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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:
Laniakea · 21/05/2019 17:17

hi mustbe! Nice to see someone else doing OCR B though it was not a fun paper at all!

They all had a lot of trouble with the last question (solar cell), the fusion one was very very odd, and the black hole, they were thrown by the graph being in radians (dd hadn't learnt Kepler's third law (which is not hard but she was convinced they didn't need to know)). So if it is any comfort to your ds most people thought it was horrid!

The grade boundaries for an A last year were 66/110 for that paper and 173/270 overall - so closer to 60% - I don't think this year's will be higher than that (& fx that they might go down). DD was predicted/hoped for an A but she'd be grateful for a B now tbh - it is very disappointing.

She's is expecting some nasty magnetism questions on Friday as they didn't come up yesterday - who really knows though!

AWanderingMinstrel · 21/05/2019 18:53

My son also said OCR B was quite hard- not as bad as last year which he thinks would have failed, but I hope that the Paper 2 is kinder for them- he still has 3 days of school to finish!

minesawine · 21/05/2019 19:40

BigTil it was AQA. He is now trawling the internet looking for unofficial mark schemes. He just needs to move on and refocus. Oh dear its going to be a long 4 weeks Wine

bizzey · 21/05/2019 19:54

Checking in so i dont lose the thread.
1st one tomorrow geography physical.
(Cant remember board. )

Shimy · 21/05/2019 20:54

Mineswine thank you and and sorry to hear ds ran out of time Sad, was also AQA. Hopefully if he doesn't really well in the next 2 he can still make up for any lost points. Next one on Thursday. Its really hard not obsessing over what they did wrong and it takes a lot to just admit, there's nothing you can do about it once sat, just move on and get ready for the next one.

Shimy · 21/05/2019 20:58

"does really well'

Shimy · 21/05/2019 21:00

Good luck to *bizzey's dc for tomorrow. I never know which board as well, usually ask ds just before or after the exam so i don't say rubbish about AQA when they're discussing OCR or whatever here.

Ontopofthesunset · 21/05/2019 21:31

DS has 4 exams this week, 2 on Friday. 2 papers down, one today and one last Thursday. Seems fairly happy about both of them. Worried about Friday when he has the French literature paper and the second Philosophy paper, so a heavy day. It's hard watching them be anxious and go through phases of wobbling and then confidence and then wobbling again.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 21/05/2019 21:43

DD had an AS paper resit last Monday. Last year her overall grade was a B, because one paper was an A and one a C. She was put in for the C paper again to try and raise that as they were surprised by her result.

This week she had 3 exams over 2 days. Eng lang and Psychology Mon and American history today. She now has no more until after half term, but is still ditching our usual UK holiday cottage stay because she wants to stay home and revise.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 21/05/2019 21:45

Very, VERY unusually, we've got to exam weeks without the customary huge dramatic blow up that usually strikes mid revision.

Bigearringsbigsmile · 21/05/2019 21:56

Ds did ocr b yesterday too and said it was hideous. He was unable to answer the questions referred to below...keplers law, fusion etc
He's praying it will be better on Friday.

justasking111 · 21/05/2019 22:17

Been a few outbreaks as different unis. of mumps despite them having mmr jabs so they are being re-vaccinated. I am going to check if DS can have a booster once the exams are out of the way.

The physics last year AS were brutal parts 1 and 2, DS resat 2 last week has 3 and 4 after the break.

TapasForTwo · 21/05/2019 22:25

I have decided to see if DD can have an MMR booster before she goes to university, and will check if she needs the meningitis jab as well.

bigTillyMint · 22/05/2019 06:37

Justasking and Tapas, that sounds like a good plan - think I will ask about that too.
DS caught measles aged 6 months? before he'd had the MMR - thankfully pretty mildly though he was quite ill. DD (who was 2 at the time) and friends had been given the MMR and didn't catch it, thank God!

Decorhate · 22/05/2019 07:02

Yes I’ve also been wondering about an MMR booster for ds before he goes off. Friend’s ds caught mumps this year in spite of vaccination. The poor boy also had a couple of other severe infections & was mugged in the first term Shock

Original poster
NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 22/05/2019 08:49

DS had the meningitis jab after he'd finished his GCSEs. That is an important one for them to get too.

How did the DC find the first history paper yesterday? DS said his was 'good' although the American Civil War question was difficult.

Geography (coasts) today and that's the two most difficult papers (from DS's perspective) done...

OP posts:
Mustbetimeforachange · 22/05/2019 08:49

They all need the meningitis acwy (?) Although I think this cohort may have had it at school? I need to check, my older two had it before going.

ZandathePanda · 22/05/2019 08:57

Yes mine had all the meningitis ones too - I think they thought they were done and they added a new one!

Original poster
NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 22/05/2019 09:03

Although I think this cohort may have had it at school?. It may vary from health authority to health authority, but certainly DS missed out on getting it at school (think they introduced it for Year 9s when he was in Yr 10 or 11). We got a note from the local school public health nurse lead to advise us to get it done via an immunisation clinic session. I recall that he went, over the summer hols after GCSEs, there were many mid teens and lots of babies getting jabs in the same hall which was a bit surreal.

OP posts:
Danglingmod · 22/05/2019 09:22

I was told by my go that ds missed out on meningitis vaccine because he was at a private school and they didn't get vaccines but then by the school nurse at my school that this year missed out altogether, it came in the year after. Was already planning on getting him the men ones before Uni as that's always rife but now mumps seems to be back too Sad

TapasForTwo · 22/05/2019 09:32

I have checked, and DD had the MenACWY three years ago. I will ask at the surgery if she needs a booster, and if she can have an MMR booster. If I get any useful information I will report back.

VanCleefArpels · 22/05/2019 09:50

If they are going to Uni it’s useful to get your GP surgery to print out their vaccination record. One of the things that happens in freshers week is registering at the medical centre and certainly when my DS did it 3 years ago anyone who hadn’t had MEN ACWY were taken aside and jabbed there and then (quite rightly).

Ragwort · 22/05/2019 10:45

Thanks Van, that’s a really good suggestion as there is so much conflicting advice about vaccinations around.

My DS had his first paper yesterday (History - Russia), said it was ‘OK’, I just daren’t ask him too much .... and now is probably not the time to tell him that I failed my History A level Blush.

fishonabicycle · 22/05/2019 11:43

Van cleef and tilly - let's hope the sociology goes well. DS had two meningitis jabs - last one was only a couple of weeks back - he said it was really sore afterwards for ages.

VanCleefArpels · 22/05/2019 11:46

Report back re Sociology: not bad, benign topics came up. Phew, first one down on a high note!

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