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

[MillicentMartha]

New thread for us. Interesting times.

Old thread here

The Sunday Times is reporting the Head of UCAS is saying universities may not reopen for face to face teaching in September
The article is behind their usual pay wall, but I found a summary here

www.aedaily.net/en-gb/posts/uk-lockdown-students-warned-not-to-expect-face-to-face-teaching/

I had expected that by the Autumn schools, colleges and universities would all be running normally.

The article warns 'may not' as none of us know what will happen moving forward regarding the timeline of lifting restrictions. I think it's fair to say that none of us ever imagined these events a few months ago.

I think it may be certain subjects or years start before others.
Like subjects that have practicals start but only have practicals face to face. Those classes are likely to be smaller anyway.
Maybe final years go back earlier than second years.
Like a compromise on the volume of students moving in one go.

The headline and the report is around the continuing possibility of non face to face teaching. Neither the report nor me made any reference to them not re-opening. Indeed the universities and schools argue they are currently open and hence all fees due must be paid.

But for new freshers the start of their university would be very different to that of any previous year group if these restrictions are still in place. Freshers events, social and sports societies, all the activities that are in place to help students make friends would be lost.

I very much hope this is not the case and the report is unduly pessimistic, but given the source I guess the possibility is at least being considered.

I’m worried too about this. Also it will be very tricky for unis to charge usual fees if offering online - open uni is 19k for a full degree compared to 30k for campus based. I know they don’t offer all courses but I think cash-strapped students ans parents will want discounts, I know I would sorry.

All organizations must be considering potential scenarios and options for dealing with them - it would be irresponsible not to given the scale of the changes taking place over the past weeks. The issue is as soon as these scenarios get into the public domain, discussed and passed on they soon become repeated as fact.

I do think our year 12s may have a decision to make as to whether they want to get to the Uni at the soonest possible time and accept not everything will be running as normal (not necessarily worse than before just different) or wait a year to see how things settle down. And that decision will de different for everyone. For eg for some the lack of a chaotic freshers week won't be a negative thing. And the option of a gap year and risking more competition on 2021 will be easier for some than for others.

I do hope a significant number will feel able to support Uni's efforts and take the plunge in the autumn though

My dd is considering deferring if this is the case. Is that actually possible? She has accepted an unconditional offer.

Changing to defer has always been within the unis remit whether to accept or decline. If unis are struggling to survive due to lower numbers next year, because of the low birth rate, less international students due to CV and on top of that, students preferring to start next year, then I can’t imagine many being happy to accept deferrals. They can’t stop you reapplying next year, but there will be an awful lot more competition.

It’s not an option for DS. He needs to keep his maths up, and unless he can get a job (and who knows what the job market will be like) I can’t afford to support him next year If he takes a gap year. His DB who has SN is also leaving education so I’m already going to be struggling financially.

Also, to update my post earlier ref student finance.

Deadline to apply in England is 22nd May for new students if you want to guarantee finance by the autumn.

www.gov.uk/government/news/students-can-apply-now-for-2021-student-finance

Thanks Millicent I didn’t know that date

Thanks oratory very wise post

Thankyou all for your informative posts, I rely on the wise and clever posters on here so that I have answers ready for DD when she has questions!

DD has locked in her choices:
Firm is AAA at Leeds
Insurance is ABB at Liverpool

Accommodation applied for at Leeds but not Liverpool yet - need to check if they are open to insurance students, thankyou for the tip.

Finance all sorted too so now just a long wait to see what happens with results.

DD is a tricky one - she works her socks off all year but takes longer than some to consolidate so not always reflected in test results, particularly in chemistry.
She would have used this time now that the courses are all completed to really nail it though, so she (and I) was confident she'd get the grades - just not sure how confident her teachers were. Particularly as she hasn't had a consistent chem teacher over the past 2 years.
Psychology was very confident in her A* target so think that one will be ok.
French was a strong A all the way through but she got a B in the latest mocks (possibly harsh marking) so not sure if that will have an impact.

She really hates not having control at the best of times, so is struggling a lot with the uncertainty.

@HesMyLobster If she gets A*AB will Leeds still take her?

I'm hoping they will Millicent - at the offer holder day it was implied that they might, but I suppose it all depends on numbers - the course is usually oversubscribed but we don't know this year whether the low birth year has had any impact.

Cross fingers, HesMyLobster. DS is also on an AAA offer and at open day they said they’d accept A*AB but nothing in writing.

I feel like I haven't checked in for a while, mostly because DS is now in a holding pattern.

No work set by school, but he is working independently to finish off his A-level courses and then plans to do preparation work for the course he hopes to start in the autumn.

The accommodation preferences for his firm choice don't open until June / July even in normal years, so there's not much else he can do at this stage.

He has been practising his cooking and laundry skills though.

Good idea on the life skills training, Ironoaks. I keep meaning to get DS doing some cooking but keep forgetting. Going to do some laundry training tomorrow.

Love the cooking and laundry skills - mixed success with that here but baby steps!

Hi, I've been dipping in and out a bit so you probably won't remember me. DD has now deferred her Psychology offer of AAB from Birmingham to next year. She was already a little hesitant that she was ready before all this as the youngest in her year and mature in most ways but not socially mature at all! She has been asked to help out by her school's music dept and she wants to get paid work and learn sign language as well as take her grade 8 piano and pass her driving test. Her grades could be anything between A*AA to AAB. Her mocks were ABC but taken quite early and her teachers have said that they want to see a grade lower in the mocks than they are predicting to feel justified in their prediction. Her C was in Biology but was made up of an A and a D with the D being in a paper the teacher said not to worry about because they hadn't covered a fair bit of the content or the exam technique. Suddenly it does seem to matter though so she is now revising for another mock after Easter to prove she would have got an A in the exam! I'm inclined to think that if she can't get an A at home with her notes (even in timed conditions) then she never would! I'm glad this is happening with her A levels and not her GCSEs though because she got atleast a grade higher in her exams than predicted in all subjects except 1! She is a consistent worker but always feels a bit overcome with the sheer quantity of work all year round so hasn't always got straight As in tests but revises like mad when it comes to it and always comes through so will feel a bit cheated if she gets AAB even though it would get her in to her first choice of Uni.

I know how you both feel, honkytonk. I’m hoping DS gets AAB awarded but he thinks he could have got AAA or AAA in the exams. But as long as he gets his uni place it’ll be fine.

Were Birmingham happy to accept a deferral, then? That’s encouraging for those wanting to do that.

First laundry lesson started for DS. I guess the uni washing machines will be bigger than a domestic one. In the old days I used to use washing powder and it went on top of the clothes in a top loading launderette machine. What about washing capsules? Do you still put them in first in a top loader? I’ll get him Bold capsules I think, so he won’t have to faff about with fabric conditioner.

Having just dragged ds out of bed, I going to teach him how to clean a bathroom today. He's not impressed but pointed out no one else would be doing it at uni for him.

Just cleaning the toilet of skids would be a start!

I'm still of belief that Uni will start in the Autumn...with Covid testing facilities on site..the age group is lower risk (although at risk DC may be asked to defer entry). The only caveat I think which may affect this is probably safety of the teaching staff and other personnel on site that may fall within a more risky age or health category.

Dd had planned to do some cooking but not got around to it as yet.. 18th is next Sunday...Will be different but at least we are safe.

Stay safe everyone...

oneteen, my dd's 18th is a week after yours!
Strange times. X

DD hasn’t done any work as school have said they will not be assessing any work done after lockdown date? Mocks were ABC and she would be happy with that as final grade as that would have been enough ucas points to get into any of her five offers, despite the fact she has firmed an unconditional, which happened to be her favourite. She’s going to USW in Pontypridd and feels secure there as I have three very close friends to act as “Aunties” in emergencies/homesickness and they can all be with her within a fifteen minute drive. Accommodation is applied for and she has been ordering items for her uni room online as she had some gift cards that were going out of date. Need to apply for student finance soon. She’s cooking all the meals in the house and generally wandering around in her pyjamas inbetween online dance classes.