It's August ..... the countdown begins

[doglover]

How's everyone feeling? My dd was pretty much able to forget about results during July but said in a very quiet voice this morning, "I'll find out this month where I'm going."

Is anyone doing anything yet in preparation for 17th? Should we be doing anything yet in preparation for 17th?!

[Lucysky2017]

user, not entirely as for the last few years since that change which does not cap numbers who get AAB (most A level students do not do as well as that by the way) the universities can only take those they have space in lecture halls and Halls of Residence to accommodation which is a massive numbers cap in practice.

[titchy]

1. There is no compulsion on a university to offer accommodation.

1. You can always squeeze a few extra into a lecture theatre, and lab based subjects don't tend to be over subscribed.

1. The pool of applicants is lower this year than ever (decline in birth rate and drop in EU).

1. It's possible many predictions were (even more than usual) over optimistic given the new A levels - although that's conjecture on my part.

[titchy]

Oh and it was ABB and above Lucy

[Gannet123]

Couple of things:

• if a course isn't in clearing, that doesn't mean much (particularly given that final decisions about what is and isn't in clearing are still being taken). It may mean that they prefer to fill their places with applicants who have missed their grades - by one or two grades - but who are committed to the university and the course, rather than trying their luck in the clearing pool.
  
  
• universities can set their own number plans, sure, but that is done through financial planning earlier in the year (and that financial planning will take into consideration how many students could, potentially, be recruited at the right grades).. As Lucysky2017 rightly says, taking more students than are on the university's plan means bigger class sizes, more personal tutees per staff member, more competition for extra-curricular activities as well as accommodation woes. And nobody, staff or students, wants that (it tends to have a negative effect on things like NSS and research productivity). We are in a better position than we were 7 or 8 years ago, where even one or two students over quota would lead to fines, so there is usually scope for one or two extras if you struggle to separate a couple of near miss candidates, or someone has really substantial mitigating circs, but any more than that and there is trouble.....

[user7841794168]

@Gannet123 I think we owe you or or something.

Thank you for patiently answering questions especially when some of them mainly mine must seem really stoopid strange.

[Gannet123]

All admissions staff deserve or over this week and next. As do all parents of candidates, as well as the candidates themselves....

[tobee]

Two more sleeps??? That's very optimistic thinking!

[TheMightyMing]

I know 😱 Won't be much sleep Wed night ! Obv I'll be waiting desperately for my son to check track as it's his results after all !

[BizzyFizzy]

[BizzyFizzy]

Just received an email from school to check that all systems are working, i.e. that DD hasn't forgotten her password. It has just increased the tension in this household!

[Grammy78]

My son is waiting for his results too and I'm bricking it, not because I doubt his ability but because he's a guinea pig pupil with one of his subjects.

Good luck to you, your children and pupils.

[BizzyFizzy]

We are all in the same boat, Grammy.

[Grammy78]

Sucks doesn't it? He said that people were devastated when they left one of the exams as it was so hard. He felt uneasy throughout the course.

[Lucysky2017]

It's been quite difficult with the completely new A levels this year. We will just have to see.

[doglover]

My dd emailed Bristol yesterday asking about accommodation for insurance choice applicants - she's firmed Oxford .... gulp. Bristol informed her that they have no university accommodation for insurance applicants and have emailed a list of private lettings etc. She spent the last hour crying :(

However, we did go through a list of other unis that have currently got possible courses in Clearing so she now feels slightly happier.

This. Is. Horrible.

[Thecurlywurlymum]

My do has an unconditional offer from his first choice uni. He has also opted to defer until 2018 as he is off on his travels. What does he need to do on Thursday? Thank you

[stonecircle]

DS has done 2 old style A levels and one new style. Unfortunately the new style is the one he wants to do his degree in so the absence of past papers and mark schemes made revision difficult. I know everyone is in the same boat though.

I've been awake since 5am and can now feel the start of a migraine. Goodness knows what state I'll be in by Thursday morning.
He's going into school as early as possible but doesn't want to look at track first. More waiting!

[Gannet123]

Thecurlywurlymum He doesn't need to do anything, assuming he has already accepted his offer (which he will have to have done). He will be on lists of deferrals for next year, but this time of year is all about the people who are starting this September.
His university will be in contact with him over the next year, to check that he still wants to attend, to advise him to apply for accommodation, etc - but that is later on.

[Thecurlywurlymum]

Gannet123. Thank you. He is so blasé about it all

[PearlyPinkNails]

You were all me last year!

I haven't got any results to wait for this year but wanted to wish you all luck and to say that although DS was lucky and got his grades, those who didn't, without exception, are happy and settled at their insurance/clearing places.

And even those who had to get private accommodation were helped and are happy

[TranquilityofSolitude]

I was here last year and I'm back again this year - and then I'm definitely never doing it again!

Really struggling with the uncertainty this year. DD2 has done 3 new-style A levels. Also, this is the first year the course she wants to do hasn't been NHS-funded, which is a strange kind of positive. On top of everything, my mother died suddenly and completely unexpectedly in the first week of DD's exams, which will have had an enormous effect.

Still, last year it all turned out well. DD1 still laughs about how she knew track was open because Mumsnet said it was and I came running up the stairs to tell her!

[user7841794168]

@doglover I have family in Bristol and they tell me that there is masses of decent student accommodation available in the private sector, especially if you go through an agency rather than direct to the landlord. There are so many university students that it's a profitable sector.

I can understand the upset though, my DS would find it stressful as well.

[doglover]

Thanks User. That's reassuring to know - I will pass on to DD.

[Lucysky2017]

dog, don't worry. She should not cry. First of all she will probably get into Oxford anyway. Secondly there will be space somewhere at Bristol. My dautghter went there and was given a provisional place at her hall being told she would have to share or have some weird kind of room for the first few weeks but turn up on the day as people drop out. We turned up on the first day and exactly as they had said about 7 people had decided not to go to university that year or at all (happens every year) and she got a lovely room -that was not in clearing. My son got a place in clearing elsewhere and he was put in a shared house a lady ran - two students on the top floor which was fine for term 1 and ni term 2 he was moved into halls.

No crying here although I think I have persuaded them to get into school by 9am. One says 9.05am in that case - he doesn't like to be first. I've said if one wants to be in first thing and the other later the later one can get the train. I suspect they will both go in together for about 9am. It will be a much easier journey however if track confirms their first choice places before they go in of course. Apparently they have had emails from the university about what to do on the day but have not read them yet...... We need to mix some of these children up - the crying ones to be more relaxed and the laid back comatose ones to be a bit more like the crying ones.

I will be relieved when it's after results day as at least we then know where everyone is going. It is quite a weekend for me - by massive chance my older son moves out and into his own house and my second grand child is due (let us hope for well before or well after the due date......) and I have to drive the boys to 2 different university halls.So I need to be in 4 places at once that mid September weekend.

[Jugglingballs65]

May be a silly question but when courses are shown in clearing do they show what grades are needed. Just thinking time could be wasted ringing a uni to find the grades the student has are too low.