Thread 47- Covid GCSE Cohort - Summer's running away from us!

[OrangeCinnamonLatte]

...it will be Christmas before we know it.

This is a support thread for our young adults post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting, and their results ( or life updates for those who went into work or have had results earlier). It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, uni vs employment please don't within this thread.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue. We were previously on the secondary board and then further education, now we shall be here in 'Parents of Adult Children' gulp

Our DS/DD may continue down various pathways ( employment, apprenticeships, higher ed). Experience is that everyone is welcomed wherever, whatever their child is doing we have some in work, gap years , apprenticeships etc too. Lots of contributors with different experiences and always sympathy and advice to be had.
Previous thread https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/parents_of_adult_children/4792342-thread-46-gcse-covid-cohort-searching-for-summer-solstice

Oh I'm sorry @crazycrofter your poor DD. I rally don't know why they can't just give clear information and let people know where they stand!

Do other unis have such a high failure rate as Nottingham? One of DS's friends failed everything. Several have failed one module.

@mummyinbeds are they allowed to resit?

That does all sound very opaque. Hope you get some clarity soon!

Yes, I had dual nationality and a US birth certificate which my DM wanted. I went to US every summer as a child and, in those days, any passport other than US required visas.

But when I got older, I wanted to travel to Europe and the US passport was a hindrance. This included me bring interrogated for an hour, aged 13 , at the Hungarian border. So, I started using British passport . US embassy demanded to know why I forgot to renew . I had to take both passports to Edinburgh. They discovered I had travelled as a Brit and confiscated my US passport and cancelled my right to reapply!!

I do still have the birth certificate though...

Blimey that’s a bit OTT Piggy!

That's US immigration and borders for you!

Have you been there since? And if so, we’re they funny with you?

Yes, and no!

@Piggywaspushed That's exactly the sort of thing we're keen to avoid with DD; glad it all worked out!

Mummy I too can't grasp this high failure rate. It's far too harsh for my liking, verging on nasty! 30 years ago only 1 student per faculty failed year 1 if they never attended a single lecture because they were permanently hung-over stoned.

@Oblomov23 30 years ago 20 of us were despatched by UEA law at the end of year one. If we had looked the writing was on the wall early days. Over Christmas they shrank the number of tutor groups from ten of ten students to eight groups. I wouldn't mind but I actually passed the resit!

@mummyinbeds I think it may be a bit of a post Covid thing. DS1 said 25% of the first year medics failed at St Andrews this year. This lot who did not do GCSEs may not have such good exam technique and some would not have got the A level grades in a normal year. There may also be some social things - freedom of being a student without the normal sixth form unfurling of wings.

Still no results for DS... he has got a job at the hospital in medical records which is 10 minutes walk from home at £11 48 an hour so that's good for next term. He's just going to do 3 days for three weeks through an agency but they will have other stuff after that.

Got my cancer gym induction Friday for pre surgery fitness and am hoping to hear about a date soon.

Nothing at all @craggyrat ? DS is still waiting to hear if he needs to resit or has progressed. They were mean to be advising through Blue Castle or by email but he's had nothing so still in limbo.

Well done on him getting that job, I dream of a job not dealing with the public! 😂

Good luck for tomorrow. x

History seems to be v v slow. He had French back which was really good but that is only a very minor element. He has got reading list for one of his modules next year so hoping that's a good sign....! Hope your DS hears soon

Oh blimey, DS has results but won't share them in detail. We know he passed a few and failed a couple. Apparently he has had an email saying his only option is to resit the year but we have not seen the email. There is no mention of the possibility of resits.

He is in a right state and won't communicate. DH brought him back home from work and he is currently lying on his bed unwilling to talk at all. DH and I are also in a bit of shock, we thought it was resits or not, not that he might just be told he'd failed the year and have to retake it or leave. When we suggested resitting the year previously months ago he was dead against it.

DH and I really don't know what to think or suggest. Annoyingly I have to go to work soon so won't be here this afternoon and won't be contactable. I think he just needs space for now though. Will offer to drop him at his girlfriends on my way to work.

Oh fuck 😥

Blimey @283nouveauxnoms that is worrying. Hope you can get some resolution quickly.

We have now seen the email and it says to resit the year. Average is 38.7%.

So the only resolution is for him to decide whether to resit the year or leave. He is in no state to make that decision yet and we don't know when it has to be made by. He won't talk to me or give me a hug when that's all I desperately want to do. His girlfriend is at least coming over soon.

Sorry to hear that @283nouveauxnoms - that's really stressful

You might recall I went through all this with DS1 in his 3rd year. You have my sympathies. It's extraordinarily stressful.

I've forgotten what the course is?

Yes it never even occurred to us that he wouldn’t be able to resit. We were sure we could get through any resits (DH in field) that resitting the year didn’t really come on the horizon.

For DS I think it is the shame of failure, he has never failed at anything really and academics were always his thing so more poignant. Plus of course leaving his course mates and having to make new friends as the others will inevitably move on. Plus being out of kilter with gf as she will be on placement year a year different to him now so that’s two years apart. Plus financial aspects as another £15k loan for him (fees and minimum). Financial aspects thankfully not a real issue for our part. But essentially a 5 year degree turning into a 6 year one…

Of course if he doesn’t go back we have a house to pay for but that’s not the main issue or a deciding factor.

Blimey my brain is fuzzy and it’s not even my decision.

@Piggywaspushed had missed that tbh. It is engineering which was why it was so difficult for him to catch up when he had been ill then head in the sand etc.

I told him we love him and are on his side whatever happens, it’ll be alright. But it’s been a massive shock to him and us.

aghhhhhhhhhh! Just sitting in the car park outside work trying to stabile before going in…..

Sending hugs @283nouveauxnoms

@283nouveauxnoms I'm sorry to hear that, it sounds incredibly stressful for all of you. Sounds like you all need a little time to process things, don't rush into any decision.

oh @283nouveauxnoms I'm so very sorry to hear that. As parents we do want to rush in and sort everything out but he clearly needs today at least to process what's happened and then maybe he will let you and your DH in.