Disappointed that exam support discussions are now blocked on WIWIKAU

[EducatingRosemary]

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.

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.

@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.

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

@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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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” !

Yes I don’t get the transfer - I have clicked the link but don’t understand how to then see the question or thread.
I do read it but only generally post if replying to a specific question about the uni my DD is at.
And yes about Google! ‘When do we apply for student finance’? Just how many asked that last month? Though I am astounded by the ignorance of some parents; not knowing the deadline for offers (someone was just asking about if anyone was still waiting for LSE, who have been known to let the deadline go by without rejecting or offering
and we were all left wondering if the poor student hadn’t firmed or insured any uni at all); and they seem shocked to discover the the maintenance loan may not cover accommodation fees and what should they do about it?

I joined the site last September time, and couldn't believe the number of posts along the lines of 'my ds's room doesn't have a bin. Does anyone know where we can buy one?' or the number of students who let their parent take a photo of them standing in front of a packed car boot AND post it online.

I’m hooked.

I find it hilarious but now my dc are all at uni have decided I must leave as it follows the same annual cycles and there is only so much my child will die if they don't have an en-suite posts I can read. However, I will almost certainly rejoin around November when the Oxbridge hysteria starts, as - just on here - it always turns weird very fast.

I'm amazed at some of the posters who reply patiently to virtually every question.

Also raise an eyebrow at the my child only ran their dissertation through chat GPT for spelling and are now being done for using AI, it's so unfair posts.

Where it breaks my heart is the number of parents who just don't see how they can make uni work financially for their children. It's shocking and so wrong to see things go backwards like this.

it's the micromanaging that I find astonishing (full disclosure: I have no children but am very involved with my brother and his daughters, both of whom are still at university).

My eldest niece is going as a postgraduate to medical school in September and I joined various groups (Facebook and on this site) for insights that might be helpful. What had me wide-eyed was the number of parents using "we", e.g. "We've applied to...We've had offers from..." rather than referring to their DC or Young Person. Then there are the ones determined to plan their child's revision and actually asking how they can "make" the 18 year old do more work...

I went to university in 1976 and my parents had zero input into the application process (I found school support more than enough), the interview process (there were no 'open days' back then, but many of us were called for interviews as relatively few people went to university in those days) - we all took ourselves to the universities on the train or bus - and we all took ourselves up on the first day of term (I do realise that this would be very difficult now, given the huge amounts of kit they have to bring with them).

Also the ones who think the loan should get paid in to their account and they will dish it out to the student throughout the year.

I have in the past challenged posters who say that their DC can't cook, don't know how to use a washing machine or how to clean a kitchen by saying that it is our job as parents to make sure they know this before going to university.

It didn't go down well.

I also think there are too many young people going who would benefit from a gap year or not going at all.

I sadly was banned from it which was very distressing, well actually more annoying as I adored the ridiculous and far fetched stealth boasts.

I highlighted that parents micro managing every aspect of their child’s life would not be helpful to their darling offspring in the long run and apparently that was enough for the door to close very firmly.

I was unable to find out how to appeal against this horrendous miscarriage, so I have to content myself with juicy tit bits from partner instead.

Someone is complaining about the situation of the FlixBus bus stop (no shade, nowhere to buy water) and is considering asking them to move it. Surely, this has to be a joke!