Countdown to A level results day - 2023

[HereWeGo2023]

Following on from the A level support thread I thought I would create one for results day.
Hopefully you will all join me for the long nail biting wait and the big day at the end of it!

Quite chilled today actually!

Think I'll take a break from this thread though.

It's morphing into something other than a 'support' thread. Not useful.

Ill just leave you all with my conviction that actually getting this far is an achievement of both parents and young people, as the Principal of the College said that DD received an offer from.

Go well.

we have all been on this rollercoaster for a long time now.
Part of me is wishing results day would just come around, the other part is happy that DD is enjoying relaxing with nothing to do and wants it to last forever.
I don’t think it matters if they need an A star or whatever grade, if it’s what they need for their firm then no one’s grade it more important than another’s.
I hope we can all carry on supporting each other for the next few weeks and the big day itself.
I think a follow on thread for 2023 freshers is a great idea. I’m happy to make one once we get there if that’s ok with everyone.
hope you all have a great weekend :)

I'm still finding this thread useful. In my friendship group (ugh) their kids are older (I have an older son who didn't do A levels), and the one with an 18 year old didn't do A levels either, so there's no one I can wait/celebrate/commiserate with! I am new to this exam based structure so the info on her has been invaluable.
I think everyone has issues - few families live a charmed life. My children lost their Dad at 4 and 6 - it has been a hard road. My daughter is not reliant on results, as she is going to art school where portfolio counts more, but she has self imposed pressure on herself - she worked hard these last few years and as she says, as she is at a private school and had no real disruption to even her GCSE schoolwork she has no reason not to do well. For her, being diagnosed with MS in April after having symptoms during her mocks was a blow.
Anyway, let's pack in what we can for the rest of the summer and hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and take joy in each others' child's journey.

I'm definitely not wishing the time away - this is probably the last summer both of my sons will be fully immersed in family life, as my older one is heading into his third year at uni and has found what seems like a pretty serious relationship with a very impressive young woman. I'm enjoying one last summer of watching them laze around and not worry too much about life. Results day will come and will bring good or bad news - I will definitely start to worry about a week beforehand but at the moment am finding it reasonably easy to not stress about it too much.

Sorry to those of you who've had a crappy ride recently. I'm always brought back down to earth by a good friend of mine whose child has a serious developmental condition and will never live independently, or take A Levels, or have a job. She's proud as punch of her child, and she's quite right to be, and I'm sure parents whose DC have serious developmental conditions are fed up with being a comparator for parents like me, but it does always remind me that being alive and in reasonable health is bloody good luck in itself. Everything else is gravy.

I'm another with dc who have taken quite different paths in life. Dd1, who is autistic, got 2 Es and a U at A-level last year (unsurprising as she didn't go into school for the whole of year 13 and did no revision). She has had a 'year off' having any expectations put on her and it seems to have worked because she has now signed up for an OU Foundation course in Social Sciences with very little prompting from anyone.

Dd2 has restored herself, personally and academically, after an atrocious lockdown and year 10/11 when she was seriously ill with anorexia.

Believe me, I am taking nothing for granted, and wishing nothing away.

Really sorry to hear about your dc dad @mondaytosunday , a friend's DH died when her dc were the same ages (both girls, so not you!), life is so bloody unfair .

Definitely up for a freshers thread, if we are lucky enough to be in that position.

Thank you @KittyMcKitty for your very measured post.

Like our dc, we all have different stress levels about the results. Let's hope it goes as well as it can for all of them; they've been through the most extraordinary school journey. I'm grateful that I'm not quite so maxed out with work now as I was during the first lockdown. I couldn't help ds as much as he needed (although did turn one team meeting into a discussion of a Robert Frost poem he was studying, I seem to recall!).

Look after yourself @Forestfriendlygarden you sound like s lovely person and wonderful mum. Your daughter is lucky to have you.

I too am taking a break from this thread x

Haven't posted much lately as all seems stressed here at home, but can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! DD had a 'summer school' at her firm choice Uni. The usual anxiety but she enjoyed it and made some friends who all being well she will meet again in September. Then she had a major meltdown about the exams. Let's just say a very bad night with alcohol! Understanding, love and telling off from me and her Auntie who she has a great relationship with. She has a clarinet exam tomorrow. It broke on Thursday, have just come back after a 2hundred mile round trip journey to the repair shop. All good now and I can hear here practising ready for tomorrow. Then we can finally relax. She goes on holiday to the Algarve day after her 18 in a few days time. Driving test and then results!

And I bought a saxophone today! Don't know how to play it and I think DD thinks I having a midlife crisis. Now need to look for sax teacher 😀
Hoping you are all having a happy Saturday too

A saxophone is a great mid-life crisis present to yourself @Lowther . I love that you bought it despite not knowing how to play it or how to learn to play it - all of these are details which will work out over time!

dd2 has been busy this pm with the pre-entry assignment Leeds has sent her to complete. She turned up to work to find they'd messed the rota up and she wasn't actually in for her normal shift, so she's had a bonus day to spend on it.

She has hopes that she has done well enough to get the grades she needs, but it's always a bit of an unknown.

DD1 was a high flier, told she was oxbridge material. Actually interviewed and was given an offer. I'm never forgetting results day when she did really well, but broke her heart because she 'only' got 2 x A and 2 x B. She got into her firmed uni (but missed out on the contextual offer from Cambridge) but then covid came as did anxiety over final year exams and she nearly bombed out, not getting the grade of degree she wanted AT ALL after having to resubmit her dissertation. It is hard seeing and trying to support them when they are so disappointed with things. She's working now and in a much better place about it all, but still disappointed with herself.

DD2 has always been a bit less full-on in terms of studying and demanding perfection of herself, so I hope she won't break her heart on results day too!

@DrMadelineMaxwell DD1 was similar as your DD1, applied to Oxford. She got to interview stage and fluffed up having too many prompts on a maths question and that was the end of that. She studies at Lancaster and had a stellar first year despite covid restrictions, then 2nd year came and she had the worst year which showed in her results. It was a hard long slog to come back and after year 3, shes had 2 thirds of her results back (marking boycott) and shes done extremely well. Hopefully that last third does not let her down so she can get into 4th year as she needs a 2:1 to progress.

DD2 She recognises shes not an A* student, but has chosen unis which reflects her estimated grades at Reading/Chester. And when studying for the exams she was not as full on as DD1 was and was more relaxed about it. I hope she gets the grades she needs as she loves both those unis.

I think everyone’s journey is completely different and we all need to be mindful of each other, it’s a very stressful time. I’m very grateful for this thread as I can’t talk to my best friend about a-levels, results day or University. Her son who was the same age as my DS died 2 years ago from a brain tumour. They were friends from when they first started reception. Every single first for my DS, GCSE results, starting a levels, driving test, prom, a level results and then hopefully university is a constant reminder that he isn’t here anymore and she finds it incredibly hard as you can imagine.

My DS has been on holiday with his girlfriend and been camping this weekend as well. Busy working lots but he says he feels really weird like he should be doing something else!! I’ve actually blocked results day out of my mind, can’t change anything now so no point worrying until the time comes. Not even getting anything for him to take until I know whether or not he is actually going!

@mrsconradfisher so sorry for the loss of your friend’s son. I can’t imagine the agony of experiencing that sort of loss.

A forum like this is an outlet for many who can’t share IRL. My parents have passed, none of my friend’s DCs are doing the Uni route, the director in my department has a son who got turned down from the same Uni DD has an offer from and so work is tense and can’t even mention it there (there is a bit of how dare the hoi polloi get a place but not my son going on) so it is lovely to have a place to experience the journey positively with others. DD doesn’t know what she wants to do yet and so we’ve said to enjoy the journey and grab hold of all the learning opportunities on the way, good and bad. We grow with both types of experience, just don’t want tooooo many of the bad ones of course.

DD just did her last evening on Friday with her Brownie pack where she has been a young leader for the last four years. A few tears. Some promises of guest appearances when home from Uni. Lots of love shared.

the director in my department has a son who got turned down from the same Uni DD has an offer from and so work is tense

That's ridiculous behaviour from the director. Will you be expected to be silent on results day?

Thank you @BeaBachinasec i changed jobs a short while ago, my old team grew up with DD, my new job I am the interloper. I am off on results day and the day after. So yes I expect my DD’s success to be a non-work conversation.I will wear a college pin on my lanyard and that will be about it. My old colleagues I am still on a social chat and they are more ‘friends’ than colleagues and cheering DD on. As I do their DC. Each ‘room’ has its different audience and experience.

@mrsconradfisher sorry to hear what happened with your friends son. That cant be easy for you when your DS is experiencing his firsts and you cannot share with your friend. Its nice to have forums like this where you can share things x
You are right about everyones journey is different. Im not what to feel about results day. We missed it with DD1 with it being no exams and the algorithm grades controversy; and now this year with DD2 A'levels it's all new.

One calendar month to go…….

DS is enjoying the downtime although now starting to apply for jobs so a different sort of pressure. Results have faded into the background for now.

I am not talking about results at all - just thinking about them a lot. I purchased a University hoodie of my DD's first choice Uni which I intend to give her on the morning of her results if (and when) she makes her grades. I want her to know that I've always believed in her and that I knew she could do it. If it all goes wrong I'll throw it away, celebrate her insurance choice and never speak of it!

This morning dd announced that she and all her friends would be putting their phones on airplane mode on the morning of the 17th and all collecting their envelopes together from school, olden days style. I just hope they'll all be happy with their results...

I want her to know that I've always believed in her and that I knew she could do it. If it all goes wrong I'll throw it away, celebrate her insurance choice and never speak of it!

🤣
I like your style!

I agree @HappySonHappyMum I think this is a really great idea. I’m tempted to do the same but dd is so adamant she won’t have made her firm and I feel uncharacteristically superstitious and worried about tempting fate!

@KittyMcKitty I bought a couple of saucepans because they were in the sale at the weekend. Up until that point I had bought nothing because I am worrying about jinxing the whole thing but then I thought it's me that will of jinxed things not my DD and I can just blame myself! It's so ridiculous - so much worse than when I was waiting for my own results a hundred million years ago!!

This is a great idea, @ZittiEBuoni . I assume (but can't remember) that in ye olden days we would get our results and then maybe a letter through the post some days after from the uni saying whether or not we had our places? I feel like I might have phoned up on results day.

Oh, I like the hoodie idea - genius

I was on holiday with my parents in Greece on results day (late '80s). I didn't pick up my results until we got back a week later - I think they'd been posted to our house. Zero stressing all round. I think it must just have been a great deal less competitive then? Was there an assumption that you'd probably be ok if you missed a grade or two? I don't remember ever thinking about it. Maybe I was just complacent.