Page 25 | A levels 2023 - Results day and beyond

HereWeGo2023 · 2023-08-17T05:47:35+00:00

Hi all. I thought I’d make a new thread as the countdown one is filling up. Results day is here and I’m sure we will all value each others support, today and for the next stage of their journeys.

LanadelSlay · 17/08/2023 20:09

My heart goes out to everyone who didn’t get their results they were hoping for today, it sounds like it’s been an absolute stinker of a year.

Congratulations to all the parents and DC who have shown so much resilience - it will all work out fine in the end but it’s undoubtedly been very hard for many

Busybeemumm · 17/08/2023 20:11

How lucky are all your kids to have this support from you. I remember getting my A level results and going though clearing an despite getting good grades (ABB) ended up at a horrible university and had the worst time wishing I had taken a gap year. Good luck to all and aim high.

Ohhelpicantthinkofaname · 17/08/2023 20:18

SlightlyJaded · 17/08/2023 17:17

Just checking in again. Well done to those who got what they needed, but especially those who have been resilient and navigated a way through clearing to something they are happy with. So hard to keep going!

Update to our SHOCKER of a day: Still both completely blind-sided by results. Have decided to go ahead with a Geog re-mark, but even this won't really salvage DD's situation.

I have had to stop myself blubbing whilst listing to DD on the phone to various Uni clearing offices - knowing full well she is now punching to get on courses she didn't think she would have to consider. She is being so fucking brave and resilient that she is putting me to shame. A few are considering her application and we will now have to wait and see. She can't really make any decision at the moment because there is pretty much nothing on the table.

I don't know what will happen but I will keep you all posted just because it might be helpful to someone else in our position next year. We are talking about a really bright girl who scored among the highest SATS in her outstanding primary, got 8s and 9s at GCSE, got an A on the one bit of coursework she handed in (Geog), was predicted A AA and came out of her exams quite content with what she had done. If she can get a CCD - then honesty, I think it can happen to anyone. All that given just for context, not because I think she is amazing or anything. It's just such shock and a punch in the gut.

But anyway..., Onwards and I will keep you posted for reasons stated above.

You dd sounds amazing. She should be so proud of her self with her resilience.

we have had a similar situation here today. Like your dd, dd1 is a bright kid. She did really well all through primary, high stats, all 7-9 at gcse. Predicted AAA. The exam stress really got to her and she was quite ill all through exam season. She came out with bbc and missed her offer at her first choice uni. the college are going to request one of her papers to review as the mark was such an anomaly, she basically got a U for it. Her course work for that subject and her epq were also down graded from the A the college said she had to a B. They say this is the first year they’ve ever seen that happen, but it’s happened to several students.

She did get offered her reserve for the course she wanted, but has decided it’s not where she wants to be. She has been offered a course, which is something she has been considering at her first choice uni, but would rather do the integrated masters version of it so has applied through clearing for that, but will need to interview.

she’s prone to shutting down under stress, but today she has been amazing and I’m am so so proud of her. She cried for about 20 mins and then pulled her self together and got on the phone to clearing.
anyone who knows her would never have thought she would have been in this position, but it goes to show it can happen to anyone, but she really has handled it well.

its so tough especially for this cohort who have gone into normal exams without the practice of GCSEs.

sammyjoanne · 17/08/2023 20:20

Re Leicester I went twice on an open day with the eldest and its a great uni. Oadby student villiage is great and the city accommodation also. They expanded the student union as well and from the videos it looks lovely (we visited in 2019 when they was building it). It was a great option :)

Tabbytabs · 17/08/2023 20:25

Teateaandmoretea · 17/08/2023 20:04

That sounds very disappointing, that is a big drop for her to come to terms with. I think that there are other worse off never helps, that’s always the case. At her age I’d have been gutted. In time she needs to crack on learn from it and use the experience to get high grades at Cardiff.

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She has always been a high flyer and she just doesn’t understand what went wrong. It’s hit her hard, but she’s a tough cookie. She’s just gone out on a massive pub crawl into town with all of her friends (most of whom have not done amazingly either) so I’m sure after a few shots and a collective cry she’ll feel much better!

DrMadelineMaxwell · 17/08/2023 20:25

Cannot believe that the University of Liverpool managed to tell 119 students that they had places when they didn't! Just reading it on the news now.

Dixiechickonhols · 17/08/2023 20:26

I went to Leicester had a great experience and went back to tour law faculty 6 months ago and was very impressed with whole place. I also went back to my hall of residence and would agree set up
in Oadby is great. It’s got law in clearing BBB.

Yoloohno · 17/08/2023 20:28

After having a conversation with DD about her results, along with one of her friends who wasn’t as lucky with a similar set of results and the consensus was it just wasn’t fair.

Anyway it transpires that she looks like she has been someone else that has had her coursework downgraded to a d. Also there seems to some dubious marking in one of her a levels. Marks range in exams from a star to e.

She feels a bit cheated but she’s just happy her clearing bag wasn’t needed.

HappiDaze · 17/08/2023 20:31

Motivationtoaddress · 17/08/2023 10:21

My DS got CCE. He's somehow got an offer for his insurance place for next September but I don't really want him to go. He didn't work for his A Levels. He was predicted much higher grades and his results reflect his effort levels. He is fine but I know he can sense my disappointment and I feel terrible about that.

Do not discourage him to go through clearing or accept any place that's offered because if he defers etc he may find it harder next year if Unis do not lower their offers

Take a few huge leaps back and be encouraging. Suck it up and be there for him

Ohhelpicantthinkofaname · 17/08/2023 20:33

Lowther · 17/08/2023 19:33

Thank you for kind words of support. Short update: After disappointing results and rejection from firm& insurance she had to go through clearing. The real disappointment was a C in history when she was predicted A. After a few tears she closed the door and got ringing. Obtained a number of offers and
DD has got a place at Bristol UWE! They were brilliant on the phone and the HOD gave a call back and they had a good discussion. She got an offer/ confirmation email and is now waiting for UCAS to update. We are off to Bristol on Monday for a tour of department and city. Not been to Bristol before. She is really pleased with the course details and it is slightly closer to home - 2hrs. (I'm a bit anxious regarding accommodation though). She has found out that two of friends are going there too which has calmed her nerves.
We went out for a bite to eat and cocktails and laughter! So good to see her smiling. She is now fast asleep. I'm having an early night too - exhausted.
So hopefully by tomorrow it will all be confirmed and we start the hunt for rooms. Again thank you for all the positive supportive comments and hope goes well for those still looking for places or working on plan B.

well done to your dd. I have recently been at UWE as a mature student and it a lovely supportive uni. I’m sure she will love it. Bristol is also a great city with loads going on.

sumbusaking · 17/08/2023 20:36

Tabbytabs - I haven't read the whole thread but please get a remark of the C and a D.
When I was a medical school, one girl joined the 1st year from memory around 6 weeks into the 1st term. I can't remember too many of the details as this was many years ago but she didn't get into Imperial for medicine and couldn't get into any other medical school through clearing so got a place at Manchester to do a related subject - can't remember what but was something like biochemistry or psychology. Anyway her A- level remark went up ! And she had met her offer and started 6 weeks into the course - she was clearly very talented academically as she made up the 6 weeks of lectures she had missed and sailed through med school!

serialgrannie · 17/08/2023 20:44

To Lowther (don't know how to link post). Just to say how lovely it was to read your post and that your dc is off to Bristol UWE. I was privileged to go to UWE many years ago to study law as a mature student (Bristol Uni decided I wasn't sufficiently middle-class or something). I live near Bristol and had young children at the time so these were my only options. Anyway, I had a wonderful time at UWE, got a 2:1, qualified as a solicitor, got a top mark in Law Society finals courtesy of UWE and the rest is history, as they say. UWE is an excellent university - your dc will do well.

thefemaleJoshLyman · 17/08/2023 20:45

@SlightlyJaded My heart is sore for your DD, I was that girl too - full set of As at GCSEs, predicted As and Bs for A-level and then got CCD. I did manage to scrape into my insurance university but the wait to be told that was agonising.

However, I did meet DH at university, got a good degree and have had a very successful career that I have loved since leaving.

Love to everyone who has missed out on their places today - I know how it feels. I hope that you can all get onto a course that you will love.

Tabbytabs · 17/08/2023 20:48

sumbusaking · 17/08/2023 20:36

Tabbytabs - I haven't read the whole thread but please get a remark of the C and a D.
When I was a medical school, one girl joined the 1st year from memory around 6 weeks into the 1st term. I can't remember too many of the details as this was many years ago but she didn't get into Imperial for medicine and couldn't get into any other medical school through clearing so got a place at Manchester to do a related subject - can't remember what but was something like biochemistry or psychology. Anyway her A- level remark went up ! And she had met her offer and started 6 weeks into the course - she was clearly very talented academically as she made up the 6 weeks of lectures she had missed and sailed through med school!

She missed a C in chem by 4 marks and missed A in history by 9 marks. Her chem teacher has sent an email suggesting she gets that remarked, but even if she gets an A and a C she still won’t get into Bristol so she thinks it’s pointless. I was trying all day to ring college, but couldn’t get through. Her teaching in chem and bio was so inconsistent, she doesn’t even think her teachers know her name they were there so infrequently!

AfingeroffudgeisNOTenough · 17/08/2023 20:48

Just want to say a hearty “hear hear” to the PP’s posts about supportive parents. These young people of ours have a lot to be proud of, but also a lot to be thankful for - supportive schools and supportive parents. So many don’t have either. One of DD’s best friends has VERY hands off parents. I have tried very hard over the years not to judge them, but today I couldn’t bite my tongue anymore. I bumped into the mother at the shops and said to her that she must be delighted with T’s results as he’d done really well (A-star, A,A) and got into his first choice Uni. She shrugged her shoulders and said “I’m sure his grades were good - he seems to have got into his course anyway. Now he’ll need to sort out where he’s living and how he’s going to pay for it. That’s not my job”

(For context, this is a comfortably off, middle class family, dad works full time in a well paid job, and mum stays at home by choice. (so plenty of time to support sons if she so desired). This is not an overworked, overwhelmed, out of their depth family - the parents just don’t care)

I told her that I thought he did amazingly well and was delighted for him, and hoped they would all have fun tonight celebrating. She just shrugged her shoulders again and walked away. He total disinterest made me mad and I really feel for T - I KNOW he feels it hard.

Tabbytabs · 17/08/2023 20:49

Tabbytabs · 17/08/2023 20:48

She missed a C in chem by 4 marks and missed A in history by 9 marks. Her chem teacher has sent an email suggesting she gets that remarked, but even if she gets an A and a C she still won’t get into Bristol so she thinks it’s pointless. I was trying all day to ring college, but couldn’t get through. Her teaching in chem and bio was so inconsistent, she doesn’t even think her teachers know her name they were there so infrequently!

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Should say she missed A star by 9
marks! Asterix doesn’t seem to be working!

ChocolateCinderToffee · 17/08/2023 20:57

Ohhelpicantthinkofaname · 17/08/2023 20:33

well done to your dd. I have recently been at UWE as a mature student and it a lovely supportive uni. I’m sure she will love it. Bristol is also a great city with loads going on.

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She'll love it. I did my degree at UWE several decades ago, and had a brilliant time. Bristol is a fab city.

GivingItAWhirl · 17/08/2023 21:01

God, what a long day 🤣 I don’t know how I’m going to do this again next week for the gcse results! I’m shattered!! Thankfully all well with today, no drama. But DS has just shown me the breakdown of results per subject from his 6th form and it’s pretty shocking really, nothing like the last few years results at all.

SlightlyJaded · 17/08/2023 21:09

Honestly the support on here for DD has been incredible. It means so much. Thank you all for your kind words. I never EVER thought we'd find ourselves here.

This evening I had a little cry (away from DD) to DH - partly about her shitty shitty unfair grades, but also about how proud I feel of her incredible resilience. Honestly, to see her snotty-sobbing for twenty minutes when she got the rejections, sobbing even harder when she saw her marks and then, knowing all her mates (who expected her to exceed them) would be at Sixth Form, walk though the door to thank her teachers and hear their advice, before literally blowing her nose, taking a breath, picking up the phone and talking with a big smile so that she sounded positive and excited, nearly broke me. It really really did.

We have Leicester on our list - so thank you for those that suggested that - as well as a few others. DD has stopped obsessing over it having to be a RG (which, in all honesty, it probably won't be now) and has been dealing with clearing with an open mind.

When this fucking horror show is resolved - however that may be - and is behind us, I hope we will look back on this and remember that sometimes failure is not only necessary, but important and character building and that how we deal with failure can bring out the best parts of us. I'm still gutted for her, but have seen some steel in her that I didn't know she had - and I don't think she knew she had - so even in the thick of it - a small silver lining.

We'll be back tomorrow to hang out with the few who are still in Clearing Hell! :)

sumbusaking · 17/08/2023 21:09

Tabbytabs · Today 20:48

She missed a C in chem by 4 marks and missed A in history by 9 marks. Her chem teacher has sent an email suggesting she gets that remarked, but even if she gets an A and a C she still won’t get into Bristol so she thinks it’s pointless.

Tabbytabs - It's still worth getting a re mark though isn't it ?? Particularly if she thinks she did much better than the grade she got. There is an article somewhere - I'll try and find it - and the amount the marks can go up by are surprising. I think we forget that examiners are only human, struggling like everyone else , with teenagers, cost of living and other concerns and are short of time. With a paid remark, the paper is gone through far more meticulously

I think the reason I'm so passionate about re marking is that I was upgraded at GCSE.... And as I had done v well in my GCSEs and was over the moon with my results , it didn't bother me at all that I had got one C - it was in Physics which didn't surprise me as although I'd always got middle Bs in it, I had found the paper really tough. I was doing the A- levels I wanted and would never have thought about a remark but my physics teacher insisted on getting one! My mum said well it can't do any harm so we did. I completely forgot about it - and then got a letter saying it had been upgraded to a B! There was a long report with the letter- they had gone through the paper with a fine tooth comb and from memory had explained that it had been marked too harshly in areas where I had been quite descriptive rather than "bullet pointy" but all the information was there.....

Tahinitahni · 17/08/2023 21:16

Ohhelpicantthinkofaname · 17/08/2023 20:33

well done to your dd. I have recently been at UWE as a mature student and it a lovely supportive uni. I’m sure she will love it. Bristol is also a great city with loads going on.

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I went to UWE when it was Bristol poly - yes, I'm that old. Great place. But we went back to Bristol last year and it reminded me what a fab city it is to be a student.

Life is not always a straight line. But sometimes the best things come out of the unexpected curves...wishing her all the best.

Tahinitahni · 17/08/2023 21:18

Lowther · 17/08/2023 19:33

Thank you for kind words of support. Short update: After disappointing results and rejection from firm& insurance she had to go through clearing. The real disappointment was a C in history when she was predicted A. After a few tears she closed the door and got ringing. Obtained a number of offers and
DD has got a place at Bristol UWE! They were brilliant on the phone and the HOD gave a call back and they had a good discussion. She got an offer/ confirmation email and is now waiting for UCAS to update. We are off to Bristol on Monday for a tour of department and city. Not been to Bristol before. She is really pleased with the course details and it is slightly closer to home - 2hrs. (I'm a bit anxious regarding accommodation though). She has found out that two of friends are going there too which has calmed her nerves.
We went out for a bite to eat and cocktails and laughter! So good to see her smiling. She is now fast asleep. I'm having an early night too - exhausted.
So hopefully by tomorrow it will all be confirmed and we start the hunt for rooms. Again thank you for all the positive supportive comments and hope goes well for those still looking for places or working on plan B.

I went to UWE when it was Bristol poly - yes, I'm that old. Great place. But we went back to Bristol last year and it reminded me what a fab city it is to be a student.

Life is not always a straight line. But sometimes the best things come out of the unexpected curves...wishing her all the best.

Tabbytabs · 17/08/2023 21:22

sumbusaking · 17/08/2023 21:09

Tabbytabs · Today 20:48

She missed a C in chem by 4 marks and missed A in history by 9 marks. Her chem teacher has sent an email suggesting she gets that remarked, but even if she gets an A and a C she still won’t get into Bristol so she thinks it’s pointless.

Tabbytabs - It's still worth getting a re mark though isn't it ?? Particularly if she thinks she did much better than the grade she got. There is an article somewhere - I'll try and find it - and the amount the marks can go up by are surprising. I think we forget that examiners are only human, struggling like everyone else , with teenagers, cost of living and other concerns and are short of time. With a paid remark, the paper is gone through far more meticulously

I think the reason I'm so passionate about re marking is that I was upgraded at GCSE.... And as I had done v well in my GCSEs and was over the moon with my results , it didn't bother me at all that I had got one C - it was in Physics which didn't surprise me as although I'd always got middle Bs in it, I had found the paper really tough. I was doing the A- levels I wanted and would never have thought about a remark but my physics teacher insisted on getting one! My mum said well it can't do any harm so we did. I completely forgot about it - and then got a letter saying it had been upgraded to a B! There was a long report with the letter- they had gone through the paper with a fine tooth comb and from memory had explained that it had been marked too harshly in areas where I had been quite descriptive rather than "bullet pointy" but all the information was there.....

Thanks for replying. I will try and get through to college again tomorrow. The cost is a big thing with this. If we get all 3 remarked (at £55 a paper) that’s nearly £500 and like most people I don’t have that to spare. I really don’t know what to do. I mean do you get all three papers for each subject done? I don’t know how it works. I royally fucked up my A-Levels, ended up at a uni I hated and dropped out after a term!

HappiDaze · 17/08/2023 21:23

kidstaxidriver · 17/08/2023 13:38

Sorry to hear from many that the day has been challenging and mixed - it does seem tricky to take when the kids have tolerated so much over the last few years!

From those who are teachers or previous admissions tutors, I’m after some advice pls. Would you bother remarking if your child is 1 mark off an A, when they’ve been lucky enough to secure their firm choice? DS was disappointed as it is the subject he’s doing at Uni and I think he would be good for his confidence if he were lucky to have the grade shifted upwards. Teachers have suggested asking for one paper to be remarked at a time. I presume if you’re one mark only off the A grade that the chances of the allocated B slipping to a C grade are slim indeed?! Or is it a risk to go down this route one paper at a time? And costly!!! Advice needed please. @poetryandwine i noticed your comment higher up.
Finally well done to all these resilient kids (and parents) and hopefully they will all come out the other side of this in a better place

Apparently and I could be wrong

But if you are waiting for a remark then you can not firm an offer till you get that result back so could lose the place

DrMadelineMaxwell · 17/08/2023 21:23

I went to teacher training college (a poly) at a place that is now a Uni. Did the job!

No post exam celebrations tonight, which everyone seemed to think dd would be doing. She's in bed worn out after a big day, a late sleepless night last night and an early morning. Celebrating has been postponed until her bestie is back from their holiday.