Page 39 | Another path to greatness - part III

Parker231 · 28/04/2021 19:26

bend - DT’s were 21 last July and both graduated from Uni with 1st’s. We should have had a huge party at home with a marquee in the garden and family flying in. We were then due to go to Maine on holiday. Plan is to hold the party when restrictions are fully lifted and celebrate properly with everyone.
It will still be a celebration whenever it is.

ChimneyPot · 28/04/2021 21:20

Happy Birthday BWJs DD.

We are having a twin track approach here in Ireland, assessments for calculated grades plus a full set of exams at the normal time. Students can chose to take a CAG or sit the exam or both and get the higher grade. So DD has 4 to 6 assessments per week and no time to study for her actual exams.

ChimneyPot · 28/04/2021 21:21

@Stormer that is my DD and she has chosen to go to Brown. She definitely thought it had cooler vibes!

bendmeoverbackwards · 28/04/2021 21:31

@Parker231

bend - DT’s were 21 last July and both graduated from Uni with 1st’s. We should have had a huge party at home with a marquee in the garden and family flying in. We were then due to go to Maine on holiday. Plan is to hold the party when restrictions are fully lifted and celebrate properly with everyone. It will still be a celebration whenever it is.

Congratulations to your twins *@Parker231* fantastic achievement! My dd was 18 in January this year during the bleakest lockdown. We made it as special as we could for her and she did actually say she had a lovely day. I’ve promised her an overnight spa stay when we can and maybe a party with her friends.

Original poster

chopc · 28/04/2021 21:44

What an achievement @Parker231 ! Well done to yourself DT. Do you mind if I ask what paths they are on now?

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Parker231 · 28/04/2021 21:52

chopc - DD moved to Brussels last September and is in her first graduate job working for the EU. It’s been a long six months since we saw her. DS is going his Masters and finishes this summer. He has a graduate job to start in Singapore this September. My babies have grown up!

Original poster

chopc · 28/04/2021 22:10

Lovely to hear @Parker231 . And soon you will be on to pastures new as well!

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Pumpkintopf · 29/04/2021 00:05

Oh @ChimneyPot that's tough, I really feel for her. Hopefully the CAG will reflect her performance and the exam results won't matter- but will she know the CAG before she has to sit the exams?

Ginmakesitallok · 29/04/2021 14:11

Hope it's ok for me to join, wish I'd found this thread months ago. DD had applied for children's nursing, rejected by 2, interviews for 3. Rejected by all 3 after interview- terrible few weeks for her. Anyway, she rethought what she wants to do. Applied for history at Stirling and within 2 days of application has an unconditional offer from them. So relieved and excited for her. Scary to think my girl will be off to uni soon!

Original poster

chopc · 29/04/2021 14:32

@ClaireFraser2018 sorry, I think your post got lose in all that followed.

nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/career-choices-at-18

Above may be a good place to start to look at options available. Also tap into the careers counsellor at school if you have one.

Is it just your DC is feeling overwhelmed at the moment? If so I would just get through this year and leave the decision making until it needs to be done. Can be as late as just before starting Uni

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Original poster

chopc · 29/04/2021 14:33

@Ginmakesitallok welcome! All's well that ends well?

Interesting how life works out isn't it?

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Ginmakesitallok · 29/04/2021 14:41

Indeed, if only she'd chosen this path first then lots of heartache could have been prevented. Having said that I suppose it's been "character building". I think the course will suit her much better. Now for the joy of sorting finance and accommodation!

MidLifeCrisis007 · 29/04/2021 14:56

@Ginmakesitallok

Indeed, if only she'd chosen this path first then lots of heartache could have been prevented. Having said that I suppose it's been "character building". I think the course will suit her much better. Now for the joy of sorting finance and accommodation!

It's great to hear that she's changed paths and found a course she's excited about. Good on her!

I think we'll all second your comment about rejection being character building. That applies to both our kids and us parents!

Ginmakesitallok · 29/04/2021 15:10

@MidLifeCrisis007 it's shocked me how personally I took her rejection! Although I don't think she'd have been suited to the first courses how could anyone reject my wee girl!!!

BigWoollyJumpers · 29/04/2021 15:51

Student finance sent a letter to DD confirming all well, your application has been approved, blah, blah, really quick, less than a week turnaround.

Just received letter saying they can't verify national insurance number with HMRC. Please send proof. Sent copy of letter (from HMRC) that all children get when they turn 16, confirming her National Insurance Number...... .

RampantIvy · 29/04/2021 16:26

Seeing your post prompted me to jump from just lurking @Ginmakesitallok.

DD's application for medicine was unsuccessful. However she achieved excellent A level grades, took a gap year and has nearly finished her second year of studying biomedical sciences at her first choice university. She achieved high firsts in both first semester exams (she only had one exam last summer and the university had a no detriment policy in place, so they kept the grades from the first semester).

She is thankful now that she didn't pursue medicine as she has some health issues that just aren't compatible with the rigours of this course.

Justanotherday3 · 29/04/2021 16:35

@BigWoollyJumpers

We had exactly the same - luckily we had a P45 with his Nat insurance number on. The original we supplied was correct, as we thought.

Not heard a thing since!

SeasonFinale · 30/04/2021 06:48

@bendmeoverbackwards Our school is taking the same approach of feeding back after each assessment . Apparently because the students want to know how well they are doing and what needs fixing before the next.

BigWoollyJumpers · 30/04/2021 10:58

[quote Justanotherday3]@BigWoollyJumpers

We had exactly the same - luckily we had a P45 with his Nat insurance number on. The original we supplied was correct, as we thought.

Not heard a thing since![/quote]
Interesting. Perhaps they have had "the computer says no" issue.

We had a similar problem with DD's provisional license last year. It worries me a bit, because there is no reason for her to not be registered properly. Maybe another thing to put down to "CozCovid".

BigWoollyJumpers · 30/04/2021 11:03

[quote SeasonFinale]@bendmeoverbackwards Our school is taking the same approach of feeding back after each assessment . Apparently because the students want to know how well they are doing and what needs fixing before the next.[/quote]
I must admit I am a bit conflicted about this. On the one hand, fantastic, it's been a crap year, and everyone needs a bit of a break.

On the other hand, for example. One of DD's subject group had a terrible time with their assessments last week. DD was the only one who just got "excellent" as feedback. Because of this, they are doing an additional assessment, which DD also has to do even though she aced it first time. A small part of me thinks this is unfair as it gives everyone else a second chance, and therefore won't differentiate properly between candidates.

I don't know. I hope I can share with this group, that a little part of me is a bit pissed off that DD won't be recognised as being as good as she is, if everyone else keeps on having extra goes.

PresentingPercy · 30/04/2021 11:42

That was always the issue with AS levels. And GCSEs. I tend to agree with you as it’s somewhat against the current thinking of one go. However (I am sorry but I forget where DD is going) it just means your DD is ok so take the positive in that. She might have had an off day and then you would be grateful for another go. Did the results mess up the teacher assessment?

Pythonesque · 30/04/2021 11:59

I've not come on these threads for a while; was sorry to read about the late Durham rejections last month. DD gave up on waiting for Durham as she'd decided on York (always her preference) and wasn't going to change her mind. She sent off her request to defer her place a year over the Easter holidays, and last week I booked her plane ticket to go to Australia in July.

She's got alternating weeks of revision and tests this half term. DS (yr 11) has exams starting next week. So the long weekend will be a mix of one winding down from test week and the other ramping up for them.

DD will still be spending some time at school after half term, but it will be optional so I expect June to be very busy with sorting out what she needs for a year away. Especially given that she will be heading straight into winter and to a job in one of the colder (higher altitude) cities there! It's beginning to feel rather real ...

Parker231 · 30/04/2021 13:18

DD went to York and graduated last summer. She loved it and chose it over St Andrews which some said would have been a better choice.

bendmeoverbackwards · 30/04/2021 15:05

[quote SeasonFinale]@bendmeoverbackwards Our school is taking the same approach of feeding back after each assessment . Apparently because the students want to know how well they are doing and what needs fixing before the next.[/quote]
That is a good point but this was basically a massive criticism of this particular assessment. He just went on and on!

maggiethecat · 30/04/2021 18:45

Has anyone else heard from Edinburgh? Think today is the deadline?