Another Path - part IV

[321zyx]

Apologies if I've done this wrong! I seemed to have filled up the last thread, hopefully the abbreviated title is ok!

Given that Exeter are paying some of this year's offer holders a lot of money to defer entry until 2022, I think getting dd's hopes up of a clearing place would be cruel.
She knows SGUL are in clearing already as they apparently always hold back spaces to try and pick up excellent candidates who don't have an offer from anywhere else. Her confidence is so low now that I'm not sure she'll rally in time for phoning round on results day or potentially interviewing for SGUL anyway when she's so aware that it's clearly interview performance which is her Achilles heel, causing her to be in her current situation. She's also not that keen on London as a place to live.
I think she may possibly need to think about 2023 entry to give her time to regain confidence over a year of working/gaining some form of clinical work experience/volunteering before re-applying in the Autumn 2022 cycle.

@Tenpastseven how exciting for your DS! Do keep us posted of his adventures

Yes- i would also like to hear how our young people who are off travelling are doing so please keep posting .

@Tenpastseven- what a great opportunity!

I would really like to keep the thread going after results and into the next chapter. It doesn’t seem 5 mins since we were all waiting for gcse results but on the other hand it’s been great having some companions on this rather bumpy path.
Looking back I have almost forgotten that the thread exists because of Cambridge rejection! Dd has put that firmly behind her.

I have a question- dd has mooted that if she doesn’t get her first choice then she doesn’t want to go to her insurance ( various reasons but honestly- this blimming girl! ). She wants to go through clearing instead . Is this a thing? I’m trying to get a handle on this just in case ..Can you even DO this?

@SATSmadness
Your DD should contact the university where she had a waiting list place on results day if her results are as you expect.

Hi all. I’ve had to name change as munsnet ate my previous account (that I’d had for bloody years). Anyway I ‘was’ crikeybmimey.

Good to be back to this thread amd hear our young people doing stuff they should be in this summer.

Fingers crossed for results day and I hope it isn’t too stressful for them given everything they’ve already been through.

DS is away in bloody Cornwall on results day with his girlfriend and her family! I’m slowly turning into a quivering wreck just thinking about what might happen.

His girlfriend’s family are very supportive and she is also getting results (for medicine) so hopefully if it doesn’t go DS’s way they’ll be there to help him. Oh bloody hell, I’m nervous!

He did say yesterday that his options are:
Clearing
Work full time for a year at his current part time job
Become an Elvis impersonator 🤣
So, I think he seems to be more chilled about it than I am.

I’m so grateful you lot are here. Solidarity sisters.

Love hearing how we’ve all moved on! I must admit to wincing slightly when I see this year’s thread. Though maybe they’ll have a thoroughly better year. Who knows?!?

Sorry I can’t help on the clearing thing.

My DS will also be in a different location to us on results day. I agree it adds to the nerves @Stillcrikey 😬.

@SATSmadness did she get any feedback about her interviews? Could it just be that it was such a competitive year rather than she lacks interview skills? Or do you think there might be something in that theory?

PS solidarity sisters indeed @Stillcrikey!

Just want to say that Cornwall isn’t ‘bloody’ it’s just the absolute opposite end of the country to me!

Also, I was crikeyblimey but I can’t spell. 😳

Ds has said he wouldn't reapply to Cambridge himself if he ended up taking a gap year (no plans to) although he has told Ds2 he should do it. He is just finishing year 10. He enjoyed the experience but it wasn't his dying wish to get in. He did love Cambridge but feels it isn't the be all and end all. His disappointment didn't last long. I think one of the biggest draws was that they sort out your accommodation for 3 years

Ds is hopeful that he will get into Durham as he has absolutely loves the place. I think all the greenery, the mature trees etc and the river have sold him plus he got his first choice college so it doesn't feel like a compromise in any way. It is his first choice out of the 4 offers he did get.

It is lovely hearing about everyone else's children on this thread and I do hope it does continue into the first term at uni at the very least. Roll on results day. We have had instructions from sixth form about the arrangements for the day. Frustrating when you know they submitted the grades back in June.

DC2's first choice was LSE so wasn't too upset about getting a rejection from O. And she got a room in the accommodation she wanted. Loves London. Not worried about getting the required (and not ridiculously high) grades either.
Now just hoping things are going to be better than the last 2 uni years

Hi all, another few days to go.....

DD passed her driving theory, thank goodness, she was seeing it as an omen of doom if she had failed .

Anyone else a bit fed up with all the usual media reports of underserved grade inflation. I have noted on the ALevel Results thread that it is unfair on everyone, no-one wins. Not those for whom top results would have been achieved either way, as it cheapens their value, and not for those for whom perhaps a top mark was not achievable in an exam, but perhaps they really worked hard all year, and equally deserve merit, and also perhaps not great for those who may get the benefit of the doubt, but then struggle going forward. What a mess.

Totally agree. No one is a winner. I just read that there is a strong suspicion that from now on more universities will be setting their own entrance exams. What an ignoble position for our gold-standard A Levels to find themselves in.

Well done to your dd @BigWoollyJumpers

My dd also passed her theory test last week (after failing the first one by one mark!). She did it in King's Lynn while we were on holiday in Norfolk. I had tried to book her a test but none of our local test centres had any availability in 2021! King's Lynn had good availability so booked there.

On the day of the test, we left our hotel in good time, found the test centre.....I checked the email....the test was the next day! I was very embarrassed at my mistake but the rest of the family were amused and thank goodness it was that way round! We found a great cafe in King's Lynn that we utilised on both days and youngest dd enjoyed a bit of shopping in Primark so all was good.

@bendmeoverbackwards

Well done to your dd *@BigWoollyJumpers*

My dd also passed her theory test last week (after failing the first one by one mark!). She did it in King's Lynn while we were on holiday in Norfolk. I had tried to book her a test but none of our local test centres had any availability in 2021! King's Lynn had good availability so booked there.

On the day of the test, we left our hotel in good time, found the test centre.....I checked the email....the test was the next day! I was very embarrassed at my mistake but the rest of the family were amused and thank goodness it was that way round! We found a great cafe in King's Lynn that we utilised on both days and youngest dd enjoyed a bit of shopping in Primark so all was good.

Ah that's great - well done for planning a test whilst on holiday.

Sadly we can't now get ANY date for a driving test. Nothing, niente, you can put in dates a year hence, and get nothing. Social media is crammed full of people without any test dates. Not good :-(. The thing is, if you can't book anything anytime, you can't get in the system for cancellations, so it is a catch22. I know it is the same for everyone, but it is just another thing that sucks for our DC's.

Haven't dropped in on this thread for a while now, but interesting to hear the various updates. DD left for Australia 4 weeks ago, and is still in isolation ... 2 weeks hotel quarantine in Sydney, a few nights with relatives then train to the school in regional NSW where she''ll be working. The Sydney lockdown has meant another 2 weeks isolating, though she has outside access (when it's warm enough!). She gets "out" finally - 24 hours after their results next Tuesday.

She's getting lots of phone calls to keep her going, the school got her a paint-by-number to work on which she's enjoyed, she's doing her own cooking so actually it feels a lovely leap in her independence which can't be a bad thing. I've realised I can probably get a supermarket delivery to her to "celebrate" on Tuesday (it'll be early evening there when she gets her results), and talked to her about it this morning. Mini-hamper of chocolate, biscuits, tea-bags and a small chocolate cake will hopefully work!

She's deferred an offer of English at York, the process was very straightforward. Not sure what to expect of her grades next week of course but fairly relaxed on the whole.

Fingers crossed for everyone else, and for driving test slots to appear in a more timely fashion for those who need them.

That’s so frustrating @BigWoollyJumpers some people say if you try booking at odd hours you might get lucky.

Dd thinks she’ll continue her lessons in Bristol with a new instructor which is a shame as she really likes the one she has here. Dd is dyspraxic a and he really gets her.

DS1 has his theory test tomorrow. If he passes, he'll go for a cancellation test in the next month. If you sit on the government website they come up every couple of minutes - but of course that comes with the caveat that you need your own car and won't have experience of driving in the area of the test centre. With regards to the latter, I know it's a big disadvantage not knowing the local roads but I want my kids to be proficient on ANY roads not just ones they've practiced on week in week out.

@MidLifeCrisis007

DS1 has his theory test tomorrow. If he passes, he'll go for a cancellation test in the next month. If you sit on the government website they come up every couple of minutes - but of course that comes with the caveat that you need your own car and won't have experience of driving in the area of the test centre. With regards to the latter, I know it's a big disadvantage not knowing the local roads but I want my kids to be proficient on ANY roads not just ones they've practiced on week in week out.

DD instructor told her that DVLA upload new test dates every Monday morning. She has set her alarm for 6am . Once booked in, which is currently mid January dates, then they can go for sooner cancellations. All his students have got in that way, but it could just be we are a very busy centre, here in South West Surrey.

How is everyone feeling about Tuesday? Very nervous here. Dd is worrying that she didn’t work hard enough for the exams, said she was burnt out etc. Very difficult to tell really, she’s usually very hard on herself.

@bendmeoverbackwards I’m feeling cautious re Tuesday. I know it would be a bit scandalous if DS didn’t get the grades required for his firm choice and yet I do not feel relaxed about it.

DS is due to leave in 11 days 😱. The trip has been brought forward due to covid restrictions in the destination country so they are going via a European country first. He had driving test booked for end Aug but we are now hoping to get a last minute cancellation next week. It’s all a bit frantic and last minute.

Another cautious one here too!

DD is expecting to get the grades for Durham but I'm still haunted by 2019 A Level results day when DS missed the second A* he needed for Cambridge and lost his place.

So until those results come through, I won't assume anything.

The school provided us with DD's "basket of evidence" some months ago which comprised of A*s and As so logic tells me she should meet her Durham offer but I won't relax until the grades are confirmed.

I've booked Tuesday morning off work. The email is expected at 8.30am. Shall be watching this thread to hopefully hear of good news from you lovely people.

We've returned from a family holiday and then DD is off to a Cornwall with friends next week. She's also booked a holiday in Croatia for the end of August.

She's been working this summer and enjoyed making some money. She has her driving test booked for end of August so it all feels very grown up lately.

Dd is nervous and I’m feeling it too. Looking at it logically, she should be ok for Durham. She only started at the school for 6th form (and we all know how stop /start that was!) so as soon as it was announced that exams were to be Cags, it made her nervous as she says the teachers don’t know her as well. I have seen nothing to suggest she should be nervous tbh- the teachers have been very positive even when they could not feedback any actual grades.

I’m hoping that she’ll be able to get onto track easily on Tuesday morning ( and that it will be the news she wants ), then I’ve taken the day off so I’ll drop her off to pick up actual results / have photographs etc

I’ll be keeping everything crossed for everyone’s dc’s and checking in here to update and see how we are all doing . Good luck to all our lovely dc!

DS ‘should’ achieve the required grades for his firm but you just never know and I’m ridiculously anxious. He’s away now and will be on Tuesday so he is under strict instruction to call or message me at 8;35!

I have everything crossed for all our young people.
His firm isn’t showing anything on the clearing site so ‘arghhh’.
Oh well, hope everyone can relax somewhat and ‘here’s to Tuesday’. 🤞🥂

Does anyone know exactly the criteria teachers use to determine grades or does it depend on the school? Dd is worried about one subject where they have been told that they’re using exam results only but does that mean they don’t take a student’s past performance into account or the school’s previous results?

@bendmeoverbackwards every school will have done it differently I'm afraid. Because the guidance was crap. We made them sit 5 exams and worked out grade boundaries from pervious years cohorts. No previous work counted, just the exam. But others will have different criteria. 🤷‍♀️