The neighbours’ dog can scream its annoying little head off as much as it likes, the people in the house behind us can have blue solar lights blazing pointlessly all night long on the tree at the bottom of their garden, South Africa can take the No. I cricket team status from England, the BBC’s derangedly left-wing economics team can paint a 200,000 drop in unemployment as a disaster for the government, Julian Assange can go on living in the Ecuadorian embassy without a team of SAS psycho-nutter bastards blasting through the doors to drag his miserable arse onto a flight bound for Sweden.Even when, on Friday, it looked like the carpenter replacing our casement windows had screwed up and that we’d be left with one that didn’t open, I remained calm – and when it got fixed the next day (by a silent Romanian whose nickname is Clint, because he looks a bit like Clint Eastwood), I was positively ecstatic.
Lord, I’m not even moaning about the fact that it’s an airless 90ºF and it’s impossible to wash a plate without having to lie down in front of the air cooler with a wet towel draped over one’s forehead.
So why, for once, is Mr Angry beaming beatifically at the world?
Well, Junior got the grades he needed to study his chosen subject at his first-choice university (spookily, the same course and college as my oldest friend), so he doesn’t have to go through the lottery of trying to find a decent college via the clearing system, or have to face retaking any of his A-levels.
I’ve been down to our local church several times since my son got his news on Thursday to thank the Big Yin for his help in this matter – He was probably getting very tired of the sound of my voice.
I know from the direct experience of friends that not getting into the university of your choice is very far from being the end of the world, and that it often eventually leads to great success – but I’m glad my boy doesn’t have to find that out the hard way.
To anyone reading this whose offspring’s A-level results fell short, genuine, heartfelt commiserations: none of us is feeling in the least bit smug – just relieved.
Phew!
Congratulations all around.
ReplyDeleteIt took me one false start...four years in the army , years of painting houses and a semester at a school founded by Scots-Presbyterians (where I was informed, when my G.I.Bill checks didn't conform to their payment schedule..."this isn't a charity), before I finally got started.
Sounds like your son is on a much better track than I was.
Blue lights...hahah...pass the bong.
I wish I could claim I had a similar struggle - but the Norwegian Air Force paid for me to go to one of the best academic schools in the country and, back then, the British taxpayer paid for me to got to university - including some spending money! I sometimes feel guilty I haven't made better use of such a privileged start. Maybe if I'd studied something more immediately useful than Philosophy, I'd be a tax exile by now. Unfortunately for my son, they've just cranked up tuition fees to £9,000 a year - not as high as the US yet, but getting there - and, like the US, spending money now comes from the student, state loans, or the Bank of Mum & Dad. If your parents are poor - or Scottish - most of this comes cheaper or free, and you basically get a place if you can write your own name without the help of a team of experts. Not that I'm bitter or anything.
DeleteMy son's on an easier track than you, for sure - but I'm not sure that's always better. Time will tell.
If you don't mind saying, what did you study when you finally got to college?
I studied History at Millsaps College and then Yale University...and I've got the bills to prove it.
DeleteMy studies revolved around the Victorian British Empire and the power political issues it caused. That's where my historical interest always was and the presence of Bill Storey at Millsaps and him taking a keen interest in me is what really made it go.
Yale...ha. If only you'd known me three years before that happened. Nobody would have guessed that.
An Ivy Leaguer, no less! And no silver spoon! Respect! Mind you, given your views on Yankees, how did you stand three years in Connecticut? Anyway, lux et veritas to you, old man (did they say "old man" a lot at Yale?). Millsaps -ranked highest college in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama - doesn't sound none too dusty either.
DeleteHere (and in the White House, of course), as you'll know, the British Empire is now generally considered A VERY BAD THING, but right-wing historians such as Niall Ferguson and Andrew Roberts are doing a great job putting the case for the other side. (Given your interests, no wonder you're a fan of that classic movie, "Zulu".)
One difference between us is that, three years beforehand, no one would have believed you'd end up at Yale, while three years after I'd left Cambridge, no one would believe I'd ever been there (my favourite comment being "But you're too... normal".)
Excellent news. It's worth keeping that happy feeling in mind once the fees come in. Empty nest syndrome will last for as long as it takes you to discover that Son of Gron has taken the black and white Telecaster with him and is now heavily into shredding and neck-bending as lead guitarist in his halls of residence Death Metal band.
ReplyDeleteWe have no intention of suffering from empty nest syndrome - he has mercifully chosen a university that's less than two hours' away. And he's been considerate enough to take out a student loan (as he pointed out, if he's a financial failure, he'll never have to pay it back, and if he's a success, he'll barely notice the repayments). And I'm thinking of placing the Tele in a bank vault until he's safely off the premises. Fortunately, he's figured out that a Strat would suit his playing style more than a Tele - he isn't much of a rockabilly or country fan and is more into a guitar tone that doesn't cause permanent brain damage - for instance, he's a big fan of Nile Rodgers. The boy has taste.
DeleteHappy news.
ReplyDeleteReading this makes one wonder if courses change over the years as much as the social fabric of universities.
In my day under the wise and benign head of department Prof.Bell I went AWOL not just from the university but from the Uk for one term,and later was allowed a gap year pleading poverty and the urge to make some bread..man.
Some universities used to give internal grants for students to do some original research overseas.Mine took me as far as Rome and by kipping rough(a habit never entirely relinquished)one could get by.Is such largesse a thing of the past,or now must it be provided for by a top-up loan or long-suffering parents?
Socially the 70's were pretty relaxed,but at exam time out of 28 students on the course only one 'first' and two 2/1's were awarded;perhaps nowadays universities demand much more in-put than they used to with 'Finals' being just as stringent if not more so.
I have no idea.
And what about accommodation-maybe its a good time to invest in British property near the university?
Best wishes to Mr.Gronmark's son.
I have no idea if they're allowed to goof off as much these days - but I suspect not. Also, they don't waltz into jobs the way they did in our day - plus, there's a lot of seriously bright, hard-working Orientals and Asians to compete with now. Also, given that graduates tend to emerge saddled with a humungous student debt (especially those starting this year), I suspect they might take their studies more seriously than, for instance, I did.
DeleteAs for how many Firsts are no awarded, again I've no idea if they're more generous these days. I'm certainly less cynical about A-levels having seen what my son studied for his and the quality of some of the course-work he produced - I know my brain has probably atrophied, but English didn't look any easier than it was in our day, and History of Art was actually quite scary.
As for buying a property near his university - if we could afford one we'd already be living in a bigger house, believe me!