2025 A Level Results Day and Sept Uni Starters - All Welcome

[SlightlyJaded]

I couldn't see board specifically dedicated to results day for our DC who have sat A levels this spring. And I know some of us STILL have questions about Uni starters.

DS has Liverpool as his first choice and Notts Trent as his insurance - both to study History. Anyone who recognises me from previous boards might remember the hell we went through with DD a couple of years ago, so DS has applied quite a lot of caution to his choices - perhaps too much, perhaps not enough. Neither of us have any idea what to expect with his results. He has genuinely fluctuated between a D and an A in some of his mocks....

I still haven't done anything about accommodation which is one of the reasons I am starting this thread.

But mostly, it's for nail biting, relief, tears, support, advice and all the other things needed to get us through the next few weeks.

Welcome :)

I am not going to speak for other subjects, but as a maths teacher I would say that maths exams generally (and A-level maths and further maths too of course) are great ways to work out who is academic at maths. There isn’t loads of memorisation. The exams are all about solving problems, applying knowledge. They are a great way for universities to select who is academic.

Any other Yorkies got their accommodation offers? DD has Anne Lister which she’s very happy with.

Agreed. It stings a bit to be the 18% because those are good odds when you think about it. DS missed out on Liverpool firm which I think was your DS's firm too. It's okay though, he will be happy at his insurance also. A different year, different landscape and he'd have been into clearing for sure. So I'm mighty grateful for that.

He's another one with a spiky profile. One of the first things he's going to do when he gets to Uni is ask them to screen for dyslexia (they may do this as a matter of course). I feel guilty for not spotting it earlier but alarm bells started ringing when the very last Yr13 parents eve his teacher mentioned that based on his verbal class contributions he'd be an A student every time but he needs to work on translating it to paper because he's so hit and miss. His Dad and brother are diagnosed dyslexic, his brother significantly so (plus another sibling with ASD). College did start investigating at my request but exams were a couple of weeks away and it was basically too late.

I'm furious with myself for not realising there was maybe an issue. Because he's done the best academically through school out of his sibling group I took that as a sign he was fine I'm not sure that's the case now, I think he could be a bright student who compensates well enough to get by, albeit with the ups and downs of grades that can range from A-D depending on the testing format.

What's done is done though and I really hope that Uni will be a place where he can get the support to really thrive.

Nothing in writing, it was verbally over the phone to my son - just that he’d met the requirements, but there were some documents that needed to be uploaded first - which he has submitted. He seems positive about it, I’m just worrying secretly.

@Candleabra yes, Cambridge maths. Weight off my mind that we now have it all confirmed!

Just posting our experience of today with DS. It’s been a heartbreaking day.
DS predicted AAB, firm offer of Birmingham Uni for History and Politics and beyond disappointed with his BCD grades. His C grade is 4 marks off a B, so we are requesting a remark. His D was a shock, although he did not have a teacher in y12, but mocks showed he was making great strides,
We contacted Birmingham uni today (DS has had a hellish y9-11 with debilitating mental health) and this was set out in his UCAS application, but they would not budge, saying that his extenuating circumstances would have been taken care of in any exam access arrangements in school (he had extra time as he is autistic).
He has worked his socks off to overcome his illness, and felt like he was working well amongst his peers. But that has all been shot down today.
He has his insurance choice (Keele) which I really loved and felt that the assessment process there was more suited to his personality, he doesn’t always test well, it can go either way, as it clearly has here. But he is devastated.
So, tomorrow, we’ll dust ourselves off and pick ourselves back up again, but my heart is broken for him.

@OvaHere Gosh sounds SO familiar - DS had to have extra hand-writing intervention when he was very small because he was struggling to form the letters and structure the words. I have also heard multiple times how well he contributes in class, debates well, asks interesting and meaningful questions, analysis and examines ideas, but just struggles to get his ideas down coherently. It had never occured to me to think that there might be anything behind it... and there probably isn't with DS, but it's an interesting thought.

Yes we were Liverpool and yes I am struggling with the 18% thing, but you are right - on a different year, he might even have made his insurance.

Where has your DS accepted?

What a shame…but better late than never, though.

@Wizzywoodoodah I am so sorry. This was me two years ago with DD - except she missed her insurance as well. Predicted A*AB and got CCD. It was a horrible shock and it takes a while to adjust.

Your DS will be ok and he will thrive I am sure. We haven't had an ideal day today either DS missed his Firm (Liverpool) but got his Insurance (NTU) because, like your DS, he is completely erratic in how he performs in exam conditions. He has had As and Ds for the same subject in test papers and mocks.

BUT someone upthread pointed out to me that he is probably best where he is, NTU will be almost all coursework whereas Liverpool will still be applying an element of exam to final assessments. Perhaps the universe is sending our DC to the place that IS best suited to them after all.

Challenge is the opportunity for the academics to shine when collecting results. Feels a little crass for those who may have struggled to get the grades they needed. Personally I have B grad students and am myself without any academic qualifications apart from a undergraduate and postgraduate which came later in life. I'm all for being academic but not all for making those less so feel less than.

Thank you, I have just been reading the thread and really appreciate the words of wisdom. I agree, he will be better off at Keele, it just needs some time to settle.
I really hope all works out for your DS at NTU.

Update on DD who went from predicted ABB to CCD.

Had an reply from college. "Did you sit paper 1 for English Language?"
They've lost that paper and she got 0/200!
She got 80 for her coursework (an A) and 150/200 for paper 2 so looking at the grade boundaries online she's likely to go from a D to a B if she did similar in both papers.

On her uni choice subject she's 1 mark off a B, so they're already getting that sent for a re-mark.
It's still disapointing, as going by last years grade boundaries she was consistently getting A's and A*'s but the boundaries have gone up so much this year.

She's feeling much happier knowing there's been an error and she didn't totally muck up the exams without realising it.

I've had a cider tonight, I don't normally drink, and she's got a big smile on her face again.

He's going to LJMU. He loved the city as much as anything. That's softened the blow a bit and made adjusting to the idea of insurance easier.

@Wizzywoodoodah I'm sorry you've had a tough day. DS2 is going to his insurance, I know he's disappointed and it's gut-wrenching. I do think DS2 is better suited to his insurance (Exeter) but his heart was so set on Bath.

I hope DS can start looking forward to Keele and it all falls into place

DS was disappointed, predicted AAB, achieved BCE. But he achieved what he needed for his firm choice - fortunately we checked UCAS first! He's suspected ND, doesn't thrive in exams, very much like me.

So sorry that he had a disappointing day.

If he wakes up in the morning wanting to consider other options close to Brum Leicester is offering Hist/Pol at CCD, I've seen it described as a "hidden gem" on this site.

@OvaHere DS2 had a DSA assessment as his difficulties were identified a while ago. I'm not sure how it works once at university, but there's support DS2 will be offered that sounds could be helpful for your DS. Being assigned a mentor, an app (Brain in Hand) and possibly other stuff. It's definitely worth looking into

I agree about exams, they're just a memory test and not reflective of how many jobs work. I wish they would go back to more coursework for both A-level and GCSE, I think we'd get a better reflection of how able students actually are.
The subject DD is doing at uni they don't do exams in that entire school as they think they're irrelevant. It's all coursework, presentations, vlogs, podcasts etc. She's doing Classical Studies, so a traditional subject, but they don't see the point in assessing through exams when a memory test isn't relevant in most jobs nowadays.

Thanks, he's agreed to approach student support once he gets moved in so will see what happens from there.

Can I ask if you found this out just today? After the results?

I did a postgrad at LJMU when it was still Liverpool Poly.

It was one of the best years of my life.

After doing undergrad at Oxford I couldnt believe how friendly and relaxed it was. Goths talking to people in anoraks!

Wow @AwkwardAnnie that's quite a plot twist. I remember from the GCSE threads a couple of years ago there were some massive mark changes with remarking. DD's changed by 12 marks and was nowhere near the biggest.

@Wizzywoodoodah Do you live close enough to Keele to take a trip so that your DS can actually see himself going there? He can potter about the town, have a nice meal, find out where the nearest supermarket is etc. You spend so much time investing in your firm that you forget what attracted you to Keele.

Yes, I think this is a good plan. We need to get out to Keele and have a potter around. DS is autistic, so being in a fixed mindset can be typical. Thanks for taking the time to rreply.

@Phoebsie yes, a heck of a plot twist, but a huge relief. It would be lovely if her uni grade went up by a decent amount, but it would be pushing it for that to go up 2 grades, we'll be happy with 1 point taking her to a B.

With the paper they've lost if she gets the same score as she did on paper 2 she'll get a B, but it won't take that many more marks for it to jump from a D to an A.... but again, she'll be more than happy with a B... she'd be gobsmacked with an A :)

I'm just so grateful she had a confirmed place anyway and we're not in the situation of having had options taken away or we're waiting for clearing. I've got enough grey hairs already today, I don't need more!