CV19 and A levels

[Ayahuasca]

Apologies for another Corona thread.

Yes probably a first world problem, but what are the options regarding A levels and this autumn’s uni intake?

If schools are suspended, and exams stopped, how do they work out who’s going to what uni?

Yes, toilet paper, zombies, etc.

[eharding]

Ayahuasca said:

Apologies for another Corona thread.

Yes probably a first world problem, but what are the options regarding A levels and this autumn’s uni intake?

If schools are suspended, and exams stopped, how do they work out who’s going to what uni?

Yes, toilet paper, zombies, etc.

Possible they will go with already predicted grades - which obviously has scope for a huge bunfight and de-canned worm flinging, but these aren't normal times.

[hairykrishna]

Our university is planning to let undergraduate students do their exams remotely. With 48hr to do them in. Seems bonkers to me; why not just give everyone 95% and save time? Fortunately I don't do any undergrad teaching these days so my level of caring about it is quite low.

[vaud]

eharding said:

Possible they will go with already predicted grades - which obviously has scope for a huge bunfight and de-canned worm flinging, but these aren't normal times.

Indeed. Predicted grades are the plan for some unis.

[Einion Yrth]

hairykrishna said:

Our university is planning to let undergraduate students do their exams remotely. With 48hr to do them in. Seems bonkers to me; why not just give everyone 95% and save time? Fortunately I don't do any undergrad teaching these days so my level of caring about it is quite low.

48 hrs, with full access to the internet? I could probably get a passing grade.

[number2]

Einion Yrth said:

hairykrishna said:

Our university is planning to let undergraduate students do their exams remotely. With 48hr to do them in. Seems bonkers to me; why not just give everyone 95% and save time? Fortunately I don't do any undergrad teaching these days so my level of caring about it is quite low.

48 hrs, with full access to the internet? I could probably get a passing grade.

Yes, at face value, sounds bonkers.

[StanleyT]

Einion Yrth said:

hairykrishna said:

Our university is planning to let undergraduate students do their exams remotely. With 48hr to do them in. Seems bonkers to me; why not just give everyone 95% and save time? Fortunately I don't do any undergrad teaching these days so my level of caring about it is quite low.

48 hrs, with full access to the internet? I could probably get a passing grade.

I failed my control engineering with a 7% mark in the late 1980s. Bode diagrams and Niquist plots for thoise that remember them. I had to resit over the summer. With six weeks, the course textbook I still only got 41%.

Didn't help that I'd called the lecturer "Dad, you cantankerous fool" in a drunken Friday afternoon lecture.

Seriously, google "Bode diagrams and Niquist" - it'll made remoner virus seem like a walk in the park. Still don't get these today but 35 years in engineering has given enough confidence to blag them (which I think is what everyone does)>

[eharding]

StanleyT said:

I failed my control engineering with a 7% mark in the late 1980s.

Well, at least you've had a great career with Boeing in the interim. Something to be proud of.

[mikees]

eharding said:

StanleyT said:

I failed my control engineering with a 7% mark in the late 1980s.

Well, at least you've had a great career with Boeing in the interim. Something to be proud of.

I bet you didn’t like Maxwell either or FFT for that matter

[Diderot]

A large number of unis over the past few years have been making unconditional offers so I can see that being one tactic again this. Predicted grades another tactic.

[andy43]

eharding said:

StanleyT said:

I failed my control engineering with a 7% mark in the late 1980s.

Well, at least you've had a great career with Boeing in the interim. Something to be proud of.

[JuniorD]

I think the recommendation is that A-levels are safe enough if in addition to coughing or sneezing, you avoid mouth-to-mouth kissing.

[BigHeartedTone]

JuniorD said:

I think the recommendation is that A-levels are safe enough if in addition to coughing or sneezing, you avoid mouth-to-mouth kissing.

[blueg33]

vaud said:

eharding said:

Possible they will go with already predicted grades - which obviously has scope for a huge bunfight and de-canned worm flinging, but these aren't normal times.

Indeed. Predicted grades are the plan for some unis.

How would that possibly work for my daughter? She is doing her A levels through distance learning (long story involving Aspergers), so she has no predicted grades, she has no school and no teacher, does no assignments or mocks. She did 1 a level last year and got an A, and got 10 A*'s at GCSE also without being at school most of the time - could they use those as pointers?

[take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey]

hairykrishna said:

Our university is planning to let undergraduate students do their exams remotely. With 48hr to do them in. Seems bonkers to me; why not just give everyone 95% and save time? Fortunately I don't do any undergrad teaching these days so my level of caring about it is quite low.

Hairy...does your uni still do the nuc-physics course? If it does, I'd like to ask you a couple of questions regarding content if you wouldn't mind PM'ing me.

[vaud]

blueg33 said:

How would that possibly work for my daughter? She is doing her A levels through distance learning (long story involving Aspergers), so she has no predicted grades, she has no school and no teacher, does no assignments or mocks. She did 1 a level last year and got an A, and got 10 A*'s at GCSE also without being at school most of the time - could they use those as pointers?

I don't know. All the unis seem to be working through it (it's new for all of them) and there are always cases that don't fit the profile. They are normally pretty good if they are aware that a candidate is following a "non-standard" route.

Most unis have a team focused on this... you could contact directly or via their twitter accounts (normally the twitter community managers know who they should talk to)

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

I was thinking today (unusual in itself...)

..when I was a student I went to the library once, when I set fire to the kitchen in our hall (I knew they'd never look for me in there)

If the pubs shut is there a risk students might do some work out of boredom?

[vaud]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I was thinking today (unusual in itself...)

..when I was a student I went to the library once, when I set fire to the kitchen in our hall (I knew they'd never look for me in there)

If the pubs shut is there a risk students might do some work out of boredom?

Leeds Uni students will be hard hit... there is a pub next to the Uni called "The Library"... no more can they tell parents that they spent all day in the library...

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

vaud said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I was thinking today (unusual in itself...)

..when I was a student I went to the library once, when I set fire to the kitchen in our hall (I knew they'd never look for me in there)

If the pubs shut is there a risk students might do some work out of boredom?

Leeds Uni students will be hard hit... there is a pub next to the Uni called "The Library"... no more can they tell parents that they spent all day in the library...

[hairykrishna]

take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey said:

Hairy...does your uni still do the nuc-physics course? If it does, I'd like to ask you a couple of questions regarding content if you wouldn't mind PM'ing me.

It does - PM sent. Let me know if you don't get it