. Up a lane about half a mile long with only us at the end, so it's very quiet. I like to walk, there's nowhere to walk really apart from along the lane, it's very steep, I live in flat Suffolk 🤣 it is still raining here. We are probably going to the north of Cornwall today to Tintagel.

We waste too much of the day waiting for ds3 to get up. I've been waking him at 9am but we don't get out until 10.30am. It's not worth rushing him or he will get in a strop and refuse to go out (he is 13)

It will be a long day tomorrow I'm sure. Ds2 isn't answering my questions about tomorrows plans. I've asked if he has to go to work first, time he can collect etc. he just ignores me. But when I asked him at home he just shrugged 😡 he probably won't tell me until afternoon.

I am getting videos sent from ds2 of the mess ds1 is leaving in the kitchen, before he's started cooking. If anyone remembers...we arrived back off our holiday last year to a really messy kitchen. I messaged ds1 to ask if the kitchen is being kept clean, he said he's cleaned up but ds2 won't. I know it's ds1 who makes such a mess. He does it when I'm there, I have told them both I'm not cleaning it when I get home this time and that I'm not cooking until it's cleaned.

I might not look on here again before...so I hope tomorrow goes well for everyone. Almost there.

You can't change anything on UCAS until early afternoon (3:00?) but it is fine to phone around before then and get verbal offers.

You no longer need to ask to be released from an offer, you self release by declining it.

@NCTDN We are fairly local so know Notts well, it’s a great place for students in all ways which is why my 2 are hopefully headed that way

Regarding accommodation, if they run out students are generally offered accommodation a 20 min journey down the A52 on the red arrow bus to Derby

@NCTDN There is a student on Nottingham's instagram page talking about her experience of applying through clearing this morning. It might offer some reassurance.