OR 22 - Edinburgh, Warwick, St A, UCL, Durham, Nottingham, Bath and more

[Valleyofthedollymix]

Following on from the Oxbridge rejects thread but I've got rid of those two words. I for one am interested to know where they all end up and when Durham might finally deign to reject/offer DS...

I suppose it's better, but not much!

Wow the board is quiet....where've you all gone?

Well DD is now half way through her exams and touch wood they seem to be going well. Had Politics today and said she was thrilled to see two questions she had studied hard on. Has any of your dc had any nasty papers yet or have the exam boards just been kinder to them this year with COVID?

Hope you're all well

TWAT xx

It seems weird having exams after the cancelled GCSEs. My son also thought politics was a pretty fair paper, and the same for the economics and geography exams.

Although I gather Maths was rather a challenge for his friends.

Yes I had heard the Maths paper was brutal too. Fortunately for English lit, History & Politics DD hasn't had any nasty surprises so far. Hope it continues for the last few 🙏🏻

Me too. Although I can't help but think you have to have one awful paper as a minimum.

DS has done 3 out of 11, number 4 tomorrow. 1st paper was 3.5 hours of further maths as he has extra time. He said he looked at the first 3 questions, thought WTF and left them until later, pleased he didn’t panic.

Physics had questions that weren’t on the advanced information but he had forgotten and had looked over it so that helped. Maths was ok he said but he wasn’t doing the board that everyone said was awful. Really looking forward to it being over.

In the thick of exams here too but the end is is in sight on 22nd June .. it's been such a long slog for them all .. I'm hoping we can put any worries about how she's actually done behind her and us .

DD started out measured and calm after the first 3rd of papers. Bit of a dip after the middle third. Hopefully next week’s three will be fine. She only needs three As for her offer, and if the grade boundaries are a little more generous than 2019, I have reasonable hope that she will pull through.

Dd needs AAB to meet her offer so fingers crossed - she's never got a B and will be (in her words) devastated if she did 😂 She has History this morning and isn't looking forward to it.

Good luck to all not long to go now

DS needs A star AA and as he hasn’t been well I’m not sure how it will go but hopefully ok. His lowest offer was AAB so that is his insurance to take the pressure off.

Honestly my boy tells me very little so left to intuit from his demeanour but he seems cheery enough. Micro Economics was apparently a bit of a weird one. Rest apparently ok. Six down three to go.

Several of my DS' exams were so tough apparently half the class was in tears. I have another whining thread. FM paper 1 and 2 were dire. ( OCR). He needs Astar AA. Praying for generous boundaries.

DD came home buoyant from the history exam. Apparently she studied the right material, even though she ran out of time (she always runs out of time.)

I think having not done GSCEs, it all feels so unpredictable - I don't have any faith in DS's ability to pull through because I didn't see him do this two years ago. Plus he cocked up a geography paper in exactly the same way that he cocked up the same paper in his mock. Sigh.

Even on a wider level, schools don't have two years of exam experience either - the so and so was getting these marks and ended up with this result type of knowledge. I'm sure those who deserve to do well will do so as much as they do any other year it just feels less knowable.

@CaliforniaDrumming that sounds awful. DS has a horribly high offer too and no insurance so I absolutely feel you.

DS is doing OCR further maths. I thought he had only done one paper though. WJEC physics today he said wasn't great. Am totally with you on hoping for generous grade boundaries.

My DD has five down, four to go. She does get extra time as she's dyslexic and needed it for the Philosophy paper of RE.

You are right.He does Maths and FM so I am constantly confused. Especially as he is the silent sort.

He just got back from doing OCR Physics which was apparently OK, which means good in boyspeak.

@fishingeagle All the best to you. DS does have an insurance but he is not too keen on it.

DD has an insurance at AAB, but she says she won’t go there. She will just take a gap year.

if push comes to shove, I hope she would be more equanimable. (Did I just make up a word?)

@Stockpot if you did make up a word it's a good one ..

Been a mixed bag so far for DD.

English language paper 1 good but felt rushed at the end so thinks dropped marks. Maths paper 1 tricky in bits but thinks oddly enough picked up unexpected marks on some harder questions. Though the rhombus question annoyed her. 2nd English paper was good.

Biology paper shecwas happy with. She needs AAB or ABB.

My DD seems to be a terrible judge of her own performance. She’s come home in tears over mocks and final exams that were quite good when the grades came back. She’s also been surprised with low marks for exams where she thought she had nailed because she didn’t answer the question asked!

We won’t really know to till grades are announced. I’m just happy when she seems calm and on an even keel.

@Stockpot My Dd is very similar especially with English lit, we've had floods of tears before now and it has been fine.

History wasn't so good yesterday questions that weren't on the advanced info. A particularly tricky one about Kennedy and the space mission. She managed it but not in the detail she would've felt happy with. Dd insurance for Notts is ABB and she would go but will be gutted if she didn't meet her Bath offer.

She is off to Majorca the day after her last exam and it's the only thing she is focusing on!

I’m crossing my fingers for them both @TangoWhiskyAlphaTango !

DD is off to Portugal with ten friends the day after. I’m amazed any Air B&B owner will rent to them.

@Phphion this is the most thoughtful and helpful thing I’ve ever read about personal statements - thank you very much for taking the time to write it.