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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Oxbridge Aspirants - Part 6

504 replies

HoneyMobster · 26/01/2022 14:58

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

@CurlyhairedAssassin
@Panicmode1
@PermanentTemporary

OP posts:
HewasH2O · 13/08/2022 09:15

When your DC have their places confirmed, please suggest that they give their College permission to share their details with students. Each Oxford college has a parenting system where 1st years are allocated 2 or 3 parents in the year above, at least 1 usually takes their subject. I assume Cambridfe does the same. They will only be allocated parents if they have given permission. Their parents will usually be in touch 2-3 weeks later to say hi. There are usually family events in freshers week. The freshers will then get "married" themselves in their first year & so it goes on.

Malbecfan · 13/08/2022 11:40

@HewasH2O you are correct about Cambridge also having college parents. From memory, this happened pretty quickly after DD's place was confirmed. There was also a local event in our nearest city (10 miles from home) where alumni from Cambridge invited freshers-to-be round as a group. DD went a couple of years later as a current student to welcome newbies.

To those of you entering the final wait, a cautionary tale for your DC. One of my students last year achieved the grades he needed for his firm choice (RG). Great! Except dozy student ignored the bottom of the email from said uni asking him to confirm that he was taking up the place. Only after talking to some school friends a couple of weeks later did he realise what he should have done, by which time he had missed the deadline. He rang up and was told "sorry, your place has gone to someone else".

There is a happy ending: dozy student decided to take a gap year and apply to Cambridge. He took the entrance tests, was interviewed and offered a place and because there are no resits needed, he's going in October, having worked in retail and then managing a section and earning good money. I'm really happy for him as he is an absolute delight, but it was a scary lesson for him.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 16/08/2022 05:01

Hi all, just a quick one as I should be asleep as working tomorrow but still jetlagged from a fantastic 3 week family trip to California. while I’m lying here unable to sleep I suddenly thought of this thread and checked it out. Congrats to those who have already heard.

yes,@kitnkaboodle and @Panicmode1 , my DS needs an A star in FM and physics. He was exactly like your sons, overall happy and relaxed about how he did but knows he made a couple of daft mistakes.

After reading what Ofqual said in the media yesterday about a lot of students being disappointed this year, even the most able,, I’m a little bit worried. They don’t have any REAL idea of their own ability in exams, having never sat them before! Hopefully all will be ok as we weren’t able to go to the 2 opportunities for open days at plan B, Southampton, so he hasn’t got any sense of how that “backup” could actually be a very good and appealing one. He never shows his feelings but has said he will be “very sad” if he misses his grades.

oh well. Not long to wait now!!

Panicmode1 · 16/08/2022 05:48

Oh wow @curlyhairedassassin that sounds like an awesome holiday. (I spent my gap year travelling through the States and the west coast was my favourite part!).

Yes, I'm nervous too about the news stories...one in 8 missing out is high. But am trying to stay positive and he's happy with his insurance of Bristol (though finding accommodation will be hard I think).

Good luck to everyone for Thursday.

PermanentTemporary · 16/08/2022 06:46

Oh snap Panicmode, Bristol is ds's insurance too. He's only just registered for the accommodation portal - going to be a scramble!

Panicmode1 · 16/08/2022 07:34

I wasn't that impressed with the Bristol portal - it is (deliberately?) obfuscatory for insurance holders I thought. It said you could register from the 1st August - but what they actually meant was set up an account, and then apply from the 19th August?!

Luckily my brother is a surgeon in Bristol, so DS won't be homeless, but I think finding something is going to be tricky if that's the route we have to go down!

PermanentTemporary · 16/08/2022 07:35

Oh blimey. Oh well. I don't know anyone in Bristol - though ds's school was given contextual offers there so he'll have a few friends going...

Panicmode1 · 16/08/2022 07:39

It would only be very temporary as he's moving to Sheffield to do a fellowship later in the autumn, but DS would have a floor to camp on (or perhaps a bed if DBro is feeling generous 😉) - I think there are a few heading there from school too. I'm sure it will all work out if it has to, but it did sound v stressful last year for insurance offers, and DS said "I don't want to live in Bath with a bunch of randoms" . I gently explained that wherever he goes to university, there are going to be a lot of 'randoms' to get used to/meet 😂

kitnkaboodle · 16/08/2022 14:37

Hi all
I am returning to the fold as well! After 6 pleasant weeks of DSs doing very little and being chilled, I am now starting to feel sick to my stomach 🤢. We have rather been treating DS2's Cambridge offer as a bit of a done deal, while trying always to say 'IF you go to Cambridge' rather than 'when', which would have been a huge risk. Gosh - thanks for the heads up about the Bristol accommodation portal, although I realise it is just registration at this point for insurers. I must get DS to do that tonight or tomorrow. That will be an awkward conversation!!

PermanentTemporary · 16/08/2022 20:51

I think you could do it on the evening of the 18th if necessary. I'm trying to think of it as a starting point for shifting focus...

petitebleu · 17/08/2022 09:41

DS is keeping reasonably calm about tomorrow. I am ridiculously nervous. The relief when we know will be huge.

Good luck everybody.

Juja · 17/08/2022 10:07

Ditto @petitebleu - only one more sleep - or one more 'not sleep'

Do hope everyone receives what they are hoping for... I saw on UCAS website it is only updating Track at 0815 - we can log onto school site at 0800.

www.ucas.com/advisers/guides-and-resources/adviser-news/news/results-day-reminders-advisers

mumsneedwine · 17/08/2022 10:12

Good luck everyone. Just a thing. UCAS will undoubtedly crash at 8.15 so don't panic. Give it a few minutes and try again.

Malbecfan · 17/08/2022 10:13

I hope everyone's day is not too bad today, and that tomorrow brings great news. It's now 5 years ago, but UCAS track had confirmed DD's C place by just after 7.30, so it took all the pressure off going to collect her results. I'll be thinking of you - if you have any questions about "what next" when places are confirmed, I'm very happy to help if I can.

kitnkaboodle · 17/08/2022 14:11

Well, two new developments here! DS2 has covid so can't go in to get his results tomorrow. Currently trying to nominate someone's else, otherwise he'll have to wait until 11am for actual results to be emailed .... I know he can get his UCAS status before then. Second thing is that he's now not sure about Bristol as his insurance 🤨😵. So if tomorrow doesn't bring a place at Cambridge he might take a year out. I've advised him to accept Bristol anyway then take a while longer to assess his options ... DS1 has already been at home 2 years post-18. They will never leave home!! 🤣

goodbyestranger · 17/08/2022 14:22

mumsneedwine possibly correct at 8.15 but all of my many DC have logged in at 7.15 or thereabouts and got their decisions minutes later. Never crashed for any of them that early

mumsneedwine · 17/08/2022 14:47

It's 8.15m this year. Damn thing always crashes as it opens - be nice if they've sorted it out this year 😊

mumsneedwine · 17/08/2022 14:47

@kitnkaboodle if it's any help at all my DD loves Bristol. She's having a great time (comp kid doing vet med).

kitnkaboodle · 17/08/2022 15:20

Oh yes @mumsneedwine I'm sure it's fab and it's local to us too. I think he's just suddenly being confronted with the reality of tomorrow and feeling jittery.

mumsneedwine · 17/08/2022 15:22

@kitnkaboodle 😊. It's a tough night this one. Not sure I slept before either mines A levels. Hopefully he won't need to make that decision tomorrow 🤞🤞.

goodbyestranger · 17/08/2022 16:04

mumsneedwine my point was that the DC always went on an hour or three quarters of an hour the published time and always got on fine

goodbyestranger · 17/08/2022 16:05

By which I meant an hour or so before the published time

goodbyestranger · 17/08/2022 16:07

They had a 100% strike rate (the oldest of the eight chose not to see the update ahead of going to school so in fact my sample is 7/7 not 8/8

goodbyestranger · 17/08/2022 16:08

)

Spag not great typing on a phone in deep Provence

mumsneedwine · 17/08/2022 16:09

Not been able to do that for a v long time. UCAS is embargoed until official opening time. Schools can give out earlier but no one has been able to see their Uni place until the same time. Must be like that for over 5 years. Why the stupid thing always crashes.