Applying for Uni 2019 Part 8: Results Day - congratulations, champagne, clearance, commiserations... Our DC will get through it whatever happens.

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Following on from our previous thread.

Good luck to all DC awaiting results and university places.

School question: Is it only the SLT and the Exams Officer(s) who get to see the results today?

Tapas - it sounds like a similar type of school. I’m not sure how selective dd’s is for A level - they ask for 6s at GCSE in humanities plus English if you want to do humanities A levels & 7s plus maths in sciences if you want to do science A levels (6 for biology). Any less than that and they do various combinations of A levels & BTECs.

In previous years they’ve been around the 70-75% A-B which I think is good (?) this year it was 50% and they only scraped 70% for A-C. This for a cohort who got the best GCSEs the school had ever managed.

They’ve traditionally sold themselves on having the best A level results in county (including private schools) - I dunno, something seems not right.

Dd loves Lancaster - if they’d have done her course she’d’ve been their like a shot. Actually the place she loved most of everywhere she looked was Bangor We do spend a lot of time in Wales & my family come from around there. Southampton was the pragmatic choice.

School is just a state comp btw not private. We’re out of catchment hence the long commute!

Piggy mine would have preferred a Nandos!

Something is rotten in your particular Denmark laniakea, for sure.

Those entry grades btw are significantly higher than those required at my leafy school so thatvwoukd be considered fairly selective for a state comp.

Bangor is beautiful! We went there to get our bikes repaired during a biking holiday in Anglesey. We remembered how lovely it was whilst choosing university open days but unfortunately the courses didn't suit. One of ds1's criteria for university choices other than a good department was the local scenery and Bangor definitely has that.

Both my DC did a LOT of open days, the campus I liked best out of the few I attended was Univ of Nottingham, absolutely gorgeous but hilly! surroundings. I also like Birmingham, especially liked that they had their own train station. 😁

Out of the city ones, Newcastle & Liverpool are my faves.

Talking of hilly campuses, I recommend Aberystwyth for mountain goats.

That’s what I thought Piggy & makes it worse! They had six in the paper with a string of A & A*s (all girls I have no idea what happened to the boys) usually it’s double that. I’ve got a 12, 10 & 8 yo to worry about now!

Thanks RedHelenB and TapasForTwo that’s a thought. She’s not really a party girl - they’re more likely to do pizzas and DVDs/Netflix in each others’ houses. But she did avoid campus unis in her applications so there will be some adjustment needed. She’s not going to decline it I’m sure. Off to pick her ups shortly so I’ll see how bruised she is by yesterday’s events. TravellingSpoon so pleased your ds’s offer is confirmed now.

DD quite liked Nottingham, but nearly all the first year accommodation is catered which wouldn't have suited her at all. She really didn't like Warwick and was undecided about Lancaster.

As we live rurally she wanted to be in the middle of things for a change. The last train out of the nearest city leaves just after 10.30 which makes for a short night out. A taxi would cost about £40.

Don't forget, though, laniakea that the top grades awarded have gone down nationally this year.

My dad went to Aber - he dropped out after the first winter obviously a Londoner not Welsh he couldn’t cope with the rain 🤣

My siblings & I all did London ... none of the next generation like that idea (Dd is horrified by it - she needs sea!). My niece is about to start down in Penryn which is about as far away from home as she could’ve gone & stayed in the country!

Ds has checked his emails. He is in Furness College at Lancaster. I am pleased as he is fairly quiet and a smaller college will suit him. I had left my dh to sort out the application back in June / July. I was busy with work. I think if I'd have booked it I would have made a slightly cheaper choice!

Aberystwyth has lovely surroundings too.

Just popping in to update on dithering DS whose grades exceeded his first choice at Nottingham but who was having a major wobble. He finally admitted today that he was wobbling about both his subject choice AND leaving home. He's finally galvanised himself today and rang clearing at our local uni (UEA - much mentioned on this thread!) and has a place reserved to study a subject he last did at GCSE (that wasn't available to study at his 6th form at A'level). He just has to confirm by 4 tomorrow. He seems so much happier after that one 'phone call so I think he's made the right choice.

To all those who are coming to the UEA I just want to add that I first came to Norwich over 30 years ago to study my degree (although at the Art college, not the UEA) and I never went home! I love it and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. If it you're looking for a big city experience then it probably won't be for you but everyone else should love it. The campus is a short and very regular bus ride away. For anyone studying sciences, the science block is brand new, we visited in July, the day after it opened and were very impressed.

I can't believe how stressed I have been by this whole process. I'm sure when I chose my degree I did everything myself and my parents just helped me load the car and waved me off!

That’s good. Better he says now than to go away and then decide.

That’s good. Better he says now than to go away and then decide.

I know, I had visions of dropping him off at Nottingham and him turning up on the doorstep a week later refusing to go back.

As an aside, does anyone know if the registration form for Edinburgh has a deadline? Dd has logged in but cannot find information about it.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 Congrats on UEA

My DD headed there as well. It was her first choice.
Incredibly high pupil satisfaction and very good ranking-think hidden gem.

What is your DS studying?

A work colleague was unhappy yesterday.

Last year his DS didn’t get a grade he needed in one subject last year to do his preferred subject at university, decided not to go for a degree in another subject he’d had offers for. He spent a frustrating year at home studying, working at supermarket and re-sat. Sadly he didn’t get an improved grade.

The poor young man! Also felt v sorry for our colleague and his wife. Lots of the team were asking about it as colleague had put in his diary that it was results day.

DS has received a welcome pack and a gift from his university in the post today which has made it seem more real and him a lot more calm and accepting as this was his insurance university. He seems much better this afternoon and has told me about his evening last night celebrating which ended in a 24 hour McDs waiting for a taxi and watching sun up.

I wondered where you guys had gone, such a tizzy yesterday I never thought to look for a new thread.

DS got his grades but was so quiet and snappy when he got back, did not want celebration lunch, finally decided to go out last night got back in after 2pm. Hungover this morning. Going to cinema later. Is not in a very good mood. I think reality has hit him that he is leaving home. He is averse to shopping for uni. stuff still.

DS is being very much helped by this thread. He was intending to go to a Nottingham open day, but will also not want catered halls.