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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

October A levels anyone?

356 replies

Skerryberry · 13/08/2020 20:44

With so many getting results they were disappointed with, are any DS/DD's choosing to take the October A levels ?

Are they taking all their A levels or just one or two?

How are they planning to motivate themselves with exams only 50 days away? DC has not opened a book since March... eek!

I may need some hand holding!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Skerryberry · 05/10/2020 18:15

Thanks for the good luck messages. Hope today's exams went well for the October takers. DS starts on Wednesday. He is working very hard with a final big push.

OP posts:
Original poster
Skerryberry · 05/10/2020 18:16

Fingers crossed your son makes it on Wednesday @kitnkaboodle.

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Arofan · 05/10/2020 18:23

Goodluck to everyone taking exams.

noblecause · 05/10/2020 19:00

How did it go today @rbsk12 ?

rbsk12 · 05/10/2020 19:03

Hi. DS thought it was “ok”. He thinks he did well on the two essays but there were a few curveball questions in the short answers section. Paper 2 Friday...

Thank you for asking

noblecause · 05/10/2020 19:32

Well done for getting one under the belt. Sounds like it was a good start. Good luck for Friday.

Ours start on Wednesday too. I imagine will be in adrenaline mode this time tomorrow -furiously searching for stationary and taking labels off water bottles. Are all boards for maths starting on Wednesday. Think that was the most popular subject for the autumn exams.

Original poster
Skerryberry · 05/10/2020 20:00

All boards for the same subject have the exam on the day and at the same time.

@rbsk12 How many were sitting the exam with your DS today?

Glad it went 'OK'. That is usually a good sign. At least it will be 'his' grade this time.

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Oldowl · 05/10/2020 20:03

My DS is doing maths on Wednesday too. Good luck to everyone's DC. x

rbsk12 · 05/10/2020 20:13

Thanks @noblecause. Good Luck for Wednesday. Just two were sitting today @Skerryberry. One being my DS. He saw the list for the afternoon exams and there were two sitting Further Maths and one sitting Politics.

Ofqual have released a spreadsheet showing 20,000 entered Autumn exams of which 4,000 entries were for maths. They have also split the numbers down between private school, FE colleges, grammar etc.

Do you think they might be lenient with grade boundaries? Only 710 are sitting Economics. Not sure if size of cohort affects things.

kitnkaboodle · 06/10/2020 09:08

Interesting, those Ofqual statistics. Turns out that only 3% of this year's cohort have opted to do these October re-sits. We could have guessed that due to the quietness of this thread, I think.

I definitely think our DC need to be bigged-up on any statements/references for having the gumption to voluntarily put themselves through this to try to improve their grades in a crappy situation.

My DS not feeling up to the first Chemistry paper this afternoon so I have signed him off from that. He is the only Chemistry candidate! I have to submit a medical statement to school, and the GP who saw him on Friday has said he can do a note/email too. All might not be lost if DS picks up later in this week, but even if it goes pear shaped again then so be it and we will have to get him well again and look at other options.

rbsk12 · 06/10/2020 09:32

All the best to your DS@kitnkaboodle. It's so hard on them. Hope he might be able to do one of his subjects.

I do feel these kids have been forgotten and universities definitely need to be a little lenient - like you said they've voluntarily put themselves through this and shown gumption!

noblecause · 06/10/2020 09:32

@kitnkaboodle it's a difficult situation and I feel for you. if he is not well enough then I guess priorities have to be health first. If he is well enough then wouldn't one paper allow him to qualify for the 25% of exams done and then get a grade or would it be best to cancel completely now so that some pressure is relieved. Is the pressure making him feel worse?

kitnkaboodle · 06/10/2020 10:01

No, the pressure isn't ramping up now it's exams week, strangely. I think he had a massive surge of anxiety last week (which could have been caused by recent changes to his medication, but who knows? There are so many reasons to be anxious at the moment!!) which now seems to be abating.
Apparently if he misses one paper out of three, and has a medical note, they can still give him a grade based on his other two papers and by assessing how the rest of the candidates have done in general. Yes, an algorithm! What could possibly go wrong? Grin But I've just gathered that info from a casual chat with the exams officer. We're going gently, day by day. I've no idea how this is going to play out. Thanks for your support.

Original poster
Skerryberry · 07/10/2020 18:17

How was it today? DS said maths was 'OK'.

@kitnkaboodle did your DS make it today?

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kitnkaboodle · 07/10/2020 20:23

Yes, amazingly, he did @Skerryberry. Edexcel. Wobbly this morning but made it in. He did the paper but was upset when he came out as he felt his brain was foggy from last week when he was too anxious to study. Doesn't think he did very well. Crisis talks ensued when we got home. Gonna sleep on it but might continue with just Maths + Physics to see how he does, ditching Chem and F. Maths possibly until June and possibly ditching UCAS for a year as well. All the ditching not a bad idea IMHO. Such a trauma- I'm on my way to bed Shock. Glad your DS did ok. He's doing Maths, Physics and Geog?? Only one other Maths candidate today - possibly no others for Chem and F. Maths

Original poster
Skerryberry · 07/10/2020 20:56

@kitnkaboodle I am so glad your DS made it today. My DS is only doing Maths and Physics. There were 9 candidates at his school today for Maths.

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rbsk12 · 07/10/2020 21:59

Well done to your DS @kitnkaboodle for giving it a go. I think it’s very wise to just do the two subjects as this whole thing has indeed been very stressful and frustrating. Another gap year may also prove to be the right thing especially if Covid is done with as he can maybe travel or get some work experience.

NadiSel · 07/10/2020 22:22

Enforced gap year for my dd this year becuase decided to resit her 2exams in Jun rather than Oct. Really impressed that she is knuckling down to it. No late lie-ins or anything and still keeping in touch with a few friends over Instagram. I reckon June is going to be just as stressful cos they will feel greater competition to do well. And there will be the haves and the have nots (I.e those who have had teaching and support and those who have not).

I've no idea how the gap year will play with degree funding though.

kitnkaboodle · 08/10/2020 08:11

@NadiSel at the moment I'm wishing that DS had decided from the start to resit in June instead of October. I'm starting to wonder what the point of this autumn session is, as they aren't going to get you into uni any sooner ... even if you are currently doing UCAS then you won't get these results until Dec 17th and the UCAS deadline is Jan 15th. But everyone has different circumstances- especially this year. I don't want to sound like a prophet of doom, but if your DS is studying independently, do make sure that she can still get a grade if June's exams are cancelled. And as far as student loans go, surely any uni student can apply for those, regardless of age or when in their life they apply?? I had a quick look and the only mention of age seems to be that you get less if you are over 60!!

WhatHaveIFound · 08/10/2020 08:38

@NadiSel my DD had a wobble as she wasn't quite sure she was ready for the exams this month but what convinced her to go for it is that it leaves next year free.

She's already had 7 aupair job offers for starting in January. Maybe there's a shorage this year? Whilst it doesn't pay massively it's a good opportunity to spend part of her gap year in Europe.

rbsk12 · 08/10/2020 08:40

[quote kitnkaboodle]@NadiSel at the moment I'm wishing that DS had decided from the start to resit in June instead of October. I'm starting to wonder what the point of this autumn session is, as they aren't going to get you into uni any sooner ... even if you are currently doing UCAS then you won't get these results until Dec 17th and the UCAS deadline is Jan 15th. But everyone has different circumstances- especially this year. I don't want to sound like a prophet of doom, but if your DS is studying independently, do make sure that she can still get a grade if June's exams are cancelled. And as far as student loans go, surely any uni student can apply for those, regardless of age or when in their life they apply?? I had a quick look and the only mention of age seems to be that you get less if you are over 60!![/quote]
@Skerryberrythey’ve had their places deferred on the proviso they must sit exams in Autumn. My DS too - his firm have guaranteed him a place but he has to meet his offer in Autumn series. He may have to do a subject in summer if Autumn doesn’t work out to reapply but then he will be considered a “resit” even though he will be sitting the exam for the first time in that subject! He’s already been told he will be seen as less competitive...

Yes, student funding is fine for gap year. My elder DS took a gap year and just reapplied. It was agreed straightaway as he was already in the system.

He’s now self isolating for 14 days as a girl in his university household has tested positive for Covid 19. Stuck in his room - not allowed out. Everything is pretty much online anyway. University this year is not a great experience Tbf.

rbsk12 · 08/10/2020 08:42

Sorry @Skerryberry - didn’t mean to tag you in the last post ^^.Blush

rbsk12 · 08/10/2020 08:46

I meant to say I agree with @kitnkaboodle, to have a contingency plan in order to obtain a grade if exams are cancelled. So many private students were left without grades this year due to lack of evidence. A lot of these are sitting the Autumn exams.

kitnkaboodle · 08/10/2020 09:27

@rbsk12 who told your DS he would be seen as less competitive? Was it someone who knew what they were talking about? A uni? Which? Personally I will be advising DS to apply only to those unis that can take a flexible and sympathetic approach to the huge pressure and upset that this cohort have suffered. The rest can stuff off! Angry

rbsk12 · 08/10/2020 09:50

Too right @kitnkaboodle! Yes it was LSE, in order to meet his firm offer from 2020 he had to sit Autumn exam and if he doesn’t achieve it, he can reapply but he will need to re-do LNAT (for Law) and won’t be seen as “competitive” as he will be considered a resit (even though sitting a different subject in summer) because he would have had “an extra year to study”. They said it disadvantages current year 13 if they didn’t implement this policy. So basically he will decide in December - he has a deferred place at his insurance and will probably just take that. Interestingly, you’re allowed to hold a deferred place and do a new 20/21 application this year. Ucas confirmed this a few days ago. They then contact you in February to see which application you want to carry on with. It’s basically for Autumn sitters so they don’t lose possible insurance places if the exams don’t go to plan.