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

[MillicentMartha]

New thread for us. Interesting times.

Old thread here

DD is all accepted -awaiting results. Applied for halls and got finance in place. Just a waiting game now. She is still studying and working overtime.

My dd has put in her first and second choice and first choice (st Andrews) sent accom info so she has now applied for that. It does rather raise their hopes ahead of results doesn’t it - she’s mentally moving in!

I'm still waiting for DS to make his decision. Unfortunately, Exeter is the obvious choice, but the fact that I went there is putting him off - he knows that's not a logical position, but it's still having an effect .

I'm concentrating on nudging him to do his Student Finance application first - he's got another month or so before the UCAS deadline, so time enough to decide.

In the meantime, the Xbox is seeing an awful lot of use...

It’s a very different Easter from the one we were expecting isn’t it! Can’t blame him for being on the Xbox

DS had already firmed and insured before all this happened. Finance application all done, now thumb twiddling.

DD is still choosing whether to accept Exeter or Durham. Exeter is looking more likely - I wish she’d get a move on then she can apply for halls. And we can apply for student finance which we’ve held off doing so far.

DS firmed and insured before the lockdown as well. He has also applied for accommodation at both. Neither allocate until after results though.

Oneofthegiantsisme - I went to Exeter too! My son has now put it as his first choice, luckily he was not put off by the fact that I went there.

@tudorbuff - which subject?

Son has done his firm and insurance, done accomodation, will be doing student finance once I manage to get his birth certificate verified as his passport expired. Still no guidance from college about the coursework so he's having to assume that they still want it.

That makes sense - so they apply for accom and then find out after results. Dd doing it herself so I have no idea - so this is all v handy!

DS’s cohort is dividing into the steady workers with good mocks behind them who are relatively calm about the whole set up and the last minute merchants who feel as though a 10,000m race has been stopped unexpectedly after 7,000m, without the opportunity for them to kick past the pack on the final lap!

Serves them right for not working consistently, I guess. I can’t imagine there’s going to be anyone in the Economics grading meeting saying ‘Well Johnnie went up on average 3 grades between his GCSE mocks and final exams, so we can use that as evidence that he would have pushed on and nailed the A level’?

Error of judgement My son is doing law (fingers crossed).

My Dd is normally a last minute sprinter but thankfully she has really enjoyed her A levels and whilst I think there still would have been some uplift when she took the final exams...her mocks and recent end of topic tests should ensure she gets the grades she was predicted. If they did compare uplift from GCSE predictions to final exam results.. she'd have 3xA*s.
She's therefore thankful this did not happen two years ago when she uplifted in most subjects..one by 4 grades!

DD not applied for accommodation as yet but I think everything else is done....feeling a little more hopeful that they may start as planned in September/October.

18th next week and I've busily been ordering presents online...
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Problem is for my ds is it's not so much about being a consistent worker but other factors impacting his learning and then struggling to catch up. Not sure how teacher assessment would reflect this, he's raised his grades a lot since the end of year 12 when he totally bombed end of year mocks and the predicted grades were ABB , no way of knowing how this is going to go

The 18th parties will be amazing after this!

I’m sure it’s been said already but aren’t the unis panicking about low numbers this year so I hope there will be places avail even if not exactly first choice etc

Great description kingscote! I would have done better under this system!

My ds is absolutely a last minute sprinter, and is now worrying for his grades. He has an amazing ability to cram which he was banking on, his mocks were definitely way below his predicted . But thankfully he has an unconditional, but still would like decent grades for the future. Am trying to prise him off Xbox to possibly think about September exams

Somehow I don’t think they’ll be September exams. Maybe October?

My dd is stressing as they still haven't released details as to the plan for people doing btechs. Think she feels they have been forgotten about and less important than the ones doing a-levels.

That’s annoying about the btecs

Did anyone see the bbc news today saying unis are asking for gov funding help and a numbers cap to help ‘share out’ the students. With having to pay back accom fees for this term and potentially next term it is v tricky for them

DS2 did a level 3 BTEC, he’s currently doing an HND which has a similar level of assignments and no exams. He’s having to continue working on them from home with very little support, which he is finding tricky as he has ASD. He is 20, though so in a similar position to a university student.

I guess there are fewer school and college students doing BTECs than GCSEs and A levels, but leaving them in limbo for so long must be frustrating and make them feel like second class citizens.

Yes, the news about universities being worried about numbers and their own financial viability next year was discussed a bit on the previous thread. With international student numbers being in doubt, it being a low birth rate year and A level results being estimated, I would imagine some of the universities are desperate that the students starting next year don’t all end up bunched up at the higher ranked universities who could perhaps fill their places by accepting students who haven’t met their offers, leaving some lower ranked universities with problems.

Makes sense Millicent