Oxbridge 2023 support; it's offer month. Good luck all.

[Riverpebble]

New thread for the start of the Oxbridge offers.

I would advocate that a left field question has its place to differentiate between an Astar and A student. Otherwise the system limits students to thinking purely in a formulaic way and to have a low threshold for stress when faced with the unexpected.

Of course even for the most able students, there will be luck involved to have an exam that best showcases their talents and hard work and is marked in their favour. Which is why an A or a B should be regarded as a real achievement, especially for a subject like English.

No, I wasn't. This is an easy question. It sounds as if English is being taught 100 per cent to the test at many schools if someone can't see a way to answer what someone else said is a very open question. Which is a shame. If this is the successful Oxbridge group then any Oxbridge level candidate should be able to see how to answer that

We watched Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead recently - I still think of Tim Roth & Gary Oldman as stuck at this age if they are in a cast list.
The advice from the English Lit depart was to do GCSE Macbeth, even if you were bored of it and not attempt another question after watching Gnomeo & Juliet. I'm easily distracted so I'd have gone for Theatrical Hamlet whilst thinking of Richard Dreyfuss.

How's was paper 2 physics for DC. DS doesn't seem great about it.

Ah, that's a shame @yoyo1234 But, it's hard to tell. I think ds actually found it ok. The first further maths paper was annoying though as he must have poorly managed his time and missed a chunk off, which he feels he could have largely tackled.

DS said it was better than paper 1 and seems ok about it too.

My DS thought today's physics paper was good but he thinks that about everything and the result don't always agree.

I'm going to try not to worry (DH is very relaxed especially about Physics as DS is very understated with comments ) . He's half way through now (but exams he's most worried about-Compter Studues ,hasn't started yet).

@yoyo1234 my DS has computer science too next week. I’m also trying not to ask too much after every exam…..and that’s hard for me!! I usually just send a text if at work beforehand saying fingers crossed for good questions and a quick ok? Afterwards. He’s still got 6 exams to go, so around about half way through now or thereabouts too. It’s so hard to judge right now, time will tell come August. I’m trying to take a step back and let him just find his way through without too much stress. I know how you’re feeling!

Yep thumbs up for some left-field questions. I remember back to the days of Oxbridge entrance exam and pretty much every question was left-field designed to really weed out the best thinkers.

Just shocked at the difference in the student polls for the AQA vs Edexcel Alevel Physics paper today.

@Teriyakieverything in what way? Which boards appear to be tougher?DS is doing AQA.

@yoyo1234 From Student Room Polls 43% said AQA exam was terrible, whereas 52% said ‘Loved the exam’ of the EDEXCEL Physics 3 paper taken on the same day.

Apparently he said he answered all the questions and thought he was doing the right thing for almost everything so for DS that sounds really good. Physics is normally a strong subject for him so fingers crossed. I wish sometimes he seemed enthusiastic, I am going to be a wreck by results day (hiding it for DS)!

Is your DC AQA physics as well? Sorry forgot what subjects they want to read. DS is engineering.

@yoyo1234 yes, AQA physics, everyone found it tough, some missed questions and a few were in tears. It’s going to be a long wait until August. She’s doing NatSci.

She said she had a go at all the questions, but difficult to tell.

Over 30 years on, I still remember that sinking feeling when you read through the exam questions and sit there thinking wtf.

While my mind goes blank.

Is anyone else in the 'I can't dare to believe' phase. It is so hard to balance the belief in your own YP and then also temper that with 'just in case scenarios'. DD has filled out all the paperwork for her college. She is getting reminders to join the Facebook group for Freshers (she doesn't have a facebook account so this is a bit of a leap for her!) etc. It is all so geared upto 'you are definitely going' when there are no certainties.

DD has confided that she feels quietly confident, none of her exams went terribly, if anything she found they went better than expected and she only needs the one A star plus two As, but it is still the case of 'who knows?', especially with essay based exams. Some of her STEM friends have had nightmares with bizarre questions and she doesn't say to them she found hers ok as it wouldn't be helpful. It feels like a long wait until 17th August.

Yes , that me in the ‘I daren’t believe’ phase or I will jinx it. Although leaning more on the pessimistic, cautious side. So, we’ve decided she won’t fill in any college paperwork until after results day, and we will be looking at clearing options come 5 July.

@Teriyakieverything DD had to fill in all preliminary paperwork for her college by 15th June so no choice there, good luck to your DD. Is your Daughter doing IB or other type of exam, I ask as you mention 5th July?

thanks @PettsWoodParadise , she’s doing A levels. IIRC 5th July is when clearing opens in UCAS.

And you can see what courses are available under clearing.

Thanks for that @Teriyakieverything . I think DD is denial about any taking any decision or researching alternatives until results day. One Uni sent her a lovely letter about her application with a hot line to apply if things didn’t work out so she is keeping that to hand just in case. It is a bit like a secondary insurance. As she has that back up I think that is equivalent to her usual triple planning of everything.

I hope your DD doesn’t have to use her researched clearing options, I think this year there are so many unknowns and lack of benchmarks. For many of those applying to Oxbridge they are often highly organised and capable so any doubts have to be directed somewhere as it is just part of their nature.