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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Disappointed that exam support discussions are now blocked on WIWIKAU

36 replies

EducatingRosemary · 17/05/2026 21:30

I was on WIWIKAU Facebook group a few years ago when my DS was applying for university, and I’ve recently rejoined now that my DD is going through the same process. It’s such a valuable group.

Many parents reach out there for support, so it’s been disappointing to see that just as peak exam stress has begun, the moderators have blocked all exam-related chat. While I completely respect that it’s their group and their decision, the alternative website they’ve suggested (which they run) feels quite clunky, and the exam discussions there are virtually non-existent.

It’s a real shame, as exams are such a significant part of this stage, and the sense of community and shared support is exactly what many parents rely on. I just hope those looking for reassurance and advice are able to find it elsewhere, now that conversations — even supportive ones — are being restricted.

OP posts:
vsosi · 19/05/2026 09:06

redskyAtNigh · 19/05/2026 08:34

I have found my people. It is such a guilty pleasure, especially the number of parents who believe that their DC really had tech issues which prevented them from submitting their dissertation on time and knows 100% that their DC would never use AI.

I have to admit to having a mild panic the first time my DD had to submit an assessment due to so many DC on WIWIKAU having "tech issues".

However, she assured me that assessments were due at 12pm, and she always made a point of submitting them the day before, just in case there was a last minute hiccup - and that was when I realised that, actually, most sensible DC were going to be doing that!

My ds is at uni, I haven’t been on wiwikau. But the tech issues are real. They have never prevented him from correctly submitting an assignment on time, but he has had serious issues with very clunky systems. The first time, there was a yellow warning exclamation mark following his submission, indicating that something was wrong. It wasn’t wrong, it was a system error that applied to the entire year group. Another time, he was submitting a day early to avoid problems and there was a formatting issue preventing upload which took him a couple of hours to sort out. A friend’s dd submitted a piece of coursework, but it didn’t go to wherever in the ether it was supposed to. She found out weeks later. Anyway, the uni let her resubmit the exact same price of work in the resit cycle. It hadn’t had any work or alteration as it was finished at the correct time.

seriously - tech issues definitely real.

AllJoyAndNoFun · 19/05/2026 10:15

@vsosi I do believe that tech issues are real, but also that when someone has had 2 extensions and then there were tech issues when they went to submit 20 mins before the "absolute final" deadline, I'm a bit "hmmmm". It's the new "dog ate my homework". Dogs do eat homework but not to the extent claimed. Also many systems, like Turn it In, are set up so you can submit drafts which are then overwritten by subsequent submissions until the deadline, so sensible to upload something a week before so that at least there was something there and then overwrite with every day's draft.

ThreeStripeQueen · 19/05/2026 10:26

WIWIKAU is one of my favourite places to lurk, I find it fascinating.

MrsScrubbingbrush · 19/05/2026 10:57

Mapletreelane · 18/05/2026 18:24

I am a member and have a strange kind of fascination of the number of parents who seem to be able joins groups and post on Facebook but seem unable to use Google/other search engines for questions about accommodation for specific universities, what are the ucas deadlines, the amount of teachers that that lower predicted grades as they don't like the child is crazy! Russell group obsession is mad. Also the perception that life in UK cities is really unsafe , I saw one post today asking about Birmingham as they'd heard it was a s*it hole.

Add in the aforementioned air fryer posts, and also the heated dryers!

That said there are posts where posters do get genuine advice especially for vulnerability, welfare and additional needs and finances. So it is really useful.

However it is my guilty pleasure. I'm waiting for the outpouring of grief and loss in September when the 26 intake go off to their futures.

@Mapletreelane you forgot to mention the posts about SFE at this time of year, all asking the same question and panicking if they haven’t had a response within 48 hours. There’s a search button on the site but nobody seems to use it, alternatively they could log on to the SFE facebook page for answers

Original poster
EducatingRosemary · 19/05/2026 18:12

We broke them! They have allowed the exam support back! Go us and our guilty pleasure 😅

OP posts:
StrictlyCoffee · 19/05/2026 21:46

poodlemum01 · 18/05/2026 06:11

wiwikau is very english centric so I stopped using it pretty quickly. Should also add that it was full of stealth boasting about oxbridge.

Edited

It’s a very strange group and seems to be run more as a business than a genuine resource.

clarrylove · 20/05/2026 13:32

It's a totally nuts site. I got banned - no idea why! I work in a uni and have a uni student and was always supportive. So many of my friends/colleagues are banned too. It's just a money making site.

RampantIvy · 20/05/2026 19:39

Littlecrake · 18/05/2026 13:31

The stealth boasting is one of the best bits!

Show quote history

To be fair it happens on mumsnet as well. Given that only 1,964 young people achieved all 9s at GCSE last year, it is astonishing that they are all on mumsnet and WIWIKAU. They are also all predicted all As and A*s at A level.

and those who micromanage every aspect of their child's life ("my child doesn't know how to use the washing machine in their university laundry - can anyone help" ; "how many ready meals should I send with them?")

God, yes! I once had a post pulled because I challenged a parent who said that she hadn't taught her child to cook because he was a boy! She later edited her post, probably because she was embarrassed.

I left the group then rejoined a couple of years later when DD started a post grad course. I tend to read with incredulous fascination rather than post.

BreezySwan · 20/05/2026 20:12

I love it, though 24 months on I agree about the cycles of conversations. I did the whole envelope present thing for my daughter

StrictlyCoffee · 20/05/2026 20:18

clarrylove · 20/05/2026 13:32

It's a totally nuts site. I got banned - no idea why! I work in a uni and have a uni student and was always supportive. So many of my friends/colleagues are banned too. It's just a money making site.

The fact you work in a Uni will be why. Has happened to a lot of people I know.

AllJoyAndNoFun · 20/05/2026 20:49

RampantIvy · 20/05/2026 19:39

To be fair it happens on mumsnet as well. Given that only 1,964 young people achieved all 9s at GCSE last year, it is astonishing that they are all on mumsnet and WIWIKAU. They are also all predicted all As and A*s at A level.

and those who micromanage every aspect of their child's life ("my child doesn't know how to use the washing machine in their university laundry - can anyone help" ; "how many ready meals should I send with them?")

God, yes! I once had a post pulled because I challenged a parent who said that she hadn't taught her child to cook because he was a boy! She later edited her post, probably because she was embarrassed.

I left the group then rejoined a couple of years later when DD started a post grad course. I tend to read with incredulous fascination rather than post.

Edited
Show quote history

I do read a lot of posts on there where I think “if you wrote that on MN you’d get your arse handed to you on a plate” !

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