DS didn't get the grades for uni :(

[zeinab]

Hi Yoyo, yes a lot have told him take a yr out & resit & maybe a bit of work in between.

[moved]

Not sure what subjects he is interested in taking, but here is the Loughborough link for foundation degrees, if it helps.

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/sefs ... uirements/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Amber]

I am very, very much older than your son Zeinab, and it is only in the last 2 years that I have found my niche and begun studying for what I am passionate about. He is young; it is all part of life's rich tapestry and he will be a wiser, more rounded and compassionate human being for it (even if you are greyer and wrinklier), even though it will take a while for him to see that and to sort his options out.

Best wishes to you and to him.

[KenR]

Sorry to hear the news

Might be worthwhile considering switch to a 6th form college for the resits - sometimes the school can act a barrier

I'm aware of a number of students who have got into highly competitive courses (including medicine) at very good Unis after resits - you just have to do your research

You just need some good advice and to sit down and plan a strategy

[RedVelvet]

Just wanted to wish you and your son the best. There will be plenty of options open to him, just take some time to look at them all.

Also after such a dealing with so much recently maybe another year at home could be a blessing.

This too will pass.

[Daogroupie]

Unlike the 11 plus, your ds can regroup and have another go next year. In the meantime he can go and do something life changing and fabulous, perhaps volunteer in another country. Something must have happened to generate such a gap between predicted and actual. How did he do in his mocks? You have plenty of time to work out what went wrong and fix it. A good plan would be to decide how you are going to approach the questions from well meaning friends. It will be easier to cope with the phone calls if he has something in mind. DG

[Fatandfifty]

Do not despair. My daughter equally found her grades disappointing two years ago and sobbed for days afterwards and there were no words to comfort her.

She went into the world of work for a year saved furiously bought herself an iMac and reapplied the following year to Leeds uni to study Politics and was granted a place. She didn't bother re-sitting her exams and says now that that year was a steep learning curve. She has finished her first year at uni and has passed with flying colours and hasn't looked back but each year I look back at that dreadful time in her life when she was in free fall. Please remain positive for your child, in the end it will work out although you cannot see the wood for the trees at the time.

[moved]

F and F, what a lovely post. Glad it worked out well for your DD.

[wonderwoman]

It really isn't the end of the world - but I know that it will feel like that and only made worse by what seems like everyone else doing really well.

I took a year to resist myself years ago and had one of the best years of my life, when most of my friends scrabbled through clearing and then either dropped out or took second degrees later. My one year seemed very good value then and I have never regretted it.

It would appear my children are taking after me and taking 3 years to complete the sixth form.

These days it can seem a bit like a given that DC do A levels and then uni, with little drive and passion for what they really want to do. Having an extra year can be very empowering if your DS allows it to be. Take stock, think about what he really, really, really wants to do and if that is the course he applied to, redo the year. If he doesn't really want to do that and that was part of the issue, think about what he would like to do - his education might well be good enough already.

I do think it's a good time to have a year doing fairly mundane jobs, having time to think and assess, a different but better future may well be ahead.

Bake a cake - everything is improved by chocolate cake. I'm baking tomorrow to cheer up my DS. Good luck. Xx

[Looking for help]

Hi Zeinab, we were in this position 3 years ago, from predictions of AAB, my daughter managed an out of the blue (apparently) E in chemistry. We were all completely shocked.

She obviously didn't get into university. However she has just completed a three year degree while working in industry and has secured a permanent job in her field starting in September. She is so very proud of herself.

My older son who finished at a top university last year with a great degree is still looking for permanent employment. (He's had a bit of a gap year to be fair)

He has debt, she has none. I wonder who will have done the best in the end.