Continuing Year 13: January 2016

[Needmoresleep]

Only two more terms at school. Let's support each other support our DC in getting through to the end.

Those rules must be just for self employed Visions as we've had to put new figures in each year for DS1. I did wonder whether there was any account taken for having two student DC and there is a small adjustment. New rules for 2016 starters but I'm not sure how much difference it's going to make.

After a last minute UCAS day at York, which was his 5th choice initially it has now gone up to first place and DS says he's going to firm it. The course was always the best but he wasn't keen on the campus. However we both saw it in a new light this time. I will wait until he pushes the button to be sure . Then I guess he can look at accommodation although applications cannot be made until after the May UCAS deadline.

We've applied for DS1's student loan. The only information they wanted sent by post was a copy of my decree absolute. Just in case I was lying about being divorced? His father has remarried so it seems a bit weird.

He's also firmed up his first (Warwick) and insurance (Exeter) choices with UCAS so no turning back now. Ulp! Just about to look at applying for accommodation now.

DS is doing OCR MEI maths as well, but finished his maths coursework before Christmas. He's yet to do his Physics EMPA though.

Just applied for student finance here. Estimate he will leave uni with £69,000 debt (4 year course).

Doing Edexcel Maths & Further Maths & OCR Physics & Chem & there's no coursework at all.

DS has applied and been allocated accomodation! Didn't think that would happen until after the results. Half his year has been poleaxed by this horrible fluey virus that's going round not helped by a round of 18th birthday parties so end of term can't come soon enough. We won't qualify for anything maintenance loan wise and still dithering about whether we pay the fees so the joys of the student finance admin awaits.....

ds has also been allocated his accommodation - even knows his room and who he will be sharing with.

He's about to do his student finance - his db is also about to apply to sfe but for the new masters loan and I'm wondering if when calculating the parental contribution sfe would take the masters into account in the same way as they do when you have 2 dc doing batchelors concurrently

well news from Bucking Mansion is that DD has been offered a place at Guildford School of Acting - I am bursting with pride and it's given her a massive boost of confidence. She's unlikely to accept it, as she's holding out for Lamda, Bristol Old Vic and RADA... which are all still pending outcomes.

DS has finalised his choices and, with a fair wind, will be off to Scotland - Edinburgh or Aberdeen. After looking at the housing options, he promptly invented a Facebook game called 'Student accommodation... or Norwegian prison cell', which speaks volumes about how well they cater for prisoners in Norway!

Reality has set in hallelujah, and revision is being scheduled and lessons in ironing being requested... all very promising stuff!

Grade 8 music exam out of the way here, so DS1 seems to be fully focussed on revision now, with lots of revision planned for Easter.

Accommodation not open until May for his firm or insurance, but he's decided what he will put down.

We will look at student finance this week too.

I pay DS1 to do our ironing so that's OK. He can cook a bit but post exams he's going to do a bit more to get more confident

Bucking, congratulations to both your DD and DS. And offer from the Guildhall is very impressive. I hope one of the others comes through, but it must be great to have a safety net.

Things are looking up here as well. DD has completed two out of three courseworks, and claims the other can be done over Easter. She worked very hard, with lots of late nights so it looks as if they will reflect what she is capable of.

And.....

she has an offer. Actually two. The first though, is a big deal as it is from her really aspirational choice (over 25 applicants for each place) and where she really wants to go. Its also lower than the second and very achieveable.

Lots of dancing around, then a bit of a dash to research accommodation before applications open in April. She is off on a school ski trip next week. (Mad in a way, but she might as well have a complete week off before getting back to the revision grind. She is exhausted.) She did not attend an open day and there are no offer days, so it will have to be sight unseen. Student Rooms threads are off-putting as everyone seems interested in the most lively. DD is sociable but not really a party person. If anyone has suggestions for nice halls in Bristol which give lots of opportunities to mix, but where there is a low risk of being disturbed by late night noise, do suggest. En suites etc are far less important.

Great news buckingfrolicks. I'm sure Norweigan prisons are not the worst in the world. On a recent UCAS visit with DS I was chatting with another parent who had been with her DS to visit Cardiff the week before. She compared the accommodation to prison blocks .

NMS congratulations to your DD. You must be very relieved and proud. She deserves a week off! I don't know about Bristol but when looking at accommodation lots of places ask the student to give an outline of their routines and preferences such as lark v owl / quiet v party animal.

Bucking congratulations to your Ds for her GSA offer. That's fantastic. We had the show round at an open day and loved it but dDs decided against drama school but we know how hard it is to get an offer from them. Well done. Good luck for the rest.
Needmore so pleased to hear the news of your dd's medicine offers, especially Bristol. Really really happy for you all after a tough year

needmore well done to your DD on the offer. Isn't it a wonderful relief?! A week off doing physical activities in the fresh air sounds perfect given where she is now. a lovely, and sensible, interlude.

squirrel students in my day circa Noah, had no expectations of en suite or queen sized beds! I recall being amazed I had a light and a sink!

lurking frankly I tried everything to dissuade DD from choosing drama school. But hell, you can have a law degree from a RG and still be unemployed, it seems to me. Why not do something you love?!

Squirrels, I had hoped they would do this but there does not seem to be a quiet option. I hate doing this and know it is against MN rules to phone on behalf of 17 year olds but I may give the accomodation office a call. She is dyslexic and will have a heavy workload, so it will be important to get it right. When she was in her Birmingham interview I walked round some of the accomodation and got really good and practical advice from the staff there.

We only had time to visit the Stoke Bishop halls at open day, and not all of them but ds loved the area - green and quiet. He isn't a party animal or a city one so might not be so relevant to your dd. They are pricey though!

Bucking I'm with you on being chuffed to get a sink.

'Twas funny earwigging on my mother and her bf yesterday, planning an imminent trip back to their Cambridge college (Newnham) to celebrate 60 years since they matriculated. Dm has booked to stay elsewhere as she can't cope without a loo at her grand old age, the bf is staying in hall and questioning why they are rebuilding an accomodation block to make it ensuite. In the end they decided it was the conference market. They couldn't see any need for the students to have ensuite.

I guess our dcs are paying the higher costs so the universities can sell the rooms in the holidays. Does it benefit our dcs at all, or just drive up their debts?

Wrt the quietness or otherwise of halls I wonder if this is even possible to predict given that it entirely depends on each entering cohort? I also wonder if it's a self fulfilling protest if somewhere is labelled "party central" or "full of poshos" or whatever (reading the student room or The Tab is a depressing task in these matters I find). I did notice in the Exeter bumph that there are designated "quiet" halls, don't know if that is universal though?

dunlurking at my Cambridge college some had to walk across quads to get to a bathroom. Honestly kids these days don't know they're born

In the end they decided it was the conference market
When we looked around the halls at York last week they were all vacated and pristine ready for conference use over Easter.
Having said that DS is adamant he wants en-suite. "What's my budget mum?"
Spoilt they are!
When DS1 was in halls he asked for a quiet flat. It was certainly quiet in the sense of looking out over fields, and his immediate flat mates were all relatively quiet and studious. However there flats above, below and either side and students in general seem to keep late hours. .

NMS never mind MN rules, I'd ring them. I find my DC struggle with making an old fashioned phone call which is extremely frustrating.

buckingfrolicks - it's funny, the first thing I thought of when seeing that Norwegian prison cell was "Bleedin' hell, I'd have luuuurved that at university!" Back in the 80s I was quite content with a sink.

Dn is very much a party person and a wannabe yah, but even she couldn't stand the noise in the halls in Bristol.

Where was she? DD is dyslexic with really low processing speeds. She needs quiet to study and needs her sleep. She is thriving academically, now she has dropped essay subjects, but there is always a concern that her current coping skills are not enough for the next challenge.

She is sociable but 15 years in London private schools have quashed any interest in becoming a yah. So she needs somewhere where there is a social life but not party central. I am assuming catered halls rather than flats might be better.

Congratulations to those still getting offers.
DD has just done her grade 8 music exam which didn't go too well would have helped if she had learned her scales better. She has another grade 8 exam in the summer on her 2nd instrument so maybe she will learn her scales properly this time! Revision is still very hit and miss except for maths because she likes maths. She is currently spending time looking at booking a holiday with friends and has booked V-Fest. She is still refusing to make any decision over which uni to firm/insure. We are going back to Leeds for another look in April for the accommodation day. I have a feeling she may end up taking a gap year!

My DS had pressed the buttons too, after some dithering regarding his insurance choice. He is such a procrastinator though. I'd like to say he's hard at work, but in reality he's pacing about (qouting English though) and not getting stuck in!

Congratulations to Bucking's DD. A magnificent acheivement. And to all who have got the offers they wanted.

I too am very worried about DD's accomodation, even though its been booked and paid for for ages now. We felt we had no option but to go for the 'studio flat' choice, given that the money is there to afford it, because her issues connected with dyspraxia, AS and general socil awkwardness mean that she wouldn't be good in a communcal kitchen or indeed in accomodation without an ensuite. But we worry especially about noise. And about how she will cope...

Congratulations Buckings DD.

DS has also just got a Grade 8 out of the way, on his second instrument. It
went OK for him.

I started my bit of the finance form today! Hopefully get that finished this week.