Thread 15 - Corona Cohort Year 12, 2021 Lateral Flow & Driving Tests

[orangecinnamon]

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@orangecinnamon I’m sure that fabulous dress - love the colour- will get many airings at Uni balls as your DD moves on with her life amongst people that she feels are more like ‘her tribe’

Beautiful dress. My DS was another who had Prom after mocks, so they did get to go. Took 20 mins to get him kitted out in a really nice suit, very easy. Not sure how DD (y10) will go, she lives in jeans and leggings, no make-up, no skincare other than soap and water, no hairstyling other than for practical reasons (it's waist length).

Do Unis have many balls? (pre-Covid). I went to a Polytechnic and only remember going to one (fresher's), it wasn't my sort of thing at all, I'm a jeans and leggings person too.

We had balls and summer 'garden parties' at my uni (northern 'red brick') @ExponentiallyDepleted, but I think I only went in the first year in halls. I still have a dreadful blue taffeta off the shoulder number languishing in my wardrobe which I can't bring myself to get rid of - I must have looked like Bonnie Tyler ;-)

DS did log onto the virtual UCAS thing but said the general consensus was it wasn’t very good.

Our year 13s still getting sorted on offer front. Feel sorry for them, not an easy year with everything going on.

I don't know which cohort to feel most sorry for! I think the majority of current Y13s will get fairer, but generous, grades and their university experience will be better than current first years.

I was talking to a friend with a Y8 whose school is managing bubbles by not setting anything. She would have been in a middle set, but said the work they are getting is far too easy, I assume the more able ones are working independently. Their science lessons do not include any practicals as they are doing lessons in the same room which is also rubbish for arts. The current Y11/Y13 students will be given grades within the context of their covid teaching, and I think there will be some allowances for different educational experiences next year, but the younger ones will probably ask be treated the same although the teaching they have received for 18 months of their education will be so different. The educational divide is heart-breaking.

My uni didn't have balls (apart from the self appointed posh college but even that wasn't called a Ball). Back in the day it prided itself on being the 'Oxbridge reject uni that really wasn't uber posh'. I think it still is if you observe some of the sneering about it from some quarters on MN! This tactic did work as it still has a higher proportion of state educated students than many other of the high ranking unis. It, along with Lancaster, also didn't have a Students' Union: not sure if that has changed. But that was great for a more family identity in each college.

DS1's uni doesn't have balls and stuff afaik, but he wouldn't go anyway if they did.

DS attended the Sheffield history taster session on Thursday. There were over 100 people 'in attendance' even though its start time was very awkward. It was very good but very much about history and not Sheffield/uni life.

@ExponentiallyDepleted At Dads prom (all girls school, although they were allowed to take boyfriends) some of the girls were in very smart tuxedos. Some of them were in more flamboyant suits - florals were popular! Some girls were in amazing evening dresses. Some were in fantastic traditional attire - saris, Chinese silks etc, and some had trousers with smart tops. It was lovely to see them all happy in their choices. So maybe not leggings but plenty of other options.

I agree with that about the younger ones. I have come to the conclusion I feel sorry for them all, in different ways. As we are a smallish college we get to hear a fair bit what is happening in year above. Still a fair few waiting for offers/rejections and been interesting to hear about how they feel the different universities are handling communication eg. General feeling is Imperial have not been good, Bristol slow but good on saying what is happening.

Really really hope the autumn University experience is better than last years, that was a shambles. DD walks past halls and loads of the windows had post it notes on saying how long they had been in isolation, horrible when you’ve just started.

DDs school has started UCAS sessions. They’re posted online for parents to watch but DD hasn’t told me where to find them
On Monday she’s attending the virtual Oxbridge Classics open day. The ‘taster’ lectures look interesting- wouldn’t mind watching them myself!

Yes, I think there was a huge range of dress styles for the girls at DS's prom. To be honest I'm not sure whether DD will be keen to go to hers at all, its not just the dressing up, she hates parties full stop. She's much happier just hanging out chatting with a couple of close friends who are like-minded. DS wasn't sure but loved his.

Dd did a ‘zoom’ Oxbridge taster a few weeks back. Dd said the woman talked about balls and dressing up for dinner as though it would be exciting and positive for Dd (and not a PITA). She had an extremely ‘posh’ accent (like a 1950s BBC radio presenter) which was interesting and felt at odds because she said she was originally from round here - our local accent is ‘flat’ with short vowels. She called her zoom talk an outreach programme which displeased Dd as Dd didn’t think of her school as being ‘having to be reached’.

Dd perked up when they talked about the food and supervisions and seminars. Those are the bits she liked!

Tbh we talked about the woman’s accent the most. Dd noticed it changed when the woman answered the questions from pupils. I told Dd both older Dd and I changed our accents slightly at Uni too - but not to the local one, to the one of the students we were most around. This conversation probably backfired knowing Dd and looking back on it!

Everyone had a lie in this morning. DS received his latest report -ABBC which is OK and based on his standardised assessments last month. The estimated grades will be heavily weighted from his end of year exams in June so still some room for another grade improvement or two. Haven’t decided on which subject to drop but the C grade might well be the determiner. Still contemplating degree subject here which they are encourage to firm up next term. They start working on personal statements next term and they submit early UCAS applications in the autumn. DS is planning social stuff for the summer hols which I have a few qualms about but don’t want to burst his bubble of optimism. I’m 49 and am cheesed off with the unscrupulous on another thread who are lying & cheating in order to book a vaccine appointment. Anxious enough to worry whether the delay will be longer than a month or two especially with people doing this......but not enough to ditch my own morals!

There is a really interesting group of young people called the 5% club who I think I mentioned before.

They identified a lot of the stuff that puts off state student and one was the outreach activities being pitched wrongly.

Do they still honestly think that state pupils want to go to Oxbridge to have a bit of a Brideshead/Harr Potter experience? Using someone with a very RP accent seems quite silly.

I physically took some kids I taught to Oxford about 5 years ago and the stiff was really good . I took about 20 students and more than half applied to Oxford or Cambridge and 5 actually got offers. It definitely made a difference.

OK, got title rather wrong! the 93% club. Which makes more sense!

Sansou fingers firmly crossed you get called soon. It’s horrible it’s such a postcode lottery but guess it was always going to be.

We have a UCAS info meeting next month. I love meetings now you can sit on the sofa with a cup of tea!

Telling DS he would have to dress for dinner would put him right off the idea. Have heard the visits are very good and one of DS’s friends has an offer, he wouldn’t have applied if hadn’t seen it as his Mum said they didn’t think it would be for people like them but realised the reality was different when they went to look.

I really want to be able to go to proper open days, think DS is going to find it hard without being to look around properly. Will definitely be doing on day trips in the summer.

I think the Oxbridge thing is quite divisive. DS1 applied twice and had interviews at Cambridge both times, but performed really badly even though he was one of the highest achievers in his school as he seems to crumble under that pressure when he cares about the outcome. He was pooled second time because of his extremely high Admissions Test score and achieved grades. Every year they have more worthy applicants than they have space for, and I still think that if they go to a school which can't support them with interview preparation, they are setting themselves up for failure. Another friend was rejected from Cambridge this year although he did really well at interview but his admissions test was "well below average". That was because the school did NOTHING to help him prepare, he printed a few papers himself, but a friend of his mum's, who teaches at Bryanston, said they had weeks of supported preparation.

Schools with a strong tradition of Oxbridge success often have sessions going well in advance of application as well as super-curriculars to engage students which a normal comp can't offer. I think the only way to really be fair about it would be to have summer school assessments rather than an interview, but that would be very expensive.

DS1 is not bitter about it, he is very happy with his course, but it is sad that places at the best resourced universities in the country are so difficult to access for most applicants, even if they are the most able in their schools. Cambridge claim fairly high level of state school kids, but they are heavily dominated by grammar schools.

It is difficult. One of our local non selective schools does nearly as well as the Grammar with the numbers that go. That’s because as you said Monkey, they are good at helping those who want to have go, to prepare and have lots going on to support them. Really good example of what can be done and not what you would maybe expect given they are in a Grammar area.

DS has been encouraged to go to some club that I think is probably preparation for MAT and STEP. He didn’t sound keen but it came up with 2 teachers at parents evening so I suspect he may have caved by now and gone as the path of least resistance! His tutor went to Cambridge and I think she might be biding her time, seeing how the summer exams go then if ok suspect it’s going to come up.

My concern if he did decide to try and did by any chance get in that as it’s short terms and intense that he would just immerse himself in work and just not bother trying to socialise as will take the attitude it’s just a few weeks then will be home again. I am going to watch closely how he is at college this term on the socialising front. He is very pragmatic so if he does decide to have a shot would be fine not getting in as knows it is pretty much a complete lottery.

Monkey2001 well done to your son for trying twice. That was really testing for him and shows he has great resilience.

For what’s it’s worth, I went to public school and pupils undertook special Oxbridge classes from the first term. I knew the tutors were matey with staff from the colleges they had come from because I heard regular chats on the phone. In our pupil diaries, the staff were even listed by which Oxbridge colleges they had gone to after their names. We had balls and formals and it was all a bit Harry Potter. So all very ‘familiar’ and less of a leap.

Conversely, many very bright state and private pupils just don’t want to even apply for other reasons: prefer a different city/ location is too far away/ don’t like the course offered/ prefer longer terms etc etc and trying to explain that to some posters on other threads is impossible.

I think the easiest way to sort out the Oxbridge thing is to scrap grammar and private schools and everyone go to a comprehensive (). I will now go and run for cover.......and pray this doesn’t become another Oxbridge thread!

Some thread are quite feisty at the moment aren’t they !! The Durham thread was scaring me and I was getting an impression that I knew probably wasn’t right so I posted and have had some helpful comments that have given a lot of food for thought.

Thanks to this thread I found out Unis are still making paper prospectuses and we have ordered 3, all marketed at 2022 entry.

Yes Fools some can be very feisty! This thread is lovely. There’s a few of us on here who have older ones at Uni and so we cross contaminate a bit with higher education.

I can’t wait to see my older one and give her a huge hug 😊 Hopefully not too long now.

All 3 of my DC have been or are at independent school. All 3 started out in state primary. DH was at independent and I went to a comprehensive. So we have a fairly mixed experience between us and have our reasons for making the choices we have as a family.

It would be great if we could keep this thread clear of any judgments about choices we've all made. Too often these threads turn into an independent/grammar criticism and this one has (thankfully) managed to avoid this so far.

On Oxbridge I have to say it is very intense. DS1 got in but I was really quite surprised he did. He works very hard and has a brilliant work ethic. Helpfully he's not a perfectionist so copes very well.

I worry that DD would not cope so well with the intensity if she were to get in.