A Level Anxiety

[Toffee22]

Only 4 more "sleeps" until the A level results come out - not that I will be doing much sleeping...

Eldest son wants to study medicine. 3 "A's" required no slip ups allowed. Have just checked and most medical schools don't accept re-sits. How can I face looking at the cold hard facts at some point on Thursday. I'm sure it will be difficult for my son too! When I tried to talk to him about it today instead of a response he said he would do an "impression of a tree". It wasn't even a very good impression. What does this mean?

Asking about being successful without qualifications and the example of my 3 dc.

Ds1 very academically minded - uni and is now the deputy head of sixth form at a large secondary school.

ds2 Failed most of his GCSE's but interested in theatre lighting. Now has his own lighting business, has own warehouse which is filled with over £200,000 of lights and works all over the world earning more than ds1 ever will.

Dd works very hard and is currently at Keele studying Maths. She wants to be a teacher but not sure if to do primary of secondary maths.

They are all my children and I love them equally and they are doing what is right for them

stressedmum, I think your dd will have to talk to her uni and also to any others she might hope for in Clearing herself. Not sure how others feel, but I find the dc him/herself much more impressive than mum or dad ringing up. Key things she might say are a. any extenuating circs. to explain the B b. any other indicators of ability such as coursework, predicted grades - the b should be a bolt form the absolute blue, taking her maths teacher utterly by surprise c. extreme eagerness to do the course d. determination to make up any ground. e. indicators that she can do the difficult thing ('it will be like that time when I found myself stranded on K2 and all my companions had passed out with hypothermia') :) She shouldn't say that the school or teaching was crap, but she could say if she was in a big class, or if there were unexpected staff upheavals. Tell her to do it. Most admissions tutors are really sympathetic.

To respond to other stuff, it's just that my dcs are narrow, alas. dd opening a ballet studio or ds a gaming business.... I vaguely know the man who founded GamesWorkshop, so you can all add his name to the list.

this thread is definitely therapy for me. As far as my child is concerned I'm quite calm about it, the angst is reserved for here and my bedroom.

We have a very well off relative who didn't go to university and an old friend who did but now has neither money nor status. Not much to chose in the happiness stakes. They are well aware that university is not the only thing that matters. However for some careers "just go anywhere" won't do.

DH left school at 16, got on an apprenticeship scheme in a local factory, has worked really hard and is now senior management overseeing labs all over the world. However, as he has pointed out to DS, his company no longer run such a scheme and would not consider anyone without a degree.

Whats in the telegraph tomorrow??

ive just asked on my own little thread its advice on clearing etc....

After reading all the posts there is some superb advice, thanks everyone.

sieglinde there are extenuating circs as she spends alot of time in hospital and up until xmas everyone was expecting at least an A if not A* in the maths then things just went down hill. She has spent so much time trying. (even her friday evenings after the results in march) She cant talk about the class size (11) or the teachers as they have spent many a lunchtime and afterschool 1 to 1 with her helping her catch up.

nickschick the clearing lists are in the telegraph this year.

oops already answered while the DC distracted me. :)

I felt sure there would be a reason, stressedmum. She should definitely mention the issues you raise, and the predicted grade too. She should also mention any meds she might be taking.

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/8706620/Clearing-2011-Telegraph-and-UCAS-provide-live-university-places.html In case nobody else put this up.

stressedmum, was that the maths exam with the impossible question?

Would just like to say good luck to all the dc of mn's waiting for their A level results.

Ponders no it was OCR C3 and C4. Although C3 was a resit from jan. When she fist came out of the exams she thought she'd done enough buyt after talking to others thought she'd done worse.

sieglinde if she mentioned all the meds she takes we'd still be here friday

DD has just announced that she is off to town tonight for student night not sure thats a good idea or bad. Means she wont be getting stressed and nerous here but that she wont get a good nights sleep either and maybe slightly hungover tomorrow.

ds1 has not spoken since mid afternoon and is looking very down. When asked he says he's fine.

Have banned ds2 and ds3 all mention of results/exams/personal statements and anything else uni related as I'm pretty sure its results nerves.

All talk of his future has in the last few months been followed by slamming doors, stamping up the stairs and "God I just dunno - alright?" bellowed at 100+ decibels.

Unsure whether to leave him alone now or risk the wrath of what ultimately is probably one petrified 17 yr old.

I love the idea that tutors are trying to place as many students as possible but does that mean that somebody with an open offer might be let down. If the conditional firms drop a grade would they take precedence over an open offer that met grades? IYSWIM. There is obviously no way an open offer application will get in this year?

Whats an open offer??

An open offer is when you are guaranteed a place for your subject but will have no idea what College will take you.

Arrh that makes sense thank you.

Feeling your pain, all of you who are chewing fingernails waiting for A2 results tomorrow - DS will be going in to collect his AS's - he has been confident of his grades, but has gone very quiet the last couple of days so I think doubts might be kicking in!

Fingers crossed for you all!

Ds gone off for the evening to friends beach hut ,felt quite poignant ,they have all known each other since reception and they've grown up into such lovely young men ,doesn't seem so long since we were worrying if they would manage to get changed for gym and reading biff and chip .Really really hope it goes well for them tomorrow.

Thank goodness DD2 is working an evening shift. Hasn't decided if she wants to see Track first. I know it crashed last year when DD1 tried to look! No results online but has to go into college to see them. Train is just at the wrong time!

open offer is just for Oxbridge???

stressedmum, hope your DD either gets her grade or gets in with her extenuating circumstances

(hope all our DCs get their grades or get in with extenuating circumstances...not long now...aaaaaaaaaaaaargh)

Thank you ponders. I hope your DS gets in where he wants too go. :)

Anyone else find themselves counting down the hours everytime they see the time.

I know just the feeling mrswoodentop where has the time gone.

I think so. Cambridge seem to do their pooling earlier. I don't know if they give open offers. Oxford give open offers and it really is the most nerve racking time.