Oxbridge applicants 2018 part 3

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Looks like we need a new thread.

Oh my goodness voilets I hope you don't feel bad because I said I was going to take a break. We all have different ways of dealing with stress and I sometimes find it easier to go quiet. I don't remember you saying anything unsupportive. Take care and pleased to hear of your retail shopping!

*therapy

Voilets, I'm really sorry if I've said anything at all to upset you I'd hate for people to be upset or feel unsupported on these threads. The oxbridge threads always seem to go wrong :( I hope you'll feel that you can stay.

Voilets ; Please don't think everyone else is an 'Oxbridge type' and that you don't fit in. We probably come from a range of different backgrounds/personalities/nationalities/cultures.That's one of the problems with talking online; you don't know the tone/manner in which something is said but I think everyone on this thread seems well-intentioned.
I don't think my DS is working as hard as some of your DC, so he might well not make his offer, but I've enjoyed hearing about all the different approaches and have my fingers crossed for all of them. The nice thing is, they're not in competition with each other now as they were at the interview stage. Now they could all make it if they get their grades.

voilets I can categorically assure that there's no such thing as an 'Oxbridge type' of parent!

When I took ds off to Oxbridge, I was walking along with the parents of a corridor-mate of ds, and the mum whispered, “Would it be very naff if I admit I am pinching myself?” And I said, “Pinch away - I am pinched black and blue!”

So not everyone is a ten-generation heritage Oxbridge family. I’m sure a couple of generations ago my family would have been making the beds of the young gentlemen there (and even in them according to an old family rumour ).

Gosh. Many kind words. I blirted out as I felt so shocked I could have hurt someone inadvertently.

I wish you all well. I'll sit and watch for a bit and lick my wounds and deal with my own worries about DD. Maybe after a while, I'll feel brave enough to return.

Do hope to have not stirred too much up.

That's lovely Irma :) Thank you for saying that. I remember being too intimidated to apply to Oxbridge when I was doing A levels after visiting them, even though my maths teacher thought I should.

Voilets, it's a horrid stressful time, don't worry.

Just popping in to say hello to all, I haven't been on this thread much lately, mainly because DD and I have both had a big wobble about her chances of getting the grades, so we've been avoiding everything to do with the "O" word in an attempt to manage expectations.
I wanted to come and say though that I've never read anything unsupportive or unfriendly on this thread and have found it so useful. I really hope you'll all stick around for the rest of this crazy journey!
Because I for one need you all and your collective wisdom, experiences and opinions!
I am the least "Oxbridge type" you could imagine! Seriously -teen pregnancy, neither DH or I went to uni, we don't know anybody who has ever been to Oxford or Cambridge, we are all completely winging it, if it wasn't for you lot I don't know what I'd have done!

voilets and alittlechampagne

Please accept my apologies both - I took this thread on a downer by posting about the car accident - I'm really sorry about that

I for one would really value your support on this thread. I'm super nervous about DS. I don't know what an Oxbridge parent is but I know it's not me because I applied and got rejected. We're all a little bit anxious about our DC in this situation because for them it's so important.

I do hope you both stay

all round, the stress is getting to people.

If it's any consolation I swore at my lasagna tonight. It hadn't done much wrong. Not exactly the chilled atmosphere the evening before and exam that I was going for.

Champagne, I hope to see you around again soon too. Take care. x.

This thread has been a great help and I have found it always friendly and supportive. I would hate to think that anyone feels they 'don't belong'. We're all here because we want to support our DCs.

In other news, I got it wrong about STEP, as I knew I would. DS's offer is actually A+A+AA, plus a Grade 1 in STEP II and III. I inflated the grades, and got muddled about STEP because he is sitting STEP ! as well, but only because Warwick made an alternative offer that includes STEP 1. Sorry to have caused any alarm. It's still a brutal offer.

STEP 1, not STEP !

Gosh I am so glad DS didn't apply to do maths (he nearly did - apparently it's a good way to get into theoretical physics - maybe even better than natsci). I'd be a nervous wreck.

DS is sneezing and snuffling with hay fever and tucked up with the dog and a physics textbook. The dog is getting more attention than the physics textbook.

Please stay everyone! I think we’re all doing our best in incredibly stressful and difficult circumstances and it’s lovely to be able to come on here and just offload. You all sound lovely and so supportive of DC and right now that’s all that matters. It is difficult: if they have a good exam you feel like you’re gloating if you share the good news, and if things don’t go so well, sometimes you just can’t bear to write it down. We’re definitely having ups and downs here but doing our best to muddle through, so please all stay and muddle with us

I agree - please stay everyone. I don't post that often but it is so reassuring to see how we all feel in the same position. The fact that we are here sharing experiences and our worries with strangers must mean that we are doing this parenting thing a least a bit right... doesn't it? How often do we tell our children to open up and talk to people about their worries rather than bottling them up? Keep sharing, that's what we are here for.

I echo a previous poster about being glad that DD isn't doing maths - that seems to bring a fresh set of hellishness. Hang in there people!

How did everyone find physics?

DS is non-committal. Nothing now until Chemistry and Step on Tuesday.

Have a brilliant and stress free weekend all :)

dds response to physics is 'who knows'. But she's not unhappy with it.
No exams now until Wednesday (then it's four squished into three days) :) So a bit of a chance to regroup and revise without pressure.

Very well said Lucycat!

I'm staying!

Gosh the maths offers sound brutal!

DD seems to have agreed with much of the physics and maths feedback on here - FP2 a good paper, the 2 physics a bit 'odd' in places but ok, didn't feel more revision would have made the difference, more trying to gauge quite what they were looking for to get the marks on some questions.

Her exam timetable is good I think - well spaced but not too drawn out, unlike the gcses which went on forever. She's taken the evening off and gone to a dance class.

Oh and when we went to offer holders day a few weeks ago we definitely didn't feel there was a 'type'. Most of the parents looked like us - happy but a bit stunned to be there. And the first years we met were lovely, just down to earth, friendly and brainy!

DS thought yesterday's physics paper was good. "Better than the first one." He does Edexcel physics and OCR maths - I don't know how different the different boards are. No exams now until Wednesday.

As a distraction from the coming week's exam marathon, DS has just got round to mentioning that he needs a suit for the leavers' ball in three weeks' time. I thought three weeks was plenty till I started looking online.

Kaiser are you looking to hire or buy?
Somewhere like ASOS will do a decent(ish) suit for around £100, usually with next day delivery.
He'll probably need one at university anyway for formals etc, so might be worth buying one instead if you were thinking of hiring?

toomanytolist, forgot to say, glad you're staying.

Thanks, lobster, I hadn't really considered buying but what you say makes sense. Can't believe you can get a dress suit for £100!

oops Kaiser!

I think they might need formal stuff for their Matriculation and other posh things? We've made it a bit of a mission to try and make sure dd has a couple of bits that arent a hoodie and a t shirt.

Dd is in her third year at Cambridge and I don't think there is such a thing as typical Oxbridge parent. Her friends come from a wide variety of backgrounds.

A suit is very useful for the boys as they wear these to formals and dd has a wide variety of little black dresses as the girls wear those to formals as well as matriculation.