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?

oh do they all have to wear that, Lilymaid, regardless of subject? (have heard of subfusc but didn't know what it was. sounds quite uncomfortable anyway)

ROFL, changebags

(I do love MN swearystuff)

(better make sure Oxford don't add those pens to the list or they'll all want prizes)

Haha funny no way will your old Russell Hobbs pass the Wadham electric appliance safety test. It's way tougher than the interviews. I'm guessing c. 1985. No chance.

And they'll take a picture of her at Matriculation and ask her to pay shedloads for it like schools do so she needs to have her make up and hair sorted too (it's one for the mantlepiece).

Morning all, god knows when DS will get his welcome pack, silly arse 'forgot' to change his address on UCAS from his boarding school to home address!

Since Thursday I've been collating bits and pieces for him to take. Yesterday he got a pile of coat hangers and a tin opener. Had to laugh when I looked at his Uni website at the different packs on offer and there was the basic with bedding, 1 plate, cup, bowl, etc and cutlery and then there was the 'premier' pack which had chopsticks and a cheese grater too

I will use the next few weeks as an opportunity to clear out a load of old crap I've been hoarding from when I cleared out my late parent's house last year. I knew it would come in useful one day.

Thanks funnyperson, I'll do all of that. I wouldn't bother suggesting a remark if he way way off an A but he is only 4 marks off in History and 6 in English, so he is unlikely to drop a whole grade by remarking, but ISWYM.

'Special clothes to take exams in' is utterly true - it is a gown and either a mortarboard (which they are then not supposed to wear, but should carry ROFL) or, for ladies, a (strange looking) cap, plus white shirt with long sleeves, plus-and this is crucial- black velvet ribbon.
Black shoes, black tights and black skirt.

We fell about laughing .DD has not worn sensible black shoes for years. She had her eye on some horribly clumpy rock boots.

This was a clear indication for a trip to the Selfridges shoe gallery where DD tried on some stunning 10in cork wedge platform black strappy sandals which did wonders for her legs and figure and, together, with the Vidal Sassoon school haircut from the morning (£5.00) made her look a million dollars.

However, we googled subfusc. (This is the name for the robes etc). There were no images of girls in very high wedges and patterned Wolford tights. Or clumpy rock boots. All wore sensible flats .
Russell and Bromley (my preferred option though £150) was rejected by DD in favour of River Island (£40), so as not to fall over at the entrance to the exam halls. She bought River Island flat formals and River Island flat black new season ankle boots with buckles and laces and still had money left over to get some asics running shoes.

Now, my memory of said black velvet ribbon which goes round the white shirt collar in an artistic bow arrangement and is compulsory for exam entry, relates to my best friend from school who went to Oxford in the post pill liberal seventies, who told me what all the boys hoped in relation to the black ribbon .

White shirt....now in the past I would have got 3 for £2.00 from Tesco and I am strongly tempted to do so still. Robes could be borrowed from above mentioned old school friend, otherwise a posh company called Ede and Ravenscroft is doing an online robe, cap, white shirt and black ribbon deal for £24.00. (cue for DD to ROFL) DD is in favour of the Tesco white shirt and borrowed robe option. Hobbycraft do black velvet ribbon she says. I'm not sure.

DD wants to open a bank account at Gringotts. I say it should not be the type of bank likely to collapse in a W dip recession.

Kettle/Cauldron. The Russell Hobbs dates from 1972 actually. Good point about the electric regs. Ours makes the trip switch go at home. Perhaps John Lewis or.....Tesco again!

I really don't know how DD and I will be able to manage to find time for all this shopping...........

Quick question (will be phoning school tomorrow). If my DC requests a photocopy of the exam paper will it be sent directly to him or to the school. I presume it will be to the school as they have to request it after he has signed the form. I only ask as we live abroad and if they send it to him at home we might never see it for weeks and then it will be too late to request a remark!!

Oh dear Yellowstone what kind of dress should DD take to wear should she be invited to other colleges formal dinners? I am worried Oxford might think we are cheapskates and lowering the tone. DD says she knows lots of people from the interview and school and her (extensive) social life and they are all fine. I am still so very relieved she is in and how she did it whilst going out so much I will never know.

I dont think I will suffer from empty nest syndrome though. Terms are only 175 days in a year. !! DD certainely wont suffer. She has college parents now who have written to her!

DD's dad is feeling chuffed. He already has a book on her reading list. I am feeling chuffed too. So do I. One all. Two ancient battered pelicans will be in the (Tesco) box. DD has a few more which she read in the run up to interviews last summer. I still cant quite believe she is really going.

My DD's got sent to her college and they then posted it on to us. Because of delays we went for the straight fast track remark - if they up your grade you get the cost of the remark refunded.

funny you might get a shock when you see the uncensored matriculation photos or if you're up there for the day. Facebook is the place to check it out if she's got friends up there already. There's plenty of 'interpretation' of the rules, especially on the shoe and tights front. DD2 has just laughed and said 'people do whatever they can to get away from subfusc'.

DD has a three line letter from Magdalen with no electrical or sartorial guidance at all :(

My focus is more on the fact that I am inevitably going to cause gridlock of the town when I have to park my silly van on the roundabout to the south of the bridge. I told her not to apply there because of that :(

Then you need to start finding reasons to go and do things that are just for you on a Sunday so that you are less and less available, and he can take the DCs on his own.

Whoops, wrong thread - sorry.

Yellowstone, when my sister was at Magdalen we used to park in some road way the other side of the bridge. It was free to park as I remember (in the early 90s so may have changed wince then. I do think that you can drive in somewhere round the back across the meadow can't you to drop their stuff off? Not sure about that, might have made it up.

funny honestly, she should wear whatever she feels comfortable in. The tone has already been lowered by DD1 and 2 so don't worry about that. They both look pretty but all cheap high st. stuff. We're seriously unrich. DD2 (not Wadham) is more bohemian and arty than DD1 but they have to be themselves, that's what Oxford (all universities I guess) is all about and that's why your DD got in at interview.

Thanks duchesse I fear it is different now though because they house the first years above a Sainsbury's on the roundabout. I think the police may already have my name from last year when I blocked a tiny lane and really annoyed big car parents (the ones in Puntos were OK).

Ah OK. My DSis was in main college all three years.

Here is the kettle we have at home and use everyday which was given to me when I went to University
www.independent.co.uk/life-style/house-and-home/interiors/the-secret-history-of-the-russell-hobbs-k2-kettle-2022217.html
I love it a lot.

As it is now worth £200 (!) I think I will buy DD and DS a nice Russell Hobbs kettle each as a good investment

I don't really think DD will lower the tone (very much). She is very well spoken. I was slightly tongue in cheek. It is her dress sense which has no equal and is unlikely to change much. She is hoping to live in a set of rooms with a stunning view looking out over a very pretty garden quad. It is very very very beautiful indeed.

Arf @ special exam clothes. Though ds2 tells me he did go to a lecture in his dressing gown and slippers once. It was 2 floors down from his room so he didn't need to go outside and was intending to go back to bed afterwards

yellowstone have you got 3 DD there?

saggar did he put the robes and mortarboard on over the pyjamas?

funnyperson - got to ask - the books on your DC's reading list ,one of yours and one of DH's ,do you mean your books as in you are the author ,or as in you've still got them on your bookshelves ?

bookshelves I think, ginger (as they are ancient Pelicans)

EXpect you're right ponders
Kinda feel I don't know anything anymore .
Having been through the wringer with DS dropping /booted out of school in April and rethinking Foundation Degree way to go - now problems with college confirming place .
No doubt because DS applied as a candidate taking exams this summer and became a candidate ( because forced out by school ) who met required grades .
He changed college from his insurance to firm when it became obvious he was not going to meet first choice's requirements.
All discused and emailed with course leaders and their admission person but no show on Track.
College agreed with DS on Friday all sorted and would show on Track on Sat - but of course update just reverts from unsucesful to conditional ( altho he has met requirements ) .
Guess I'll find out more tomorrow.

He wouldn't have worn the mortar board funnyperson. He has a woolly hat that never leaves his head even when it's 30 degrees outside.