Come and cheer my boy up with his grades please

[lavenderjune]

Ds has had a really tough 2 years with mental health issues and his dad was diagnosed with cancer last year too. He has picked himself and worked really hard the last 6 months and achieved CCC which we didn’t think would be possible. He is disappointed and doesn’t think it will be enough to go to Uni. He hasn’t applied but the plan was to apply for next year. I’m really pleased as at one point I didn’t even think he would sit his exams. Any positive advice please.

My dd got CCB and managed to get into a Russell group uni. But tbh she found a great job with career progression after uni but it’s a job she could have got without a degree. Similar for dd2 (CBB) got into uni of her choice got a fab job after but degree not required although she has just applied for a masters.

I got CCD due to impossible circs and thought I was stuck with my lowest choice, but my aunt convinced me to phone up my first choice (York) whose typical offer for the course at the time was AAB, and they let me in anyway. I know A-level grade requirements tend to be higher these days than 20 years ago but it depends on the course and what space they have as to whether they'll take you or not. His best bet might be clearing. I went on to get a 2:1 on my BA, a PGCE, and an MSc with merit. A-level grades are not the be-all and end-all of your whole future or your abilities. Tell him to start at the top and work his way down, so to start with the uni he wants most and try them, then work down to the ones with more realistic entry grades, because on a good day he might get an offer like I did.

Sorry didn't mean to quote the OP. 😱

i think he should be really proud of himself with what he has achieved after such a tough year
I don’t know enough about Uni to give any advice , just that whatever he decides I hope he does well and is happy 👏

First of all, congratulations to your son, 3 Cs are still a massive achievement.

Obviously it depends on what he wants to study/might want to do in the future and what each course requires, but my friend's son got in on two Ds and an E - he got a 2.1! Someone else I know didn't get onto her course due to results and took a year out to consider her options, she ended up studying something totally different and is so glad it didn't work out in the first place. I know another person who got 3 Ds, who got a job instead - his employers believed in him and funded him through an apprenticeship degree - he's now 27 and earning over £50k elsewhere! This shows how it can all work out.

Your son is thinking straight and not panicking to find a course right now, which is in his favour, in that he can do his research and apply for the right courses for him.

My son got several offers today through clearing with 3 C’s. Don’t despair.

Three Cs is a great result! I think we read all the about students getting the top grades that we forget that is huge range of results in the middle that are actually also good results. I’m 100% he will get a place at uni.

Absolutely this. Those who get A’ only make up approx 28% of the entire student body and they are NOT the majority grades. We should be rejoicing in ALL grades achieved.

I got 3x C and was still offered my uni place despite the offer being BBC.

I didn't go 😅 I did an apprenticeship instead and earned money with no debt. Win win 😊

CCC is a perfectly respectable result, he should be proud of himself.
Yeah it’s not enough for an elite university but everyone doesn’t need to go to them and there will definitely be courses at good universities he can do with 3Cs
What he needs to do now is decide what kind of career he wants and what course he’s best applying for.

Many congratulation to him on his grades! When I was diagnosed with cancer and my younger son was doing his A Levels, his tutor wrote to his chosen unis so that they were fully in the picture about the effect that it had on him and his studies. Hope that helps.

Of course he can go to uni with three Cs 😊 Unis are keen to attract UK students this year because of changes to VISAs for foreign students. Strike while the iron is hot! Perhaps your DS has already done so.

My colleague's son did far poorly in his A levels a few years back than he wanted. He was devastated. He sat his exams in the covid years and well, it all went a bit pear shaped. He wanted to do Economics in one of the top unis and so, worked part time for a year for a business while studying for resits. Lo and behold, a place in the uni he wanted, plus a years worth of paid work experience which set him up financially.
He's interned for the company every summer through uni and got a permanent offer on a very decent salary and is flying.
I remember it very distinctly as his Dad was very upset for him. I've done resits myself and suggested that while when you are getting your grades it can feel like the worst thing in the world especially if friends are off to uni or travelling, a year to focus on what you really want to do, and what you want to achieve out of uni can make a world of difference to the value you get out of it.

A lot depends on what he wants/wanted to do. He should certainly try hard at clearing but if he has recovered and his father is in a better place, it can absolutely be worth giving it another shot especially if you are doing exam based subjects that don't change hugely from a curricula perspective every year.

My sister got DDE didn’t get in to her firm or insurance, got a place in clearing and went on to be a secondary school head.
3 Alevels is terrific, best of luck to him.

CCS is very respectable. Well done him! There will be plenty of courses where ccc will be enough points, especially when he submits his personal statement where he should definitely include the challenges he has faced with his dad (I've been aUCAS support tutor, they will want to know what he has overcome as it's incredible resilience).

Or he could look at clearing where often previously overlooked courses might jump out.

I would be very proud with CCC.

CCC is brilliant - congratulations to your DS! Both DH and I got worse results than that but are pretty wealthy compared to our peers so his grades will not necessarily be a reflection of his future success. He should be very proud at what he’s achieved.

Exactly this. 3 Cs is a really good set of results, he should be proud and not feel like it's any sort of setback - those good grades will get him where he wants to be. He can definitely go to university if that's what he wants.

Don’t let him write himself off! Go through clearing and pick a sensible degree, or find an apprenticeship.

My dh didn’t have great A levels and then got a 2:2 in his degree. But now he is hugely successful in his career and earns
mega bucks (if you like to measure success that way).

It seems huge now - but in the grand scheme of things he’s done well. Resilience and perseverance -top stuff

Absolutely this! Get onto clearing websites - if he wants to stay near home with the tough times you have unfortunately had as a family maybe look at universities near by? to see what they have?

Well done to your son for his courage to sit the exams and his achievement 👏 👍 congratulations 🎊