400K mortgage to shift

FreedomGirl

Hi,

Have PM-ed you with some university stuff - hope that's OK

FreedomGirl

Spirit_2

Hi, regarding your daughter AS results ...all is not lost.

My daughter had a good crop of GCSE results and on moving to sixth form we thought she continued to work steadily. More fool us. She was actually missing lectures/spending a lot of time on msn when we thought she was 'working'!

Her AS results were poor (worse than your daughters), she was upset and blamed herself (fair in this instance). In the upper 6th she did learn from this, retook a couple of modules and worked harder. She already planned to take a gap year, would have hated the uncertainty of clearing, and decided not to apply for University until her A2 results were known. Her degree would need at least 2A's and a B for Russell Group Universities. Her results were fine but not A's. She planned something relevant in her gap year, her 6th form references were very good and honest, she wrote a good personal statement and applied.

She is at her first choice University doing what she wants to do. Her grades are below their usual grade criteria but her capability was demonstrated and she met their admission criteria.

Our top tips:

• Going from all A's at GCSE to B's and D's at AS level - make sure you understand went wrong and why. (This will be reflected in her university references)
• Retake AS modules if desirable. (We thought it too much of a burden, and DD retook 2).
• Encourage her to be truthful about progress this year (mine had lied through her teeth in the AS year)
• If she is not happy to go to clearing consider applying when she has her results: our DD applied for 5 RG universities and 1 new university. She was offered 5/6 places!
• Plan something 'relevant' early on in the gap year.

Good luck
Spirit

kassytbag

Thanks so much freedomgirl and spirit its so kind of you! - am off to show the advice to my daughter
thanks again!

FreedomGirl

Hi,

No problem - PM me back with questions if you want - as you can see I can write really looooong message so probably best not to inflict them on the rest of the board

Take care - hope the weekend is going well

FG

London_Girl_3

I had my heart set a particular university but when i got my grades i had nothing like i needed. I went through clearing and got accepted to another university. I went to see the campus and cried as it was not the beautiful Georgian building of the uni i had wanted to attend, but lots of 1960s ugly buildings.
Guess what - I had a fantastic time there. I loved it! My best mates now are still the ones i made there and i've done well in my career despite those A level results and not going to the uni of my choice ;-)

I think there was more pressure put on us for A levels than anything i've ever experienced since. We were made to feel that our life would be over if we didn't do well at A level. And yet, it wasn't. I think it's very difficult for students to see past A Levels.

Please re-assure your DD that she will have a great time wherever she goes. It also sounds like she'll have 'moneysense' when she goes and this will help her money go futher when she gets there.

Good Luck

Jonbvn

London_Girl wrote: »

I went to see the campus and cried as it was not the beautiful Georgian building of the uni i had wanted to attend, but lots of 1960s ugly buildings.

I'm with you on this one. When I was a lad (a few hundred years ago), I had my heart set on one of the traditional Uni's (Oxbridge, Bristol, Durham etc.). I got an offer from Bristol. However, I eventually went to Southampton, even though my A level results were good enough for Bristol - I just didn't like the idea of single sex halls:eek:. The best move I ever made. I got an excellent degree, made life long friends and have since worked across the world.

kassytbag

:A thanks so much for all your help and support - i will pass it all on - it makes me cringe when i see on the tv about a levels getting easier - not in my experience

thanks again!

kassytbag

Help!

Having a really rough day today - o/d seems to be spiralling again and i cant find the energy to get on the straight and narrow - problem started back in oct- oh was supposed to get a small bonus on the monday of half term - so he told me to go to town with my daughters and get them some winter clothes - the youngest had nearly nothing and she has changed shape so much from last year - anyway went and bought a few things and guess what bonus hasnt appeared it is still in the pipeline and i know i shouldnt moan i just find it so disheartening to have stuck to such a tight budget and now be overdrawn for i dont know how long - it feels like a kick in the teeth - i guess is the moral is dont spend it until you actually have it in your hands - i feel like such a smuck for not doing that and am really angry with oh though i know its not really his fault - does this ever get any easier:eek:

setmefree2

Nope! or maybe yes! I think it takes a while to really get into the swing of things. I had my light bulb moment 5 years ago and I started to do a spending diary from that point. For the first year I don't think I could see the wood for the trees but after a while the smoke cleared and a pattern emerged as to where our money was going. Before that I was clueless, I didn't know really whether I could afford something or not. Anyway, the bonus will come and maybe because it's delayed it will help you spend less this month:money:

Good Luck:j

kassytbag

thanks smf2 - i was watching the secret millionaire programme last night and was amazed the way the woman went back to recording everything she spent on a daily basis when she only had a £10 a day to spend and anything she didnt spend went in a savings sock - she started doing this as a young girl - i think it goes to prove you have to instil it in youngsters to stop them making the same mistakes. The same lady then went on to say that normally in a month she spend £20k on 'nick nackery' and couldnt understand what she spent it on - but she obviously had the financial nouse to make millions so she must have an eye on the bank statements - anyway it did inspire me to stick with the daily budget just wish we could afford a holiday in all this - would kill for some sun!