Son (18) Distraught Over Results

[annelovesthebeach1975]

Hello everyone! I have been a longtime lurker of mumsnet for years now but today I have felt the need to finally make an account and post here, as my house has been plunged into chaos by the dreaded A Level results day. As the title says, my son has been absolutely distraught all day over the fact that his a level results were not what he wanted, and he got rejected by his dream uni, Newcastle University, and also his insurance choice, Birmingham. Although he only wanted to go to Newcastle so he doesn't really care about that. He received BCD although his predicted was AAB so obviously everyone was quite disappointed, but my son has taken it absolutely horrifically and it is breaking my heart. For some backstory, from when my son started lower sixth, his teachers helped students start looking for unis and courses during free periods at least once a week. From when my son began researching unis, he's only ever wanted to go to Newcastle University. When we went to the open day last year after he got his conditional offer he was hooked even further. He even knew what accomodation he wanted. He's a smart boy so I wasnt too worried about him getting in. However, after some of his exams he seemed quite unsure of himself, saying he didn't feel like he did a good job. I assumed this was just him overthinking it but now I believe the fact he didn't actually sit his GCSEs because of covid has had a negative effect on him since these were his first 'real exams.' He has been on the phone to clearing all day basically pleading for a biomed place at Newcastle and he has emailed them directly as well, although biomed and many other science courses are not clearing and his grades are much lower than the entry requirements so it has made things very difficult. I am putting on a brave face for him but on the inside I am heartbroken. This summer all he has talked about is what he's going to do when he goes to Newcastle, how excited he is, and how he's so excited for freshers week in newcastle. His eyes are red raw from crying in his room between contacting Newcastle over and over. He is not usually an emotional lad so this is very upsetting for me. I have contacted his sixth form for advice and they basically told me there is basically no chance he will find a biomed place at Newcastle with his grades, which were a shock to his teachers as they all thought he would breeze through his exams. It is looking like he will have to resit his a levels which while it is not the end of the world, it feels like it for my son when all his mates got into their unis, some Newcastle, and will be starting there next month. I am just looking for any advice on how to comfort him because I want him to know that I am there for him, and if there's any way I can get him a place at Newcastle on a science course that is biomed or similar.

OP I've no idea how I missed this when you first posted. What did your ds decide to do?

They've done the equivalent of 3 A levels in 8 months.

Access is seriously difficult. Harder than the first year of a degree and yes, 18 year olds can do them if they effed up their A levels.

This certainly isn't my experience of Access Courses.
DP did an Access to Electronic Engineering Course and was accepted into one of the most prestigious science universities.
I had my doubts that the preparation had been adequate. The maths on the Access course. for example, was nowhere near A-Level standard.
Unsurprisingly he couldn't cut it and had to leave the prestigious uni after the first year. It was quite a traumatic time. There were four students from his Access Course at the same Uni and none of them completed the first year.

Perhaps it's diffferent if you are planning a humanities degree but for sciences I would run a mile personally.

I forgot to say, even the college running the Access course, around the second term, started encouraging the students to apply for a BTEC at a former poly rather than a degree course. Says it all really. And by then they'd already invested a term!

I am a huge believer in multiple entry routes to HE. My Russell Group university began a partnership with a highly regarded Access programme during my term as an Admissions Tutor in a highly regarded STEM School. Sadly students from the Access course repeatedly proved unprepared for Y1 studies in our School. We eventually stopped admitting them directly.

This was just one Access programme, but a highly regarded one.

My friend did an access course and successfully completed a Psychology degree with a 2:1. I cannot see Stem degrees as being suitable for most access students but some courses definitely are. Any course requiring maths at A or B grade or any science like Physics or lChemistry is an issue for access courses and A level is better prep.

For some areas of study, an access course is access to HE. Not necessarily a degree. So why not BTec!? Yes. Takes a bit longer but that can lead to a degree.

Yes, I found access massively helpful. I did both a humanities degree and a STEM degree. Then an MSc.

I needed the access to get into uni. I had no qualifications at all. Access is harder tbh, it's fast paced. You get to uni and they want your first assignment at Xmas. It felt like a walk in the park and I credit my access learning with grades in the high 80s at uni. I could already reference. I could write academically. I could research and knew what credible sources were.

Maybe some access courses are just rubbish or a person isn't cut out for HE.

Kryztynaz, is it possible he just wasn't cut out for HE? It's not for everyone. Nothing to do with intelligence or capability, it just doesn't work for some people.

Not all courses are equal. It's like saying that all schools offer the same level of teaching provision. They don't.

Level 4 doesn't count towards your classification because it's understood that students need to adapt to a different way of learning. They've not learned to reference or write a certain way (generally) at school.

A GOOD access course does teach this.

Yes. But bright A level students get the hang of it pretty quickly. Why wouldn’t bright people be able to do this? They all manage it at Oxbridge.

I'm pretty sure one of DD's early lectures in her first year covered referencing. They had one just about plagiarism.

In any case DD had to reference for her geography NEA, so she was familiar with what was required.

Yes early lectures cover references and plagiarism etc...it's the whole point of the first year and why it doesn't count towards your classification.

Blimey, Tiger, Oxbride isn't the be all and end all. In fact, sit yourself down, this may come as a shock. MOST students, regardless of the uni they attend will grasp it.

I’m currently ploughing my way through about 400 ucas applications to decide who to offer places for next year (I’m a senior lecturer)

I always out of interest look at gcse grades and then obviously current study. The amount of people who got 4s and 5s at gcse or Cs and Ds if they’re older and are now doing access or btec and are predicted straight distinctions to give them the equivalent of BBB at a level is high. And I’m afraid I can’t believe someone with such gcse grades (maybe the odd person) would get BBB at a level. 🤷🏻‍♀️. Which makes me worry about the validity of the grades.

Some ex Access students are great, bright and hard working and breeze through the course, these are often mature students. But people who have done it younger as a A level alternative often struggle with the degree even though they have outstanding Access results.

That's interesting Coffeeboy, do you have any theories about why that might be?

@bottleofbeer
You don’t get irony then?! Never mind!

No, I'm thick

@annelovesthebeach1975 I’m interested in what your son decided to do. Mine has just started university October, after a year at home. It was the making of him. He is home now for the Christmas break. He spent a week with his mates from his secondary school at at another university before coming home. We and he have no regrets he took the year out.
It’s amazing what difference a year can make

@annelovesthebeach1975 Hello I've just stumbled on this thread while looking for support for my DD who is going through similar this year. How did your DS do in his resits? I hope he's got what he needed and has a Uni place for this year? I keep telling my DD working life is long and there is no rush to get through education. There is no wrong path in life. I hope your DS enjoyed his gap year?

My son is currently going into 2nd year at Newcastle doing bio med. He did meet his offer but was disappointed that he didn’t reach his expected grades. He did not get to sit GCSEs and half his first year of sixth form was online or cancelled due to covid. Teachers were surprised my son and others dropped grades. I think my son just struggled due to lack of major exam experience as when he gets nervous he can waffle on.

I feel for your son. Northumbria would be a good alternative as same city and they offer foundation year if needed so even if cannot go straight into the biomed degree could start with that. My son loves living in Newcastle as always something to do
and obv there is the party atmosphere there, plus many arts places and quick and easy to get to the coast. Accommodation is much cheaper than down south too. I would get him to look at Northumbria and least then he’s in same city doing same course he wanted.

That’s a shame, time will help but I know it must be hard now. I also think kids will have been affected by no formal exam experience, some kids in Scotland missed out on 2 lots of exams. I remember saying to my son no matter how hard you study or how confident you are or the amount of mocks nothing prepares you for walking into that exam hall and knowing this is it

How is your DS finding his course @alphabetti?
DD graduated with a degree in biomed from Newcastle last year.

Interesting to hear that quite a few posters have children with "shock" results. My son was predicted ABB but got CDD. Thankfully he has an unconditional offer, so not a massive problem, but he is so disappointed in himself and very upset.

There is also a massive element of luck. Everyone- even the best, hardest-working student - has some topics that they are stronger on in exams. If those come up, you do better than if they don’t, but it’s luck.

Hi everyone, I’m not a mum but I came across this thread online a year ago when I didn’t get the A level results I hoped for and was rejected from University of Manchester. I resat biology and chemistry. I spent the year working, and revising whilst staying with my nan. I reapplied and firmed Newcastle University integrated masters biomed. On thursday my place was confirmed!!!! All I can say is, if anyone needs to try again, you totally can! It will not delay you, it’s equivalent to just taking a year out and that’s so normal. Take it as an opportunity to grow mentally too, and also i found revision on my own and not attending sixth form so much better, I could just focus and keep my head down. It is not the end of the world- lots of people resitting this year as grade boundaries were ridiculous. There are also so many other options through clearing, but i was dead set on a Russel group uni, and if you are too, go for it!

Also just working on getting over the rejection, has set me up for life. Use it as an opportunity to grow mentally. In the end i said, even if i get rejected this time, I am still happy I took this year to get to the mental state I am at.

Some courses do want all A levels in one sitting so always read the small print.