Moving on up... Uni/CollegeS5/S6/S4/Work

[Groovee]

Hey everyone

It's that time of year... school returns within the next week or 2, others will be preparing to start college or uni. Some will be moving out. Some will start work... so here's the thread for those in that position.

For me Dd is going into second year at Dundee Uni. She did a fantastic first year. She's off to be a mentor to those starting uni this year. Ds has just gone into S6 and has the world to consider in the next year.

Me... I need to find a job after losing my job in June! Done in quite a callous way that I am taking my time to be kind!

Dd is devastated, feels all her work is for nothing. Because her class test results have been lower this year, not sure that even with 5As last year she will get what she needs. Don’t really know what to tell her. Need to do some research - can they resist S6 or do the exams at college? Not sure that would help though, medical schools don’t usually accept re-sat exams and she’d be competing with those who got through first time next year. Perhaps she will need to do another degree and go for graduate entry.

Dd quite pragmatic about it but then she is lucky in that she has firmed her unconditional and has continued to perform strongly all year. Some of her friends are heartbroken because prelims didnt go so well and uni places are conditional on grades achieved. A lot of these kids pull it out the bag at the last min. We know of several last year who had the whole alphabet for prelims results but went on to get all As in the real thing. Hugs to you dd @emummy hoping the unis take this unprecedented situation into account.

They will have to make some provision emummy - remember that every student in the UK will be in the same position and they won't not fill spaces. They may even up the number of places available to Scottish students as I guess foreign applications might be down and EU students have the same fee status though they obviously make more in fees from RoW.

Sorry to hear you are unwell @WickedGoodDoge. Take care and hope you are better soon. It's really hard for those finishing P7 and S6 as they are missing out on their events etc.

Yes @WickedGoodDoge wishing you a speedy recovery I somehow missed your post not sure how!🙈 I will blame the stress of the situation and the menopause! Any tips lovely ladies on how to cope with 3 young adults in the house and the constant tidying up!!!! My ds is the worst he is so untidy but has a lovely personality so I find myself exasperated rather than full blown annoyed. I feel this will be a long few months!! Wonder if its wineoclock yet!!!

Worse possible outcome for my DDs who are slow burners but it comes together at the end . Worse day in my teaching career watching some pupils literally keel over whilst others celebrated .

Feeling very raw.

That's such a shame lidl I think either option was going to be good for some and not for others and a group in-between for whom it made no difference. A friends DS gets exam anxiety so always performs worse in exams compared to his class work so is in one way happy but also feels his results will always be tainted and they won't be "real".

I hope your DDs teachers can look at how they did previously on prelims v the real thing and make an appropriate adjustment.

Ds left school today. It feels all so odd. None of the things that Dd did 2 years ago available to him.

It's a strange time for us all just now.

Dd2's last day too. Quite a few years at school from them all. A few years at my school too and not just from pupils. Colleague just got a new job and we have had no time to celebrate with them or say proper goodbyes. And I have just realized that I also didn't get to say goodbye to the propationers I have been chatting to on the commute home. I haven't volunteered to go in due to DH's health.
Dd2 cheered herself up by accepting her Glasgow offer so is feeling more settled now. She also knows her maths and physics teachers have predicted her As and Chemistry will be at least a B but she would rather have proved herself.
And WaxOn I used your comments (about everyone being in the same boat and the colleges and universities needing to fill their places) to calm several senior pupils today. Thanks.
Good luck everyone.

In good news, ds is now officially accepted into Honours as Aberdeen has cancelled 1st and 2nd year exams and automatically passed everyone (unless they'd previously been sent a "fail" classification for a subject). He's now choosing his topics for his Junior Honours year

That is good news. My slacker of a DS2 would have loved that last year. He was moaning that he needed to get a certain grade for automatic entry to honours and further moaned when he realized he'd got more than the absolute minimum (wasted effort in his opinion).

Ds had had that attitude in 1st year, but seems to have been pretty focussed in 2nd year and had got good results for his PIR (and passed the other subjects - even though he found the Public International Law difficult apparently even the 2nd year law students found it difficult and he was coming to it with no background in Law ).

He's annoyed because he chose to do the "early" essay for the Sociology he was doing in the 2nd semester (ie on the lectures from the 1st half of the semester), rather the "late" essay (on the lectures from the 2nd half), so that he wouldn't have too many essays due at the same time - but those that chose to do the "late" one will be passed anyway without ever doing it, and his own essay hasn't even been marked.

Being the sympathetic parents that we are , we've just said it was good practice for him

Apologies as I know this was discussed last year but I didn't read and can't remember which thread.

How much per week do you give your DCs for food (or how much do they spend if they pay from their SAAS) if they have gone away to uni? Self-catering. DD is number 3 but her brothers have stayed at home. I want to be fair to everyone.

Hi @Clerk I had a wee look at roughly what students needed per year to live on ( haven't yet for this year) when ds went away to uni. I think they were expected to need approx £ 11000 depending on the uni and to cover all costs eg accommodation food clothing utilities and going out. With SAAS and what we gave him that brought it up to almost £10k and he had to work in th summer to top up the rest. If I am honest he gets a bit more than that as if we visit we buy him extra shopping or I will surprise him with the odd gift of money. We planned to do the same for dd this year but I fear earning their own money may be a bit limited. I think we will have to dig a bit deeper this year and up our contribution. Each family is different and I appreciate we are in a very lucky position to be able to do this. Hope that helps. I do think it depends on what the accommodation costs are as these can vary a lot.

Thanks for this. DDs accommodation is likely to be around £4500 (Edinburgh) - she won't know for sure until May but they say 90% get one of their 5 options if you choose self catering (plus since they allocate when you firm and this year there will be less international students I suspect she will get). We are in a good position financially so can afford to pay but I am keen to treat my 3 fairly so it's just working out what is reasonable for food.

DSs get the minimum which is £4750. One at home and one away. We've paid DS2s rent as DS1 lives home for free. They both get £250 a month from us. For DS1 that should cover his transport costs, he eats at home for free. Doesn't socialise so doesn't really spend anything else.

I've no idea how much DS2 spends so no idea if what I give covers his food an transport though it would be in his interest to tell me. I was doing the odd shopping delivery and gave him the occasional extra to cover transport home.

I also punt him the odd tenner if we have a takeaway as obvs we pay for DS1s.

Thank you that's useful as quite similar to my situation. Good point about the takeaways as my DSes always seem to come out of the woodwork to add to our takeaway order.

DD will not question what I give her but DS2 will.

Neither of mine question it and know i'm trying to put them both in the same position. I've drummed into them how lucky they are and that they should be saving their loan money. They need to be getting jobs really but obvs circumstances are a bit different at the moment.

Pretty much all DHs salary goes on them between actual cash, rent paid, food, travel, car insurance and tax etc.

@Wax we are the same only it's my salary that will basically cover them both. They are both studying in St Andrew's and accommodation at uni and out with is extortionate so no way they can save SAAS. We have tried to ensure they have enough but have to budget and hopefully be mindful of how they spend their money and choices do have to be made, as that's exactly what they will need to do post student days!!x

Indeed! DS1 has saved his. DS2 annoying me now, he's turned day into night and has stuff to do. He's lovely and polite and agrees to do everything then doesn't get up until 4. He's missed out on getting his disability support for last year. assured me it was mainly their fault, got me to email and they've replied to him and all he's said is that they've told him it will have to be re-applied for but wont actually show me what they've said, so I am now none the wiser...

Dd is in Dundee and spends about £20 a week. Grandad usually goes up once a month and buys the meat she wants that lasts her and usually bungs her £40 each time he's there.

We do her shop when we go up so she usually cons me out of toiletries etc.

Not DC is away from home
Her rent is £570 a month
We give her £1000 a month
Grandparents give her random amounts
I do a big Tesco delivery from time to time

Our not Not

Thanks. I suspect both my dad and sister who visit Edinburgh frequently will be good for handouts.

My dc took a crash Advanced Higher in a language - the only pupil doing so for this subject. Got a 'C' in prelim - but that was seen as positive. Estimated a 'B' by teacher but needs an 'A' to meet conditional Uni offer. Course work folio (15%) and speaking (25%) apparently went well - I know folio won't be assessed but not sure about speaking. Do you think it is fair to ask that school consider that dc is on a steeper learning trajectory than others?

Based on prelims will be estimated an 'A' in other two Advanced Higher subjects.

The school will look at all the evidence they have, take into account progression and think about what your DC would get applying their best effort. What the "ranking" they want we don't yet know. A steeper trajectory is tricky when trying to ensure equity in awards as it feels more of a personal judgement, though for what it's worth, I entirely agreed with you,

My DD3 also has a conditional which her prelim results would not meet but that she was confident of meeting in the actual exams I just hope her teacher professional judgement agrees

All the rhetoric surrounding this is not being detrimental to the 2020 cohort . All the communication coming from UCAS is flexibility.

We have been instructed not to discuss individual cases and respond to any queries with the same universal message. But , that might not be the case everywhere, . It's also holidays for most of us now so you might not get anyone.