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

[quote Divoc2020]@FingernailNibbler - soemtimes they are allowed to leave stuff in a locked cupboard e.g. the one above a wardrobe for example. Or, as in DS's case, they find a friend whose room isn't being let out and leave all their stuff there![/quote]
Thank you!

MN DC will also be recognised by their mattress toppers and patterned crockery!

I got my DS this onion holder which he successfully has successfully used to chop an onion despite being rather dyspraxic.
www.amazon.co.uk/Chef-Aid-10E01627-Onion-Holder/dp/B008QMOIPC/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=onion+slicer&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1594921263&sr=8-6

@Monkey2001

Thanks for the topper tips. DS and GF were bemused by the idea that the t-shirt folding thing could be worth taking - DS said that is how Mumsnet DCs will be spotted......

Haha my niece told me the fancy lanyards are a dead giveaway that you're a fresher.

[quote MillicentMartha]MN DC will also be recognised by their mattress toppers and patterned crockery!

I got my DS this onion holder which he successfully has successfully used to chop an onion despite being rather dyspraxic.
www.amazon.co.uk/Chef-Aid-10E01627-Onion-Holder/dp/B008QMOIPC/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=onion+slicer&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1594921263&sr=8-6[/quote]
It looks like a lice comb. For very very big lice! With four photos, you think one would show how it works? Maybe I'm just sleepy.

Like this!

Enormous lice!

@MillicentMartha

Like this!

Enormous lice!

nifty!

You pin the lice to the onion with the lice comb, then do a sort of knife throwing display by slicing through the onion between the prongs without chopping their legs off?

@MarchingFrogs

I got confused when I saw that picture, thinking that one of the benefits of older children is a lice-free life. Actually, lock down could have been brilliant for eradicating head lice with no contact between children.

That onion thing looks pretty good, I am getting sucked into gadget appreciation land here!

Giggling at Marching's description.

Joining in this thread please, nervous DD waiting for results hoping to go to Durham.

tinkywinkyshandbag Welcome to the thread.

@tinkywinkyshandbag, you may have joined at a rather surreal point!

Hi everyone,

Son is now wondering about abandoning gap year plans as jobs will be few and travel tricky. He has deferred offers. He is also now thinking he’d prefer city rather than campus (his firm offer is Reading).

Any advice? Bit overwhelmed with it all really and the lack of crystal ball! Thanks. 🙏

@Railingsohno, does he have a particular city university / course for this year's entry instead of 2021 in mind? If so, has he checked whether it is currently in Clearing? On results day, of he has made either of his current offers, the place is his, but there will be an option to release himself into Clearing; if he doesn't make his offers, he will be put into Clearing automatically. Clearing places would only be fore 2020 entry.

Is the place to he thinks he would rather go to somewhere he has already looked at?

Gosh, that’s a hard one. My friend’s DS wants to defer, but his thinking is

1. If he misses his 1st choice offer but is still accepted by them this year, he’ll go to uni this year.
2. If he smashes his offer by a grade or two, he’ll defer or reapply.
3. If he misses his offer and isn’t accepted, he’ll resit and apply again.
4. If he makes his offer on the nose, he’ll have a long hard think.

Jobs may be tricky this year and travel? Who knows?

@MarchingFrogs he loved Liverpool Uni but didn’t apply as they were well above his predicted grades ABB compared to BCC. Reading offer is BCC. Not sure how grades will go - he got BDD In his mocks (B in the subject he wants to study)

Head hurts with it all! Original plan was to reapply if grades better than BCC as he was deferring anyway. Now all up in the air.

@MillicentMartha thanks - I feel I need to write out a flow chart! He was all excited about his gap year and I just feel so sorry for him. His friends are being a bit flakey too which isn’t helping.

If grades are below BCC then he could take a gap year and try to up one of his grades in October (two would be counter productive I think as it’s a lot in just two months!) I think he’d be better doing a Uni foundation year than resitting all 3 (he really doesn’t enjoy one of the subjects).

Yes, sitting one by October would mean revision was doable. I do wonder if it’ll be easier to get a place with a slipped grade this year, rather than next year, though. There may be more competition for places next year, possibly. Get your flow chart stencil out!

Shame if he misses out on a gap year. My DS has some flaky friends too. Very annoying.

Railing there could be some good places available in clearing with reduced offers this year. He could always have a look and see if there is anything he fancied, then if not stick to the deterred offer or apply again depending on grades.

It's so difficult, isn't it?
So much "what if" or "I think that..." or "I presume" .....
It is just such a strange year.
We seem to have gone from 'nobody will want to go this year so those of our dc will be able to get into courses asking for better grades than we anticipated' to the last I've heard which is 'applications for places is up 29 000 over last year so our dc are not likely to get aspirational places'
Of course, all without our dc being able to do anything to influence or improve their grade.
I feel drained, and I'm "only" the parent, not the 18 yr old trying to figure all this out.

@Oratory1

Railing there could be some good places available in clearing with reduced offers this year. He could always have a look and see if there is anything he fancied, then if not stick to the deterred offer or apply again depending on grades.

Thanks yes, I think that will go in my flowchart!

We’re just a bit wary of aiming too high then him struggling as he is very dyslexic and lacks confidence. Just trying to get the balance right. He’s done so well to get where he is and we don’t want to underestimate him but don’t want to knock his confidence either.

Railings you also don't want him aiming too low. DS's best friend had a firmed offer for Environmental Science at Leeds last year, ABB. He got BBC and was turned down by Leeds, but managed to get a place at Liverpool in clearing, which had a standard offer of ABB, so he was 2 points under. Turned out to be the best thing for him as there are modules unique to Liverpool which turned out to be his favourites.

Has he or you looked for his course in Clearing? Would you like to share which course he is considering?

Can't remember whether I have said this to you, but it is useful to look at discoveruni.gov.uk to find the actual grades people on the course had.

Thanks for that link @Monkey2001 - very useful

@Monkey2001 thanks! It’s History and Ancient History joint degree