University 2019/20 intake: Gearing up to graduation (for some but not all)

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

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DD has always had her university exam results by email.

So have my DC. But do they still do that at Oxbridge?
We know someone our DDs age who knew he was second in his subject, so they must have been ranked?

Dd gets them by email. I had mine printed out with everyone else’s, on reams of paper pinned underneath ‘the arches’. It was tiny font and you felt you needed the reassurance of a long ruler to read across!

At A Level my horrendous sixth form teachers pinned everyone’s A Level grades up on a big sheet so everyone could laugh at you as you scrambled to see what you got.

Once upon a time it was usual to publish results in the papers. Pretty sure that Oxbridge ones were in The Times many moons ago?

@LouisCatorze cerysinly law school results were printed in The Times - we gathered in Trafalgar Square at midnight for the first edition! I was at Cambridge and results were pinned up on very public notice boards outside the Senate House by rank order - brutal!

@VanCleefArpels, yes maybe I'm getting confused. I do recall coming across a few people I knew in various Times' published results/promotion lists, as well as an old school friend's engagement!

Imagine the days when you'd sooner find out your results via a national newspaper than any other means! Crazy!

I was reading an interesting thread on the WIWIKAU Facebook page today about some schools being closed tomorrow, so the students aren't able to sit their A level economics exam. It is a Jewish holiday, so the parents of students at Jewish schools will have to supervise them and make sure they don't access any social media because they will sit the exam that everyone else is sitting tomorrow on Tuesday.

I had no idea that this was allowed. I thought exam boards would have had to take this into account when setting exam timetables. Do they do this if Eid falls during GCSEs and A levels? Or any other religious or cultural holidays?

Interesting. Seems a big ask of parents to ask them to ensure that the students do not get any access to any information about the exam. Some parents will definitely do this better than others. Seems somewhat unfair.

I know that with IB that exams often fall on the first May Bank Holiday and schools will open in the UK to facilitate this. Not a religious or cultural festival, but somewhat analogous.

DD has finished her exams now. All done online at home. It's been stressful at times but she's kept smiling. "Horrific" was how one of her physics 24hr exams was described by other students. And she ended up with two 24hr exams back to back.
Anyway given that 12m ago we didn't think she'd be well enough to start year 3 I'm delighted she's sat every exam. She's going back tomorrow to enjoy some down time and socialising.

@Ingles2 I think our DC are doing the same course. Hope your DS has a better 4th year. DD has found the department really supportive over the past year.

Good luck to all the DC finishing off their exams.

ha! @chocolatenutcase how funny... but it certainly sounds like it from the sound of the horrific exam .. What college is she? Ds2 is Hild Bede and lives on Gilesgate... I wish he would ask for some help, but I'm not sure he's going to.. he rather go under the radar if possible. I also wish he had a few more friends.. I think it's been quite a lonely year.

@Ingles2 she's John's but has been living out this year- between home and Uni. She's living out next year - I think up near Gilesgate. PM me if you want to pick my brains about support. It's been a tough year or so but I can't fault the Uni support.

My law finals (post grad) late July exams were published in November in The Times (with name but no grades) and the local paper which published all from the North including the name of your home city and name.

For my degree finals I gave my tutor a self addressed stamped post card and he posted it with the grade on (2 (i)) but not marks for individual subjects.

My twins just log on - much easier although no point logging on the minute the results are out as everyone is and it is clogged up so they tend to wait a little bit.

DD is having a bad fatigue day, and has a 48 hour exam starting after lunch 🙁

Oh no @RampantIvy Can your DD pace herself and start later on? My DD had two 24 hr exams back to back. She uploaded answers to the first one at 9,30am, opened the next one but went to sleep for a few hours as she was so tired from the first (horrific) one.

It will all soon be over.

@chocolatenutcase and @RampantIvy that sounds hard going - they are doing well! It’ll soon be over.

I think DS is finding the end of exams something of an anti-climax/comedown. But he has a busy week ahead, including the £££ ball!

Good luck to your DD @RampantIvy. That sounds like a mighty challenge for any student, let alone one with health issues!

Thank you. The stress isn't helping. Just one more after this, then party time.

@RampantIvy fingers crossed for her. Luckily Dd hasn’t had any of these long two day exams - they sound a bit hellish. Is she at home? Can you feed her lots of slow release energy stuff like porridge to keep her going?

Nearly-graduated Dd is currently on zoom chatting gently through A Level revision with Dd2. My poor Dd2 is having lots of problems brain-injury wise this week so the invigilators have instructions on how to deal with her seizures. 3 long A Level exams in 4 days. Then more next week. It feels a bit inhumane.

@RampantIvy Dd2 just had a go at me for suggesting a porridge breakfast tomorrow to keep her going! I retract my humble advice as it obviously doesn’t work 😂

DD's issues are nothing compared to your DD2 @ZandathePanda. I hope she manages to navigate successfully through A levels. It's such a worry isn't it.

DD is in Newcastle. Some of her exams are in person, and she can't afford the travelling time to be going backwards and forwards between home and university. Besides, she is finding that she gets a lot of revision work done in the library.

@RampantIvy tip if the Robinson is getting too busy - Dd found some excellent quiet little booths in the top of the Student Union.

I'm not sure whoch library she uses. She gets the metro to Jesmond. She says that biomed seems to be the last to finish so the library isn't very busy now.

She’ll be in the Robinson I think. Lovely atmosphere when not busy. I don’t know any others still working either now except biomed. I am sure our Dds have friends in common!

I don't often post, but it's been great following all your posts over the years, including pre uni. I can't believe it's nearly the end of their education for so many of them.

DD still loving her year abroad. She'll come back to UK to finish her fourth year in August. After uni, she plans to get a job. If it's connected to her uni studies, she'll probably stick at it. If it's a shop job/similar, her plan is to earn money for a year and then either go travelling or do a masters (apparently there's a good course an hour from home, her UK uni is 660 miles away, so I like the sound of the course already!).

Who else has DCs with another year to go?

@ifonly4 my DD is doing 4 years. Lots of her friends have had a year abroad so are back for a 4th year

@RampantIvy how is your DD doing today?