Another path ....... the journey begins

[chopc]

Hello @321zyx @AvocadoPlant @bendmeoverbackwards @BigWoollyJumpers @Braveheart35 @calculatorqueen @ChimneyPot @Dobbyisahouseelf @Eastisup @jano69 @Majaso12 @MidLifeCrisis007 @NCTDN @Notagardener @OnTheBenchOfDoom @Parsonage63 @Pumpkintopf @Peaseblossum22 @quest1on @Peaseblossum22 @SATSmadness @SeasonFinale @Tenpastseven @Vargas @Xenia

Apologies for anyone I omitted to tag

[quote AvocadoPlant]@SeasonFinale
I do wonder whether contextual grade offers may be made a bit higher. Some at Bristol for example go from A*AA to AAB. Perhaps they will be AAA offers instead?

Interesting that you mentioned this, I've just looked at Exeter History for 2022 and although the main criteria has stayed the same AAA, contextual offers have moved from BBB to ABB

Doesn't seem very fair.[/quote]
still a 2 grade drop and remember there will be plenty applying with TAGS that mean there are more As in the system so to speak.

The fewer offers will prevent over subscription meaning accommodation issues are less likely to happen.

DS has 11 hours a week for his history 1 online and 10 face to face

Surely the purpose of the contextual offers is to reach the students at under-performing schools, raising the bar but only for them makes that so much more difficult.
Having said that I do wonder about the contextual offers, I think I read that Bristol include 40% of state schools in their list!
And of course each university set their own criteria.

@MidLifeCrisis007 - I am in awe at your epic journey! Seriously off the scale parenting there

A big well done to all those passing driving tests, ds didn't manage to get his arse in gear and even have one lesson. God knows when he will do that now.

@chopc - we never got ds to have the Men B jab either. And I had hoped to get him a flu jab, but he's had a terrible cold and didn't want to risk feeling worse. I am hoping the GP or Health Centre in Durham will encourage the kids to have flu jabs, but who knows!

In better news, DS has finally finished his pre-arrival work for Durham...

Is anyone going to go ahead with the men b vaccine?

It says minimum four weeks between doses - can it be longer ie could I get ds jabbed this week and second at Christmas or would he need to do the second in London?

Does the first dose alone offer any protection?

Feeling like I should've sorted this when it was first discussed on the thread...

@Peaseblossum22 yes!!! Precisely. Thank you!

@Vargas sorry what pre arrival work?

Pumpkintopf. My ds had his 2nd men B at Christmas and I think he had his 1st about September time, it was a few years ago so hard to remember. Definitely didn’t have 2nd only 4 weeks after. I thought it was a minimum of 8 weeks it needed to be. I’m sure we were told the 1st offers some protection, but can’t remember how much.

@Pumpkintopf too late for me to do anything about it but DS said he will get it done in Durham. (What he says and does are two different things). Kicking myself for not organising this in a timely way.

DS says "he feels very protected" 🙄

Just have to believe meningitis is still rare 🤞🏽

@Pumpkintopf I think you mean MenACWY, MenB is given to babies? DS was given MenACWY at school in 2017.

MenACWY is a single dose given up to age 25.

The nhs annoys me with things like this. If babies now get men C but our cohort didn’t, they should surely have been offered catch up vaccination with their ACWY, which is offered in the US

Apologies to all - just realised our DC probably all missed the MenB due to year(s) of birth! However from meningitis.org "Over the past ten years, the incidence of MenB disease has been steadily declining and at the moment cases of disease are lower than they have been for decades. Current incidence of disease amongst the under 1s is around 22 per 100,000, reducing to 5 per 100,000 in the 1-4 age groups. The incidence of disease amongst older age groups is substantially less."

@321zyx I am hoping that this data jn accurate.

My thinking is that it's an illness that can be vaccinated against - so why not?

Not routinely offered to all in NHS due to shortage supply just in my opinion.

@Revengeofthepangolins

The nhs annoys me with things like this. If babies now get men C but our cohort didn’t, they should surely have been offered catch up vaccination with their ACWY, which is offered in the US

The C in ACWY is the C in the men C so there is no need.

@MidLifeCrisis007 what a story the driving test episode makes , congratulations.
If anyone reads the Times there is an excellent comment piece by James Marriott ( sorry cant do link ) talking about university accommodation and the influence of cost as well as the history of why we as a country got the place where university students leave home to study . Well worth a read. In yesterday’s times 23/9/21.

@olliepolly any chance you can take pictures of article and post? Don't subscribe to the times and I would love to read the article

@SeasonFinale. Sorry, typo. I meant men B in that message, not C

There should be no problem having the Men B jab in different towns. My 2 both had them at Boots. DS1 had his first at home and his second at Uni.

Well done to all those passing their driving tests. Passing in an unknown place is very impressive, it took me 3 attempts in a familiar place!

Ds hasn't had the Men B vaccine just the usual Men C as part of yr 9 boosters.

@MidLifeCrisis007 your commitment to getting your son to his driving test appointments all over the place is outstanding. I really hope he appreciates it. Booking Newport and having to get a ferry is priceless.

All the packing is nearly done, just the suitcase of clothes. Dinner tonight is pizza, Dh got an Ooni pizza oven earlier this year and I cannot believe how amazing the pizzas taste cooked in there. Ds has banned us from mentioning eating any whilst he is away

Safe travels to the Durham parents and for everyone else, I hope your sons and daughters have settled in and are enjoying it all.

I hope everyone keeps posting on here over the next few years, it would be nice to read how everyone is getting on.

When is your DS off to Birmingham @OnTheBenchOfDoom ?

Oops just noted you are Durham @OnTheBenchOfDoom 🙈

My ds had his second Covid jab last week and his flu one this week , I think he’ll be unimpressed if I suggest another jab.

Students are facing segregation by wealth

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/4d5343e6-1bdb-11ec-8d6d-67649e90fafa?shareToken=61e02d58b185dd33b876a1117558dce0

Hopefully this share token works for anyone wanting to read the Times article @olliepolly referred to up thread.

The headline doesn’t reference the main thrust of the article which is that universities have much greater responsibilities to shape students’ experiences than they do. Really interesting article - that anonymous blocks of modern self catering rooms lack the guidance, social structures and culture of more traditional university residence, while removing the support of being at home.

@Pumpkintopf

Students are facing segregation by wealth

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/4d5343e6-1bdb-11ec-8d6d-67649e90fafa?shareToken=61e02d58b185dd33b876a1117558dce0

Hopefully this share token works for anyone wanting to read the Times article @olliepolly referred to up thread.

Interesting, thanks for sharing, it was on another thread and I wanted to read it.

As someone with Italian roots, they certainly find our obsession with "going away" to university odd. Albeit my relatives live close to Bologna, an excellent university to have access to. Perhaps it is the Italians who are odd, in that they tend not to leave home until married, which these days can be well into their 30's. They still seem to function as adults though.

I'm not sure I agree with the wealth debate in halls either. Particularly this year, you basically end up where you end up, so almost regardless of what you can afford, you get what you are given. Although to be fair, this year (and last, and probably next) are certainly an anomoly. DD's six flat mates are a pretty diverse bunch, as diverse as you get at Exeter in any event. Oxford is perhaps the most egalitarian in living arrangements, in that you all get what you get, at the same price, usually on a ballot. Generally sharing bathrooms and toilets, and all dining together.

I do think some of these correspondents aren't terribly up to date with their views, experiences. Perhaps they ought to ask those that know!