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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Applying for Uni 2019 Part 6: exams, leaving school/college (the end of an era), a long summer holiday and Results Day on the horizon

995 replies

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 20/05/2019 16:23

Just when exam season gets fully underway our previous thread has almost filled up. Everyone welcome Wink.

OP posts:
Shimy · 21/05/2019 07:32

Nico That’s such a shame. I’ve had mumps before and still remember the pain of it 40 odd yrs on. Excruciating doesn’t begin to describe it. I would definitely let school/exams know straightaway because it will impact on her performance that’s if she can get to the exam hall at all. The first 2-3 days are quite bad. Hope she feels better soon.

VanCleefArpels · 21/05/2019 07:42

Placemarking on the new thread!

On mumps, there was an outbreak at DS Uni recently, one of his housemates got it. She had had MMR and we learned that the mumps aspect is only about 80% effective so you can get unlucky even if you’ve been vaccinated.

bigTillyMint · 21/05/2019 07:43

Poor DD Nico[ flowers]

Piggywaspushed · 21/05/2019 08:24

Oh nico that's awful . Hope it's not mumps and all is well. I am in Shock at a doc saying 'let her catch mumps'. a) it's not chickenpox and has more risks and b) it's not easy to catch in a world where the majority is vaccinated! Flowers

The info about history is interesting as DS2 is considering it but it does seem like a huge volume of learning and not actually very inspiring at times. Many of my Eng students last year did history and opinion on the Tudors was very binary. At GCSE now , there is a Tudors topic so at least incoming students will be a bit prepared in advance.

NicoAndTheNiners · 21/05/2019 08:28

She started with the throat pain and neck swelling last thurs so hopefully over the worst.

Itscoldouthere · 21/05/2019 08:29

Nico - hope you DD feels better and hasn’t got mumps.

Just read the thread about exam times 😳 I’ve never posted in AIBU but wow some people are so unsympathetic.

I’m going to get DS to ask about the watch rule, all new to me, especially as DS isn’t in school and is only attending for exams. I’ve just found out he’s only allowed to turn up 15 mins before the exam, report to reception and will then be escorted to exam hall/room he’s not allowed in any other parts of the school.
It’s starting to feel rather stressful in my house.

Laniakea · 21/05/2019 08:31

Poor Dd Nico - really hope she feels better quickly.

Some of the history options are really interesting - dd’s school do the fairly predictable Russia, Britain, USA though. They are all really scared of the paper today.

We had a giggle at the aqa psych memes last night & Dd found some ppl on twitter to commiserate with re physics. She’s still asleep now which is probably good!

Itscoldouthere · 21/05/2019 08:35

Interesting to hear about History options, DS didn’t take A level history because of it being the Tudors, he really regrets it as he has since developed a serious obsession with tanks, military history and would have loved to study it at university but is unable to due to not having a history A level.

Original poster
NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 21/05/2019 09:07

DS has avoided doing the Tudors completely. It would seem that there aren't many people doing the OCR papers his school is doing.

OP posts:
bigTillyMint · 21/05/2019 09:19

DD did the Tudors (didnt rate it!) but DS hasn't (Edexel), but may well do them as part of the History degree he's hoping to start in September...

errorofjudgement · 21/05/2019 09:25

Yes, DD has the Tudors too, so 3 separate papers plus a written coursework piece on a subject of their own choosing I think.

Itscoldouthere · 21/05/2019 09:37

OMG Sorry about that massive emoji in previous post !

fishonabicycle · 21/05/2019 10:31

Mine has his first exam tomorrow - sociology. I'm crapping myself, so God knows how he feels!

Danglingmod · 21/05/2019 10:37

Ds's school does Stuart Britain for paper 1. It's been really interesting and quite relevant in these Brexit times: parliament vs govt, proroguing and all that jazz. Still a LOT of work - much more than art, I'd say.

VanCleefArpels · 21/05/2019 11:05

fishonabicycle sociology tomorrow here too! DD started her period yesterday and is therefore unbearable x 654 😉😂

bigTillyMint · 21/05/2019 11:27

Sociology tomorrow for DS too. But luckily we don't have to factor in periods Grin

ifonly4 · 21/05/2019 14:32

Laniakea - is there a second paper to sit? My DD's first exam was hard, but the second paper in the subject was much better.

error (waves) good luck to your DD for all her exams, hope some good questions come up in witchcraft! Luckily DD doesn't worry too much about exams, but a nasty first paper unsettled her. Her exams are spread out over 40 days, so hopefully that gives her plenty of chance for revision and a few breaks.

Nico, that's awful for your DD. She doesn't sound well enough to be sitting exams. As others have said speak to the exams officer. I'd get her seen by a doctor or school nurse at least, so you have medical backup if she can't sit an exam.

Laniakea · 21/05/2019 15:32

Yes two more papers, the first one is more heavily weighted but not massively so. Physics is a pain because all the topics are examined in all the papers (no y1/2 split like biol & chem) so she’s still wading through the same material now & feeling glum. It didn’t help that it was her first exam but she needs to pick herself up (she’s got physics tutoring tonight so at least the person she’s moaning to will know what she’s on about (unlike me!).

Hope today’s exams went well :)

ZandathePanda · 21/05/2019 15:42

Piggy re your comment over chickenpox - you were luckily normal that your children were ok - we thought we’d lost Dd2 to chickenpox complications. It was the worst time of my life. Bizarrely more people die of chickenpox in this country than the others in the MMR. Nico if it isn’t mumps, get your child vaccinated before university. All the ones round us have had outbreaks. Flowers

Piggywaspushed · 21/05/2019 16:21

Oh sorry for tact failure Zanda. I do know chickenpox can be nasty! I was more commenting on gung ho approach of the GP...

ZandathePanda · 21/05/2019 16:32

No worries that’s fine - it was a horrendous time and I like to educate!

Tudors went ok!

Mustbetimeforachange · 21/05/2019 17:03

Can I join you? Physics OCR b here yesterday too. One question that no-one in the school could answer & one that only one could do. It's DS's best subject & he was holding out some hope of an A*. Not any more! He says an A was 70% last year. Can they guess what will get in Friday's exam from what came up yesterday?

ZandathePanda · 21/05/2019 17:10

Mustbe hello. Remember the grade boundaries will be low as everyone is saying physics was awful. Thanks to a mumsnetter, I told Dd that the grade boundaries for maths were going to be really low for gcse. She kept going while others got disheartened and gave up. She convinced me she’d failed but got a high 8! I would say each mark counts more in a hard exam so tell him to really try and dig for every mark in the next one.

minesawine · 21/05/2019 17:13

Well done Shim and BigTil on your DC's economics exam. My DS ran out of time and was unable to check over his answers. He is now panicking and convinced he has failed.

bigTillyMint · 21/05/2019 17:16

Mines was it AQA? DS said there was an odd 25 marker at the end, so they probably all found the same?

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