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?

Re: filling unpopular courses, I don't know if universities still do this (I started in 2006) but when I went I knew a few people who had got in through clearing onto a dual honours course (e.g. 'Philosophy and Media Studies'), which had a lower grade requirement. They could then transfer onto the higher grade course (pure philosophy) once they had proved themselves with their grades. I do know someone else who was accepted by their first choice onto a biomed course with an offer to transfer to medicine (which she originally applied for) if she got very high grades in her first year.

All of these cases involved the students calling the university themselves and seeing what they could offer. To transfer your course in the first year isn't the 'done thing' but it can happen if you make a strong case.

I hope everyone gets the marks they need.

Oh budge over and let me in too ....... I cannot take this stress its worse than waiting for my own,

Ds1 is wanting 3 As to get to his uni of choice his backup (pretty much secure) isnt one he really wants but its practically the best ....as a back up.

Hes so on edge especially as hes also won a scholarship -the pressures growing .......

Tbh although I want the A results for him for me knowing he's put his heart and soul into studying Im proud of him full stop.

(had no idea of this ed excel slip up- gutted that I missed it)

Thanks imperialblether - that was the way I was thinking too! :)

I was in this position last year waiting for DDs results. She did not get quite the grades she needed and it took nearly 36 hours for her place to be confirmed. When we rang the uni on results day all they would say was that the tutors were still considering. BUT she did get in and her uni took no one through clearing.

One of the problems for unis is that they don't know how many of the insurance offer places will be taken up. Apparently last year a lot of students decided that they didn't want to go to their insurance offer.

I am very nervous/excited, as I've just finished my first year teaching at a Sixth Form college, so I have about 200 of the buggers to worry about.

I'm sure there will be some that need consoling, but I'm generally very confident for them.

Gulp.

RoseC that is what I have heard too. My son has applied for a joints hons at UEA, and I am thinking if he doesn't make the grade then he should do exactly as you have said, but he is all for taking a year out and re-sitting to get whichever subject/s he misses his A in and re-apply to his first choice.

I can't help thinking he is better off in the system than out of it, (well, within reason) but he just won't discuss it. I think it's his way of displacing the stress and worry of potentially not getting in, and fretting about the unknown quantity that is clearing - by telling himself that he's not that fussed, he'll just sit tight for a year and try again. But for all kinds of reasons I think that's a really bad idea.

Fellatio tell him to factor in next year's re-sit rules and to find out how that might affect him.

What are next year's re-sit rules?

Fellatio I went to UEA It's a great university - he's going to love it! Which department is he applying to (if you don't mind my asking)? I got my place through clearing as my results were better than expected and I didn't like either of my two offers (one was two low, given results and the other uni too stuffy). They're great about negotiating over the phone and good about giving people second chances.

I highly recommend calling UEA if the worst happens - all my examples (bar the med one) were taken from there.

My sister took a year out and resat for a good university (Bath) and is very happy but I know she missed out on graduating with her friends and found it lonely being at home when everyone else was away. She also had no increases in fees to worry about. OTOH she spent the year working for a local printing company, so got experience in her field (wonderful small company let her help with accounting when there was no work on reception) and experience working in an office, which has been invaluable during her work placements at uni.

Perhaps I could sit down too please.... Not As here but AS with DD1 on Thursday too, followed by GCSEs next week with DD2. Next year I'll have the triple whammy of As, ASs and GCSEs. Should I just bury myself now I wonder?! I don't bite my nails, but suspect I'd have no fingers left by now if I did

He needs ABB to do joint hons English and Philosophy. He turned down Sussex, Birmingham and Kent to go to UEA, and took Reading as insurance. He is fretting that he won't get his much needed A!

Rock It's crap isn't it?! When your teenagers are a year or two apart you get no respite from the trauma of exams and uni applications for about 6 years!

fellatio I did Politics and Philosophy :) If he doesn't get the A then call UEA philosophy dept - chances are he'll speak to Dr Jerry Goodenough, who is wonderful. He gave my friend a place on the philosophy course after she did very badly in her exams (family circs) and ended up with D, E, U. If they won't let him do English & Philosophy ask to do straight Philosophy (given that Eng Lit at UEA is so well regarded I think Phil is the lower grade option of the two). He can then either try to get back onto the joint honours course by working v hard and asking for a transfer or he will have 'free' modules in his first and second years. Some of these can be taken in any department as long as he has relevant experience (e.g. B+ English A level) so he can choose Eng Lit modules. The philosophy department also run joint modules that straight phil students can take as philosophy modules, e.g. 'the philosophy of X literary genre'.

Fellatio there's stuff in the papers today confirming the harder line some unis are going to take with re-sits (for all subjects, not just for medicine) - either not allow them to count or to allow them to count but ask for grades which are significantly above the standard offer for the particular department. Especially in view of the fee hike, I'd hope that mine would opt for the foot in the door approach that Rose suggests (especially since it was UEA that she was talking about).

Rock I've done four doubles since 2007 but this is the first triple....

Thank you RoseC, I'll tell him. I think he'll be happy to compromise on the course so long as he can go to Norwich.

Yellow I agree that re-sits don't look so good, and I would prefer him to throw himself at the mercy of the admissions tutors and beg/compromise, than to defer for a year and re-sit.

The other reason I am pulling my hair out, and I've been trying not to say this because I think if I start a rant I might never stop, but anyway.....he and a bunch of friends have booked to fly on holiday. On Thursday morning. THURSDAY FUCKING MORNING. THEY ALL GAVE THE MONEY TO ONE BOY, WHO WITH THE HELP OF HIS MOTHER WOULD CHOOSE A FLIGHT AND BOOK ON THEIR BEHALF. AND HE CHOSE RESULTS DAY. AND HIS MOTHER HELPED HIM. AND HE IS AWAITING RESULTS TOO. THE FUCKING NUMBSKULL MORON. THEY ARE ALL FUCKING MORONS AND THEY DON'T DESERVE TO GO TO UNI BECAUSE NONE OF THEM HAVE THE SENSE THEY WERE BORN WITH. But apparently it is completely unreasonable of me to expect him to delay his first holiday he has had without us, paid for with his own hard earned money, as he'll have to pay for another flight. I understand. I am just beyond furious and incredulous, incandescent with rage and frustration, etc, etc.

I'm torn between offering to pay for a later flight myself and thinking this should be a sharp learning curve for him and I mustn't bail him out.

So. there we are. Apprently I am fussing about nothing and it will all be fine because they can all deal with clearing if when necessary, by using mobile phones and in internet cafes once they get off their flight.

Just don't even ASK me how I feel about all this. JUST DON'T ASK.

OMG Fellatio! Have a and another . Let's hope he gets the grades.

drcrab, I didn't realise that you could go through Clearing if you wanted a better course/different university than you'd originally accepted. I thought that you were tied into your accepted course as long as you got the grades required.

I didn't realise that either! I guess the downside to that is that perhaps the best choices have already been snapped up though. Although I guess people are turning down all sorts of great places at the last minute because they can get something just a little bit better.

Yes - mine is off to 'V' festival and would rather see what offers Tesco have on multipack beers than see what offers unis have through clearing. If there was a BA 'Head in the Sand' , our DCs would graduate with First Class Hons I'm sure. It's very frustrating. I really do sympathise and empathise but, on an optimistic note, if he's taken English language he'll be fine if he's inherited your talent for it: you managed to get all the F...s and ck....s in all the right places Cheers

So brilliant to read these threads.Thank you, thank you, thank you.
DD A's on Thurs, DS GSCE's next Thurs. Two more DC, one older, one younger. So trying not to pass on my fear, wondering how on earth they will cope with the stress and the debt.

hahahaaaa! cheers!

Fellatio two of DD's friends are off to Greece at dawn on Thursday too.

Look on it as confidence.

Has your DS signed you up on UCAS as a person authorised to speak on his behalf? If so (or perhaps he can do it now?) I can see some advantage in him not being in town!

I have been asking his for DAYS to euip me with all the info I need to act on his behalf and he just goes 'Er..yeah, I'll sort it. BTW, I'm out tonight. Won't be home...'

And it is not a good sign to have your mother phoning for you. But hey! What the hell. I've spoon fed him for almost 19 years, why stop now?

I'm in a bad mood now. Is it too early for a ?

equip.

Oops, just realised I am late picking him up from work. Serves him right!

Imperial I went through clearing and turned down a place at a (technically) better uni because I didn't like it (parents made me choose it as my reserve & my first choice's grades were much lower than my results). On the down side I missed a place at Bristol (they were all full as I called after lunch - didn't get act together) but on the plus side I ended up at UEA, having never visited, and loved it. I had to call both my first and second choice and say I didn't want to go - they got a bit arsey with me but nothing protracted.

Fellatio Have as much as you can take! Hope it all goes well. Can't believe the other mother thought Thursday was a good day!