University 2020 :4: The wait for grades and better days ahead

[MillicentMartha]

New thread for us. Interesting times.

Old thread here

Also just checking in.

Just thinking that the competition for University places in 2021 is potentially going to be much greater with a much larger percentage of the current Year 13s having taken a 'gap' year.

I wonder whether they will get some preference for places over that years cohort?

I must admit I would be put off starting a degree if it's online learning which I believe some of the Uni's are "reported" to be preparing for...I'd much prefer January start.

I agree Oneteen, Jan start definitely a better plan imo and for DS2 I think

I think unis will want them in Oct as they make more money from accom than teaching!

I've spent the last 2 weeks moving to online lecturing for up to 12 hours a day to fit in all necessary classes. I can assure you that the material covered is identical to that of a tutor group or lecture theatre, the online seminars are working well with students engaged and sharing ideas using various tools.

I would have no doubt about the quality of education which my own DD would receive if she does have the opportunity to start in the autumn online. She needs that focus, especially as the rest of her world has been thrown upside down. Moving the goalposts on her university dream could be the thing which tips her over the edge.

@dearover - I am sure online lectures are good and for some subjects there will be no difference but I am not sure how good this would be for my daughter who is looking to study Biomedical Science.

I'm afraid I will be advising my dd to defer unless Uni starts as normal or is deferred until January. There will be lots of opportunities for her to work in one of the local company labs (we live near Cambridge and Milton Keynes ) for 6-9 months so she'll gain in other ways..

Thanks Dearover, that is really reassuring. I think if this cohort starts the academic year online, then can go to their uni properly in January, that wouldn't be too bad. And selfishly, we would get to keep them at home a little longer. They can do Freshers later, but really concentrate on the start of their studies first.

I have no doubt uni lecturers will do a great job but how does it work with lab courses etc?

I think they should start in Oct if pos - this poor year will have lost out enough as it is

I hope they’ll be able to start in the autumn, whether that’s Sept or later in October. So hard to know what it will be like by then.

Nottingham vets started their April intake on line last week. And my daughter now has lectures and seminars on line - she's a 2nd year medic. No practicals but they can do those when this is all over.
Teachers will make this as fair as we can. I know what I want to give my students and I'm hoping they are in line with as expected so OFQUAL won't need to change them. But ranking at 6th form colleges will be 'fun'. Over 600 did maths at my daughters one ! And over 300 got As.

DD is a current year 13 and was planning on applying with grades in hand. She will still do this. If she doesn't get the grades she needs for the courses she is looking at she will want to sit the autumn exams. Whilst the autumn exams and results will be in time for UCAS application for non early entrant, it won't if you are an early entrant and wanting to apply by mid October. What will happen in that situation? So say she wants to apply to Oxbridge - but doesn't get the grades she needs in August, won't she be applying with grades in hand and also sitting in exams at autumn? She is in a unique situation and I am confused.

I assume she would have to put the initial grades on UCAS, then update them when her real results came through. Who knows!

Assume any summer grades would be used for application, with perhaps predicted grades for the exams. Oxbridge often pretests now anyway but this is usually end October. If exams are taken in November , results are when, January/February?

Been chatting to pals and one thought was that if uni is ‘online’ only in autumn some students/families won’t want to pay full cost. I know teaching staff etc need to be paid but there are existing online courses that are cheaper and teens are paying for the ‘experience’. A huge drop in students willing to pay might be a big driver for business as usual by autumn?

We haven't heard anything about not giving in NEA's or EPQ, due tomorrow, 16th April, 20th April and 1st May... would school tell him to stop working or just let him get on with it?

Same here for DS’s computer science NEA, no word from school. TBF, it’s virtually finished so he may as well complete it. It’ll be more evidence for his grade if necessary. It’s due to school straight after Easter holiday and the guidance only came out on the last day of term.

What does NEA stand for please?

Non Exam[ined] Assessment

DS’s NEA (25%) was due into school on the 20th - don’t know when it was due to the exam board.

Yes, sorry, non examined assessment as Kingscote said.

DS’s was due to go to the exam board in early May, I believe. Shame, but there you go. Poor boy’s GCSE computing project wasn’t counted either, too much online cheating throughout the country.

Maybe Hugo - but open uni etc is cheaper? I am sure it will affect some courses/unis more than others, like we’ve already seen private schools cutting fees (some more than others). I hope it’s all business as usual but it not it will be interesting!

One of my Ds is DT so a big part of the final grade, hope we get some guidance soon

So coursework then?