Thread 56 – Covid GCSE Cohort – Spring 26 – Yr 4 Uni and Graduates

[crazycrofter]

The old thread has filled up and no one noticed - I think we're missing @oblomov26 sharp eyes!

I've tried to tag in everyone I can think of, but apologies to anyone I've missed!
@shimy @endlessdistraction @justherewithmypopcorn @mummyinbeds @aslockton @oubliettebravo @craggyrat @anothernewname460 @ealingwestmum @ewwsprouts @seeline @piggywaspushed @nctdn @icanbewhatiwant @comefromaway @heifer @kingscotestaff @delphigirl @zebracat @cantonet @socks1107 @blinkbonny @anneofcleavage

Congrats to grads! We got a souvenir program at ARU, for what it's worth...

@crazycrofter Yes this was Sheffield. Apparently we could have downloaded a copy of the programme from a QR code but didn't know until afterwards. Poor grandparents watching online had to sit though an hour or so of speeches and the other subjects (the speeches were v boring and repeated verbatim through the day - we could hear them from the next session when we were having a drink in the SU bar afterwards)

At LSE you got a graduation brochure for all 5 days of graduations in one copy. The graduation was in the Peacock Theatre in the West End (LSE owns the theatre and has lectures in there and rents it out for West End shows in university holidays).

Reading university's was in a grand hall with a brochure. Only 7 graduates from DS course and 15 from the entire school including Masters and PHDs... and this is a centre of excellence and the 2nd best Meteorology dept in the world. There were about 200 computer science graduates at DS's graduations.

No long speeches at either graduation.

As for degree classification: Reading was a straight % of exams and dissertation. LSE was completely different and more straightforward.

Every year 4 modules (made up of full and half modules) were taken.
Year 1: All 4 modules averaged to give 1 grade
Year 2: All module grades counted: 4 grades
Year 3: All module grades counted: 4 grades

Your best 5 grades out of the 9 grades give you your degree classification.
So if you got all 2:1s in Year 1 and 2 that was your degree result even if your got 4 x 3rds or 1sts in Year 3. Most people's results were more nuanced, but DD could just enjoy year 3 as she knew her degree result at the end of year 2. All her modules were coursework. The only exams in 3 years were for the MFL module she took each year. So her summer 10 week term was made up of no teaching and just two 2 hour exams... for £9250 a year plus accommodation.

DS's graduation was just school of law but they announced the actual course name for each group - only 4 on his course - the first group to go and he was first. Lucky grandparents watching at home 🤣The law and French/Spanish also had a different colour trim on the hood as they were BA rather than LLB.
@crazycrofter you can download the brochure from the graduation website - it's about 200 pages!
DD's graduation had some sort of ritual every 50 ish students where something was said in Welsh and lots of hat doffing. She also had a nice printed brochure listing every variant of international politics/IR. Six on her actual course - she had no idea who else was doing it until graduation day.

Thanks @mummyinbeds - found it now! They mentioned each variation of course, eg Psychology with a placement year, Psychology with Neuroscience etc at dd's - looks like about 250 undergrads in total, only 8 on her MSci Psychology course. Dd's colours were a nice combination of two blues and she had an extra blue trim round the hood to indicate a masters!

Whoever presided over dd's ceremony was surprisingly nervous/not very good at public speaking! The speaker was a 2018 grad talking about her career so far and she was very fluent.

We had a printed programme for DS but his uni is so tiny that it was straightforward and in fact very similar to prizegiving day at his old school, held in a marquee on the lawn and all done (whole uni) in about 2.5 hours. Very good speakers (president etc plus notable alumni plus honorary award recipient).

This is the graduation speech we all needed!

Wow I thought the one at Bristol was good, but that’s fantastic!

Thanks for the updated list. Wow, havent they all done well.

Glad Graduation's went well. Tbf they are a bit boring and rigid aren't they!, the more casual welsh one sounded much more personal. I'm actually really sad that my ds didn't go to his, as his friends were getting married, but hey, what can I do!

I was thinking about the whole graduation ceremony. At uni of Bristol, there was no scroll to collect (ornamental one for photo) and no hand shaking. Instead they walked up and presented their hands in a prayer way and the other person (who probably has a fancy name) put his over the top. If they didn’t want to do that they kept them by their side and gave a little bow.
Then at UWE they did the whole prayer hand thing but the other person didn’t touch their hands at all.
what have you all experienced?

Just had to look back at my photos of DS's graduation. It was a handshake for them, and they had a tote bag hanging on their chairs to take home, which contained the programme with all their names in and a coaster with the uni logo.

Nottingham was a handshake. Certificate will arrive in the post at some point.They were sent a video clip of their own big moment a few days later.
Aberystywth was a doff of the hat. Each graduate received a printed program and a little lapel badge thing. Certificate was given in an envelope whilst registering for the ceremony.
DD would have loved a tote bag 🤣

Where was that? I thought dd did well to get a printed programme!

A doff if the hat would’ve stressed dd out in case it messed up her hair!!

Durham was a handshake and a rather boring speech. Programme for the day with all their names was free but had to buy the tote. Cathedral was magnificent though.

Warwick's was great. Lots of funfair in the open. Someone wabbli g about on stilts. Lots of props against which to take photos with friends and family.Tempest photos were the main photograps but there was also an independent person taking photos for a fiver and of similar professional standard (in my humble opnion). Lots of music in the background and all the food joints were packed. The ceremony was decent. Each dept. Also had its own reception with food & drinks laid on, so ds went to that after the ceremony and we went on to eat in town minus celebrant which is a bit weird but he wanted to be with his friends and we were happy to oblidge.

DD has just finished a job interview. It's for a 1year contract, with the requirement of 5 GCSEs. It is related to her preferred sector of heritage/culture but is more office/admin based but public facing. There were 180 applicants and they are interviewing 30! I mean surely they could have narrowed down a bit more before the interview stage! Who has time to interview 30 people for that sort of job?

30? Is there a second stage then?

Not that they've said! And it turns out it's a 9 month mat leave cover!

That's crazy @seeline! Someone must like interviewing.. Hope she's successful though - it would be good for her to get a foot into the sector.

Good luck to @Seeline DD! My DD has been at first-stage interviews with over a dozen others for minimum-wage part-time jobs. It's crazy!

She has her embassy appointment next week for an au-pair visa, so we're spending a couple of days in London beforehand. Also, DS is now home from his travels, which is lovely!

@PhotoDad It must be lovely to have your DS home. It will be a very strange October being retired and an empty nester. Have you got plans for retirement?

@Seeline Good luck to your DD. Sounds like HR has time on their hands!

Yes, @Aslockton, it will be odd! As I was a teacher, I am used to long summer holidays (sorry), so it hasn't really sunk in yet. I will do some online tutoring for spends, and maybe some volunteering... but I also want to travel a bit while I'm relatively healthy, and am very much looking forward to catching up with books/films (and videogames!) from the past couple of decades. I have never found any problem with filling my time!

I’m very jealous @PhotoDad of your extended summer holidays! I can’t believe it’s halfway through already.
I’ve not been away though which feels strange.
DD is still travelling in Asia and DS has been away twice so far and away again tomorrow - life of a student eh?!!
Is anyone on here familiar with Exeter and the surrounding areas?

@BlueMarigoldi just saw your dd is starting as an assistant ecologist in sept. Ds1 is an assistant ecologist. But his contract is March to sept. So he will finish as yours starts. The job he’s doing is mostly surveys, so is during the summer months.