Thread 54 - Summer 25 - Graduations after Uni Year 3

[Oblomov25]

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 53:
Thread53

Hi @BlueMarigold nice to see you back and hope things are getting better for you all.
I am slowly packing up dd2 (the chef) for uni - starts in 4 weeks and off on holiday shortly - was doing her kitchen equipment yesterday and she was coming out with hilarious things like “Have I got a whisk? I MUST have a whisk!” . Her brother was sitting at the kitchen island just shaking his head. So funny.

Welcome back @BlueMarigold

Great news on the new job @crazycrofter

Haha @Delphigirl - another one who'll be taking over the shared kitchen with her equipment! Where is she going?

You just panicked me into thinking we only have four weeks, but thankfully ds has 5. We need to book him some accommodation ASAP. He went to Nottingham with a friend on Saturday, I thought to look at some options, but instead, other than walking round the campus, they just went to a board game cafe to play games. 🤔

Congrats to dd2 @BlueMarigold , so pleased she got her first choice!

exeter @crazycrofter !

ha ha re Nottingham - I love a board games cafe so I’m with your DS. Yes I was surprised freshers week is so early - 14th is move in day for her.

We're on a meeting mini road trip in Yorkshire at the moment!
Thought I'd finished with open days, but DD is looking at Masters courses for next year, and likes a bit of company!
We did a day trip to Leicester last week, and went to York today and Leeds tomorrow. She likes the course at Leicester but loved the campus at York today - similar to UEA so I think she felt more at home!

@BlueMarigold Hello! I think your DD! was also a biologist? Hope her final year goes well. Congratulations to DD2.

@Seeline the road trips are a lovely thing to do together. Enjoy Leeds.

@EwwSprouts yes she is! Final year coming up. What is your child doing now? Have they finished?

@Seeline wave if you go past Harrogate! York is on DS Masters list if he goes down that route next year as they do some specific archaeology course he likes the look of

@EwwSprouts @BlueMarigold I'd forgotten we had biology students, I work in biotechnology (although I'm a chemist) it's so interesting.

@craggy my DDs course at York would be overseen by the Archaeology department! Quite fancied studying there myself!

@Seeline looks v nice!

Not been on here for a week or so. I know it’s really about our children who are settled into uni etc, but hope you don’t mind the moan here as you’re the most lovely group!
DS got A level results which were amazing. However, he didn’t get his firm choice - missed it by one star - and is truly devastated. He had his heart set on that course. Rang uni and no budging on grades. I think it’s made worse by knowing so many people dropped one, two or even three grades yet still got their firm choice (different courses, different unis).
We had made a list of potential clearing courses a week before, but by Wed night lots had gone - guess it’s to do with Scotland getting grades earlier? So there was only really one he’d consider but it was a slightly different course. He got offered it and spent the next 24 hours looking at pros and cons. On paper it’s a fantastic degree but ultimately it wasn’t where he wanted to be.
So he’s ended up with his insurance offer which is his desired university, same course but with a foundation year.
The whole system is flawed. Applying with grades in hand would take away this stress. Having some sort of consistency between universities and how low they can accept dropped grades would also make it fairer.
It’s just horrible being a parent watching someone’s dream that they have worked so hard on being pulled from under their feet. I’m relieved that he seems happy with his decision now and is looking forward to starting.

It is an awful system. The teachers on this thread will have seen so many unjust and/or unexpected outcomes, @NCTDN. I am glad that things have settled for your DS, and that he will end up at the place he wanted to be.

We need to do one last trip to collect some artwork of DD's from the studios, and a few odds and ends from her rented room, and then she can hand back the key. She's started looking for a part-time "day job" to keep her going while also putting in the hours on finding freelance work. Goodness only knows whether either of those things will happen; as you all know, it's tough out there.

DS is waiting for a Working Holiday visa before booking flights, but otherwise seems sorted for his gap year in New Zealand (including accommodation, there's a boarding house where the seasonal workers at his job stay!)

@PhotoDad can I ask your advice (again!)? He’s in the middle of the grade boundaries in all 3 subjects. Paper 2 in two subjects are the ones that have been a shock with lower marks than any mock papers he’s done. I can’t imagine a remark would find 15 marks, esp as sciences, but is it worth asking for a review to check no pages were missed? I know it’s highly unlikely but I’ve read so many people saying they’ve got remarked upping the grade due to pages being missed. Am I just clutching at straws?

@PhotoDad great news for your DS. Hope your DD gets the freelancing - she’s certainly got the talent.

Have the teachers reviewed the papers @NCTDN ?

I'm sorry to hear about ds' disappointment; it does seem like a very arbitrary system.

@NCTDN Most exam boards offer a fast turn-around on something called a 'clerical' or 'administrative' check (cheaper than a review of marking). This just looks at the original script to check that everything has been marked, and that those marks have been entered correctly into the database. That might be something to consider?

Thanks for that.

@NCTDN my older DC was in a similar situation - he did A levels in 2020 so was originally given the algorithm results which meant he missed out on his firm. By the time the algorithm was dropped, the places were gone, but he was offered a foundation year fir the same course. I think it was really good for him and he came out with a first in the end.

I would definitely get the school to check his papers in the first instance though - a missed page could make a bug difference!

@NCTDN im sorry you and he have had that stress. I think if that is the uni and course he really wants then a foundation year will give him time to grow and mature and put him in a great position to do very well ultimately. And 4 years rather than 3 means an extra long summer to get internships and summer jobs which seem to be so crucial in getting work post graduation. Very best of luck to him.

@NCTDN im sorry you and he have had that stress. I think if that is the uni and course he really wants then a foundation year will give him time to grow and mature and put him in a great position to do very well ultimately. And 4 years rather than 3 means an extra long summer to get internships and summer jobs which seem to be so crucial in getting work post graduation. Very best of luck to him.

@NCTDN Sounds a very stressful week. Glad he has got into his absolute preference, with a bonus 12 months! Here's hoping he follows the same trajectory as @Seeline DS.

@BlueMarigold DS has finished and is going into a food tech role in September. There were probably as many food sector jobs to apply for as environmental, if that may be of interest to your DD. DS hadn't thought of it until he started seeing such roles on Indeed. Interesting you've chosen biotech and are enjoying it @ExtensivelyDecorating DS didn't do chemistry (did physics) but the company has acquired a genetics company so who knows what path he may end up on.

Hey @fruitygal still around? You were another with a biologist. How is she doing?

Tbf there’sa lot of positive comments about a foundation year which is good to hear. And like you say it’s an extra year in the place he wants to be. However, it was already a 5 year course (1 in industry) so now 6!!

@EwwSprouts that’s interesting and I don’t think it’s something she had considered. She seems more interested in the ecology/animal side of things. Still got another year to go so she has time to think about what to do next. Good luck to your DS!

@NCTDN sorry you had to go through that. I’m glad there was a positive outcome