Applying for uni in 2021 part 2

[poppycat10]

Hi all, this is a continuation thread from www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3828249-applying-for-uni-in-2021?pg=40

@FlyingSquid I have always wondered how ab initio language degrees worked / sounds as though from your DC’s reading list it works by pretending they can actually already read the language ! Good luck to her!

I suspect they’re all doing what dd is doing, and teaching themselves as fast as they can so that they don’t immediately fall behind.

She emailed a tutor and he suggested buying an English translation ‘for the moment’ but said they’d be reading the originals by Christmas.

That bloody UCU !!! Anything to create disruption - or keep their hardcore supporters away from manky students…. Yes, I can see their demanding that staff have the right to wfh if just one student in the whole university has not been vaccinated, so it suits their purpose even better for as many students as possible to be unvaccinated.

@DottyHarmer

That bloody UCU !!! Anything to create disruption - or keep their hardcore supporters away from manky students…. Yes, I can see their demanding that staff have the right to wfh if just one student in the whole university has not been vaccinated, so it suits their purpose even better for as many students as possible to be unvaccinated.

Just looked her/them up on their twitter feed, what they tweet, and indeed re-tweet, and as a conservative (with a small c) middle aged women, all I am going to say is goodness me!

Hi,
Im new to all of this, when I attended Uni almost thirty years ago I was very lucky to get an unconditional offer. So my question is, DS feels he did terribly in one of his A levels and we are sure he will not have met the AAB requirements for his course.
I have been online and noticed it is down as available in clearing for the course and Uni that he wanted. Do you think that means he may be lucky to get a accepted on lower grades and how low do you think they would go? Im so worried for him, he has his heart set on this place and I know he will end up somewhere and do fine, but he can't see that right now.
Also any tips on identifying places through clearing how will we know what they will accept? Thanks

I'm not clued up about Clearing, but I do know that universities can accept students with slightly lower grades than specified in their offers. Not all of them will, of course, as they won't all have the capacity. My instinct is to tell you not to worry at this stage, but as a fellow parent waiting for next week's outcome, I know how pointless it would be.

The other side of the coin can be that unis will hold some places in clearing for students who do better than they originally expected (or were predicted) and might be looking to trade up,
Hopefully your DS will be fine, and it’s good you/he are looking at where there are places in clearing so you’ll be prepared if needed on Tuesday

Pleasepuddinghot is a gap year a possibility? DS had middling results and took three years to work, earn, and think about life. He then applied to AAB courses with ABC grades in hand, and got offers from all of them. (He's currently getting firsts consistently throughout his modules, I think largely as he has a point to prove.)

It was so much more relaxed than applying through clearing.

@DitheringDan I don't think it would suit him as he would have preferred to have saved and planned travel but with the pandemic it's pretty much impossible to travel as he would have liked.
I hope he can get in on what he gets and if not we have a couple
Of course he may get onto through clearing.
It's been such a terrible two years educationally and I'm proud he stuck at the online learning and tried hard but the first lockdown college have barely and provision and when he would go back tutors were off with long Covid, he had Covid himself and then had another three occasions of having to self isolate at home for two weeks each time. It's been tough on him. I am aware it's been tough on everyone but he has tried and exams through college were only sprung on them five weeks before they began and they are basing grades on these entirely it seems.

Harking back to an earlier post, DD had completed her online accommodation setup for Exeter, and there is NO MENTION of parents nog being allowed to help on move in day. So I’m hoping the earlier info DD was given has now been rescinded. Hope this is good news for other Exeter parents too.

@ScottyandWestie my DD has ended up taking 2 gap years (rather than the planned 1 year) and hasn’t been able to do as much as she had hoped re earning and travelling. But the time away from studying has been hugely beneficial and she is excited to be going back now rather than feeling stressed and like it’s more of the same (which is how she felt this time 2 years ago after sitting her A level exams).
I wish your DS the very best of luck in getting the grades/place he wants, but wanted to offer reassurance that if life does throw a curveball a year out of academia can be a lot of fun, even during a global pandemic

DD was pretty pissed off with her boring gap year but has had a variety of jobs (some quite short term), is itching to leave home rather than petrified, and has even been bored enough to do her recommended reading for the start of her course.

Good luck to mini-Scotty. And if it's a poorer result than he'd hoped, it's still not a disaster. One of my brothers had a U at A-level back in the day. It hasn't held him back long-term (though the air was a bit blue at home for a while)!

I am so nervous about Tuesday and very glad its my last ever school results day. Four times for this torture is more than enough. I have the champagne on ice and the mobile phones on charge so ready for every eventuality.
Good luck everyone

Me too and all the noise in the press today is doing nothing to calm my nerves. Good luck everyone; at least the waiting is nearly over! 🍀🤞

I'm more nervous for my daughter than I was with my own results, my own parents never broke a sweat!

We had to leave a stamped postcard at school at the end of the summer term for our results to be sent to us (school mainly boarding and this was back in the days when everything was on paper). I was abroad at the time, staying with a schoolfriend and my mum gave me the card when I got back. It had not occurred to either of us that conveying the message any earlier was worth the hassle and cost of an international telephone call.

As his school is positively encouraging them to go in on Tuesday, DS2 will do that, although he will probably log in to the school system and Track first (if nothing else, because that can be done without getting out of bed).

As his school is positively encouraging them to go in on Tuesday

positive discouragement from DS3's school. Which may be a good sign, who knows.

my last ever school results day.

likewise, and three times will have been more than enough for me. All credit to you @mumsneedwine for getting through four come next Tuesday. :)

No idea whether DC is supposed to collect results at school or whether they are going to be emailed.

Imagine a scenario where you are away with a dc who is not your own (dgf of your own dc). What would you say if they are disappointed ? What should you not say? Asking for a friend…..

How is everyone doing tonight?
DS has gone to the gym to burn off some nervous energy.
I've done a 'plan B' list of clearing courses just in case and to calm my nerves.

@Thethingswedoforlove my ds is away with his gf and family. If it doesn’t go well for him tomorrow, I’d hope they’d commiserate with him and support him (practically as much as possible) to look at clearing etc. I’d hope (and do hope) they’d offer the same practical advice they’d offer their own dc. Cos I’ll be on the phone for the emotional support.

I’d hope they’d just be kind. And I’m fully confident they will be if it comes to it.
Eeek!

Thank you @Stillcrikey. Really wise words. Thinking of your ds. All best to him

How's everyone doing right now?

Morning! 😬

Tea tea and more tea!