Oxbridge Aspirants - Part 6

[HoneyMobster]

The offers are in but there is still a long way to go...

@CurlyhairedAssassin
@Panicmode1
@PermanentTemporary

Although, Juja, if she'd never tested in the first place, she wouldn't know she was positive and neither would the examiner or the school. Once people have run out of any tests they've got left at home, I just can't see many young people testing when they have a snotty nose, sore throat or a cough, not during the exam period anyway. If they're feeling well enough and not coughing everywhere then you can hardly blame them for going and sitting their exam., unaware if it's COVID or not. The government now is not recommending that children and young people test anyway. They should come to school if they are feeling well enough - that is the guidance.

Not at all @juja - completely understood it wasn't personal!

I think not testing is what most people will do - and is probably part of the government 'strategy' - if no one is testing, there is no covid therefore there is no need for any mitigation or planning around what happens during exam season....🙄

Yes @Panicmode1 it seems we move into semi anarchy due to the lack of clear governance and government. What a shower that individual external examiners can set the criteria for whether a pupil can sit an exam.

Our plan is that we will take DD to school and have informed them we expect her to be allowed to sit the exam as she is compliant with the guidance being more than 3 days since testing positive. In fact day 7 tomorrow.

Good luck to her @juja ! It's all becoming a bit real now....I have three in the house taking exams next week - DS2 (Year 9), DD (Year 12 - so important mocks for her predicted grades), and DS has one final A level FM 'mock' - which seems bonkers this close to the real things, but I guess it's all good practice at this point...I think DS3 (Year 7) and me will just hibernate and keep our heads down somewhere until they are all done 😂(DH is also super stressed as he's running a really big pitch for work...such fun)

Latest update on our Covid saga- school and exam board say DD can take the Oral A Level Spanish Exam tomorrow as she complies with all guidance (3 days post positive and she is Day 6 and now no symptoms...but external examiner hasn't yet agreed to examine her.

School isn't impressed and is going to escalate tomorrow morning if examiner continues to be tricky. Amazing - if you don't want to be exposed to Covid don't work in a school. And surely exam boards have back up examiners as there is a high chance that some languages examiners will get Covid.

How awful to have that stress and uncertainty on the day of an exam! Really hope it works out for her.

@Juja Fingers crossed for your DD!

@ladygrinningsoul @ProggyMat Thank you - yes all fingers and toes crossed but great the school are very much in her corner and ready to escalate. We don't want to be seen overtly as awkward as worried about examiner taking against her.

The briefing by the examiner will be in an hour - We should know more then.

Gosh I really feel for you and your DD @Juja . Sorry I have no idea about how things work in MFL. I know that in Music, wherever possible, if A level candidates have been Covid positive, the examiners have re-scheduled, even if that means coming back for just one candidate. I know this board is super-helpful anyway, but this really does seem to be going above & beyond.

If you run into any issues and want to PM me for info, please feel free.

Good luck to everyone else's DC. I remember this time very well; the feeling of helplessness and just wanting to get to results day to know where they will end up, but then not wishing my/their life away.

Hope your DD got to do her exam @Juja ?

DS is out for an 18th birthday tonight and a gig tomorrow....am not sure whether I'm glad he's having a bit of a break from the relentless revising or worried he's having 2 days off....!

@Panicmode1 @Malbecfan @ProggyMat @ladygrinningsoul Really appreciated all the good vibes from MN community today.

Good news - the Spanish oral exam happened and it went well DC thinks. The examiner was delightful and the book DC had chosen to talk about for the Independent Research Project was the examiner's favourite book (Like Water for Chocolate). So all good this evening. French Oral next week...

Good luck to everyone else's DC in their preparations and I'm sure @Panicmode1 your DS will benefit from a bit of time off revision.

@Juja Yay!!!

Great news Juja!

Ah, that's great news! Here's hoping the French goes well too.

That's great to hear @Juja! One thing out of the way, too.

Took DS2 to Bristol offer holders day today. Anyone else? He's going to firm Cambridge and insure Bristol.
For those of you invested in my two DSs' saga, a few hours after getting home, DS1 got the news that he has offers from Bath and Bristol too. 🙂 So DS1 has those two + Exeter. Fantastic news - at last! (just a bit ironic that we had to go to offers day today without him🤷‍♀️)

@kitnkaboodle that is brilliant news about DS1 - there have been so many of invested in and cheering him on. Such a shame he had to wait so long. Now he’ll have to decide which to accept! Has be a favourite?

@Juja and @kitnkaboodle huge CONGRATULATIONS!

@kitnkaboodle that is fantastic news!!! What an excellent set of institutions to choose from (former Exeter grad here!).

DS has firmed C and insured Bristol too (and he came back fizzing from the offer holder's day he went to - hope your DS did too!).

Morning all

quick question which I should probably know the answer to… does anyone know how and when Oxford colleges allocate their accommodation?
DS is at boarding school so contact is limited and he’s not at all organised, so slightly concerned he’ll miss deadlines… like officially accepting offers for example 🙄

@notonetojudge I was asking DS this too...it seems his college doesn't allocate accommodation until after results day (I guess term starts later and they know exactly who is coming by then).

My worry is if he goes to his insurance (Bristol), we will be scrabbling round for space as it does seem very tricky there....

@Notonetojudge My DS’ potential college also apparently gets in touch after results day. They then ask students which grade (from A star to D) accommodation they would prefer. The best rooms are obviously most expensive so they say there is often competition for the lower grades. The college then allocate the rooms accordingly and students are told which room they have got when they arrive (obviously!).
Accommodation tends to be very good value compared to many other universities’.The only downside is that most students have to take home all their belongings at the end of each term because the rooms are sublet for conferences.

@Panicmode1 we have similar worries about accommodation for my DS’ insurance, St Andrews. He needs to apply for it but I imagine the fact it is his insurance will understandably put him way down on the list. According to Mumsnet a lot of students lodge in Dundee, which I’m sure would still be fun, but very different to being in the town.

Thanks for that, it’s good to know we don’t have to think about it in a way.
ds isn’t considering his second choice so goodness knows what will happen if he doesn’t get in and has to re-think.
it’ll all be a bit late by then I suppose.

I can give you my experience from DC last year. College sent an email after results asking about lots of things - a 20 page letter pretty poorly put together which included request for accommodation preferences - all the same price in his college.

He failed to read the letter properly and ignored follow up emails until they emailed saying we are assuming you don’t want a room - that got him moving!
@Notonetojudge so after results worth going through any emails with them - helps also if they get their online student card etc before they go up.
DC2 college (offer holder) say accommodation is just allocated so lots of variety between colleges