New Batch of Year 13 parents this way!

"Funny to hear about DCs dislike of hills"

DD has a genuine health issue and is under the rheumatology team at the hospital. Walking up hills is agony for her, but she is OK on the level.

Funny to hear about DCs dislike of hills. One friend's daughter is turning down unis from her list if they have too many hills. She's chosen Warwick and rejected Durham and Exeter mostly cause of hills.

So glad DD gave up D of E after bronze. Sounds too adventurous!!!!

She's also opted out of dance show this year whilst still continuing classes so rehearsals don't get in way of studying or 18th birthday parties.

DD had her downsized party on Saturday. All enjoyed. We sigh with relief, she wanted 100 in a marquee and decided against a few weeks ago.

DD finished yesterday and arrived home late last night. They were in the Peak District. The main problem they had was overflowing rivers and at one point a burst dam making the route completely inaccessible.
I was the same as you Ursula listening to the rain and worrying! But she says it didn't dampen spirits at all. I think they were all determined to enjoy it as much as possible, knowing it was their last expedition.

Meeting with the Head this morning was just for him to congratulate her on her Year 12 results. All very lovely, but she wishes he could have waited til tomorrow so she could have stayed home this morning!
Still, she's used the rest of the morning to work on cutting down her PS, she thinks it's about there and once it's checked by her tutor tomorrow, she's ready to press the submit button on UCAS!

DD doesn't finish until tomorrow.

Oh Lobster and Ursula I came on just to hear how they'd got on! Will your DD be finished later today Lobster? I think DD completed around lunch time. Her boots are still not dry. I suspect she has not been proactive in helping them though.

She hasn't been proactive in anything since she returned, and it led to an almighty row yesterday. She changed one word in her personal statement after her form tutor looked at it and pointed out it was a string of statements with no explanation. I think she was irritated that he had said exactly the same as me. Blimmin teenagers.

Where did she do it Lobster? DD is still out there somewhere in Snowdonia. I haven't heard from her since Friday. The weather here has been horrendous all weekend. I lie awake listening to the rain battering against my windows and think of my poor little girl in a tent up a mountain.

😂

DD made it back from D of E in one piece (just!) sounds horrendous - storms, flooding, near permanent rain, whole route was practically a swamp - but she loved it and says she had a wonderful time! my idea of a nightmare!
She was looking forward to a bit of a lie in this morning as she has no lessons til this afternoon, but she has returned to an email asking her to attend a meeting with the Principal this morning at 9am! No idea why or what it's about (he has never even spoken to her before)
Hoping it's not anything scary!

I will look out for you. DD has green hair.

We are Nottingham on Friday too. I'm the one with the walking stick and dd is the one with the hair and eyebrows.

We are going to Notts on Friday, then Leicester on Saturday.

Ds1 didn't mind the hills, he would quite happily have run up them instead of dragging me behind him
His reservation is distance but I think it will be going on form.
Last one is Notts on Saturday.

"I'm exhausted after yesterday, there was a lot of walking!"

That's one of the reasons DD didn't like Bristol.

Southampton yesterday, DS liked it but then he's liked everywhere

Ds1 seems to have got a lot from Bristol yesterday. The only thing he didn't like was that it's the nearest to home.
MrsAwesome he has ruled Oxbridge out, not deluded although his parents may have been
He has spent today filling in his UCAS application and completing any additional forms the universities are asking for as part of their process.
I'm exhausted after yesterday, there was a lot of walking!

I hope the horse is feeling better Ursula.

I'm utterly exhausted by the first week back at school, early mornings are an absolute killer. Unfortunately, dd2 will still be around for another 10 years before she goes to uni. But I'll be working for longer than that anyway, so it won't make much difference to me really.

My school's AS results were surprising. Some pupils did significantly better/worse than expected. I now have to write subject references for all of my AS students from last year, and the deadline is really soon for Oxbridge candidates most of whom are deluded, as their AS results rule them out comply from Oxbridge

That seems like a really sensible decision then. Important to have checked it out none the less.

She thought the people were very friendly, but as she has an ongoing knee problem the hills and the fact that it is so spread out has put her off, plus the horrible journey and distance.

She doesn't want to be just down the road, but I think anything more than three hours would be outside her comfort zone (and mine - she is on Fluoxetine for anxiety, plus has a few other health issues)

Lonicera was there Something about the university she disliked or was the horrible journey just enough to tip her over?

DD liked Leeds. She has done a taster day there and it is going to be her insurance option.

Had a good day at Leeds yesterday, it has now gone top of the list. DD loved the course and met some of the lecturers, had a look round halls, v small rooms compared to other Unis we've visited. On drive North saw lots of parents driving DC to Uni in fully laden cars.

Well, that's Bristol off the list. 5 hours each way involving several train changes. Cross Country decided to cancel the train back to Sheffield after Birmingham, so we had to change there onto another train. Apparently this happens a lot. Then we missed our connection at Sheffield and had to fork out for a taxi. The train from Birmingham was full of drunks and we were sat near the smelly toilet.

I have been encouraging DD to learn to drive, and until now she said she wasn't interested. They have changed the school bus to include an earlier pick up before it gets to our village and it is too crowded and feral. She has now decided she wants to learn. She only turned 17 in July, and learning in the school holidays would have been ideal, but I can't make her do something she isn't ready for.