Oxbridge 2020 (thread number 9)

[DadDadDad]

What a year! Just as we've all become experts (at least in our own minds ) about how to write Personal Statements, Oxford admission tests and Cambridge STEP, the complicated dance of the interview process, and how to simultaneously boost our DSs' and DDs' confidence while preparing them for the possibility of disappointment, we have a new topic to learn: statistical modelling of expected grades.

Of course, like all those previous topics, we're not in control of teacher projection and OfQual rejection, but we have this thread to support each other through the coming months.

All welcome. For the record, I have a DS with an Oxford offer for a humanities subject.

hobbema I think you are right. I haven't seen anything about A-levels. And the article seemed to be a bit on the sensationalist side.

I'm quite glad to read the Guardian article, though. If nothing else, it should encourage Ofqual to remain alive to the issue of able outliers at lower-performing schools.

Snap and Errol - Cambridge have announced they’ve done away with the aptitude test in this subject and a few others. Not sure why. I think I read on their site that the decision is now - 30% GCSEs, 30% predicted grades, 30% interview and the remaining 10% personal statement / reference.
They’re not confirming as yet if they still require evidence of written work either!

I read an article which said that a certain type of pupil would be disadvantaged by the way of determining results this year (and maybe next). The type who doesn't really get down to work until the last minute / who does better than people expect in exams (maybe because of good exam technique or quick thinking). I think this is likely to affect a number of Oxbridge offer holders.
I used to do better than teachers expected in exams. Before O'levels one of my teachers tried hard to make me give up their subject - they told my mother I would fail the exam completely. I got an A. The same thing happened in my university final exams - one person did everything they possibly could to get me to drop their subject, and told me that I would fail the exam in it, and I then got a 2.1 in that paper.

Alert: gross generalisations coming up…

I remember from my own days at Cambridge that there were two extremes of incoming students. There’s the eager beaver who has worked hard their whole school career, consistently performed well on class tests, handed in homework on time and generally made their teachers very happy. And then there’s the lazy genius who didn’t work a great deal at school, maybe because they didn’t need to, and aced the exams when they counted. These types, who were rarer, usually had the most exciting minds. I suspect that the coronavirus A-level system will favour the former rather than the latter.

It will be a bitter pill to swallow for anyone to be missing their Oxbridge place this year, but I think Oxbridge might be the poorer if it loses the students who would have pulled it out of the bag at the last minute.

And I’m saying all this as the mother of an eager beaver.

My DD had been coasting, planning to pull it all out of the bag for A levels. All her reports over the last year have mentioned how she does better in exams than coursework. She is obviously regretting it a lot now. DS is the same, and was saying he would have put more effort into his Cambridge supervision essays this year if he had know they were going to count towards his final class of degree. All too late now, dear children!

I had to pick up the stuff DS had left in Cambridge recently and his college were incredibly fussy about letting us in - only 1 student per staircase was allowed into college for either a morning or afternoon slot, where we go was very restricted and we had to leave very promptly. Such a miserable end to three happy years. I am imagining that dropping off freshers might be a bit like that too, so I am not counting on a leisurely goodbye if DD gets in.

Greetings to all. Haven't been on MN for a while as lots going on IRL so it's nice to catch up on the thread. Hope all the STEP takers feel it went ok. I can't imagine...

We got info re start date very late for DD1 last year (Oxford). Was very stressful when trying to organise other things around that time. No idea how I'll fit in drop offs at both Oxford and (d.v.) Cambridge if they clash but am hoping, like others, that they won't. DS is so independent that he might try to insist on going on the train. The only issue would be getting his bike to King's Cross...

I didn't go on a big spending spree for DD1 before she started in Oxford. She had the benefit of various spares/handmedowns which DS won't have, so he'll have to get hold of a kettle etc. But it was useful to find what she needed rather than lumbering her with unnecessary stuff (yes, important to think of lugging the stuff up and down those stairs six times a year!). I remember being terribly worried about whether she'd have sufficient formal clothes for various posh occasions, but of course she worked that out for herself.

I did get a nice new duvet and new duvet covers in fairly neutral colours, and a couple of cushions and a throw. No mattress topper though; that's an alien concept to me for some reason! We went shopping when I visited after a couple of weeks and got a few more things as well. Planning to do that for DS as well, although he's announced that he has no intention of cooking for himself (his college has a good reputation for food).

In fact even typing about this gives me a vague sense of dread as I contemplate 13(?) August. DS is definitely in the last-minute camp and I can only hope and pray that his teachers agree with his fond mother's assessment that he would have got the grades if he'd taken the exams...

Coleoptera, when we dropped off DS1, we encouraged him to get stuck in and not expect to see us the next day. He knew that our flight home was the next day (we live overseas) so we were in the UK for his first night, but we didn’t suggest he would need us and this was indeed the case. I expect the same with DS2.

If DD gets into Cambridge, I won't drive her there I don't think. It's such a long way. She'll be fine, as met 2 other students with the same course and college at the interview, and has been in touch with loads more on her course since. She also has a friend going to a different college. Will be more than fine.

Poor you re start date dilemma Coleoptera. I imagine though that once you've settled them in their rooms, the done thing is to clear off and let them mingle !

Oh yes, disappear as fast as possible! The students are taken in hand straightaway and no one is left alone in their room.

On ds’s second night in college there was a fire drill and to everyone’s amusement and the student in question’s mortification, his mum emerged from his room in a nightdress....

Sorry, did I understand 3catsonthebed that there are no aptitude tests this year? I can’t find mention online of this.

I have a feeling that for social distancing purposes, drop offs & access to rooms will be very restricted. I imagine that it will be a 30 minute slot & wave goodbye. Have they joined any of their college or course groups yet to meet their potential fellow students?

I've looked at last year's arrival timetable at the college where DS has an offer. Parents were invited to stay for lunch then encouraged to leave early in the afternoon; the Freshers then had their own meetings and activities.

Obviously that was in pre-pandemic times; I doubt the lunch would be happening this year.

DS is in a WhatsApp group for college offer-holders. They've been meeting approximately once a week on Zoom. They have quizzes etc.

He is also in a WhatsApp group chat for subject offer-holders. This has more members but they are less active. I think they've had one Zoom meeting.

He found out about both via Discord and Instagram.

My DS hasn’t joined any chats/groups but that’s hardly surprising as he doesn’t “do” social media.

I’m going to remain optimistic in terms of drop off - things are changing at quite a pace now in terms of Covid-19.

I arrived at a UK uni from abroad - back in the day - with a plane/coach ticket and no parents and I missed that!

All being well in September/ October we plan to take DS, make a weekend of it (whilst fully expecting him to be busy) but around if he wanted.

DD had a group Zoom chat for maths offer-holders. She says it was just as animated as you would expect if a dozen or so mathematicians are forced to socialise for an hour or so . But they all agreed that STEP was very hard, so that's reassuring.

My DS isn’t on any college or subject chats. I suggested it and he isn’t interested.

Don’t worry, Coleoptera. Ds is not a social media fiend and he said that after the initial flurry of people shrieking with recognition or greeting people from their old schools, everyone made new friends.

Ds found a lovely group who all see each other (and now zoom) out of university - and ds is the poster boy for awkwardness !

@SnapSnapDragon you're absolutely bright about that. I only went to Oxford, but we had exactly the same split. I was more in the latter camp (only not that interesting a thinker), once I realised I could get the grades without the ridiculous beavering, but I did work very hard in earlier years. Those true geniuses, god they were intellectual rocket fuel. Just sitting around in someone's room, drunkenly arguing and realising there were a few who could wipe the floor with all of us, whilst far more pissed than anyone else...I think they will be MIA this year and it's a great loss.

Sorry about the stupid typos.

These places really sound more like boarding schools than university!

I'm not quite sure what I think about that. In a way I'd like it to be a more adult and less protected environment at this age.

I can see what you mean stillraining but the colleges definitely feel more adult than a boarding school would. They are academic communities, with a mix of independent and communal living. Students are definitely treated as adults - responsible for their own workload, timetable and social life. But with older/more experienced people around and looking out for them. I see it as a good opportunity to be an adult, but with a bit of a safety net if it's needed.