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 :)

Reading also has biology based courses at CCD in clearing. Reading is campus but its a decent sized place and very easy to get into London.

I wonder if the schools who are confidently predicting high grades for our yp are being entirely honest in their marking throughout the courses - really marking as per the mark scheme etc. Being predicted good grades is great and a morale booster but if schools are being rather too lenient in their internal marking and overly optimistic it’s not helpful in the long run.

At one open day, Bristol I think, they said that they know some schools over predict to get offers for their pupils and then hope that the universities offer some flex on results day. This seems to be setting the yp and their families up for a stressful and upsetting time.

Which module was this?

Mechanics, which was usually his strongest. But he didn't even get to answer the last question, as he ran out of time changing the previous answers, so 12 marks lost immediately.

Feel a bit better every time I read a positive post about NTU. Being in the 17% that missed their Firm is still stinging a bit, so good news stories around Trent are helping - thanks @KingstonTown

@Halloween67 lancaater were offering DDE for a foundation year yesterday in most biological subjects , normal is CCC it is a campus uni's though. Dd chose this as she wanted campus over Leeds beckett, mmu, shefeild hallam etc

I think the covid years indicate that this might be the case. A colleague of mine made the very valid point that no one could have a bad day as they didn't take the exams, but there are too many discrepancies for everyone to have had a bad day.

Very few at DS's school were disappointed, but the predictions seemed to be pretty much spot on and so expectations could be be managed much earlier.

Sorry to hear that @halloween67 - our college is being rubbish too. Managed to find the time to get the local paper for photos of the ones who did well though. (Glad for the students - fuming with the college... all they've given us is some online links).

Ah, apparently the grade boundaries on that paper were high.

My understanding is that predicted grades are very much what the school thinks a student could get on their best day. But 80% do miss their predictions. It's mad that the grade that matter the most are the predicted grades – applying to university post-results would make much more sense.

That said, many DC show that they are strong in a subject in class day in day out but just may not perform well in exams. Or have a bad day. Or that particular paper doesn't play to their strengths. It is a lottery.

Mine seems to have bucked the trend and did better than predicted . Predicted BCD got BBB. Hadn't even considered uni but might do...next year now..I think grades in hand applications would be so much better.

Mine got ACD. The D was a bit of a shock but the firm still took him and were very happy it’s a great uni and course. However I think the D is 2 marks off a C (I’d have to double check) would it be worth getting remark and also if for some inexplicable reason they downgraded to an E would that affect the uni offer if we’ve already accepted it as they wouldn’t take that grade.

I know some friends who also dropped in Edexcel politics but were consistently getting A and A* with some very harsh marking as well. They did do some very rogue questions this year espeically in Paper 1 the 2a and 2b questions were to me ridiculous combination of too many spec points for one 30 marker and I do also know that Paper 3 Global politics was difficult as well, questions were quite broad but that's always the case with global the issues is there's not enough clarity of what you need to know for global politics, so good students go wild with lots of different things and concepts and examiners may or may not credit it based on their own knowledge which I think is unfair.

Yes it depends I know my 6th form had that attitude of we don't want to over predict because it will hurt on results day but again under predictions can he just as harmful. Also students sometimes ignore one subject especially if doing 4 because that one subject needs an A or A-star. It can be hard with all the content and final skills and going through everything, also for more subjective subjects do you follow to conformative base/answer and don't use originality, nuance and different arguments which are detailed and perhaps stretch in a subject like English Lit, History, Politics or do you do something boring and standard formula of an answer but doesn't push ideas, isn't nuanced and doesn't show great critical and complex skills which will serve them well at uni but not in exams which are time limited and examiners have lots to mark.

Has she searched foundation courses in clearing

That’s an interesting point @TheLivelyViper . DS is doing Maths, FM, Physics and Welsh Bacc so that’s not something that he needs to consider.

It would affect the Uni offer. It’s a risk you take if you ask for a review or remark
The Uni would have to reconsider whether they would still take the applicant with the revised grades

What would be the point? If they have their first choice course/university that’s the most important thing.
if it’s no reason than the ego sting of having a D then I wouldn’t bother, I’d also not want to give my child the impression it isn’t good enough. Be grateful for the opportunity they have and look forward not back!

Jumping on as my ds went to Aber
We had that drive coming from Kent. through the mountains driving on what seemed like a cliff edge was amazing. I actually really miss the drives now
I may even pop into Wales after dropping two of ours at Exeter just for the fun of it

We're both feeling a lot better about it today. Got a decent and no too expensive accommodation offer, SF sorted, bank account sorted, Uni admin sorted. Feel really positive about the course and it may even end up being a better fit for him.

Had a chat last night about the unexpected D in History which was basically caused by the Russia paper that threw a curve ball question outside the syllabus. He handled it badly, spent too long on trying to salvage it and ran out of time to finish the paper and do a decent job on the 2nd big mark question. It's such a shame as Russia was his favourite topic and he got an A in the mock.

Upshot is though there's something to be learned from about the unexpected and how you handle that. Under pressure all his exam technique for handling that sort of situation to make the best of it went out the window.

Thank you.
I don’t think it would go down that much but I won’t do anything with it!

We are incredibly thankful and happy with his place. I haven’t mentioned this to him at all I wouldn’t say anything to make any child of mine feel their grade wasn’t good enough.
I wouldn’t call it an ego grade, it’s about wanting their hard work reflected in the final result. Of course it can be that grade is reflective of his work and ability which is fine, but it can also not be.
Grades don’t matter to me but we can’t pretend grades don’t matter at all as yesterday (and every results day) proves otherwise

@Wizzywoodoodah my DD also missed grades for Brum (got BCC not ABB) for English lit (this was several years ago btw) and she ended up at Leicester which I have certainly praised on MN. Pastoral care and tutor support both excellent. She was able to pick modules which were assessed on CW not exams and gained an amazing degree. She is ND too btw.

So I would rec Leics, but also Keele is great. Hope your DS likes it on a second look. In the end most DC have a positive experience where they end up. Keele, like Leics and others, is under the radar as not RG. But a great uni.

My son is still waiting for his uni to make an official decision on the UCAS hub! This is giving me such a bad impression of the uni, and I’m wondering if this is a bad sign for things to come. Unfortunately my son is at work today so hasn’t had time to call them.