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Original poster

GCSEs 2018 (14): the aftermath

997 replies

mmzz · 17/06/2018 10:45

Following on from www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3275972-GCSEs-2018-13-Untwisting-our-knickers-lucky-for-some

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37
goodbyestranger · 05/07/2018 22:19

out, not our.

Stickerrocks · 06/07/2018 08:47

You probably think it's inverse snobbery, but knowing a lot of Oxbridge graduates (both through my career and socially), it's one thing we would happily cross off the list for DD. It will be bad enough trying to get decent A level grades without the added pressure. I will be perfectly happy for her to go to Cardiff, Edinburgh, Durham, Portsmouth, Swansea...there is far more to life than an Oxbridge degree!

Original poster
mmzz · 06/07/2018 09:07

I've personally known several people who have Oxbridge degrees too (always maths related). The only thing they have in common is that they've all been unusually clever. Everything else is normal: some nice, some helpful, one an alcoholic with a big heart, some introverted, others extroverted, some naive, others worldly.

When I think about it, the only Oxbridge graduate who I have taken a strong dislike to for mind-boggling arrogance is Diane Abbott - which is bizarre as I've never even met her.

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Original poster
mmzz · 06/07/2018 09:11

Prom is over. DS looked handsome in his new suit. He stayed until the end, and was even invited to an after party. I'm so relieved!

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goodbyestranger · 06/07/2018 09:13

No I wouldn't say inverse snobbery but it maybe that the Oxbridge grads you know aren't a fair sample Stickerrocks. I thought you were basing your view on your BIL, because you used him as an illustration. I'm under absolutely no illusion about Oxbridge degrees and I've no time for the daft Harry Potter type analogies but just saying that life in either uni can be a huge amount of fun and a lot of the teaching is superb, so it seems a shame to rule it out on the grounds of a few oddballs, when your DD is evidently in the frame for it if she chooses. Also - just chucking this one in - if she was to go for Oxford rather than Cambridge then the grades asked for at A level tend to be on the low side, so my DC and their friends have found it reduces pressure rather than the other way round.

goodbyestranger · 06/07/2018 09:15

So glad to hear that mmzz! Lovely start to the summer holidays!

Eve · 06/07/2018 09:15

.. been a busy 2 weeks.

Back from holiday, 2 taster days at colleges one, which has confirmed which 6th form college he wants to go to and A levels he wants to do.

Prom tonight.. has a suit but no shirt, so today is haricut and shirt shopping for him.

.. no transport for prom sorted - I have been asking for months what he wants to do, was told not to worry , not too fuss - so I didn't , and its not sorted! Hmm

current plan is to take the 15 year old golf that older brother uses for learning in, make a Ferrari badge out of cardboard and go in that.

I'm leaving him to it!

LooseAtTheSeams · 06/07/2018 09:20

I can't trust myself to advise DS if he does psychology. I wasted an afternoon at the weekend hypnotised by the University of York's website where some lovely students were enthusing like mad about the course and you could do 360 degree tours of all the accommodation. I was so easily lured in! I wanted to go! I had to remind myself I wasn't going and he might still decide to do computing!Grin

Stickerrocks · 06/07/2018 09:27

As I originally said, it suits some, but it would be a car crash waiting to happen for DD, so if a lack of further maths rules out an application that can only be a good thing. Secondly, I doubt if her GCSE results will be stellar enough to waste time applying. They should be good, but they won't be in the same league as many of those on this thread who have been going to the open days.

I wish I could find a link to the picture of the cardboard box limo some students went in to a local prom. I like the idea of the Ferrari badge. Although there were a lot of flash cars last week, at least half sneaked into the car park in their parent's cars.

Original poster
mmzz · 06/07/2018 09:49

LooseAtTheSeams has your DS thought what he'd like to do with a Psychology degree?

I'm asking because someone I know is a prison officer - quite poorly paid, as you may imagine. His job was to run mentor the younger prisoners, trying to help them turn their lives around. However, he and he other prison officers doing that were forced to change roles and go back on regular duties because the prison service worked out that they could get psychology graduates to do the mentoring work for less pay.

That sort of implies to me that there is an over-supply of psychology graduates in the job market and its difficult to get a career start as a result.

Computing, on the other hand, is in high demand already, and demand is constantly growing.

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goodbyestranger · 06/07/2018 10:12

Yes agree it's best given a swerve by some Stickerrocks but my comment was primarily about fun, which is there for the taking, and grotty accommodation in the usual dodgy shared houses!

GettinTrimmer · 06/07/2018 11:36

Hi all

I have just collected ds from after party, group of about 12 of them, ds took some lager but only had 1 can; they sat up talking and he's had no sleep. mmzz nice to hear your ds had a good time too. He said no plans to meet up over the summer with anybody.

Sticker did your dd do her open day at the second choice college? Ds enjoyed it.

Ds is being gainfully employed by my Mum and Dad in their garden, 3/4 of a acre and all sorts of things need doing. He will be there 3 times next week!

LooseAtTheSeams · 06/07/2018 11:43

mmzz yes, very good point. He is interested in clinical, which he knows is very competitive but also in a possible tech/marketing role - how users are led to buy things by the way websites are designed. There's an emerging area called cyber psychology as well.
He really is keeping an open mind about degree choice, though, hence the decision to do maths A level, which he definitely needs for computing.
(At the sixth form induction last week he was the fastest in that particular group to solve a logic problem and the maths teacher urged him to do further maths, but he finds the idea a bit daunting.)

LyndsayT · 06/07/2018 11:51

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Stickerrocks · 06/07/2018 13:47

She's there today. Feedback looking good so far, which is a bit of a relief. Has your DS accepted his place yet & what is he taking? I know the deadline is next Friday, but I will be paranoid until DD has done it, because we go on holiday on Sunday and won't be able to log in.

GettinTrimmer · 06/07/2018 14:02

Sticker, my memory is faulty these days! There was an email to accept offered place wasn't there? I am off to check. I'll have to look at his emails to double check but I am sure he did accept.

I have heard good things about this college from my friend's daughter who preferred it to the other one.

He is taking Geography, Environmental Science and Sociology and/or maybe Politics. I have a hunch he may get a good grade in German and if he gets an average of 5.5 overall for results he can do an AS Level. I may try and persuade him to take German, even though the grammar is a "headache!" Wish me luck with that one.

Pleased to hear your dd is enjoying her day.

BlueBelle123 · 06/07/2018 14:05

Well DS has managed to secure himself a day's relevant work experience except its on the 23rd August!!!! what was the chance of that - so I have to take him to get his results and then drive him to his placement that could be an uncomfortable experience if he doesn't get the grades to even put him in the running for medicine!!

Sounds like those with induction days are going well.

Oratory1 · 06/07/2018 14:20

Trying to persuade DS to suggest meeting up with some people over the summer - apparently they wouldn’t want to/it’s not the done thing ! It’s a shame as an unexpected silver lining to gcse s was he seemed to ‘bond’ with a few boys in his house. Oh well hopefully he will make the connections again next term. Final day of term tomorrow (end of term shindig and speech days etc coinciding with the football - there could be a few hiding away in their cars !!)

Stickerrocks · 06/07/2018 14:21

Bluebelle That is funny. The tennis club have generously given DD a day off on 23rd, as I don't think she will even be capable of a basic forward!

Gettin They have to log into their account and accept the place (again) by next Friday, even though they originally accepted the place after their interviews. DD is taking history, politics, Eng Language & maths, hopefully, although I'm sure she was swayed by the trip to New York and Washington for politics at the other one.

brainmelt · 06/07/2018 14:23

Just popping during my MN semi sabbatical to say hello, thank you all for prom pictures, such fun to look at. Also very happy that mmzz DS stayed all night and after party :)
terf we enjoyed the day in Cambridge frying in the sun. Only visited Selwyn and loved it. All that ivy and bedrooms with pianos in...

GettinTrimmer · 06/07/2018 14:27

Oratory same here - man hugs and seemed to get on with all of them, as I notied when collecting him earlier from after party, but he just says they meet up among themselves and don't ask him! He did ask two of them to cinema and they said yes, even though thinking they wouldn't want to meet up. I hope next term our ds will bond with new people.

Sticker thanks I will speak to ds when he surfaces, at the moment he is purple round the eyes with lack of sleep!

TheThirdOfHerName · 06/07/2018 16:32

DS2 loved the Royal Society exhibition. I visited 10 exhibits and then felt a bit scienced-out, so sat in an armchair and read my kindle. DS2 visited all 22 exhibits.

The tube was very hot (I would guess over 30 degrees) and humid, especially the Bakerloo.

I'm glad we went today as tomorrow the area will be very noisy & busy (Pride).

EllenJanethickerknickers · 06/07/2018 16:57

DS1 has about 10 friends who are at Oxford or Cambridge. They are quite a mixed bag as mostly from his grammar school sixth form. What they have in common is being extremely intelligent. One did 6 A levels, maths, FM, 3 sciences and also Japanese just for fun! Another got 5 x A* for his A levels. Lovely young people, not at all arrogant, but there were those in his sixth form who weren't quite as nice.

I think I have a bit of inverted snobbery going on in my mind about Oxbridge. It's a great opportunity and you'd have that kudos for life. They're the only internationally well known universities in UK, rather like Manchester United is for football. You'd make amazing connections. But... I just don't like them. Hmm

Anyway, can I show off a bit? DS1 just got his second year uni results for maths at Warwick. He got a first. Smile It's only worth 30% of his degree but his first year was 10% as well so only 60% to go. Happy house here!

LooseAtTheSeams · 06/07/2018 17:19

Ellen congrats to your DS! That's impressive!

Original poster
mmzz · 06/07/2018 17:43

Well done to your DS1, Ellen. That's definitely worth celebrating!

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