University 2020 :6: The one with the results at the end

[MillicentMartha]

Hopefully as the title suggests we will actually get up to results on this thread! Only 5 weeks to go.

Old thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3918392-University-2020-5-Results-day-approaching-and-beyond?pg=40

I’ll be waiting in the car park. It’s a bit of a trek and no school buses in August. We’ll have got the results online at 8am so not super critical to be there, but if there is a disaster we can make an appointment with sixth form staff for help and advice.

We'll also be waiting outside the school, hopefully for congratulatory hugs and then he'll be off with his mates but otherwise as a pp said, to be there to talk through and help with any decisions he may need to make.

Am veering daily between ‘oh everything will be fine and DS will get into his firm or insurance’ (either of which he’d/we’d be delighted with) to ‘WTF if he gets into neither???’ DS had a very tricky first year at his Sixth Form College with some bad MH issues resulting in a couple of stays in hospital, 6 months off and then repeating Year 12. He pulled through, worked his socks off (the school were so supportive btw) had 5 great uni offers and then the world was hit by a global pandemic. He is sooooooo ready for university. Needs AAB-ABB. Predicted A* AB (as per his mocks) I’m now (quietly) trying not to freak out over OFQUAL’s standardisation process. He’s come such a long way... Anyway, the best of luck to everyone’s DCs. Less than 3 weeks to go

The data released means that it looks like 1/3 of grades will be reduced by 1. So @Cafeconleche A*AB could become AAB, but really should not go below ABB. IB people are now saying that universities are letting them in with slipped grades. Most people should be fine.

Thanks so much for that Monkey. The IB results earlier in the month threw me for a loop - good to hear the admin departments are being understanding during these difficult and unprecedented times, both for our DCs, as well as for the universities themselves

OMG less than three weeks
til results. Felt slightly sick reading that!

I met up in the garden with some RL friends, parents of Y13s. Such a mixed bag of hopes and worries. One with an Oxford offer, one already has an unconditional full scholarship to an Ivy League uni but he’s not certain it’s what he wants, one very much hoping to get into a Welsh uni, and my DS hoping for Manchester.

Results day can’t come too soon. I’ve had enough of waiting.

I'm sure it would have been easier if they had had something to do. DD had a couple of weeks of online lessons in March to finish the syllabus. There was some confusion over whether they would find out their coursework results. Then they were told on their first day back after Easter that they had actually finished and would find out nearer the time what arrangements would be for their results. That is a long time to have no structure.

It is, particularly as the work that most youngsters of this age would normally do between end of exams and going to university has been decimated, along with all the holiday they would have been on

dd had planned to go away 3x, plus would have been working all Summer, (lifeguard) but everything cancelled. She applied for a few jobs at the start - when they were looking for supermarket workers and ambulance call handlers, but didn't get anything.

DD has been on furlough until the end of the month. On the plus side, she hasn't been anywhere to spend anything! The countries she was planning to travel to this summer still have stringent entry conditions for Brits, so her holiday would still gave been no go.

She picked up her maths books earlier this week and claims she has forgotten everything. Better to realise now & have time to do something about it.

Yes, she's got a little furlough, but the 'standard/ the gave all 'casuals', whereas in previous Summers she worked full time for weeks on end. True enough she's not been able to spend much either, but it doesn't help with either saving for in case she can't get a job at University, nor with boredom.

DS hasn't had anything from school since March, but has planned learning projects for himself to fill the six month gap from the beginning of April to the end of September; 80% of which is maths.

Most recently he has been teaching himself Further Pure 1 (an option in the Further Maths A-level course which his school didn't choose) and he finished that today. He is very good at learning independently and I think will cope well with lectures being delivered remotely.

He is now giving himself a short break before starting his next project on Monday. His self-motivation and consistent work ethic is impressive; he doesn't get it from me.

DS1 has been quite lucky. They were offered lots of electives from school and he did a mini project/extended essay.

He was down what that ended but has now established a number of tutoring clients and has a lot of cricket (3 matches since Wednesday). He's happier than I've seen him in a while and has been very social at a socially distanced 90th birthday party. He I also looking forward to having the house to himself for 10 days after results as the rest of the family are going on holiday.

Safe to say DS hasn’t done anything work wise since April, but he seems as happy as Larry. Lockdown suits some more than others.

Your DS not going with you on your holiday, Sandy? I assume he’s not the illicit party sort? Good opportunity for him to self cater.

DS keeps asking us if we’re going away. I think he quite fancies the house to himself for a spell 😂

That's right @MillicentMartha - he's home alone while we're in Italy. Last time he grumbled so much about heat, wifi and not enough food that we mutually agreed he'd be better off at home this year with the dog.

We are taking him to the Lake District for a week in September as he wants to climb ScafellL Pine - were not so mean as to deny him a holiday.

Just back from a last minute week away (in the UK). Some long bike rides and walks provided temporary distraction from the “wait”. DS starts his holiday job on Monday which will give some structure and normality to the remaining time. Nervous about the grade standardisation here.

@MillicentMartha I am pleased to hear that my 2 DSs (gap year and Y11) are not the only ones very happy to do nothing but working out and gaming since March. No desire for paid employment expressed, but they have each been cooking 1 day a week.

My ds happy doing relatively little too. I'd like him to get a job but he has other ideas . He's been socialising and playing an awful lot of Xbox but also cooking a bit and helping with jobs around the house . Ocd has reduced considerably with no stress which is great .

DS doing a meal every week or so, too. Mainly from Nosh for Students. Potato and bacon bake and lemon chicken. (Lemon chicken was much too sweet!)

We are off to Greece for a week and leaving DS and DD behind! They are both working and we have next door neighbours who will a) keep an eye on them and b) unhesitatingly dob them in if they do anything nefarious.

DS has a job in a pub as kitchen porter, works 4-10 most days, which suits him as it means he can lie in til noon!

Is anyone thinking about suggestions vaccinations done before Uni?

Freshers flu is a thing and last year mumps was spreading in a few unis.

DS took part in a meningitis research trial so needed a jab for that so at least that’s up to date.

I've been thinking about whether they will need any vaccinations prior to starting. Off to Google.

I saw a news article saying the flu vaccination program this year will include year 7s , would have thought Freshers in particular should be offered as well.

Does anyone subscribe to the Telegraph?
I saw this, which sounds alarming, but is it just a rehash of the 'grades will be based on schools' historic performance' or is this a new development?
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/07/25/a-level-gcse-results-will-decided-computer-modelling-not-teachers/